Online Ed.S. Degree in
Instructional Technology with library Media Option
I'm glad you are interested in the Online Education Specialist (Ed. S.) Instructional Technology Program at Valdosta State University. We are housed in the Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology in the Dewar College of Education at Valdosta State University. Our online 6th year degree program has been offered continuously since 2001, and has many successful graduates in Georgia and other states and countries. The original Ed.S. Instructional Technology degree program is 27 credit hours, and can be completed in a minimum of 6 semesters, including summers. Our new Ed.S. Instructional Technology Program with an emphasis in library media technology, builds and expands upon the original program, is 36 credit hours in length, and includes all of the coursework and internship experiences required for recommendation for initial certification as a media specialist (application for certification and successful completion of the GACE II exam also required). It is anticipated that the new program would take 7-8 semesters, including summers, to complete. This letter will outline the requirements, admission procedures, tuition and fees, and scheduling for both programs, allowing you to compare the two options.
Both options lead to an Education Specialist degree in the field of Instructional Technology. The Ed. S. is not a certificate program; it is a post-master's degree program. In the State of Georgia as well as in some other states, the Ed. S. is a career step, allowing upgrade of a teaching certificate from T-5 to T-6 or a service certificate (media specialists) from an S-5 to an S-6. Some community colleges and technical schools consider the Ed. S. an advanced or terminal degree; however, the Education Specialist degree is not a doctoral degree, but is a separate graduate degree beyond the Master's, intended to train practitioners to be leaders in instructional technology design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation. The Ed. S. does not naturally "feed into" a doctoral program; it may be that some doctoral programs would allow transfer of some Ed. S. courses in, but that is totally up to the doctoral program involved.
The following information may be used in conjunction with the developing Online Ed. S. Degree website: http://www.valdosta.edu/coe/clt/Instructional_Technology/ITEd. S.Degree.shtml
Information about fees and application procedures (link to the Graduate School) can be found on the VSU website http://www.valdosta.edu. Currently, the Fee Schedule on the Graduate School website and the description of e-Tuition rates at http://www.valdosta.edu/academic/VSUOnline.shtml indicate that graduate e-Tuition and fees for students entering Fall 2009 was $225 per credit hour plus a $48 technology fee and a $10 Access Card Fee for each semester. This e-Tuition rate is the same whether you are an in-state or out-of-state student. Online students do not pay student activity or health services fees. In addition, since Spring 2009, a $100 per semester institutional fee was added due to financial exigencies. This fee will be ongoing until further notice.
Based on these figures, and assuming completion of the 27 credit hour program in 6 semesters, the approximate cost of the program would be $7023, exclusive of books and other materials. Likewise based on these figures, and assuming completion of the 36 credit hour program in 7-8 semesters, the approximate cost of the program would be around $9300, exclusive of books and other materials. For additional information about tuition and fees, so it would be best to look at the Fee Schedule on the graduate school web pages or seek additional information from Graduate School Admissions (Rebecca Waters, rlwaters@valdosta.edu 229-259-2088). eTuition rates are not part of the “fixed for four” guaranteed tuition rate. In addition, there is no maximum tuition cap for fully online courses. However, these courses are still competitively priced with other available online courses. eTuition rate charges are covered by the Hope scholarship and by financial aid. A minimum of six hours must be taken to maintain financial aid.
We are now accepting applications for beginning classes in January 2010 (Spring Semester). The deadline for completion of the entire application package is November 15, 2009. We do not review any applications until the Graduate School has assembled all completed applications, so there is not a way we can estimate how many "slots" are available in any particular admissions group.
For application to our program you must have a Master's degree from an accredited institution and at least three years of related work experience. Related work experience means work within a school, or other organization, in which you worked with training, education, or technology. To be considered for admission, you must have acceptable test scores. You need to have either a GRE or an MAT score, preferably no older than five years. If your score is older than five years, the Graduate School may still accept, if you have proof of the score. If you haven't taken either the GRE or MAT, you'll need to make arrangements to take one of those two tests. The minimum MAT score considered is 36 (old scoring system) or 390 (new scoring system), the minimum combined GRE score is 850 (minimum verbal of 400). The minimum undergraduate/graduate GPA is 2.5 and you must have an average of 3.0 or higher on all graduate work attempted. The GRE writing score may be considered as well.
The process of admission is a competitive one. We generally admit no more than 20-25 in each admissions cluster. Part of the review process is the calculation of a numerical score based on a combination of test score (GRE or MAT) and GPA. The higher the scores, the higher that cumulative number.
