College of Science

School of Computing and Design

Instructional Science and Technology M.S.

Masters Programs

The Master's Program welcomes a new cohort each semester (spring and fall). This program is offered through a fully online or a blended modality and is aimed at teachers, trainers, instructional designers or anyone interested in creating educational or training materials.

The program's curriculum is designed in a way that both novices to the world of instructional design, and its respective software and skills, and seasoned Instructional Designers can benefit from our program. In short, no specific student background is necessarily expected, but an interest in training, teaching, educational technology, web design and development, alongside audio and visual production is of great help in ultimately succeeding in our program.

Blended Program

The MIST Blended Program is a 4 semester, 16 month long graduate program that emphasizes the use of instructional technology in a variety of learning and training environments.

For the blended modality five weekend face-to-face seminars in total are required at CSU Monterey Bay during the 16-months of study.

One of the great benefits of the Blended Program is the ability to come to campus and use the technology housed in the School of Computing and Design classrooms, which include: touchscreen boards, high-end computer and gaming design labs, 3D printers, and a multitude of mobile teaching and learning devices. During this time on campus, students meet with their faculty, program staff, and fellow students to learn about their upcoming coursework, meet with industry professionals, and further plan their individual Capstone project with their faculty mentor.

Blended Admissions

Fully Online Program

The Fully Online Program is completed entirely online with orientation sessions taking place via Zoom. The Fully Online Program allows students who live further from campus to attend the program virtually without having to step foot on campus.

Online Admissions

Program Information

The Masters Program requires 5 weekends either on campus or via Zoom that occur near the following timeframes:

  • End of August: required three day orientation.
  • End of January: required two day orientation.
  • End of May: required one day orientation, dependent on course schedule.
  • End of August: required one day orientation.
  • End of January: Requires a half day on campus or attendance via zoom to present one's Capstone Project.

  • Students will complete all of the following core courses:

    • IST 522
    • IST 524
    • IST 520
    • IST 526
    • IST 622
    • IST 626
    • IST 699

    And complete at least four (4) units from the following courses:

    • IST 530
    • IST 531
    • IST 541
    • IST 595
    • IST 695

    More information about these courses can be found in the CSUMB Catalog.

    *Students develop their capstone each semester, starting with a conceptual idea in the first semester, grounding it in learning theory and developing a prototype in the spring. Followed by beta-testing the module or learning-based site during the summer, and ultimately finalizing it for use in the final fall semester.

    During semester one, students develop a common understanding of the field and familiarity with instructional design processes.

    During semester two, students use learning theories and instructional design principles to construct a functioning learning unit.

    During semester three, students develop and conduct appropriate usability, reliability, and efficiency tests of learning modules.

    During Semester four, students finish a Capstone project or thesis that connects with one's career as a culminating experience.

    Throughout the program, students use a wide range interactive multimedia software, information technology, and media through team-based projects and individual work. In short, each semester builds upon the last, both in terms of theoretical knowledge and in practical technological skills. In this way, students can develop a career-ready background in a short timeframe.

    The program can be completed in both a full-time and part-time manner. Full-time students take 3-4 classes per semester, while part-time students take 1 to 2 classes per semester. Students can transition between full-time and part-time status as needed to better fit the program around their career and personal lives.

    Note for Spring Cohort:

    Spring 2024 is the first time we will be offering seats in our program outside of a Fall start date. As such, students who apply to this pathway will need to take a minimum of five semesters to complete the program.

  • The MIST Capstone project can take two primary forms, picking between a traditional graduate level research thesis or a project-based capstone focused on developing a course, module, or other form of training that typically takes one hour to complete.

    Research Project:

    The graduate thesis pathway generally looks at creating original research that focuses on testing a training/learning solution or solving an instructional problem. Students who pursue this pathway write a traditional thesis using either a quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods study and most commonly use this project as a writing sample for doctorate programs.

    Project-Based Capstone:

    The project-based capstone pathway allows students to create a fully-functioning module or course that can be used in a real-world training or learning environment. These projects tend to be informed by a student's place of work or can be completed with clients in order to provide a student a strong portfolio item to use in a future job search.