Instructional Design — Admission Requirements

Please see the general statement of admission requirements for all graduate programs in the “Admissions” section of this publication.

The MEd Program in Instructional Design invites applications from individuals with a variety of academic and experiential backgrounds who hold baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions. Admissions criteria include

1. A personal interview with the program faculty.
   
2. A statement of interests and intent.
   
3. Three letters of recommendation from former teachers familiar with the applicant’s recent academic work, or from employers familiar with his or her professional ability.
   
4. A score on the Miller Analogies Test. Please note: A test score is not required if the applicant holds an advanced degree from a US university.
   
5. An updated résumé.

The Certificate in Instructional Technology Design

The Graduate Program in Instructional Design also offers a certificate program in instructional technology design, to meet the increasing challenges created by the high technology training needs of academic, corporate, and public educators. Through a combination of classroom and hands-on laboratory work, this certificate program provides participants with the opportunity to design and produce computer-mediated learning activities and interactive multi-media materials and to make effective use of instructional technology in curriculum development.

Admission requirements are the same as for the MEd program. In addition, applicants to the certificate program must have completed INSDSG 601 (Introduction to Instructional Design) or its equivalent, as determined by the faculty, and must demonstrate basic competency in computer use by satisfactorily completing a proficiency test. It is recommended that interested persons consult with the program faculty before applying for admission to the certificate program.

The program is also open to students currently matriculated in any UMass Boston graduate program. They may enroll in the program after consulting with academic advisors in their own programs and should submit a statement of purpose to the program faculty. These students must also complete INSDSG 601 or its equivalent and take a computer proficiency test before enrolling in the program.

Participants seeking the certificate take a total of five courses (15 credits) which offer them experience with the kinds of software commonly used for educational computer materials, as well as studies relating to the place of educational technologies in instructional strategies, to techniques of project management, and to the proposal and design phases of technology-based instructional development. Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the program.

Certificate courses are updated as necessary, to keep pace with the rapidly changing nature of technology. For complete information on the availability of this certificate program, please contact the graduate program director.