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Information for International Students

A Special Message for International Students   |  Why join CTER?  | CTER facts for International Students  |  Course Description

A Special Message for International Students

In additional to the courses and training you’ll receive in educational technology through the CTER program, as an online program, CTER also has many advantages for international students.

First, you’ll receive exactly the same Ed.M. (Master of Education) degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign as an on-campus student. You are not required to write a thesis to graduate, and there is no graduation exam. You only need to complete the courses successfully. Certainly, a degree obtained from an accredited US institution such as the University of Illinois is likely to be of great help to you in your career.    

Second, since you will be studying in your home country, you DO NOT need to apply for student visa (F1). Accordingly, you are not required to submit a Declaration and Certification of Finances form and a bank statement with your application. Thus, many hours of stressful paperwork and expenses for applying for a visa are reduced.

Third, you can save money on living expenses.  On-campus international students normally have to guarantee about $42,000 a year to support their tuition and living expenses. As an online student taking courses in the comfort of your networked home or workplace, you can save significantly on living expenses.  

Fourth, you’ll be paying the same in-state tuition rate as any other CTER student. For the CTER program, the tuition rate is the same regardless of your status as an in-state, out-of-state, or international student. For the 2008-2009 academic year, the tuition rate is $1,928 for a typical 4-hour course. Also, as an online student, you are not required to take 12 hours of courses each semester, which is a requirement for on-campus international students. CTER students typically take only one course per term (2 in the summer, 1 in the fall, and 1 in the spring) to complete the program in 2 years.

Advanced English writing skills and oral communication skills are a must in this program. Most of the interaction takes place in forums, blogs, and wikis via writing, and real-time audio chat sessions & final presentations are expected in most classes. You will be required to participate in discussions with instructors and students, and also provide peer feedback. To be admitted full status to the university, you will need an overall score of 102 or above for the TOEFL iBT (internet based) exam, 610 or above for the TOEFL PBT (paper-based exam), and 6.5 or above for the IELTS. We may also ask you to participate in a brief interview over a video conferencing system during the admission review process.


Why join CTER?

Here are some of the reasons that you should consider the CTER program:

  • Excellent Tech Support: We have a dedicated technical support staff that will help you resolve technical issues as quickly as possible. We make an effort to share support issues so that you do not have to repeat your problems again and again.
  • Access to Cutting-Edge Open Source Software: CTER never stops its efforts to search and test open source (free) software that can be used in classrooms for effective teaching and learning. Our technology courses are updated each year to introduce technology that you can immediately bring into your classroom or workplace, often at no-cost.
  • Technology Orientation Online: We introduce and train all the basic applications you need to successfully complete our program before the semester begins. This saves time for you during the semester when you're busying completing assignments. More time can be spent on course content rather than technical support when you take our courses.
  • Experience in Online Education: The CTER program was launched in 1998 and has been one of the most successful online programs in the College of Education at the University of Illinois. Our student retention rate has been over 90%. We have continuously adopted new technologies to better serve our students and instructors. We also share our expertise through presentations and tutorials.


CTER facts for International Students
Factors
CTER Online Master
Regular On-Campus Master
Academic Resources
 School Reputation (UIUC-Educational Psychology, top 5 in the U.S.)
SAME
Degree (Master of Education)
SAME
Faculty and Instruction
SAME
UIUC Library online resources (articles, database, etc.)
SAME
Interaction with US classmates
more often, many opportunities, not limited to class instruction time
fewer opportunities, mostly restricted to class instruction time
Requirements & Expenses
 F1 (student) VISA to the U.S. NO YES

Registration
(course per semester)

