Education has a profound influence on learners when leveraged with technology. The past few decades have taught educators that education and technology combine to:
- Bring classrooms around the world – even to the most remote areas.
- Enhance in-person learning modules.
Technologically based education plays ever-increasing importance in formalized educational settings within K-12 education and universities. However, education technology is also used efficiently to train workers in the business and various government sectors, among others. Because education technology has become mainstream, there is always a demand for professionals with the required technical skills and creativity.
Yet, many government agencies and businesses have little knowledge regarding how to use education technologies effectively, if at all. This is where earning a degree from one of the many available technology education certifications online programs pays considerable dividends.
Completing one of the certification online programs is an excellent way to empower educators, administrators, and professional organizational trainers by teaching them to deploy high-tech skills in the education/training arena. It can also be quite lucrative for those employed in the industry.
Each of the available programs will be unique to the school, which is the fundamental reason that students must carefully assess technology education certification online programs curriculum and requirements. However, while each technology education program may have a unique emphasis, most of the programs will cover coursework in:
- Innovations/Models of Education Technology, which includes understanding the history of education and technology and a review of emerging technologies.
- Online Teaching Methodology, which explores the teaching techniques that are most effective in live, virtual classrooms. Students learn about Blackboard or WebCT, and other online course management tools.
- Instructional Design, which includes the best practices for planning, developing, and evaluating various instructional materials.
- Web Tools for Learning, which includes the exploration of the many ways the Internet can be used to facilitate various learning models and paradigms.
Best 12 Technology Education Certification Online Programs
1. Appalachian State University (App state – North Carolina)
Appalachian State University offers an 18-hour graduate certificate in Instructional Technology Leadership that is offered part-time over the course of twelve months. Applicants for this ASU program must hold a graduate degree in instructional technology or other related educational media fields. Coursework App State’s best technology education includes learning, design & technology, critical perspectives in new media, and planning for instructional technology initiatives, among others.
- Tuition Costs – $ 266.00 per credit (North Carolina residents), $ 1,124.00 per credit (nonresidents)
- Total Program Cost – $4,788 for NC residents, $20,232 for nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program –– 18 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
2. North Carolina State University (NC State Online – Raleigh)
North Carolina State University’s College of Education offers one of North Carolina’s best technology education programs with its graduate certificate in Teaching, Training & Educational Technology. It is noted that earned credits from this education technology certificate program may be applied to NC State’s master’s degree programs which are nationally ranked.
- Tuition Costs –
- $462.00 per credit (North Carolina residents)
- $ 1,311.00 per credit (nonresidents)
- Total Program Cost – $6,930 for NC residents, $19,665 for nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 15 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
3. West Chester University (WCU – Pennsylvania)
West Chester University’s Education and Social Work (WCU – Pennsylvania) offers an educational technology certificate that can be completed entirely online. Classes for West Chester University’s technology online programs include instructional design with emerging technology, teaching and learning online, and digital media production and storytelling, to name a few.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 464.00 per credit (Pennsylvania residents)
- $ 697.00 per credit (nonresidents).
- Total Program Cost – $5,568 for Pa. residents, $8,364 for nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 12 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
4. The University of North Dakota (UND – Grand Forks)
The University of North Dakota offers three of the best North Dakota online programs with a graduate certificate in Instructional Design and Technology with these academic focuses – Corporate Training/Performance, eLearning, or K-12 Technology Integration. This graduate certificate in instructional design from UND prepares students with classes that include instructional systems analysis and design, instructional simulations and games, and digital media in schools, among others.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 487.09 per credit (North Dakota residents and nonresidents)
- Total Program Cost – $5,844.36 for ND residents and nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 12 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – HLC
5. Kansas State University (K-State Online)
Kansas State University offers an educational technology graduate certificate that is ranked among Kansas’s best programs. Students enrolled in K-State’s education technology certificate program have the opportunity to apply these earned credits to a Master of Science (MSEd) degree in Educational Technology.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 495.50 per credit
- Total Program Cost – $5,946.00
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 12 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – HLC
6. The University of Florida (UF Online)
The College of Education (COE) at the University of Florida offers four of the Sunshine State’s best technology education. These educational technology certificates include a K-12 Teaching with Technology, Online Teaching & Learning, Instructional Design, and Managing Distance Education. Graduates of this technology education certificate may apply these credits towards a Master’s of Education program if the student receives a grade of ‘B’s or better.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 516.97 per credit (Florida residents)
- $ 620.50 (nonresidents).
