Guide to Educational Technology Majors

Things that don't quite make sense can be our most valuable tools.
--David Wilson

What is Educational Technology?

With each passing year, public and private universities increase their emphasis on educational technology. Today's leaders encourage this trend because they see the importance of providing the best possible preparation for teachers in the 21st century.

An educational technology degree helps teachers and other education professionals develop a thorough understanding of the latest theory and practices in the field. In the workplace, graduates demonstrate versatility, proficiency, mobility, and effectiveness, giving them a career boost over less qualified candidates. The demand for educational technology experience will climb in the years ahead, thanks to society's ever-expanding reliance on electronic media. Naturally, online degree programs abound in this field. Utilizing the latest technology in audio, video, and computer science, these programs equip graduates with the tools necessary for success in this specialized field.

Trends for Educational Technology Careers

Today, on-campus and online educational technology degree programs focus on preparing education professionals to create their own teaching materials. Educational technology majors use the latest in computer lab equipment, including software for development of customized educational media packages. Graduates with a degree in educational technology can expect opportunities to grow with every hiring cycle at every level for institutions around the world.

Preparing for an Educational Technology Degree

Prospective students should contact faculty members, as well as currently enrolled students, to get a reliable opinion about a college or university. Preparing a list of questions for professors and students can speed up the decision-making process. When choosing a school, students considering degrees in educational technology should take into account:

Their own comfort level with computer hardware and software
Any relevant prior experience or education they may have
Whether they are more comfortable studying online or on-campus (Not sure? Try our assessment test)

Educational technology degrees also examine the art of communication with students and teachers. Based on feedback from employers, more degree programs are including an interpersonal element in their program design. Administrators want their employees to have an educational technology degree that delves deeper than a mere understanding of hardware and software. Students should consider whether their chosen degree program develops strong interpersonal skills in addition to technological prowess.

Graduate Degrees in Educational Technology

Nearly all degrees in educational and instructional technology are offered at the master's level or higher. Students generally apply to master's degree programs after completing bachelor's degrees in education or related fields. Many professionals are now choosing online degree programs in educational technology, as the format lends itself well to the independent study and research required of graduate students. In addition, these programs are popular among working professionals--either mid-career changers or teachers who are required to earn master's degrees within a certain time period.

PhD degree programs in educational technology are also available online. These are intended for the most serious professionals, who want to contribute industry-changing research or set policy at a top level. Doctoral programs usually take three to five years to complete, and are designed to develop leaders who can effectively apply technology to teaching and learning in school districts across the country.

What can you do with an Educational Technology Major?

Career Specializations in education technology

Teaching. For advanced-degree specialists, an increasing number of teaching positions provide new opportunities to practice in this growing field. Tenure-track professorships await graduates prepared to teach at the university level in educational technology. In addition, educational institutions for all age levels demand instructors with skills in audio, video, computer science, and basic technology for the classroom, both for training of teachers and for direct instruction of students.
Administration. Media centers and other institutional information hubs turn to specialists with degrees in educational technology to serve as directors for administration as well as teaching.
Corporate Training and Development. The more sophisticated corporations turn increasingly to educational technology specialists for training and development of staff at all levels.
Curriculum Design. With multimedia elements playing an ever-larger role in education, an educational technology degree provides an advantage for curriculum designers. A significant amount of future course development will rely on audio/video and electronic media. E-learning, distance learning, and online education require this kind of expertise.
Healthcare. Successful hospitals and medical centers must constantly keep their medical personnel up-to-date on the latest advances in the healthcare industry. Healthcare specialists with an educational technology degree enjoy many opportunities to design training modules for pharmaceutical companies and major medical organizations.
Research Institutes/Facilities. Like healthcare organizations, research institutes and facilities depend upon educational technology to help design grant applications that fund research. After these institutions receive grant money, research scientists and others rely on educational technology experts to use a variety of tools to share the fruit of their endeavors. In addition, institutes across the globe use technology to teach each other about the latest advances in their research. This represents distance learning at its best, requiring teams of specialists to organize and produce live and pre-recorded events.

Salary Expectations for Careers in Education Technology

Salaries for teachers who specialize in education technology are similar to those of traditional classroom teachers, who currently average salaries in the mid-forties. Without teacher licensure, an education technology graduate may serve outside the public school system or in one of the related fields described above. Pay in both corporate and healthcare-related fields is usually higher than in educational institutions. By contrast, nonprofit organizations generally have lower pay scales.

Certification and Licensure

There is no specific certification required for educational technology specialists unless theyThere is no specific certification required for educational technology specialists unless they want to teach, in which case licensure is awarded by state. Professional associations like the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) offer professional support, networking and continuing education opportunities.