Online Master of Education in Educational Technology (EDTC)

Teacher using technology in the classroom .

Online Master of Education in Educational Technology

Become an Educational Technology Specialist in Your School or Professional Setting

Open to educators and non-educators alike, the University of Delaware’s online M.Ed. in Educational Technology (EDTC) program provides a theoretical and practical grounding in educational technology methods and techniques, emphasizing theories of teaching and learning that support these methods. Electives provide practical experience with emerging technologies, mobile web design, eLearning, social media, assistive technology, virtual reality and e-book authoring and publishing. 

 

To demonstrate mastery of the program’s goals, all candidates for this degree complete seven assessments, including an action research project. Depending on the candidate’s career path, these assessments are evaluated by rubrics developed according to standards of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) or the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). Candidates who hold a basic teaching license follow the ISTE standards, while candidates from higher education, government and industry are assessed via rubrics based on the five AECT standards. To learn more about the framework, standards or in-person version of this program, visit the UD’s School of Education’s webpage

 

The School of Education online education programs are ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report

Program Highlights

The online master’s degree in educational technology provides students with a range of knowledge, skills, and experiential training.

- Learn in a flexible, fully online environment

- Complete coursework and practicum experiences with immediate application to your career goals or current professional setting in education, human development and family sciences or another discipline

- Learn with faculty experts in educational technology, the learning sciences and online education

- Benefit from individualized mentoring and advising by faculty

An Award-Winning Program

 

The University's Online Master's in Education programs are recognized among the top 20 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, 2025.

Program Benefits

More info about the Online Master of Education in Educational Technology

Applicants must meet the university requirements for graduate students and complete UD’s online graduate application.

 

Requirements specific to this program include:

  • A bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to the applicant’s proposed program.

  • An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

  • GRE scores are NOT required.

  • TOEFL or IELTS for applicants whose primary language is not English. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 100. The minimum acceptable score for the IELTS is 7.0. Students who do not meet the language requirement are still encouraged to apply through the Graduate Conditional Admissions Program.

To apply, please submit these materials:

  • Completed online graduate application

  • Transcripts showing an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

  • Three letters of recommendation testifying to the applicant’s academic abilities.

  • A written essay describing goals and objectives.

Students admitted to the EDTC program must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and make steady progress toward assembling the portfolio of items required for graduation. All students take required core courses (6 credits) in curriculum (EDUC 638), technology and cognition (EDUC 650). All students enroll in three required educational technology courses (9 credits): EDUC 611, Introduction to Educational Technology; EDUC 685, Multimedia Literacy; and EDUC 621, Internet Technologies. Students complete the master’s coursework by taking educational technology electives (12-18 credits) that cover a broad range of topics across K-12 education (ISTE) as well as higher education and industry (AECT).

Students who write a master’s thesis take 12 elective credits plus six thesis credits. All other students take 18 credits of electives. It is in consultation with their advisor that EDTC students decide whether to write a thesis and which specific courses to elect in order to prepare appropriately for their intended workplace.

Note: EDUC 639 is an educational technology course number that appears multiple times in the list of EDTC course requirements and electives. Each time, EDUC 639 has a different course title. The School’s graduate curriculum committee recommended this use of EDUC 639 to enable the EDTC program’s faculty to create new course offerings that address needs in this fast-paced field without consuming a new course number each time.

As outlined below, the EDTC program consists of some required courses and a selection of optional courses. The required courses cover educational technology foundations, focusing on principles and practices common across the disciplines and reflecting on the effects of multimedia and the Internet on current teaching practice. The optional courses explore educational technology topics in more depth in specific content areas or technologies in which the candidate wishes to prepare for providing effective leadership in order to make a positive impact on the future of schooling.

The EDTC program consists of three blocks of courses and a fourth block of internship experiences and exit requirements. In all, 33 credits are required for graduation.

