Master's: Checklist
This checklist is intended to serve as a guide during the period of study for the M. S. degree in Instructional Design and Technology. It is the responsibility of the student to see that each of these steps is completed as scheduled. For further details, consult the Post Master's Manual. See http://www.soe.vt.edu/oap/graduateforms.html for handbook and forms. If you have questions, please contact the Graduate Coordinator or your faculty advisor.
Plan Program of Study
1. Confer with the temporary advisor assigned to you in your admission letter. An early conference will be of help to you in planning your tentative program of study.
2. Select an advisory committee. Your temporary advisor will serve as your major professor unless you request a change of advisor through submitting the appropriate form. As your advisory committee must include three members, select two additional members for your advisory committee after consulting with your advisor. A typical committee consists of:
- Advisor from Instructional Design and Technology
- One or two additional members from Instructional Design and Technology
- No more than one member from outside of the Instructional Design and Technology program area, with advisor's approval. These outside members may be experts in the student's area of concentration, cognate area, or research methodology.
3. Meet with potential committee members to determine if they are willing to serve on your committee.
4. Finalize Plan of Study with your major professor. (See http://www.soe.vt.edu/oap/graduateforms.html for form.) You must submit your Plan of Study to the School of Education Office of Academic Programs before completing 12 credit hours at Virginia Tech toward the degree. The plan of study must be approved by your advisor, the Department Chair for Learning Sciences and Technologies, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
5. Began preparation of your Professional Development Portfolio.
6. Once you and your advisor have determined that all the degree requirements for the Masters will be completed during a specific semester, complete an "Application for Degree" card from the Graduate School. The specific deadline for submitting the card is established each year by the Graduate School but is usually no later than the beginning of the semester in which the degree requirements will be completed.
Final Defense
7. Complete your checklist of AECT indicators and Professional Development Portfolio (or other exam requirements as negotiated with your committee.)
8. Based on discussion with your major professor, schedule a Portfolio Defense. Oral exams can be scheduled during one of three "exam weeks" scheduled during the semester. Typically, there is one exam week scheduled near the beginning, middle, and end of the semester.
9. Complete Request to Admit Candidate to Final Exam. Submit to the Graduate School at least two weeks before your scheduled exam time. (See http://www.soe.vt.edu/oap/graduateforms.html for form.)
10. Immediately after the exam: 1 ) Make a copy of the signed Final Exam card. 2) Submit the copy to the School of Education Academic Office. 3) Return signed Final Defense Exam card to the Graduate School.
11. Revise portfolio and resubmit for approval as required by your advisory committee.