Doctoral Program: Admissions
Admissions to advanced graduate study requires acceptance by both the Instructional Design and Technology Program area, the School and the University's Graduate School.
Applications for the Instructional Design and Technology doctoral program will be reviewed once a year, during the month of March, for admission the following Fall. Applications received after March 1 will not be reviewed until the following year. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Students who have not been admitted to a degree program may complete up to 12 hours of coursework as a non-degree student under Commonwealth Status. Admission to Virginia Tech under Commonwealth Status does not guarantee admission to the doctoral degree program. If students who take classes under Commonwealth Status are admitted to a degree program in the future, they can apply those courses to their degree if the courses meet the approval of their advisors.
Admission Requirements
- Master's degree
- A Quality Credit Average (QCA) of at least 3.3 (on a 4.0 = A scale) on all previous graduate work
- Evidence of strong academic potential and professional experience
- Acceptable GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores must meet Graduate School requirements for international students who did not receive a previous degree from an American, Canadian or British university.
Evidence that the applicant meets these requirements will be obtained from the following documents required for admission.
- Application for Admission (form provided by Graduate School). Select major in Curriculum & Instruction.
- Three letters of recommendation (form provided by Graduate School)
- GRE scores
- TOEFL scores
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
Current vita or resume - Writing sample. Interested applicants should submit a written response of not more than 5 pages to the following question: "What problem or challenge do you see in your life currently that you also recognize going to graduate school as a solution to?"
Send the following materials to the Graduate School:
- Application for Admission (form provided by the Graduate School),
- Three letters of recommendation (form provided by the Graduate School),
- GRE scores,
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, and
TOEFL scores, if applicable
Address materials needed by the Graduate School to:
Dean of the Graduate School
Sandy Hall
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0325
Send the following materials to the department:
- A current vita or resume
- A sample of your own writing. The writing sample can be from your academic or professional work.
Address materials needed by the department to:
School of Education Office of Academic Programs
105 War Memorial Hall (0313)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Attn: Nancy Nolen
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available for Instructional Design and Technology graduate students. Students who are admitted to the doctoral program will be contacted by their advisors to determine their interest in an assistantship. A separate application is not required.
For additional information concerning admission to Instructional Design and Technology, please contact:
Barbara Lockee, Program Area Leader
(540) 231-5587
lockeebb@vt.edu