Learning Sciences, MA

Program Description and Policy Information

Choosing to pursue the Master of Arts in Learning Sciences at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College puts you on the path to lead sustainable innovations that enhance learning and teaching experiences. The skills you develop through the program will enable you to make an impact on primary and secondary education, as well as in museums, corporate training environments, public service organizations, and within homes and among communities.

This program focuses on learning and the power of design to refine and optimize teaching and learning systems in specific settings, often considering relevant technologies. Through individual and collaborative activities, you will engage in understanding, designing and implementing these systems for stakeholders and ecosystem needs. Courses provide personalized opportunities for you to create and apply a combination of ideas and products for optimal impact—all as part of a committed community contributing solutions to real-world problems.

You will gain a wide spectrum of knowledge and experiences, including becoming familiar with the theoretical insights and usable tools to make meaningful change in learning organizations. In addition, the systems-level approach emphasized in your coursework encourages the consideration of cognitive, social and contextual foundations of learning and teaching, as well as the complex interactions among them.

Once you graduate, you will be prepared to enter a variety of professions, including employment as an educational and interactional designer, technology integration leader, consultant or trainer. Your work may involve:

• Designing curricular innovations to help teachers and students achieve their goals

• Researching impact games to unlock new models for learning

• Advocating for transformational policies that accelerate positive change in local, state and national government agencies

• Creating corporate training experiences that develop workforce talents

• Mobilizing citizens to organize smarter communities and better services for productive and sustainable living

Program Policies:

Students are encouraged to read and understand the Student Handbook (2023/24), as well as familiarize themselves with the ASU Graduate College Policy Manual.

ASU students and faculty are expected to act with integrity in their educational pursuits - discover what academic integrity is and why it is important. See the Policy and Code of Conduct page for more detail on academic integrity and other university policies.

Important: This program does not lead to teacher certification. For information on education programs that lead to teacher certification, visit the MLFTC Graduate Program webpage and look for a masters program with teacher certification listed.

Required Courses and Plan of Study

The MA in Learning Sciences requires completion of 30 credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree. In collaboration with academic and faculty advisors, students develop a program of study that combines required courses designed to develop talents and competencies in core areas of the learning sciences as well as graduate-level electives in areas such as research methods or disciplinary applications.

• When you submit your Plan of Study (iPOS), list Steven Zuiker for faculty advisor as "Chair."

• Learning Sciences Possible Elective List (Spring 2024)

  • *For elective choices not on the above list, please use this form to submit your choice for faculty approval.*

Culminating Experience

As students plan their program of study, they determine whether to conduct an applied project or complete a research thesis study. For applied projects, students must enroll in LSE 593, Applied Project during their last semester of coursework. A supervised applied project serves as a graduation requirement in a professional degree program. It is a culminating experience where students provide evidence of mastery of the skills and knowledge obtained in the LSE program. For thesis studies, students must complete a research study that fits within a broad area of inquiry in the learning sciences with the potential for scholarly recognition (e.g., conference presentations, publications).