Master of Science in Learning Design and Technology
Get Started Today.
Request More Information About the Online MS in Learning Design and Technology Program
"*" indicates required fields
At a Glance
Revolutionize training and education through innovative learning design. The MS-LDT is designed to provide working adults with a fast-paced but manageable path to entry into the field of instructional/learning design.
Learn In-Demand Skills for Career Success
Graduates of the MS-LDT often credit the program with enabling them to secure roles in instructional design, corporate training and learning development — sometimes even before completing the program.
Design Experiences That Work. Build a Career That Lasts.
Learning design is where cognitive psychology meets user experience (UX) and cutting-edge technology to solve learning and performance gaps. Learning designers create the blueprints for how the world learns today – from interactive corporate onboarding to transformative higher education courses.
Whether you are transitioning from a classroom, pivoting from an HR role, or are an instructional designer looking to build on your skills with a mastery of the latest tech, learning design empowers you to create measurable, engaging, and inclusive learning ecosystems that drive organizational results.
The MS in Learning Design and Technology (MS-LDT) was developed specifically for the working professional ready to pivot or promote. In less than two years, you will graduate with a mastery of the learning sciences, expertise in industry-standard tools like Articulate 360, and a professional-grade portfolio.
Ideal for Educators, Trainers and Corporate L&D Professionals
If you’re passionate about using technology to deliver effective, accessible learning experiences, this program prepares you to lead the change.
Degree candidates may come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including:
- Business professionals or admins involved in training/onboarding
- Working instructional designers seeking to expand their skill set
- K-12 educators looking to move beyond the classroom
- Postsecondary educators and designers
- Learning and development (L&D) and human resources (HR) professionals
- Library science and corporate eLearning specialists
Master the Skills That Define The Industry
The MS-LDT Curriculum Builds Advanced Competencies for the Future of Learning
The Portfolio: Your Professional Proof of Mastery
In the field of Learning Design, your portfolio is your most powerful asset. As an MS-LDT student, you’ll build a body of work that proves you can solve real-world problems.
Your MS-LDT journey culminates in LDT 560: The Capstone Project, where you synthesize your skills into a showcase for current or future employers:
- Build a Functional Online Course: Using an LMS system of your choice, you’ll build an online course with a minimum of two-modules from the ground up.
- Master AI as a Tool: Collaborate with AI systems to accelerate your design process, learning to justify and document AI-augmented decisions—a critical skill in today’s market.
- Peer Evaluation & Industry Standards: Rigorously test your work against industry-standard ethical and research-based benchmarks.
- Showcase Your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities in Your Professional Portfolio: As part of your capstone course, you’ll publish a live digital portfolio featuring professional digital artifacts created in your courses.
the faculty: Mentorship from Industry Practitioners
The MS Learning Design and Technology faculty bring extensive experience in curriculum design, leadership, and media development across K-12, higher education, and corporate sectors. Their diverse backgrounds span educational technology, learner experience design, and organizational performance data analysis, bridging the gap between academic theory and practical industry application.
Each instructor is committed to transforming your MS-LDT experience into a launchpad for your career. You’ll benefit from their mentorship and professional guidance as you transition from MS-LDT student to graduate.
Student Testimonials
Alumni often note that the real-world application of the MS-LDT program’s learning outcomes has made them highly competitive in the job market, whether securing new positions or advancing in their current organizations.
How to apply
If you have a bachelor’s degree and two years of professional work experience, you probably qualify for admission. Learn more about our holistic process for reviewing potential candidates.
accreditation
The MS in Learning Design and Technology degree is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Accreditation is an important quality indicator for college and university degree programs, and regional accreditation is generally regarded as the gold standard that assures you will receive a rigorous education and be able to apply for federal financial aid.
Tuition and Financial aid
Program tuition is competitive with other top universities, and is greatly reduced from the standard USD graduate tuition. The current tuition for the MS-LDT program is $735 per unit, and the full program requires 30 units of coursework. This equates to $22,050 for the full program tuition.
Tuition amounts shown on this website, or in other university publications or web pages, represent tuition and fees as currently approved. However, the University of San Diego reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at USD at that time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition amounts and fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors.
Please note that the displayed tuition covers only the cost of courses, and additional expenses such as books and other fees are not included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the program online or on-campus?
The MS-LDT program is a 100% online, fully asynchronous degree program.
What makes this program one-of-a-kind and innovative?
The MS-LDT program is designed to provide working adults with a short, fast-paced, but manageable path to entry into the field of instructional/learning design. Some program aspects that may make MS-LDT the right choice for you include the various ways we attend to the needs of adult learners. These include, but are not limited to:
- Faculty who are subject matter experts and ID practitioners. Our faculty are connected to the field in various ways across various industries.
