Graduate Credit

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Graduate Credit

Program Contact

Sarah Pillittere
Associate Director, Operations and Professional Development
585-475-4744
sarah.pillittere@rit.edu

Graduate Registration Form

RIT offers graduate credit for select courses exclusively for teachers who attend PLTW Core Training. 

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Earn Graduate Credit

3 credit hours per course

This credit is available to teachers who attend Core Training at any of PLTW’s Training Hubs. Teachers are eligible to apply for graduate credit up to one year after completing the course.

Why pursue RIT graduate credit?

Use towards a Masters in Professional Studies

Credit can be applied to this personalized master’s degree that allows you to pursue two to three strategic areas of study.

Learn more about the Professional Studies masters degree

Meet your professional development goals

Whether you’re ready to take the next step in your career, need new skills to keep up with advances in your field, or you’re making a career shift, graduate credit from RIT can help you get there.

Credit is transferable

Your graduate credit can be used at RIT or transferred to other universities.

89% Savings

Off the RIT's graduate credit tuition cost

Graduate credit is offered at a discounted rate of $700 per course for PLTW teachers.
PLTW Graduate credit is offered at a fraction of the cost – $700 for 3 credits compared to the 2023-2024 rate of $2,370 cost per credit hour for traditional graduate students.

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Eligible Courses and Credit Requirements

Teachers who attend the following PLTW Core Training classes at any of PLTW’s Training Hubs (both in-person or online) are eligible to apply for graduate credit. Teachers are eligible to apply for graduate credit up to one year after completing the course. Contact us for a listing of course descriptions.

In order to receive RIT graduate credit, you must submit the following completed items when you register for credit:

  1. Core Training Certificate of Completion
    The certificate is confirmation of when you completed Core Training and is used to establish your eligibility to receive graduate credit. The certificate holds no grade and thus does not a factor in your final grade. If you have not completed PLTW Core Training for your course, you are not eligible to register for graduate credit.

    Email us your certificate or mail it in with your registration form and payment.

  2. Final Exam – 70% of your final grade
    The final exam is 2 parts, including multiple choice and constructive response questions. The exam is administered at a time determined by RIT.

  3. Project – 30% of your final grade
    Project assignments vary by course. Select your course below to view the assignment and to find contact information if you have questions regarding your exam or project.

Project Assignments and Contact Person by Course

Project: Instructional Material Development, 30% of your final grade:

The topic for 2024-25 is Reverse Engineering and how it is used in industry to create new product designs.

Activity/Project/Problem (APB) (20%)

  • Develop a UNIQUE APB to show students how Reverse Engineering is used in industry to create new product designs. No current or past PLTW materials may be used for the APB.
  • A document, (Word) or presentation (PPT) that fully describes how the APB can be used for delivery. The timeframe for the APB should encompass two, 40-min class periods. NOTE: this APB should reflect the application of the lesson in the PLTW curriculum. In other words, the lesson has been taught, now it is your task to come up with an APB.
  • Your APB must include answer key(s) and grading rubric(s)

Linkage to Industry (10%)

  • Research and identify a current product begin manufactured that you think a high school student would find appealing/interesting. Using that information, create a lesson preface that ties the APB to the industry.
  • A minimum of one page typed, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt.
  • Include all references in MLA format. Credible resources must be used, NO Wikipedia.

The development of this material should be completed outside of the scheduled training

Questions regarding the exam and project should be directed to:
Jen Kluczynski
jkluczynski@williamsvillek12.org

Project: Instructional Material Development, 30% of your final grade:

You must take an existing activity, project or problem, (APB) from the PLTW curriculum and develop a new APB that meets the same educational objectives. The pre-approved APB list is below:

The pre-Approved list for POE Instructional Material Development is as follows:

  • Lesson 1.3 – Energy Applications
    • Thermodynamics
  • Lesson 2.1 – Statics
    • Right Triangle Math
    • Vector Calculations
  • Lesson 3.1 – Machine Control
    • Using variables in RobotC
    • Void Statements
  • Lesson 3.2 – Fluid Power
    • Gas Laws
  • Lesson 4.1 – Statistical Data Collection

For the APB that you select, you must develop the following items

  • Instructional Resources (75%)
    • A document (Word) and associated presentation (PPT) that fully describes the APB.
    • Complete solution set and grading rubric(s). The solution set should contain (where appropriate) design work, sketches, formal drawings, schematics, flowcharts, source code listings, experimental data results, photographs, etc.
    • Description and delivery guidelines for the APB and associated presentation that could be included in the ‘Teacher’s Notes’ section of the curriculum.
  • Assessment (25%)
    • An assessment (quiz) that could be used to measure the understanding of the educational objectives that this APB was designed to deliver. This assessment must contain a minimum of (5) selective responses and (5) constructive response questions that cover the entire APB.

