Educational Technology

When will the next courses be offered?

In general, each year the fall semester begins around August 25, the spring semester, around January 15 and the summer term around May 28.

How do I register?
The best thing to do is enter your contact information at http://coedata.sdsu.edu/edtec/online/home.php.We will contact you about three weeks before the beginning of the semester with information on how to register. We respect your privacy--your information will not be sold or shared with any organization or agency.

My company is paying for my classes, how do I register?
Registration with payment by a company requires a purchase order or a letter of intent from the company stating they will pay for a student, specific course, specific amount, etc. This information must accompany the registration so you will want to either mail in the registration or register in person. It cannot be done online. Purchase order or letter of intent is sent to the College of Extended Studies.

Do I have to apply to the department or university to participate?
You do not need to apply to take courses towards the Certificate in Instructional Technology. You will need to apply if you decide to work towards the master's degree.

How do the distance courses compare to the campus course?
The distance courses cover the same material, and are taught by the same professors, as the campus courses. The official transcripts from the university do not differentiate the modality of instruction.

Is there a specific time that I will need to be online to participate in a course?
Each course will have weekly synchrounous (real-time chats) and asynchronous (flex time) components. We encourage all participants to attend the synchronous sessions, but if work, travel, or family schedules prohibit your attendance, you wil be able to listen to the archived session. The day and time for the synchronous session will be determined at the beginning of each semester by the consensus of the class members.

How many hours of work are there each week?
The rule of thumb for graduate courses is 9-12 hours of work each week.

Can I apply courses I take for the Instructional Technology Certificate to the Master's degree?
One of the reasons we designed this certificate was to enable students to complete some of the core work for the master's degree program at a distance without committing themselves to an extended stay in San Diego. If you decide the program is for you, then you can either come to San Diego for one year to complete advanced coursework with the faculty and on-campus students, or complete the course work from your home. The advantage to coming to San Diego is that the courses are less expensive, and you get to work more closely with faculty and a community of learners. The deadline to apply for spring is November 1st. The deadline for fall is May 1.

Can I take courses in the certificate program and apply them to an undergraduate degree?
Our certificate courses may count towards your undergraduate degree--but that is a decision that only your home institution can make. Be sure your program advisors know that our degree program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). EDTEC courses that you complete before earning your undergraduate degree (other than prerequisites 540 and 541) will not counts towards our Master's degree.

Can I enter the Master's degree program before completing my undergraduate degree?
With the exception of EDTEC 540 and 541--which are prerequsites courses in our Master's courses-- the answer is "no". Any additional EDTEC courses you complete before earning your undergraduate degree will not count towards our Master's degree.

How do I apply for the master's program?
See http://edtec.sdsu.edu/distance/apply.htm for more information.

Do I have to attend the campus to complete the program?
No. All work can be done at a distance.

Can I take classes both online and on campus?
No, you cannot enroll concurrently in an online and campus class. The university will allow you to change from a distance to campus student, but not move back and forth.

How many courses can I take at one time?
We encourage participants to start with one course per semester. Once familiar with the routine and work involved, some participants take two courses per semester. However, EDTEC 540 and 541 have to completed first.

What hardware and software will I need to participate?
Applications used in the program work on both Macintosh and Windows computers. To learn about the software and hardware requirements, please visit this site.

How can I learn more about the program?
Our recent newsletters wil provide information. For additional information or questions, please contact Donn Ritchie, Director at dritchie@mail.sdsu.edu or Elsa Tapia, Adminstrative Coordinator at etapi@mail.sdsu.edu .

Do I need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) if I already have a Master's degree?
San Diego State University recognizes degrees listed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Go to http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and search for your university; If it isn't listed, contact Graduate and Research Affairs to verify. You must take the GRE if your degree is from an institution that the CHEA does not recognize.

Are courses in the Instructional Technology Certificate considered graduate level?
San Diego State University allows both upper-division undergraduate and graduate students to complete 500-level courses, although the total number of units for graduate students is capped at 12. However, 500-level courses do not appear as graduate level on your university transcript unless you are officially earning a Master's degree or advanced certificate. Both the Director of Distance Programs and the Department Chair can provide this explanation in writing to your employer if you're part of a tuition reimbursement program that requires graduate level work. However, we cannot guarantee that your employer will accept this justification. To learn more about the EDTEC application process, point your browser to http://edtec.sdsu.edu/distance/apply.htm.

If I already have the knowledge and skills taught in a course, can I be allowed to skip it?
If you have extensive experience in the field or completed courses similar to ours, we do have waiver procedures in place for EDTEC 540 and 541. You'll need to contact the Director of Distance Programs (Dr. Donn Ritchie; dritchie@mail.sdsu.edu) for details about the process. The Director will also connect with the lead instructor for each course so that s/he can determine how well your background prepares you for the more advanced classes in which you'll later be enrolled. We certainly encourage you to look closely at the course objectives or outcomes before attempting to have these requirements waived.

If my knowledge and skills allow me to skip a course, do I get credit for completing it?
You cannot receive university credit for waiving a course. If you are earning either the Certificate in Instructional Technology or either of our two advanced certificates (Instructional Design, Distance Education), you can replace a waived course with an additional elective. You do not need to take additional classes if, as a Master's student, EDTEC 540 or 541 are waived; these two courses serve as program prerequisites only, and do not count toward the 30-unit degree total. Students with a recently-earned Master's degree entering our own Master's program may be able to waive the required research course (ED 690); you'll need to contact the Department Chair to request permission. You'll be able to substitute an elective for this class if it is waived.