- Access to the MS-LDT Academic Director from pre-enrollment to post-graduation
7-week courses that allow you to complete 6 credits per semester, but focus on one course at a time - Active engagement from our student success team members who provide a range of support that will keep you on track and ready to graduate in 20 months
- Automatic enrollment in your courses each term so you have one less thing to do
- Course design support by our in-house Learning Design Center which means standards of good online course design is consistent across all MS-LDT courses
- A focus on preparing you as an instructional design, learning design, and eLearning design practitioner, which means assignments are thoughtfully planned with your future career in mind
- An emphasis on supporting your effort to build an ID Portfolio that you can present to prospective employers and clients
- A commitment to staying grounded in foundations of the field (i.e, ID as a process) and being intentional about keeping our students connected to shifts and trends in the field (i.e., embracing design thinking)
Does USD offer career development/advising support?
The University of San Diego is committed to steering you on a path toward educational and professional success. Right from the start, you’ll receive support and guidance from experienced University of San Diego advisors who are invested in helping you achieve your education goals!
Why do students choose the MS-LDT program at USD?
Students choose the MS-LDT program because it provides a fast-track to entry or promotion in the instructional/learning design career they seek. Our fully asynchronous program is attractive to full-time working professionals who want and need the flexibility to manage when and where they engage with their courses. We are a year-round program, which means we offer our two foundational courses every semester. This makes it convenient for students to decide when the best time is for them to begin pursuing their academic goals.
Does or will the program include any live (Zoom or in-person) components?
While the program is fully asynchronous, office hours are an opportunity to have live discussions with faculty. The program will offer webinars throughout the year as an opportunity to engage with industry professionals and explore topics in the field.
Is the main focus of the program online and tech-based learning?
The main focus of the program is on establishing a foundation and building the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are demonstrated as the competencies expected of ID professionals. While many of the course assignments require the use of eLearning authoring software and other learning technologies, the competencies you develop are grounded in theory about how people learn and are therefore applicable to designing materials for in-person training, synchronous and asynchronous online learning, and eLearning.
What is the difference between instructional design and learning design?
Instructional design involves creating learning experiences and materials to affect change in knowledge, skills, or attitude. Learning design utilizes approaches from instructional design, user-experience design, and design thinking to create these learning experiences.
Would a potential employer value a Master of Science over a Master of Education in LD/ID?
A potential employer is not likely to value one degree over the other because they are more interested in demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities more so than whether your degree is in LD or ID. Employers requiring or preferring that applicants have a master’s degree will be explicit about the skills they are seeking and typically will not distinguish between types of degrees such as MS, MA or MEd degrees.
What are the technical requirements for this program?
You must own or have unrestricted access to a computer for this program. Courses will utilize a variety of technologies and multimedia. To complete course activities and to access course content, please verify that you have the following technologies and plug-ins available:
- Computer: 16 GB, 1.5 GHz Speed I7 + 500 GB external memory (preferably SSD hard disk drive) PC suggested
- Mac users will need to (1) download a PC emulation software such as VMWare Fusion in order to access the required program software and (2) have access to Windows 10 or newer
- Browser Plug-ins: Windows Media Player, QuickTime and Adobe Reader
- Recommended Browsers: Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome (You will want to have 2 browsers for software testing and viewing)
What is the difference between the Group Discussions and the Discussion Board Forum?
Group Discussions are typically graded assignments posted to a discussion board embedded in each module. They require an original post and a response to peers by the end of the week. Discussion Forum is an open discussion on a variety of topics related to the course. The Discussion Board feature in Canvas is used as the platform for these online conversations.
Who is teaching in this program?
Our instructors are subject matter experts. They are instructional design practitioners and online instructors who are fully aware of the needs of adult learners and online students. Learn more on our MSLDT faculty page.
Are there extra fees?
All students in the online MS-LDT program require current access to Articulate360 software for various assignments and projects. The University of San Diego will issue a one-time, discounted tech fee of $280 for all first-semester students to be granted access to an Articulate360 account. The account suite will grant access to the following tools:
- Storyline 360, Rise 360, Content Library 360, Review 360, Studio 360, Presenter 360, Quizmaker 360, Engage 360, Replay 360, & Peek 360.
Students that already have access to Articulate360 and the required tools can waive this one-time fee by submitting a Waiver Request Form. (This form will be made available to enrolled students.) Please only submit a waiver if you already have access to the following required tools: Storyline 360, Rise 360, Content Library 360, & Review 360.
- Mac users will need to (1) download a PC emulation software such as VMWare Fusion in order to access the required program software and (2) have access to Window 10 or newer.
All enrolled students will have access to Articulate360. If you file a Leave of Absence, withdraw/drop a course, or graduate from the program, access will be terminated until you enroll again in the program.
We’ve also compiled a list of free/freemium tools that students can use to complete their assignments. Students will have a Google Drive, Office 365 and YouTube account associated with her USDOne login.