Ed.D. in Instructional Systems Design and Technology

The Doctorate in Instructional Systems Design and Technology (ISDT) is a fully online professional doctoral program designed to prepare individuals to lead the meaningful integration of technology into the PK-12 curriculum, higher education, corporate/organization/institution training, human development, and other formal or informal learning environments to enhance learning and performance. The vision for the ISDT Doctoral Program is to be a national scholar and leader in producing quality instructional/learning/training technology experts and professionals with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to positively impact the scholarship and practice in instructional, learning, and training technology fields.

Admission to the program requires devoting a significant amount of time to the program. The inability to devote the required time will require the individual to drop out of the program.

The Instructional Systems Design and Technology program follows a cohort model. This means that individuals are admitted to a specific group, called a cohort, and are required to take their coursework at the same time as the other individuals in the cohort. In the event of emergencies which require individuals to drop out of the normal schedule, they may be required to join another cohort with a different schedule.

Application Deadlines

Applicants seeking admission to the doctoral program in Instructional Systems Design and Technology must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Studies:

• A Graduate Studies Application with the application fee.
• Official transcript(s) showing receipt of a baccalaureate degree and a master's degree from an accredited institution Candidates for admission to the professional practice Doctoral Program in Instructional Systems Design and Technology must have a Masters Degree in Instructional Systems Design and Technology or a similar degree which includes the foundational knowledge required for this proposed program. Documentation of the candidate’s graduation from accredited institutions at the baccalaureate and masters levels will be required.
• A sample of the candidate’s professional work such as a published article and/or an example of experience in instructional technology design/multimedia design. This product should provide evidence of the candidate’s potential for doctoral level scholarship and should be accompanied by a statement of the candidate’s professional goals.
• A minimum of three years of teaching, direct service, administrative experience with technology, instructional design either in school, administrative, or business/industry. The types of professional experiences in an applicant’s background will be viewed as evidence of both direct service roles, as well as commitment to the field of instructional technology.
• A current resume or vita
• Three letters of recommendation from educational or direct service settings, two of which should refer to direct experiences with instructional technology and/or multimedia design, and can speak to the candidate’s potential for success in a doctorate program.

Applicants should hold a master's degree in a related field, and the student's graduate GPA should be 3.5 or higher. In addition, three years of full-time professional experience in a credible school, agency, or organization is required.

Applicants meeting the above criteria may be invited for an interview with the doctoral admissions committee. This interview, conducted by graduate faculty of the University, provides the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate potential for leadership, commitment to service, and interest in applied research.  A candidate who fails to meet one of the criteria may receive probationary admission if he/she is sponsored by a doctoral faculty member.

The program requires a minimum of sixty hours of graduate credit, successful passing of a comprehensive examination, and completion of a dissertation.

A doctoral program committee will review the student's academic progress, interpersonal skills, and motivation to determine whether the student should continue with the program.

A comprehensive examination (called the dossier process) will be taken after the completion of forty-two hours of required coursework. The doctoral dossier serves to organize and present evidence of competencies attained by the individual candidate within the Doctorate in Instructional Systems Design and Technology Program.  The doctoral program committee will review each student's competencies of scholarship, learning design, and service to determine whether the student should pursue the student's dissertation process. Students must be enrolled during the semester the dossier review is conducted. After successful completion of the written and oral dossier process, the student may defend the dissertation proposal.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers.  Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.

The Ed.D. in Instructional Systems Design and Technology is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:

• Identify learning, instructional, and training problems and needs.
• Use technology to solve learning, instructional, and training problems.
• Design theory and research-based learning, instructional, and training environments.
• Evaluate and assess learning, instructional, and training environments and programs.
• Analyze learning, instructional, and training data using statistical and computational methods.
• Write, edit, proofread, and critique scholarly research papers and grant proposals.
• Present learning, instructional, and training ideas creatively using technology.
• Work on a virtual team efficiently and effectively.