Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Learning, Design and Technology – Instructional Design and Development
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Learning, Design and Technology – Instructional Design and Development
My path from K-12 education to higher education has reinforced my conviction that learning is not something that happens to students; It’s something they actively create when given the right environment, tools, and support.
Assistant Professor
Overview
The Doctor of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology – Instructional Design and Development is designed to create the next generation of leaders who can engage in the scholarship of practice effectively in technology-enhanced learning environments through the application of design thinking and research methods. The Ed.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology is designed for administrators, educators, and instructional design practitioners with prior experience. The degree offers working professionals from a variety of educational settings (e.g., P-12 education, higher education) an opportunity to advance in their own organizational or professional context (e.g., coach, director).
The Ed.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology will be a doctoral-level degree offered primarily to working professionals who desire to deepen and broaden their understanding and application of:
- The design and integration of technology to enhance learning in a variety of public education contexts.
- The principles and theories that guide the effective design and integration of technology for learning.
- The scholarship and research related to the learning and design that undergrads apply these principles and theories to.
- Methods of assessment, evaluation, and practice-based research that enhances design and integration of technology for learning.
- Ways to contribute to the broader academic and practitioner community by sharing and communicating.
The Ed.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology in Instructional Design and Development geared for working professionals in higher education, healthcare, and business and industry contexts. Coursework will focus on design-based thinking, innovating to solve problems, making data-informed decisions, and using scholarship and research to improve instructional outcomes in the field. The delivery format for the proposed Ed.D. will be online instruction that blends synchronous and asynchronous methods; this will be the first all-online doctoral program offered by the University of Georgia.
Accreditations
The University of Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees. The University of Georgia also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of the University of Georgia may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Admissions
Admissions Requirements
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Have a cumulative grade point average for all previous undergraduate courses of 3.0 or above on the 4-point scale
- Provide three letters of recommendation from people who know you professionally or as a scholar
Online Doctor of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology – Instructional Design and Development Application Checklist
- Application – Submit the Graduate School Admissions online. Application fee: $75 Domestic/$75 International.
- Select Campus – Online
- Select Degree Level – Doctoral
- Select Intended Program – EDD, Learning, Design and Technology (Workforce Ed & Instruct Tech) [EDD_LEDT_ONL]
- Select Area of Emphasis – Instructional Design and Development
- Select Intended Term – Fall
- Official GRE Scores
- Résumé or curriculum vitae – Submit online to the Graduate School.
- Statement of Purpose (no more than five pages)
The applicants should provide an overview of who you are (e.g., your background, interests, etc.), why you want the Ed.D., what you plan/hope to do as a result of having the doctoral degree and how you see this degree contributing to your professional and personal goals. It is also essential to include responses to the following questions:- What are your current research interests?
- Who do you think among our faculty would be your best advisor and why? (You can nominate 1-3 people as possible advisors with a rationale for each.)
- How do the research interests of the selected advisors fit with your own interests?
- Transcripts – Submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended as part of the online application. Send official transcripts after you are offered admission.
- Sample of Scholarly Writing
- Statement of declaration
- You are agreeing to commit yourself to the academic pursuit of a doctoral degree. You can expect that this will require you to…
- Dedicating time to attending your courses. Courses will typically meet weekly or bi-weekly after 5pm and can last up to several hours.
- Dedicating time outside of your course sessions to your own research. You can expect to spend several hours a week or more reading about your area of interest and conducting your own research as you progress in the program.
- Staying in-step with the cohort; if you don’t, you risk needing to wait up to a year to rejoin the next cohort (check the ed leadership)
- Finding mutually convenient times to meet with your advisor about your research outside of class.
- Regular and meaningful contributions to the program’s virtual community.
- You are agreeing to commit yourself to the academic pursuit of a doctoral degree. You can expect that this will require you to…
- Applicant Video
- The LDT faculty would like to learn more about you and your specific interest in our Ed.D. program. Therefore, we are requesting a short video introduction (3-4 minutes max) from you to augment your written materials. We are particularly interested in your research interests and experience with instructional design.
- Your video can be informal, such as you on your smartphone enjoying an afternoon outdoors, or something else you enjoy. Please do not read from a script. Our goal is to learn more about the way you communicate your thinking.
- Video Content
Your introduction video will be reviewed by the LDT admissions committee and should answer the following:- Why are you interested in an Ed.D. in LDT at the University of Georgia?
- What does instructional design mean to you?
- What [specific] research topic would you like to explore?
Applicants should use an internet-based service (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo) to host the video and make sure settings allow people with the video URL to view the video (i.e., unlisted setting).
