Flexible, Interdisciplinary Degree Path
MEITE is a 36-credit hour program that can be completed in one year of full-time study or over two to three years on a part-time schedule. Its interdisciplinary curriculum weaves together learning sciences, educational technology, design, and entrepreneurship — giving students the tools to create meaningful, scalable change.
The program’s flexible coursework allows students to customize their learning experience based on personal interests and professional goals. Through elective offerings from schools across UNC-Chapel Hill — including business, media and journalism, computer science, and information science — students build a broad, cross-disciplinary foundation to support their future careers.
Concentrations Aligned with Your Career Goals
All MEITE students begin the program by completing four core courses that provide a strong foundation in educational innovation, design thinking, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurial strategy. After completing the core, students select one of four specialized concentrations that allow them to tailor their academic journey to their intended career path. Each concentration culminates in a distinct final project and offers a focused area of study within the broader context of educational innovation and technology:
The Edupreneur
Launch ventures that address real-world challenges in education. Explore business models, market analysis, and product development through a hands-on innovation project.
The Innovative Specialist
Design impactful asynchronous learning experiences using instructional frameworks, with a focus on curriculum development, learning theory, and emerging technologies.
The Learning Engineer
Combine adaptive learning, data analysis, and instructional design to develop personalized digital learning environments that support targeted outcomes.
The Adaptive Learning Analyst
Analyze trends in educational innovation through industry reports and market research. Create strategic recommendations to support organizational growth.
These concentrations give students a chance to deepen their expertise while applying their learning in meaningful, practice-based ways — all while working closely with faculty mentors and industry professionals.
Real-World Experience and Mentorship
Internships and applied learning are central to the MEITE experience. Each student works closely with the Program Director to secure a placement aligned with their career goals, often at one of the many innovative organizations located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. These internships typically last two semesters and give students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned, deepen their skill sets, and build lasting professional connections.
Throughout the program, students also engage closely with faculty mentors, local entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who help guide their academic and professional development.
A Community of Innovators
MEITE attracts a diverse community of learners — from classroom teachers and nonprofit professionals to technologists and museum educators — who are united by a shared goal: to rethink what education can be. Students bring their unique backgrounds into a collaborative, forward-thinking cohort that values curiosity, inclusion, and impact.
Career Pathways
Graduates of the MEITE program are prepared to design and evaluate high-impact tools, programs, and strategies that drive social good and expand opportunity. Alumni go on to lead in a wide range of environments, including edtech startups, innovation labs, business accelerators, digital marketing firms, corporate training departments, and more. With expertise in both theory and practice, they bring thoughtful, technology-informed solutions to the complex challenges facing today’s educational systems.
A Program Built on Possibility
At its core, MEITE is about what’s possible. It’s about leveraging technology, design thinking, and educational research not just to improve systems — but to reimagine them entirely.