 No minimum requirment. Flexible, usually 1-2 courses per semester Yes. Requirement for full time:
3 courses per semester
Tuition $1,928 per course $10, 857 per semester
Living Expenses in the U.S. None Estimated $15, 474 per year
Financial Statement Requirement for Admission No, just pay the tuition on time. Yes. Requirement of financial support of $42, 000 peryear
Language Issues
 Student-Instructor Communication Written format, no time ristriction:: emails, online office hours, forums, etc. Spoken & written:
emails & office hours
Student-student Communication Mostly written format, not limited to class time, 24 hours forum Spoken format, limited to within classes time
Presentation
SAME (Spoken formact)
Technology Support Optional multi-language support NO
Top


Course Description
         Students are required to take all of the  5 required courses and 3 of the elected courses.
Required Courses:
  1. EPSY 457 XM: Computer Use in Education: The focus of this course is on (1) the exploration of innovative technology uses in education, and (2) the critical evaluation of how these uses are (or are not) taken up in schools. This is a research and project-oriented course, and class members will conduct a variety of miniprojects exploring a range of new uses in classroom settings, respond to scholarly readings in the field of educational technology, and complete a major project for use in class members’ own teaching.
  2. EPSY 556: Analysis of Advanced Instructional Technology: The goal of this inquiry-based course is to answer the question "what is the future of learning"?  Students in this course will be asked to critically consider advanced learning technologies and how their integration in the classroom may transform teaching and learning.  The focus of the course is for you to explore of advanced instructional technologies including the use of more sophisticated applications of digital video, audio, and web pages to engage learners in new ways to construct and share knowledge.
  3. EPSY474: Evaluating Learning Technology: The primary purpose of the course is to teach graduate students how to plan, conduct, and evaluate evaluations of learning technologies. Students will learn to conduct a variety of evaluations related to learning technologies including needs assessments, consumer-driven evaluations outcome or impact assessments, comparative or quasi-experimental studies and case studies. As one means of measuring need, growth or impact, students in the course will also learn to create assessment instruments and strategies related to learning technologies.
  4. EPS 415 XM: Information Technology Ethics: This is a special section of a course devoted to exploring the social, ethical, and policy dimensions of new technology use in schools. Computers, the Internet, and other multimedia technologies introduce new challenges in thinking about the consequences of technology uses for the learning opportunities and outcomes of students. This course will explore such critical themes as access and equity issues, censorship, privacy, commercialization, new forms of literacy, online communication, and developing a "global community" through the Internet.
  5. EPSY 490 OL: Developments in Educational Psychology-Learning and Classroom Management: Readings and assignments in this course cover some of the psychologies that have driven the models and research trends in classroom learning and management. Information about these psychologies will come from a variety of sources, including, textbooks, journals, scholarly books and online informational sources. The course will also include a series of 7 lectures that is designed to put the content material into an historical perspective, and to lend examples, testimonies and other experiential snippets that will elaborate the text materials.
Elective Courses:
  1. EPSY 590 NET: Networks for Learning: This course addresses the design, construction, and evaluation of networked learning activities.Students will read and discuss foundational literature and engage in hands-on activities using modern networking tools, including blogs, web feeds, wikis, social networking applications, course management systems, and multi-user social spaces.
  2. EPSY 590 VE: Virtual Worlds for Education: This course will engage students in the examination of the history, theory, and practice of pedagogy in virtual environments such as Second Life, Open Simulator, Project Wonderland, Croquet, Alice Scratch, etc. Students will read research literature, participate in online discussions through the Moodle course management system, and participate in real-time activities in several types of virtual worlds.
  3. EPSY 590 ASA: Issues in Traditional and Alternative Student Assessment: This course explores current issues and trends using alternative methods of student assessment. We will focus on the measurement and assessment process, measuring complex achievement, creating student portfolios and a variety of assessment procedures teachers can use as students engage in their work. 
  4. EPSY 590 TER: Technology & Education Reform: Technology and Education Reform takes an in-depth look at educational reform, past and present, and of emerging research in this area as it relates to education in the United States. Major topics in inquiry include changing the organization of schools, the instructional program, and the roles students, teachers, and school administrators, play when integrating technology and school improvement.

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