Top 25 Online Master's in Educational Technology Programs for 2019
Earning an online educational technology degree prepares students to become innovators in the field. Job responsibilities include guiding a school's integration of technology into its curriculum and coaching teachers on how to use learning tools. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more job opportunities to become available, with the industry growing by 8% over the next ten years.
What are the Best Online Master's in Educational Technology Programs?
Top 25 Online Masters in Educational Technology Programs
Admissions Rate
14%
Graduation Rate
94%
Online Enrollment
25%
Retention Rate
97%
Default Rate
2%
JHU offers a master of science in education digital age learning and educational technology degree that prepares students to apply technology to high school, college, and business environments. Students can specialize their studies in instructional design, delivery, and game and media design. This 36-credit online educational technology degree includes 15 credits of core coursework on the issues, evaluation, research, and application of digital age learning. Students can also enroll in digital education leadership and data-driven decision making.
Students can enroll on a part- or full-time basis and begin classes during the spring, summer, and fall terms. Applicants must submit an admission essay about their educational goals and experiences along with official transcripts and two letters of recommendation to be considered. A pre-admission interview is also required.
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How to Choose an Online Master's in Educational Technology Program
The typical online educational technology degree takes about a year and a half to two years of full-time coursework to complete. Some online master's in instructional technology programs require student to enroll part time or full time and complete courses as part of a cohort or individually. It's important to choose an online master's in instructional technology program that offers concentrations or a curriculum that represents your career or personal goals.
Online master's in instructional technology tuition varies by school. Colleges commonly charge the same tuition as on-campus programs or offer a discounted, online tuition. The cost per credit ranges from $500 per credit to over $1,000. Many online master's in instructional technology programs are offered completely online, but some do have on-campus requirements, which include week-long intensives and proctored exams. Common courses include information architecture, instructional design fundamentals, and cognitive science.
Careers for Graduates of Master's in Educational Technology Programs
An online educational technology degree prepares students for roles in school or academic settings and for training and development roles in corporations, non-profits, and government. The daily responsibilities vary as well, and may include designing web programs and video games, writing instructional materials, and administering elearning courses in corporate training workshops. Many organizations need professionals who hold a master's in educational technology online to utilize their knowledge of how the mind learns through various media.
Using a variety of technical tools, instructional designers use web development, instructional methodologies, and user experience skills to design learning programs for different environments and purposes. Often collaborating with programmers and developers, their designs and programs may include online courses, games, interactive animations, exhibitions, and presentations.
Median Salary: $60,888
Job Outlook and Salary for Graduates of Educational Technology Master's Degrees
The employment opportunities available with an online educational technology degree falls under a number of different fields, which includes education, training, library occupations, and business. The data below reflects reflects these industries. Business and financial and education, training, and library occupations are projected to grow 8% from 2014 to 2024. Location and career level affects your expected salary.
| Employment, 2014 | Projected Employment, 2024 |
|---|---|
| 9,216,100 | 9,913,700 |
Salary Growth by Experience for Graduates of Educational Technology Master's Programs
A master's in educational technology online increases the earning potential of employees in the education field, including instructional designers and curriculum developers. The highly specialized skills developed in an online master's in instructional technology programs warrants a greater salary, with management roles earning the largest amount over time. Many roles in the elearning industry are increasingly home based, which allows workers to save on commuting costs.
To determine the best online Master's in Educational Technology programs, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the best online Master's in Educational Technology programs. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.