Learning Design and Technology (LDT)

Program Requirements

Students must complete at least 45 units at Stanford to receive the master's degree in LDT. The following constraints are placed on those 45 units:

  • All courses must be at or above the 100 level. Courses numbered below 100 do not count toward the master's degree.
  • At least 23 units (half of the total minimum units) must be at or above the 200 level. EDUC 180 and 190 count toward this requirement.
  • At least 30 units must be from courses offered by the Graduate School of Education (EDUC units).
  • At least 15 units must be taken for a letter grade (as opposed to Credit or Satisfactory).
  • A 3.0 GPA must be maintained for all courses applied to the master's degree.
  • All students must enroll in a minimum of 8 units during Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters, and cannot exceed 18 units in any quarter (exception: HCP students take 3-7 units)
  • LDT students are required to register for exactly 6 units in the Summer quarter. The remaining 39 units need to be completed in Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters. 
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOLLANG) and Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (ATHLETIC) courses cannot be applied towards the master's degree.
  • See the “Coterminal Degree” section for unit requirements applying to students admitted through the coterminal degree program.

Required Courses

Note: All course information is subject to change.
Please consult ExploreCourses and Axess for final course offerings.

Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Karin Forssell, Angel Rivera, Robert Wachtel Pronovost) (2-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Karin Forssell, Angel Rivera, Robert Wachtel Pronovost) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Karin Forssell, Angel Rivera, Robert Wachtel Pronovost) (1-3)

Internship

Students must register for a minimum of one unit of Education Internship Workshop (EDUC 215 or equivalent) for at least two quarters during the year. A maximum of 9 internship units are accepted for the master's degree.

Electives

Recommended electives for LDT include a range of courses related to learners and education. Students may take electives from any department at Stanford, with advisor's approval. Also, students are encouraged to approach professors for Directed Reading (EDUC 180) on a topic of special interest to them.

Learning Portfolio and Master's Project

The online Learning Portfolio consists of substantial work done during the year, together with a reflection on the learning represented by that work. The Master's Project consists of a design project conceived and developed by the student. The project proposal and reports will include a description and analysis of the learning problem, the theoretical approach and research used to address it, the design proposal, prototypes, and learning assessments. The Master's Project must be submitted to the student's advisor for approval by the end of winter quarter and presented to the public late in the summer. Both the Learning Portfolio and the Master's Project Report are due in summer quarter.

2024-2025 List of Pre-Approved Courses

At least one course about evaluation and research methods used in Education. Pre-approved courses are listed below (3 units minimum).

Choose at least one. Both are encouraged.

Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Guillermo Solano-Flores, Eunjung Myoung) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Candace Thille, Luna Laliberte, Xi Jia Zhou) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Denise Pope, Ed'd Bhagwandeen, Faith Kwon) (4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Ann Jaquith, Liz Harris) (4)

LDT students have first enrollment priority in EDUC 200B in Autumn quarter and third enrollment priority in Winter quarter.   

At least one course in which students learn and apply a user-centered design process. Pre-approved courses are listed below (3 units minimum).

Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (James Landay, Britney Tran, Defne Genc, Eli Waldman, Gray Wong, Paige Olson, Shardul Sapkota, Star Doby) (3-5)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Julie Stanford, David Madey, Kalina Yang) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Christina Wodtke) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Michael Bernstein, Defne Genc, Michelle Lam, Miroslav Suzara, Parker Ruth, Philip Baillargeon) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Christina Wodtke, Amy Lo) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (John Tang, Casey Nguyen) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Frank Bentley) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Keith Bowen, Kavindya Thennakoon) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Keith Bowen) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (David Jaffe, Lance Keneley, Mathilda Kitzmann) (1-3)

  • Any course with the CS 147, 247, 347, or 377 prefix (e.g., CS 377U) may count towards the Design Process requirement.
  • Any full d.school course may be used to count towards the Design Process requirement.
  • Any "Design of Learning Experiences" course (listed below) can instead be used to count towards the Design Process requirement.

Two courses minimum. At least one course must cover theories of learning. Pre-approved courses are listed below (6 units minimum). Students are highly encouraged to take more than two of these courses.

Learning Theories

Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Kristen Blair) (3)

Learning Content

Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Jennifer Osuna, Renee Scott) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Jennifer Osuna, Renee Scott) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Rebecca Silverman, Renee Scott, Bonnie Hallman) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Victor Lee, Abigail Kahn) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (David Eagleman, Joshua Landy, Divya Mehrish, Gurmenjit Bahia, Mayshu (Meixu) Zhan, Muge Gedik, Paulina Choh) (3)

  • Other courses by petition. Courses in other departments may be appropriate for certain subjects.

At least two courses applying user-centered design to a learning problem. Pre-approved courses are listed below (6 units minimum). Students are highly encouraged to take more than two of these courses.

Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Denise Pope, Lena Phalen, Meghan Durkin) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Roy Pea, Jaylen Pittman) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Cancelled) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Brigid Barron) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Keith Bowen) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Winter (Hari Subramonyam) (3-4)

At least one course examining technology from a critical, social, historical, or philosophical perspective (3 units minimum).

Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Maria Ruiz-Primo) (2-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Jacob Ramirez) (1)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Jacob Ramirez) (1)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Jacob Ramirez) (1)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Jacob Ramirez) (1)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Sergio Monsalve) (2)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Instructor TBD) (1-3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Maria Ruiz-Primo) (3-4)
Offered in 2024-2025 Autumn (Ann Jaquith, Elizabeth Kozleski) (3)
Offered in 2024-2025 Spring (Guillermo Solano-Flores) (3-4)




Contact us

PhD students, please contact:

Jeremy Edwards
Jeremy Edwards
Associate Director of Degree Programs

MA POLS and MA/PP students, please contact:

Wesley Horng
Wesley Horng
Senior Associate Director of Admissions & Academic Affairs

EDS, ICE/IEPA, Individually Designed, LDT, MA/JD, MA/MBA students, please contact:

Caroline Stasulat
Caroline Stasulat
Associate Director of Degree Programs