 

SAMPLE Course Blocks

Block 1. Core Courses: 6 credits

Every EDTC student must take the following core courses that ground the candidate in curriculum, technology and cognition. Both of these courses are 3-credit hours.

  • EDUC 638: Learning Technologies Across the Curriculum

  • EDUC 650: Technology and Cognition

Block 2. Specialization Courses: 9 credits

Every EDTC student must take the following 3-credit specialization courses that introduce the candidate to the field of educational technology and provide authentic practice in multimedia and Internet technologies.

  • EDUC 611: Introduction to Educational Technology

  • EDUC 685: Multimedia Literacy

  • EDUC 621: Internet Technologies

Block 3. Restricted Electives: 12-18 credits

In consultation with their advisor, EDTC students enroll in four to six of the following 3-credit courses that provide practical experience with emerging technologies, mobile web design, eLearning, assistive technology and e-book authoring and publishing. The number of courses taken depends on the student’s exit strategy. Students who choose a credit-bearing exit strategy (3 or 6 credits) take fewer electives (typically 12 or 15 credits). Candidates earning the Computer Science Education Certificate substitute its courses for 9 credits of the electives listed here. Candidates earning the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation take 12-18 credits of entrepreneurship certificate courses in lieu of the electives listed here. Candidates working to become Delaware certified through Alternative Routes to Certification (ARTC) may substitute graduate level ARTC courses. Candidates earning this master’s degree along with School Library Media (SLM) certification take seven SLM courses instead of electing the courses listed here.

  • EDUC 646: Assistive Technology for Secondary Schools and Work

  • EDUC 652: Introduction to Assistive Technology

  • EDUC 653: Assistive Technology: High Incidence Disabilities

  • EDUC 654: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

  • EDUC 655: Assistive Technology: Autism/Severe Disabilities

  • EDUC 656: eLearning

  • EDUC 692: Educational Technology Capstone

  • EDUC 762: Examining Multimodal Literacy

  • EDUC 777: Fostering Technology Based Collaboration

  • EDUC 815: Design of Learning Environments

  • EDUC 639: Ed Tech Topics. Students may take any course numbered EDUC 639 as long as the topic is different each time. Topics have included:

    • EDUC 639: AI in Education

    • EDUC 639: Apple Teacher Certificate

    • EDUC 639: ChatGPT and& AI Chatbots

    • EDUC 639: Computational Thinking

    • EDUC 639: Digital Assessment Strategies

    • EDUC 639: E-book Authoring

    • EDUC 639: ePortfolio Web Design

    • EDUC 639: Google Apps in Education

    • EDUC 639: Google Workplace

    • EDUC 639: Instructional Design

    • EDUC 639: iPad Application Development

    • EDUC 639: iPad Apps for Educators

    • EDUC 639: Mobile Web Design

    • EDUC 639: Societal Implications of AI

    • EDUC 639: YouTube

Block 4. Internship and Exit Requirements

Every EDTC student must log a minimum of 50 hours working on field-based practicum experiences and internships. Students work with their advisor to complete the Application for Educational Technology Internship or Practicum form in order to gain approval for each internship or practicum activity. The program culminates in an action research project that the candidate submits in the form of a research paper or thesis at the end of the program. In order to be cleared for graduation, the candidate must pass all seven of the EDTC program assessments.

 

Performances

Regardless of which specific courses the students elect to take, all EDTC degree candidates must complete the following performances:

