Instructional Design and Technology graduate program ranked second in the nation

Bloomsburg University is ranked second nationally among top online schools for instructional technology in 2020 by the College Affordability Guide.

BU is one of two institutions from Pennsylvania, and the only university from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ranked in the top 20.

“This is wonderful recognition for the great work being done by the faculty and students in the MSIT program,” said BU President Bashar W. Hanna. “To be ranked second in the nation shows the value our graduates are bringing to this highly competitive field.”

Karl Kapp, a professor in the department of instructional technology and director of the Institute for Interactive Technologies, is thrilled for the ranking.

“We are extremely proud to be featured number two on this list for two reasons. First, it shows just how affordable a master’s degree in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University can be. Many of our students indicate the instructional design degree pays for itself in just a short time after graduation. And second, it validates the knowledge, contribution, and impact our graduates make in the field of instructional technology. Our goal is for our students to go out and dent the universe and this ranking shows they are having an impact.”

Kapp continued. “This ranking also shows why our students have won the DevLearn DemoFest student design and development contest five years in a row. Our students consistently rise to the occasion and are shining examples of what BU can produce.”

College Affordability Guide writes that BU students in the online program leading to a Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Design receive hands-on experience working for a real-world client. Each student is matched with an external organization, which could be a business or nonprofit, and creates a working instructional technology product for that organization.

The college runs a national center called the Institute for Interactive Technologies, which receives requests for instructional technology assistance from organizations all over the country. The curriculum for this master’s program requires 33 credits, and students can choose a concentration in corporate training or prepare for a Pennsylvania Instructional Technology Specialist Certification.

The College Affordability Guide based its rankings on:

• Regional accreditation
• CAEP/NCATE/TEAC accreditation (BU accreditation: CAEP-Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)
• Meets state licensing criteria
• Strong “brick and mortar” reputation (e.g., excellent rankings, dedicated educational research centers, history of being a teaching school, etc.)
• High graduate placement rates
• Experienced faculty teaching the online and on-campus courses
• Top U.S. News & World Report online rankings
• Distance learning support services