In addition to the numerical score, consideration is made based upon VSU's mandate to provide service to the region, the applicant's computer skills and experience, and a writing sample in a designated form (see "Application Related Forms" link on the Graduate School webpages). Make sure you follow the format for the Ed. S. IT (1500 word essay). The essay should be sent to Graduate Admissions, Attention: Rebecca Waters. All admissions requirements should be clear from the webpages, or when you request an application for admission to the Ed. S. IT program from the VSU Graduate School.
Prospective students whose scores or grades do not meet the minimums described above often inquire as to admission by exception. If you do not meet the minimums, you may still apply, but are not likely to be accepted for regular admission. If your test score is below par, and you have taken the test only once, you are advised to re-take, or to take the other test option. There is a formal admissions appeal process through the Department of Curriculum, Leadership and Technology, the Dewar College of Education, and VSU Graduate School. Unless you have demonstrated repeated effort to gain an acceptable score for admission to the Ed. S. program, you will not be eligible to take part in the formal appeals process.
Upon admission, you will be assigned an advisor and given the schedule of courses available for your respective program. Some students go through the program as rapidly as possible, taking two courses per term; others go through at a slower pace; general plans for both schedules are made available to you. You will also have the opportunity to design a custom program in consultation with your advisor. However, customization is limited by the fact that some courses are offered ONLY in Fall and Spring semesters (not summers), some are taught ONLY in Summer Semester, and there are course sequences that must be followed. In the original Ed.S. IT program, there are two semesters during which you are doing your research, and you are allowed to take only one course during each of those two semesters. In the Ed.S. IT library media option, the semester during which you do your internship must be devoted only to that one course (and, of course, your professional duties in your job).
No hours can be transferred into the Ed. S. program--all credit hours must be taken after having been admitted to the program. Previously taken coursework can provide SUBSTITUTE CONTENT for courses within the program--that is, if you have had a very similar course to one that is proscribed by the program you would not take it over, but would take an alternative course. During the program, you may take up to six hours of elective credit (only 3 hours of elective credit are required in the programs) from another institution; however, the courses MUST BE approved in advance by your advisor.
The sample schedule below will illustrate and compare schedules for the two Ed.S. IT options at VSU for students who would choose to go through the programs as quickly as allowed (accelerated programs). These listings are for illustrative purposes only and do not guarantee exact offerings by semester, nor guarantee that the program could be completed in exactly the length of time illustrated. Course titles are not literal, but instead, give a short indication of content. Course numbers are accurate, and may be used in conjunction with the VSU Graduate Catalog, available online at www.valdosta.edu.
Sample Schedule for Ed.S. IT program (27 graduate credits; 6 – 9 or more semesters) |
Sample Schedule for Ed.S. IT program with Library Media Emphasis (36 credits; 7 -8 or more semesters) |
|
Spring |
ITED 8100 – Theory & Perspectives IT ITED 8200 – Instructional Design |
ITED 8100 – Theory & Perspectives IT ITED 7400 – Network Technology |
Summer |
ITED 8960 – Best Practices in IT Elective |
ITED 8960 – Best Practices in IT ITED 7201 – Information Sources |
Fall |
ITED 8300 – Technology Tools ITED 8400 – Technology Selection |
ITED 7300 – Instructional Design ITED 7202 – Bibliographic Organization |
Spring |
ITED 8970 – Action Research Methods |
ITED 7203 – Adminstration Media Centers Elective (children’s lit if haven’t had) |
Summer |
ITED 8500 – Leadership in IT |
ITED 8500 – Leadership in IT CIED 7060 – P-12 Curriculum |
Fall |
ITED 8999 – Action Research Project |
ITED 8400 – Technology Selection |
Spring |
ITED 8299 – Internship in Media Center |
The Spring session begins in January 2010. It is likely that we will have a required synchronous online orientation on a Saturday close to the beginning of the session. This would mean that you would have to schedule yourself to meet with the group and faculty online for approximately three hours on that day. All of the coursework, including direction of the research project, is conducted online using a web-based course framework. The online classes are generally asynchronous; that is, they do not "meet" at a particular time. There may be projects within classes that require synchronous chat, Skype audio and/or video, or Wimba Classroom sessions but those would be negotiated to allow participation.
In order to succeed in this program you should have good computer skills, and good to excellent computing hardware and Internet access. You should also be self-reliant, detail-oriented and have relevant experience and knowledge to BRING to the program.
Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Dr. Jane Zahner
Co-Coordinator, Ed. S. Instructional Technology Program
Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology, Valdosta State University