- Letters of Recommendation –Submit three letters of recommendation online to graduate school. Letters should be from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s scholarly ability and potential for success in a graduate program. Preferably, at least two of them are from faculty who have instructed the applicant in a previous program of study. The application will prompt your recommenders to submit their letters electronically.
Application Deadlines
Domestic Applicants
- Fall: July 1
International Applicants
- Fall: April 15
Cost
Tuition rates and student fees may change each year.
Based on the 2025-26 credit-hour cost, a person who had completed this program at the recommended pace would have paid $33,864.00 in tuition. Reference the UGA Online – Special Hourly eRates to identify the current credit hour rate for your program of interest.
Please use the Estimated Cost Calculator on the Bursar’s Office website to calculate one academic (Fall/Spring) year’s tuition.
This program is an E-Rate program, so choose “yes” for the E-Rate line item within the calculator.
Fees for those students enrolled in exclusively online programs are $431 per semester.
Potential additional costs include:
- Textbooks
- Exam proctoring fees
- Technology upgrades
The complete cost of attendance can be found at the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Curriculum
Required Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDIT 7170E | Advanced Instructional Design | 3 |
| EDIT 8190E | Design Thinking and Innovation in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 8290E | Design-Based Research Methods | 6 |
| EDIT 8310E | Theory, Research, and Practice in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 8900E | Advanced Research in Instructional Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 8950E | Applied Design-Based Research Methods and Techniques in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 9000E | Doctoral Research | 3 |
| EDIT 9030E | Practicum in Applied Instructional Technology Research | 6 |
| EDIT 9300E | Doctoral Dissertation | 6 |
| EDIT 9630E | Critique of Literature in Instructional Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 9650E | Prospectus Development in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
Area of Emphasis in Instructional Design and Development (9 hours)
| Course Number | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDIT 8220E | Learning Experience Design | 3 |
| EDIT 8350E | Advanced Evaluation Methods in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| EDIT 9150E | Advanced Performance Systems Analysis in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
Sample Program of Study
Year 1
| Fall Courses | Hours | Spring Courses | Hours | Summer Courses | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDIT 8310E – Theory, Research, and Practice, Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 | EDIT 8900E – Advanced Research in Instructional Technology | 3 | EDIT 8290E – Design-Based Research Methods | 3 |
| EDIT 7170E – Advanced Instructional Design | 3 | LDT Elective EDIT 8220E – Learning Experience Design or EDIT 8320E – Advanced Technology Integration and Planning | 3 | EDIT 8950E – Applied Design-Based Research Methods and Techniques in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| Total | 6 | Total | 6 | Total | 6 |
Year 2
| Fall Courses | Hours | Spring Courses | Hours | Summer Courses | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDIT 8190E – Design Thinking and Innovation in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 | EDIT 8290E – Design-Based Research Methods | 3 | EDIT 9000E – Doctoral Research | 3 |
| LDT Elective EDIT 8350E – Advanced Evaluation Methods in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 | LDT Elective EDIT 8220E – Learning Experience Design or EDIT 9630E – Critique of Literature in Instructional Technology | 3 | EDIT 8950E – Applied Design-Based Research Methods and Techniques in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 |
| Total | 6 | Total | 6 | Total | 6 |
Year 3
| Fall Courses | Hours | Spring Courses | Hours | Summer Courses | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDIT 9650E – Prospectus Development in Learning, Design, and Technology | 3 | EDIT 9030E – Practicum in Applied Instructional Technology Research | 3 | EDIT 9030E – Practicum in Applied Instructional Technology Research | 3 |
| Total | 3 | Total | 3 | Total | 3 |
Year 4
| Fall Courses | Hours | Spring Courses | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDIT 9300E – Doctoral Dissertation | 3 | EDIT 9300E – Doctoral Dissertation | 3 |
| Total | 3 | Total | 3 |
Faculty
News & Events
Upcoming Virtual Info Sessions for UGA’s Learning, Design, and Technology Programs
April 13, 2026If you’re considering an online graduate program in Learning, Design, and Technology, these upcoming virtual information sessions are a great place to start. Each session offers a brief (40–60 minute) overview of the Ed.D. and M.Ed. programs with an emphasis in Instructional Design and Development. Sessions are held online and led by LDT faculty involved in the programs.
Nicolaides and Hill honored with Outstanding Mentoring Award
April 8, 2026Faculty members from the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Learning, Leadership, and Organization Development, Janette Hill and Aliki Nicolaides, have been honored with UGA’s Outstanding Mentoring Award.
Contact Information
Contact us using the request for information form or call .