Gain the expertise you need to flourish at the frontiers of education — by creating innovations in education technology, leveraging the science of learning, and developing powerful pedagogies.
In our Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) Program, you will tackle promising and challenging frontiers of education — leveraging the science of learning, applying innovations in education technology, and developing powerful pedagogies to improve learning outcomes. You will experience a diverse, inclusive, and high-energy environment, while learning from leading HGSE faculty and top industry practitioners, as well as your fellow cohort members. Our LDIT Program will equip you to work in educational media and technology, instructional design, and curriculum development, to create new learning materials and experiences for preK–12 schools, colleges and universities, 21st century workplaces, and informal settings.
"So much of young people’s learning today takes place out of school, and it impacts how we need to design learning experiences. In this program we study the evolution and science of learning — exploring the impact of innovations in pedagogy and technology, identifying ways these insights and tools can help us improve learning designs, and making progress toward generating better student outcomes."
Joe Blatt, Faculty Co-Chair
After completing the LDIT Program, you will have gained a deeper understanding of core competencies that explore how to:
- Envision, design, and deliver learning experiences
- Determine the aims, specifications, and scope of design work
- Create, evaluate, and improve learning designs and multimedia materials
- Initiate and manage successful design projects and lead collaborative teamwork
Curriculum Information
The LDIT Program is designed to help you gain the knowledge and practice the skills essential to designing and implementing learning experiences. A minimum of 42 credits are required to graduate with an Ed.M. degree from HGSE.
The main elements of the 2022–23 academic year curriculum are:
- The Foundation courses (14 credits) — How People Learn, Leading Change, Evidence, and Equity and Opportunity — in which students gain core skills central to the profession of education.
- This program commences with How People Learn, an immersive online course that runs June–July and requires a time commitment of 10-15 hours per week.
- You will continue Foundations with Leading Change, Evidence, and Equity and Opportunity on campus in August.
- Your Equity and Opportunity Foundations experience culminates in an elected course, which will take place during terms when electives are available.
To fulfill the program requirement, you must take a minimum of 12 credits specific to LDIT, including the following:
- The LDIT Program Core Experience (2 credits each semester), in this yearlong curriculum, you will explore how to design learning across a wide variety of settings, from classrooms to conferences and online networks, in architecture, media, and emerging technologies. You will engage with outstanding design practitioners who are using design theory and strategies to make learning more appealing and more successful in a wide variety of settings. Across these different domains, faculty will highlight competencies that are critical tools for learning designers.
- LDIT-related course work (8 credits), you may choose from more than 30 courses taught by LDIT faculty members. Topics include deeper learning, innovation by design, learning through arts, entrepreneurship in education, learning analytics, universal design, creativity and curiosity, and many more.
- The remaining credits are taken via elective coursework, which includes the opportunity to specialize in a Concentration and to cross-register for complementary courses in other Harvard schools and at MIT.
Explore our course catalog.
Note, all information and courses are subject to change.
Program Faculty
Students will work closely with faculty associated with their area of study, but students can also work with and take courses with faculty throughout HGSE and Harvard. The faculty co-chairs for LDIT are Joe Blatt and Jal Mehta. View our faculty directory for a full list of HGSE faculty.
Career Pathways
The LDIT Program prepares you for a variety of career pathways, including:
- Instructional designer
- Learning technologist
- Learning media producer
- Curriculum designer
- Product manager
- Digital-learning designer
- User-experience designer
- Museum educator
- Project manager
- Learning-assessment developer
- Professional and workplace learning manager
Outcomes
From curriculum design to instructional approaches to classroom structure, design thinking has had a transformative impact on education. Our Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology Program grounds you in the science of learning, principles of successful innovation, and effective ways to incorporate media and technology into your education practice. Here are examples of the LDIT experience and the impact its community is making on the field:
HGSE Honors Master's Students with Intellectual Contribution Award
HGSE Honors Master's Students with Intellectual Contribution Award
The recognition is given to 10 graduating Ed.M. students (two from each residential Ed.M. program) whose dedication to scholarship enhanced HGSE’s academic community and positively affected fellow students
The Ninja Next Door
The Ninja Next Door
Recent grad masters Hornet’s Nest and Eyeglass Alley on his way to finals of "American Ninja Warrior"
Cohort and Community
Though LDIT, you will join a remarkable cohort of passionate educators and creative thinkers who represent diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experience levels. Guest speakers, alumni networking, student-organized initiatives, and social events all contribute to the creation of a cohesive and supportive peer group. The LDIT community also is part of the larger HGSE family — preparing you and your cohort members for the opportunity to change the world through your impact on excellence and equity in education.
Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.
Admissions Information
Learn more about: Upcoming Admission Events | Application Requirements | Tuition and Financial Aid | Recorded Webinars | Brochure Download | FAQs
Connect with Admissions
If you have additional admissions-related questions, please contact Meg Anderson.
Additional LDIT Resources
- Distinctive Features
(1:04) - Curriculum (0:42)
- Career Outcomes (2:07)
- Ideal Candidates (0:58)
Connect with Program Staff
If you have remaining program-specific questions, please contact LDIT Assistant Director Rilda Kissel.