  • Multimedia eLearning Environment. This is a multimedia web in which candidates create a blended learning environment using multiple methods of assessment including collaborative learning.
  • Needs Assessment. This is a term paper with a literature review that candidates write during their first year in the program. It establishes the need for school or building-level improvements in the educational technology infrastructure, including teacher professional development, research-based best practices and learner characteristics of all students.
  • Curriculum Project. This is field experience during which candidates keep a reflective journal documenting plans, experiences and improvements made in a local school or workplace setting.
  • Instructional Design: The candidate designs and develops one or more lessons or modules on a topic of strategic importance to the curriculum of the local school or workplace. ISTE-C candidates must create teacher professional development informed by the principles of adult learning.
  • School or Workplace Technology Plan: This is a strategic plan that explains how the local school or workplace will go about achieving strategic goals by using technology to provide instruction, collect data and evaluate results in order to determine the extent to which standards have been met. The plan includes a work schedule, hardware and software configuration, a proposed budget and a budget explanation.
  • Action Research Project: This is a major research paper that the candidate writes toward the end of the master’s program. In an action research project, the candidate conducts a local experiment in order to determine whether a nationally recognized best practice implemented in the local school or workplace can achieve results akin to those described in the research literature.
  • National Standards Capstone ePortfolio: In the capstone ePortfolio, the candidate submits artifacts documenting achievements in each ISTE or AECT standards domain. For each standard, the candidate explains the manner in which the artifact(s) address the criteria.

 

Field-based Clinical Experiences and Internships

Throughout their program of study, students in the EDTC program gain valuable field experiences by applying the theories and techniques of educational technology in practical workplace settings. For teachers enrolled in the program, these field experiences take place in K-12 schools, where the emphasis is on integrating technology effectively into the curriculum. EDTC students preparing to work in industry complete internships in local companies, typically designing instructional materials for use in corporate training. Because the state of Delaware is home to thousands of national corporations, the EDTC program is able to offer internships across a broad spectrum of industries that provide a rich array of educational technology projects for student interns.

 

Field Experience Assessment Strategies

The field experience is evaluated by external reviewers according to one of two rubrics. Teachers are evaluated with a rubric that aligns with ISTE standards and all other candidates are assessed through a rubric aligned with AECT standards.

EDTC students work with their advisor to complete the Application for Educational Technology Internship or Practicum Form in order to gain approval for each internship or practicum activity. For each activity, EDTC students keep a reflective journal in an electronic portfolio in which they describe their internship goals and objectives, log their progress toward attaining these goals and collect artifacts including concept maps, storyboards, web designs, work plans, WebQuests, workshops, multimedia productions and evaluations of their project’s effectiveness. Each student must log a minimum of 50 hours working on field-based practicum experiences and internships.

 

Forms

During your study in the EDTC program, you will need to fill out a few forms. These forms are described in the following sections, which provide links to download each form.

Application for Educational Technology Internship or Practicum

As noted in the EDTC program assessment plan, all EDTC students must carry out an action research project (assessment #5) and create a technology plan (assessment #7) in an actual school or workplace setting. In order to obtain approval for this activity to take place in the local school or workplace setting, the student must complete the Application for Educational Technology Internship or Practicum. The person identified on this form as the “Local Supervisor” will serve as the external evaluator of the student’s research project and technology plan.

Graduate Transfer of Credit Form

With permission of the advisor, the candidate may transfer up to nine credits of graduate coursework earned at another institution or at UD prior to being admitted to the EDTC program. In order to qualify for such a transfer, these credits must not have been applied to or counted as part of any other degree, license or certification program. To initiate such a transfer, the candidate must complete and submit the Graduate Transfer of Credit Form.

Application for Advanced Degree Form

Last but certainly not least comes the Application for Advanced Degree Form, which the candidate must submit during the first week of the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate.

Tuition Information

$844 Per Credit Hour

The tuition for the EDTC program is set at a reduced rate compared to the university’s base graduate tuition rate. Students who are enrolled (i.e., applied and offered admission) in the M.Ed. in Educational Technology program will receive this rate, regardless of their state of residency or location of employment.

Base rate exceptions include tuition that are higher or lower than the base due to various factors, including competitive market research, program focus and historical enrollment success and program type (e.g., degree vs. non-degree). Over 90% of our programs fall under the base rate.

The sustaining tuition fee each semester for master’s students is $833 and doctoral students is $1,258. U.S. citizens may apply for Stafford Loans. You must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) no later than March 15 (February 1 is preferred) with the Financial Aid Office (302-831-8761) to be considered for a Federal Stafford Loan.

