Graduate Program Reference Guides

Make an appointment with your program advisor as soon as you've been admitted to your program. They'll discuss career goals and options with you and provide important information about your program and graduation. You can meet with your advisor in person or online. Be sure to confirm your appointment time in advance.

Your advisor will help you develop a plan for taking the courses required for your program, as well as electives (possibly from other departments, if desired). This plan is called your program of courses. It must be approved by your advisor, the LILT department chair and the Graduate School. You should review it before registering each semester.

Your needs may change, and course offerings can vary due to factors such as enrollment, staffing levels and faculty sabbaticals. If you want to make a change to your program of courses, contact your advisor in advance. They'll fill out a change in program of courses form and submit it for approval.

You can find information about grades, including incompletes and grade appeals, in the grading system section of the graduate catalog.

To request an incomplete grade, you'll need to fill out an incomplete grade form and submit it to the LILT department.

With approval from your program advisor and the Graduate School, you may be able to transfer in credit for graduate courses you took at an accredited U.S. or other recognized institution. To have a course considered for transfer credit, you'll need to:

• Consult with your program advisor.
• Provide a syllabus and other documentation showing the course's applicability and relevance.
• Submit a transfer credit pre-approval form.
• Submit a transfer credit approval request.

The transfer credit pre-approval form and approval request can be found at graduate student forms and resources. Read more about transfer credit in the graduate catalog.

Each of our programs offers unique field experiences. The M.S.Ed. in instructional technology (IT) requirement can be fulfilled by a practicum or internship. The M.S. in educational research, evaluation and assessment (EREA) requires the completion of an internship and a capstone project. A field experience for our Ph.D. in instructional technology is optional and can be satisfied by an internship or practicum.

Our programs also offer optional independent study. After finding a faculty supervisor for your research-based project, fill out an independent study and individualized project contract form. You can earn from one to three credit hours a semester and repeat the course for a total of six credits (if you have multiple unique projects).

You must fulfill your degree requirements within a certain amount of time:

• Master's: six consecutive years (Example: first course taken fall 2026, must graduate by summer 2032.)
• Ph.D.: nine consecutive years. (Example: first course taken fall 2026, must graduate by summer 2035.)

This time limit applies to all the classes on your program of courses, including those transferred from another institution and/or completed as a student at large.

Courses taken outside the time limit may be considered for revalidation, which typically involves demonstrating current knowledge of subject matter. Contact your program advisor to begin the process. Transfer courses cannot be revalidated.

You must inform the LILT department in writing of any lapse in enrollment in your studies prior to taking the time off. Your letter should provide basic information regarding the reason for the leave.

If you haven't been enrolled for 12 consecutive months, your admission to the program will be canceled, and you'll need to apply for reentry using the form at graduate student forms and resources.

Since you have a time limit of six years from your original start date to complete the program, taking a leave of absence may lead to the expiration of courses taken outside of that timeframe. Contact your program advisor about the possibility of revalidating expired coursework.

The NIU Code of Student Conduct applies to students in LILT programs. We expect our students to demonstrate appropriate professional and ethical standards throughout their time at NIU. We strive to address faculty concerns about student performance and progress at the department level, using an internal review process for both academic and non-academic misconduct.

Read more about academic integrity in the graduate catalog.

There are procedures in place if you need to file a report or complaint. Learn more about reporting unethical conduct, sexual misconduct, unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

You can also file a formal student grievance.

We offer courses to assist you in achieving entitlement or endorsement in a number of areas. Contact your program advisor for more information.