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    Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Learning Technologies, PhD


The Learning Technologies PhD program is offered in two formats: residential and distributed. Both options require attendance at a once-per-year on-site meeting to meet state residency requirements. 

Admission requirements 

Admission to doctoral studies in the Department of Learning Technologies is based on several factors including a student’s academic qualifications, alignment of their interests to program topics, and the ability of faculty members to support a student’s intended topic area. Each prospective student will be evaluated by the faculty to ensure a good fit with the program in terms of their academic interests and our course offerings. Admission to the program will be considered only after the applicant meets or exceeds the University of North Texas’ admission standards for the Toulouse Graduate School. However, meeting the program standards does not automatically mean the student will be accepted to the program. The process is competitive and admission depends upon both the applicant’s qualifications and the capacity of faculty to mentor doctoral students. 

The minimum requirements for admission include the following: 

  1. A master’s degree from an accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or, under some circumstances, a bachelor’s degree with sufficient additional courses required to secure a master’s degree while working on the PhD. A total grade point average of 3.0 or a grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) over the last 60 hours is required.

  1. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score and/or an equivalent examination must be on file at the time the application is reviewed. Alternatively, students may be considered with submission of the following materials with their application. 

  • A scholarly presentation on a learning technologies-related topic at a professional conference, or

  • Completion of 6 hours of graduate course work in the field with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, or

  • A peer-reviewed, scholarly publication. 

No GRE is required under the following conditions: 

  • Automatic waiver of GRE for students graduating from our LT Master’s in the last three (3) years 

  • Waiver of GRE for students graduating from any UNT Master’s in the last three (3) years with GPA of 3.5 or above 

  • Upon program review, waiver of GRE for students graduating from another university’s Learning Technologies-equivalent program in the last three (3) years with 3.5 or above 

  1. For international students, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination or successful completion of the UNT Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) through level 6 must be on file. International students who have completed the IELI program through level 6 and successfully completed the UNT Graduate Preparation Course (GPC) may submit the GPC in place of GRE scores. 

  1. A personal resume or CV that includes a summary of teaching, administrative, and/or training experience. 

  1. An application to the program that indicates desired delivery format (i.e., residential or online) and indicates a preference of academic faculty with which the student would like to work during their doctoral career. 

  1. A personal statement (500–1,000 words) of career objectives, which may include: 

  • Doctoral research areas of interest 

  • Research, professional or community experiences that demonstrate motivation, commitment, and potential for doctoral work 

  • Accomplishments; communication skills 

  • Technology skills 

  • Contribution to the diversity of the field 

  1. Three letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. Letters should be from former professors or others who you believe can evaluate your academic qualifications. These may include work supervisors who can assess your potential for success in the learning technologies doctoral program. 

  1. Letter of intent submitted by a program faculty member (in-residence offering) or associate graduate faculty member (distributed offering) who would work with the applicant if accepted into the program. 

  1. (Optional) Interview with program faculty may be requested by the admission committee. 

Degree requirements


This program includes formal course work, a portfolio-based qualifying examination, independent study and research including, but not limited to, a supervised study and dissertation. The student will spend significant time conducting independent research and working collaboratively with the faculty related to complete the dissertation and other projects. The doctoral degree will require at least 60 semester credit hours beyond the master’s degree.

LTEC 5030  or the equivalent skills contained in that course are minimally required for leveling new students within the program to ensure necessary knowledge and skills in the field of learning technologies were attained. Additional courses or experiences may be required depending on applicant ability.

Successful completion of LTEC 5210 , LTEC 5220 , LTEC 5420  and LTEC 5570  are considered necessary for this degree. These courses may be waived if there is evidence that the student possesses equivalent skills that resulted from completion of similar courses taken during other graduate course work or learned because of work experience.

Course requirements


Minor


This choice may be included in the degree plan for residential students only. This would require 6 hours taken as electives and an additional 6 hours from outside the Department of Learning Technologies. Completion of a residential minor will increase the total number of hours for the degree. The minor option is not available in the distance-delivered offering.

Dissertation, 12 hours


Additional course requirements


Candidates for the PhD with a major in learning technologies must additionally complete a tool subject requirement. This obligation consists of 9 hours of graduate learning technologies or 9 hours of educational research. If a candidate has a MS degree in an aligned degree area, the 9 hours of tools courses may be waived upon approval. The candidate’s academic advisor will determine which courses are appropriate for fulfilling this requirement with approval of the program coordinator.

No student will count more than 9 hours for this degree from independent studies (LTEC 6900 ), practicum or internship (LTEC 6700 ).

Doctoral committee


The doctoral committee is composed of a major professor or co-major professor, a minor professor (where the 12-hour minor option is selected) and an additional committee member. The minor professor must come from the academic unit of the minor. At least two members of the committee must be learning technologies faculty members.

The selection of the doctoral committee is a collaborative process between the doctoral student and the graduate faculty who will serve on the committee. Generally, the process begins with the identification of a major professor who will chair the committee. In establishing the committee, it is important to bring together a diverse group of faculty who have expertise in the various facets of the student’s research agenda.

Doctoral handbook


See lt.unt.edu/current-students for the learning technologies PhD handbook.