- Total Program Cost – $6,203.64 for FL residents, $7,446 for nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 12 graduate semester units for each certificate.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
7. The University of Massachusetts (UMass Boston Online)
The University of Massachusetts offers a certificate in Instructional and Technology Design from a school that is ranked among the top twenty schools in the world by Times of London. Credit units earned by completing one of UMass’s technology education certification online programs may be applied towards a graduate degree program. Students complete this graduate certificate program in nine months.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 575.00 per credit
- Total Program Cost – $8,625 for all students.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 15 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – NECHE
8. Northern Arizona University (NAU Online)
Northern Arizona University (NAU Online) offers one of the best technology education with a curriculum that aligns with the NET standards as defined by the International Soc. For Technology in Education. Classes for NAU’s technology education certificate include strategies in technology innovation, Technology Planning, and creating technology learning environments, among others.
- Tuition Costs –
- $575.00 per credit (Arizona residents)
- Total Program Cost – $8,625.00 for Az. Residents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 15 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – HLC & ISTE
9. Kutztown University (KU -Pennsylvania)
The College of Education at Kutztown University (KU) offers an instructional technology specialist certification that has been designed for those students with an already existing Pennsylvania teaching certification. Kutztown University’s technology education online programs require students to complete a 90-hour internship to graduate. Classes for this graduate certificate in technology education include technologies for the 21st Century educator, designing distance education for the k-12 educator, and building effective online & classroom instruction, among others.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 609.77 per credit (Pennsylvania residents)
- $ 905.57 per credit (nonresidents).
- Total Program Cost – $14,63448 for PA residents, $21,733.68 for nonresidents.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 24 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
10. Michigan State University (MSU Online)
Michigan State University’s Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education Department offer one of the state’s best technology education certification online programs by offering a graduate certificate in educational technology with start dates every eight weeks. Students enrolled in MSU’s technology education certificate program can apply these credits towards a Master of Education in Education Technology degree. Classes for this certificate program include teaching for understanding with technology, adapting innovative technologies in education, and applying educational technology in practice.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 897.50 per credit (Michigan residents and nonresidents)
- Total Program Cost – $8,077.50 for all students.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 9 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – HLC
11. Drexel University (Drexel – Pennsylvania)
Drexel University offers a graduate certificate in Instructional Technology that is among the most innovative online programs available in the marketplace. Classes for this certificate in technology education include the inclusive classroom, learning technologies & disabilities, evidence-based evaluation, and design for learning with digital media, to name a few. This certificate program from Drexel qualifies graduates for state certification and can be used as a pathway to a graduate degree in learning technologies.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 1,007.00 per credit (Discounted 25% from Drexel’s regular tuition rates).
- Total Program Cost – $27,189 to $33,231 for all students.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 27 – 33 graduate quarter units. (equals 18 – 22 semester units)
- Accreditation – MSCHE
12. Duquesne University (DU – Pennsylvania)
Duquesne University offers one of Pennsylvania’s certification online programs that leads to state certification. Classes for this graduate certificate in technology include technology & education, instructional application of technology, the management of instructional technology and instructional design, plus a practicum, among others. Graduates of Duquesne University can apply for this certificate’s earned credits with another fifteen credits to earn a Master of Science (MS) in Education degree in Instructional Technology.
- Tuition Costs –
- $ 1,363.00 per credit.
- Total Program Cost – $20,445.00 for all students.
- Credit Units Required to Complete Program – 15 graduate semester units.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
Our Ranking Methodology
The technology education certification online programs that are ranked above include a wide variety of the for-education technology that are available certificates in the education marketplace.
These technology education certifications have also been reviewed based on available data extracted from the federal government’s NCES – the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), each school/college/university’s website, and the United States Dept. Of Labor (DOL). Additionally, the total program costs listed refer to the tuition fees required to complete the program for the 2020/2021 school year (or the 2019/2020 school year).
The selected programs are listed, starting with the most affordable ‘per credit’ programs first. Tuition fees noted offer ‘per credit costs, which helps students understand the primary expenses of earning one of the listed technology education certification online programs.
In addition to comparing tuition costs per credit, our analysis also includes additional, helpful information regarding these education certifications online programs as follows –
- Total Program Costs help students understand the required capital outlay to complete the program.
- Credit units required to complete the program – this information helps students understand the depth and breadth of the technology education certificate program.
- Accreditation – Accreditation is helpful as it indicates which of the regional accrediting agency has evaluated the program to award said accreditation.
Are You Concerned About Your Technology Education Program’s Ranking?
Do you have an update or edit regarding the information for any of the technology education certification online programs noted above?If you would like to update the information for a school or program, please reach out to BestValueSchools.org so we can update each school’s details.
