What you will study
UCM’s Educational Technology EdS provides comprehensive training in the tools and
methods necessary to identify, strategize and fully integrate the most appropriate
instructional technology for any learning program. Learn to make data-driven decisions
about educational technology, including curriculum design, assessment tools and much
more. You’ll learn how to promote digital citizenship and train others in the effective,
collaborative and creative use of technology in a learning environment.
The expertise in instructional design you’ll gain at UCM will also enable you to support
your fellow educators’ growth. Use educational technology to help them craft differentiated
techniques that connect with and engage more students, creating a shared vision for
what equitable learning looks like at your institution.
This UCM Education Specialist degree program culminates in a research paper about
educational technology, building on tools you’ll learn in courses such as:
- Seminar in Educational Technology
- Advanced Research Methods in Educational Technology
- Research Problems in Instructional Technology
Optional Pathway to an EdD in Education
UCM partners with Murray State University to offer graduate students a bridge to a
doctorate in Education. Our students have the option to complete the Ed.D. at Murray
State to gain additional qualifications. Please see this page to learn more about the EdS to EdD cooperative bridge program
with Murray State.
Excellence in Educational Technology
- #1 Pick: Best Online Master’s in Educational Technology Degree Programs (Intelligent.com, 2021)
- Best Internships: Best Online Master’s in Educational Technology Degree Programs (Intelligent.com, 2022)
- UCM’s College of Education is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation
of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Unique learning opportunities in educational technology
The University of Central Missouri has been training educators in the most effective
methods of integrating technology into their curricula since the 1960s. Our roots
in instructional design enrich and inform our leading-edge EdS in Educational Technology.
We’ve brought our unique brand of experiential learning in a collaborative environment
online, creating a highly effective 100% online degree program:
- Work closely with Educational Technology faculty: Tailor your education specialist degree to best support your growth and goals as an
educator. All program faculty have deep experience to share, with specialties ranging
from virtual reality to differentiated learning, and have conducted their own meaningful
and peer-reviewed research in the field.
- Publish a final research paper: With expert faculty guidance, you’ll have the opportunity to strengthen your own original
research and analysis skills and make a significant contribution to the field of educational
technology with your final research paper. If your master’s degree was in educational
technology, the research paper will be a more in-depth formal thesis. Carry the tools
and theories from your research into your career and become a lifelong innovator of
instructional technology.
What can you do with a degree in Educational Technology from UCM?
Emerging technologies are essential to today’s learning and work environments. What
you’ll learn about educational technology in your EdS degree program will enable you
to support your colleagues, administrators and students as they navigate this constantly
changing territory.
The skills you’ll acquire with UCM’s Educational Technology EdS will enhance your
career development in nearly any field. Program graduates are qualified for technology-related
leadership roles in school systems. School administration, libraries and corporate
or military training programs also rely on experts in educational technology.
Learn more about educational technology jobs
Whether you’re earning your EdS in Educational Technology to prepare for a new career
or to achieve at a higher level in your current role, you can expect to be a desirable
candidate for instructional technology-related positions. Use our interactive tool
below to find out more about job trends in the field.
Financial assistance options for your Educational Technology degree
The University of Central Missouri’s Educational Technology program has been ranked
top in the nation for both quality and affordability. Earning your Education Specialist
degree in Educational Technology at UCM is a smart investment in your future.
UCM has been training educators for more than 150 years. We’re committed to your success,
and we’ll work with you to identify the best options to finance your advanced degree, including scholarships, grants and other awards.
Learn more about what scholarships you may be eligible for by using the UCM Scholarship Finder.
#1 Online Educational Technology Program
Intelligent.com’s top pick in 2021
The University of Central Missouri has built a reputation as a leader in educator
training. Our commitment to instructional design best practices earned us recognition
from Intelligent.com as the #1 program for advanced study of Educational Technology
in the country.
Meet Dr. Lauren Hays
Associate Professor and program coordinator
Dr. Lauren Hays is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University (BS), Emporia State University
(MS, Library Science), and UCM (MS in Educational Technology). She also holds a Graduate
Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning from UCM. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational
Leadership from Northwest Nazarene University. Dr. Hays worked as an academic librarian
and archives aide at the National Archives and Records Administration.
Online Learning Experts
High-quality degrees on any platform
The University of Central Missouri has decades of experience reinterpreting degree
programs to create the most effective and engaging virtual learning experience. Learn
about Educational Technology at the highest level — and from anywhere in the world
— while building a true community with your peers and faculty.
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Take your degree further.
Your Education Specialist degree will qualify you for most leadership jobs in Educational
Technology, and if you decide to pursue doctoral studies you can transfer your EdS
credits to our EdD partner program at Murray State.
Learn More about the EdD partner program
Explore programs related to educational technology.
If your career goals include leadership within education, consider these additional
Education Specialist degree programs at UCM:
Student Learning Outcomes
As a graduate with an Education Specialist in Educational Technology degree, you will
use the knowledge and skills obtained in the program to:
- Inspire, support, and participate in a shared vision for comprehensive integration
of technology to create high quality, equitable learning
and support transformational change throughout the instructional environment.
- Model effective technology integration, empowering learners to be active, collaborative,
ingenious, and engaged.
- Establish and sustain productive relationships to enhance professional practice and
learning outcomes.
- Model and support educators’ ability to design and differentiate instruction with
technology to provide relevant, engaging experiences for all
learners in diverse educational settings while engaging in continuous deepening of
content, pedagogical, and technical expertise.
- Conduct needs assessments, develop technology related professional learning programs,
evaluate impact and engage in continuous
reflection for improvement.
- Utilize data to make informed decisions regarding instruction and learning.
- Model and promote digital citizenship.
- Interpret, conduct, and contribute to the scholarly research of the field.
Entrance Requirements
Acceptance into the program requires a master's degree from an accredited institution
and a 3.25 or higher cumulative graduate GPA.
Course Sequencing
PSY 5050: Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, INST 5900: Introduction to Research
Methods in Educational Technology, and INST 6950: Seminar in Educational Technology
should be taken prior to INST 6960: Research Problems in Instructional Technology.
INST 6920: Advanced Practicum in Instructional Technology should be taken in your
final semester or as close as possible to the end. Your elective choices will vary
depending upon your background in educational technology. Other than that, you can
take most courses in any order. Contact your advisor for more information and advice.
Program Requirements
We believe that hands-on experience is ideal. At the end of the program, you’ll complete
an advanced practicum at your own school or another location of your choice. This
gives you the opportunity to tie together everything you learned throughout your courses
with local experts and real life scenarios.
EdS students have a research component which includes writing a research paper (INST
6960). As an elective you also have an opportunity to complete a thesis (INST 6990)
if you so choose. The research paper is a literature review of peer reviewed library
resources, and the thesis is original research conducted by you with findings that
would be of interest to the development of the field.
Throughout the program you’ll also collect assignments and activities that you’ll
showcase in an online portfolio. By the time you graduate you’ll have an end product
that you can share with others as well as a way to make connections between accreditation
standards and what you have learned.
