MA Students
Master's Program
The Organization, Information and Learning Sciences (OILS) Program offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree that gives students the opportunity to combine aspects of adult learning, organizational learning and development, learning sciences and instructional technologies including multimedia design and distance learning. This includes principles of knowledge and data management, and the design, development and evaluation of training.
Admission Requirements/Prerequisites
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university of college
- At least a 3.0 GPA in the last (60) hours of undergraduate course work
Career Possibilities
All OILS students can expect to develop a diverse skill set that will help them hit the ground running when they enter the workforce because all OILS courses require students to apply their learning in real world contexts. OILS graduates work in a diverse number of settings from nonprofit organizations to Fortune 500 companies.
Not only do OILS graduates have the flexibility to choose where they work, but they also enjoy diverse and rewarding employment options which include:
Adult Learning - Organizational Development - Instructional Design & Technology - Project Management - eLearning - Training & Development - Data Management
Examples of Positions for MA Graduates
- City of Albuquerque, Water Utilities Department - Training Specialist
- CNM (Central New Mexico Community College) - Instructor
- Intel - Information Systems Business Manager
- Lovelace Sandia Health System - Marketing Coordinator
- Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) - Research Associate
- Northrop Grumman - Senior Instructional Designer
- Rio Rancho Public Schools - Middle School Teacher
- Thompson Elite (software company) - Application Analyst
- And many, many more!
Program of Study
The OILS Master's degree provides students the option to take courses in Organizational Development and Human Resource Development, Instructional Design and Learning Officer concentrations. Students may choose to focus on a particular area, or mix and match courses from all areas to create a personalized program of study. Students will also have two paths to choose from to complete their degree. Students can choose to complete the program with a thesis paper or by completing the required course work.
---Master's Thesis--- 36 Credit Hours
This option allows the student to plan, conduct, and report on original research conducted to address a research problem in a related area of study in the OILS program. This option is preferred for students who intend on pursuing a PhD. The student's advisor will identify a feasible project for the student choosing the thesis option, typically that is related to the advisor's work. Or, the student may identify a to replicate, and if the faculty advisor agrees that it is feasible to replicate.
---Coursework--- 30 Credit Hours
Students who prefer this option will have to complete 15 credit hours of core class work, and they will need to complete 15 credit hours in their area of concentration. Please refer to our OILS Concentrations for information about the different concentrations we offer. The coursework option is not recommended for students who intend on pursuing a PhD because it does not provide students with the opportunities needed to gain experience for conducting research.