International Students: See ISSS Cost of Attendance for more information.

Stephanie Smith Budhai

Assistant Professor
School of Education
Email: budhai@udel.edu
Office: 103E Willard Hall

Bio: Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai is an assistant professor in UD’s School of Education, working primarily within its M.Ed. in Educational Technology program. Dr. Budhai’s interdisciplinary research and practice lies at the intersections of equity, technology and civic engagement, supporting educators across myriad K-16 settings.

Read Faculty Biography

Fred Hofstetter

Professor, M.Ed. in Educational Technology Program Coordinator
School of Education
Email: fth@udel.edu
Office: 219H Willard Hall
Phone: 302-831-8164

Bio: Dr. Fred Hofstetter is a professor in UD’s School of Education. His research interests include educational technology, instructional design, multimedia, distance learning, advanced web design, higher education and music education. Dr. Hofstetter develops eLearning software and designs and publishes curricular materials used in UD’s graduate programs and undergraduate minor in educational technology. Recently Dr. Hofstetter has focused on the iPad, for which he has developed the iSeeNcode app for an Institute of Education Sciences literacy grant and he has published the iPad Primer, which is an ePub available in the Apple iBookstore.

Read faculty biography

Teomara Rutherford

Associate Professor
School of Education
Email: teomara@udel.edu
Office: 134D Willard Hall; 131 Willard Hall (Lab)
Phone: 302-831-1653

Bio: Dr. Teomara (Teya) Rutherford is an associate professor in UD’s School of Education affiliated with the Learning Sciences Ph.D. specialization and the Educational Statistics and Research Methods Ph.D. She received her Ph.D. in Learning, Cognition, and Development from University of California, Irvine, her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Computers in the Classroom from Florida International University. Dr. Rutherford’s research focuses on learning and motivation, especially in STEM and in digital contexts.

Read faculty biography

Career Landscape for Professionals with a Master’s in Educational Technology

Career trajectories for graduates include eLearning Developer, Instructional Designer, Curriculum Development Specialist, Instructional Technologist, Training and Development Specialist and Technology Coach.

You can transfer up to 9 credits per University of Delaware policy.

All requests for transfer credit should be directed to the student’s major department using a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. Transfer credits will be accepted provided that such credits:

  • Were earned with a grade of no less than B,
  • Are approved by the student’s adviser and the chair of the student’s major department,
  • Are in accord with the specific degree program of the student as specified by the unit’s Graduate Program Policy Statement,
  • Are not older than five years,
  • Are graduate level courses, and
  • Were completed at an accredited college or university.

Graduate courses counted toward a degree received elsewhere may not be transferred into a degree at the University of Delaware. Credits from institutions outside of the United States are generally not transferable to the University of Delaware.

Learn more about transfer credit by viewing the Graduate College's Registration and Enrollment Policies.

The online Master of Education in Educational Technology program provides students with three opportunities to begin the program each year: Fall, Spring and Summer.

Please review the chart below for the application deadlines:

Session Application Deadline Session Start Date
Fall August 15, 2025 August 26, 2025
Spring I January 23, 2026 February 2, 2026
Spring II March 25, 2026 March 30, 2026
Summer May 27, 2026 June 8, 2026

 

Additional program-specific information can be found on the College of Education and Human Development's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The first step toward applying for this program is to complete your online application through the graduate student Application Management System.

You may start this program in the fall, summer or spring semesters. See application deadlines above. Applicants are considered for admission on a rolling basis, which makes now the perfect time to apply.

Canvas, which is currently used by over 2,000 schools throughout the United States.

Yes, graduate departments generally allow you to transfer up to 9 credits per University of Delaware policy. View Transfer Credit for more information.

Ready to Learn More?

 

Experience what it’s like to earn your Master of Education in Educational Technology in as little as two years, all from the comfort of your own home.