Online Program (OTEC)

The OTEC program is a comprehensive offering of eight (8) required courses and a minimum of four (4) elective courses for a total of 36 credits. Core courses are completed within a cohort system where students entering at the same time take these courses together to build support and professional community. The selection of the electives is based on students' orientation and career plans within the broad field of educational technology. Students attending full time complete the program in two academic years while part-time students may take longer.
The OTEC program is designed to provide students with comprehensive instruction delivered predominantly via the Internet to accommodate their busy schedules. Approximately 90% of the course work is done online and the remaining 10% is facilitated by face-to-face (F2F) sessions which are held only in the first semester of study.

Prior Academic Record

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in any field of study is acceptable to the Department, provided the student's undergraduate scholastic record is acceptable to the Graduate Division. A "B" average (i.e., 3.0 on a 4-point scale) in the last 60 semester hours of the undergraduate program is required for regular admission.

Commitment to the Profession

Just as students in other professional schools (architecture, engineering, law, medicine, social work, nursing, and the like) are expected to have made career decisions with a full understanding of the discipline and what may be expected of the professionals in that field, the faculty of educational technology expects that application for admission will signify an applicant's serious commitment to prepare for and enter the profession of educational technology. Only serious applicants should apply, and only well qualified applicants will be admitted.

Pre-Program Deficiencies

Because the ETEC M.Ed. is not primarily a technology skills training program, students entering the program are assumed to have a basic knowledge of computers and applications. While there is no formal pre-requisite, students who have not had a previous technology course may find it useful to enroll in one of the ETEC undergraduate courses prior to admission or in their first semester in the program. The ability to learn basic technical skills through self-study is essential to program success.

TOEFL (Intentional Students Only)

Students from other countries applying for admission to this program must present with their applications the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This applies even to applicants who have already earned a degree at an American university. Native speakers of English are exempt from this requirement.

The minimum score requirement is 600 (paper-based) or 280 (computer-based), which represents approximately the 85th percentile standing. Because spoken as well as written communication in English is extremely important in this field of study, the student with even that score may not be admitted until additional (non-credit) work in the English Language Institute is completed to department's satisfaction. Information on TOEFL can be obtained either from the Educational Testing Service, or from a university in the student's own country. A separate document available from the Chair of Educational Technology explains in greater detail the departmental use of the TOEFL scores.

Information on TOEFL can be obtained either from the Educational Testing Service, or from a university in the student's own country. A separate document available from the Chair of Educational Technology explains in greater detail the departmental use of the TOEFL scores.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), though not required, is still highly recommended by the program, and in some cases may be requested by the selection committee. The GRE provides valuable information for choosing only well qualified individuals from among the scores of received applications. Availability of GRE scores may, therefore, be advantageous to both applicants and the selection committee, as it will indicate the students' qualifications as well as their commitment to enter the profession.

More detailed information on the OTEC program is found on the ETEC website as well as the OTEC web site: http://etec.hawaii.edu/omed/