Educational Technology PhD
- Doctoral
- PhD
- In-Person
- Greeley
Program Overview
The Educational Technology PhD is a research-focused degree that combines theory and practice. You’ll work closely with expert faculty on collaborative projects while developing your own research interests. The program is flexible, letting you choose electives that match your career goals.
Graduates work as university professors, researchers, education consultants, innovation officers and leaders in K-12 schools, higher education, online learning companies, military training, corporate learning and international education organizations.
The program ends with a dissertation — your original contribution to the field of educational technology.
What You’ll Learn
The program builds your expertise in three key areas:
- Technology and Learning Understand how technology transforms teaching and learning. Explore emerging tools and design innovative learning experiences.
- Research Methods Master qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research. Use visual research methods and analyze data to answer important questions.
- Critical and Global Perspectives Examine how culture, equity and social issues shape technology use in education. Design inclusive learning experiences for diverse learners.
- Global and Cultural Perspectives in Educational Technology
- Performance Technology for Instructional Environments
- Innovations in Technology and Education
- Gaming and Application Design
- Advanced Qualitative Research
- Advanced Quantitative Research
Students admitted to the PhD program can earn a master’s degree in educational technology along the way. This option requires:
- Completing 30 credits for the master’s degree
- Meeting all master’s degree requirements including comprehensive exams
- Earning the master’s degree before advancing to doctoral candidacy
- Using separate courses for the master’s and doctoral programs (no double counting)
Before the program reviews your application, you must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado. Missing materials may delay evaluation.
To be considered, applicants must:
- Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution (or equivalent from a recognized foreign institution).
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) for your most recent or current degree.
- Complete the online application.
Still completing your degree?
- Admission is based on your current GPA.
- You must submit your official transcript showing your conferred degree and final GPA during your first semester.
- If your final GPA is below 3.00, the program may set additional requirements that must be completed within one year to remain enrolled.
*If you have completed 18 or more credit hours of a master’s degree, your master’s GPA will be used for admission evaluation.
Complete 67 credits of graduate coursework, including:
- Core educational technology courses
- Research methods courses
- Elective courses in your chosen focus area
- Dissertation research credits
Why Choose This Program?
Research That Matters
Work on real-world problems in education. Publish your findings in academic journals and present at conferences. Your research will help improve how people learn.
Flexible Specializations
Tailor the program to your interests. Focus areas include innovation and integration, instructional technology, game design, visual learning and more.
Career Ready
Build skills employers want. Design learning experiences, conduct research studies, develop technology tools and lead educational change.
Hear from Our Community
Doctoral Research
Before learning ed tech, I could only be a language instructor, but now I have the option to be a curriculum design consultant to teachers who need help to make their lessons and incorporate more educational technology into them.
WeiHsuan Lo
Educational Technology PhD
Beyond the Classroom
Gaming SEL Lab
Join the Gaming SEL Lab, where researchers explore how games support social and emotional learning. The lab investigates how games help children manage emotions, take different perspectives and develop empathy. Faculty and students create educational games, design curricula and publish research on game-based learning. Recent projects include educational games on U.S. history, self-reliance and esports education.
Career Opportunities
Higher Education
- University professor
- Instructional designer
- Academic technology director
- Online learning coordinator
K-12 Education
- District technology director
- Innovation officer
- Curriculum developer
- Education consultant
Corporate and Nonprofit
- Training and development leader
- Learning experience designer
- Education technology consultant
- Research and evaluation specialist
Professional Licensure
UNC’s professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure.
Each state sets their own requirements, so a UNC program might not lead to licensure in other states. Visit the UNC Professional Licensure page to learn more about which states UNC programs meet educational requirements for licensure. It’s important to understand requirements in the state where you plan to work. Visit the State Licensure Boards page to find each state’s licensing agency and contact information.
Have Questions? We’re Here to Help!
Teacher Education
First initiated as a teacher’s college in 1889, UNC has education in its DNA. As a student in teacher education, you’re following in the footsteps of the best teachers in Colorado, and you’ll be well-prepared to blaze your own trails nationally.
- teacher.education@unco.edu
- 970-351-2908
- McKee Hall 216