Bachelor of Science in Learning, Design, and Technology

Instructional designers are everywhere! Here are some of the places instructional designers work:

• Business
• Higher Education
• Government/Military
• Medical and more! 

The KSU Learning, Design, and Technology degree provides a career ready option upon graduation that enables the student to progress professionally at an accelerated rate. Here are some important statistics to know:

1. The field of instructional design has grown by 5% in Georgia according to current employment trends data.
2. Employment data from 2020 indicated a total of nearly 2800 related jobs were posted in Georgia requiring instructional design skills.
3. Comparing current graduation rates and job availability, there is an approximate annual gap of over 1,600 job openings related to Instructional Design in Georgia alone, which creates a critical need for viable candidates.
4. KSU is the only university in Georgia that offers an undergraduate option for Learning, Design, and Technology.
5. Since degrees in this field are typically offered at the graduate level and beyond, entering the field as an undergraduate can accelerate your career path and earning potential by preparing to directly enter the corporate workforce following your undergraduate degree!  

The KSU Learning, Design & Technology program prepares you for a career in instructional design through 33-credit hours of major work. These courses include:

• LDT 3100 Foundations of Instructional Design (3 credits)
• LDT 3200 Foundations of Visual Design for Learning (3 credits)
• LDT 3300 Performance Improvement & Needs Assessment (3 credits)
• LDT 3400 Instructional Design & Development (3 credits)
• LDT 3500 Multimedia Design & Development for Learning (3 credits)
• LDT 3398 Internship in Learning, Design, & Technology (3 credits; NOTE: To be eligible for the internship you must earn a "B" or better in the foundational courses: LDT 3100, 3200, 3300, 3400 and 3500.)
• LDT 4100 Evaluation of Educational Programs (3 credits)
• LDT 4200 Interactive Learning Environments (3 credits)
• LDT 4300 Trends & Issues in Instructional Design (3 credits)
• LDT 4500 Project Management of Instructional Design (3 credits)
• LDT 4600 Capstone and Portfolio in Learning, Design, and Technology (3 credits)

This program utilizes multiple high impact practices to prepare you for an Instructional Design career, including an on-site internship and a capstone project. Beyond the major courses, the 120 hours (total) of course work includes 60-hours of lower division coursework, including two major-related courses: LDT 1100 Making Learning Fun and LDT 2100 Tools & Technologies for Learning. Additionally, flexibility within the program provides opportunities to pursue dual degrees or minors at the same time!

For information and deadlines on applying to KSU, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

A Bachelor of Science in Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT) prepares you for entry into a career in instructional design. The need for well-trained, experienced instructional designers in the modern workforce is on the rise. Based on standards from leading organizations in performance improvement and instructional design, KSU’s Learning, Design, and Technology program prepares you to design, develop, implement, and evaluate instruction and training in business, medical, educational, and other domains.

Graduates of this program possess the knowledge and practical experience needed to: (a) analyze the education and training needs of an organization; (b) effectively apply instructional design and learning theories in workplace contexts; and (c) design, develop, and evaluate learning solutions for face-to-face, online, and hybrid learning environments. Graduates are prepared for careers in the corporate, non-profit, and educational sector.

The 120 hours of this degree include 60-hours of lower division coursework, including two major-related courses: LDT 1100 Making Learning Fun and LDT 2100 Tools & Technologies for Learning. The 60-hours of upper division coursework includes 33-credit hours of courses, which are spread across eleven 3-credit classes including the required internship. Additionally, the program includes 15 credit-hours of major electives and 12 credit-hours of free elective, which provide the opportunity to get alternate experiences in fields like business, media, technical communication, interactive design, and engineering while still completing a degree that was designed to best prepare the student for post-graduation employment in the field of instructional design. Flexibility within the program even provides opportunities to pursue dual degrees or minors at the same time!

The program requires a minimum of 3-credit hours of an internship in instructional design. These opportunities can be within a variety of fields, like business, medicine, government, etc. as long as you are working with instructional designers on instructional design projects. The School of Instructional Technology and Innovation collaborates with a variety of sites to aid in achieving a internship match.

An additional 3-credit hour placements can be used to fulfill elective requirements for the degree. Any elective internships must be arranged solely by the student.

For more information on LDT internships, contact the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Earnshaw.

The culminating experience of the program is LDT 4600, in which you will develop a capstone and portfolio. The portfolio documents mastery of instructional design competencies that are grounded in the standards of leading professional organizations within the field (e.g., AECT, ATD, ISPI). The portfolio demonstrates that you are prepared to serve in a professional instructional design role. The capstone project highlights how the candidate can design and develop effective, engaging, efficient and equitable learning design interventions.

All students accepted to KSU are eligible for this program. To apply to KSU, visit KSU's admissions page. Students accepted to KSU can declare LDT as their major at any time. Directions on declaring a major can be found on the registrar's website.