All material developed must be in the same format and quality as the current PLTW curriculum materials.

Questions regarding the exam and project should be directed to:
Jen Kluczynski
jkluczynski@williamsvillek12.org

Project: Term Paper, 30% of your final grade:

Write a 10-page paper on one of the topics listed below or on a topic you select related to the Digital Electronics curriculum that is approved by the graduate credit coordinator.

Pre-Approved list for DE Instructional Material Development is as follows:

  • Embedded Systems in Automobiles
  • Internet of Things (IOT)
  • History and Evolution of Logic Families
  • Systems on a Chip
  • Printable RFID Circuits
  • Surface Mount Technology
  • Zigbee Networks

The term paper must be in the format of APA-6 (Times New Roman – 12 pt. double spaced.) The development of the term paper should be completed outside of the scheduled training.

Questions regarding the exam and term paper should be directed to:
George Zion
585-475-6106
george.zion@rit.edu

Project: Instructional Material Development, 30% of your final grade:

The project for 2024 is to create a UNIQUE activity, project, or problem (APB) that will include all instructional materials, exemplars, and career linkage that builds upon an existing CEA topic that will engage CEA students and deepen their understanding of the topic. Your APB and career linkage will be formulated using your selected topic and will need to be approved by the grad credit coordinator (Jason Urbanek, urbanekjd@gmail.com) before you create the materials.

  • Activity/Project/Problem (APB) (20%) Develop a UNIQUE APB to deepen student understanding of your selected topic and how your topic relates to careers in the fields of civil engineering and/or architecture. No current or past PLTW materials may be used for the APB.
    • Create a document, (Word) or presentation (PPT) that fully describes how the APB can be used for delivery. The timeframe for the APB should encompass no less than two, 40-min class periods. NOTE: This APB should reflect the application of the lesson in the PLTW curriculum. In other words, the lesson has been taught, now it is your task to come up with an APB.
    • Your APB must include answer key(s) and grading rubric(s).
  • Career Linkage (10%) Research and identify current career(s) in the area of civil engineering and/or architecture that you think a high school student would find appealing/interesting related to your project. Using that information, create a lesson preface that ties the APB to the industry.
    • A minimum of one page typed, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt.
    • Include all references in MLA format. Credible resources must be used, NO Wikipedia. The development of this material should be completed outside of the scheduled training.

Questions regarding the exam and term paper should be directed to:
Jason Urbanek
JUrbanek@ClarenceSchools.org

Project: Instructional Material Development, 30% of your final grade:

You must take an existing activity, project, or problem, (APB) from the PLTW curriculum and develop a new APB that meets the same educational objectives. This new APB could be used to supplement, replace or expand upon the existing one. The APB will be selected from the pre-approved list below.

Pre-Approved list for CIM Instructional Material Development is as follows:

  • Lesson 1.2 – Control Systems
  • Lesson 1.3 – The Cost of Manufacturing
  • Lesson 2.2 – How We Make Things
  • Lesson 2.3 – Product Development
  • Lesson 3.1 – Introduction to Automation
  • Lesson 3.2 – Elements of Power
  • Lesson 3.3 – Robotic Programming and Usage
  • Lesson 4.2 – Integration of Manufacturing

For the APB that you select, you must develop the following items, 40 points total

  • Instructional Materials
    • APB Word document (8 pts): As would be provided to the students completing the project.
    • Lesson PowerPoint presentation, (8 pts): As would be delivered to students.
    • Complete exemplar solution set (4 pts): To include appropriate design work, sketches, formal drawings, schematics, flowcharts, source code listings, experimental data results, photographs.
    • Grading Rubric (4 pts)
    • Assessment (Quiz) (4 pts): To be used to measure the understanding of the educational objectives that this APP was designed to deliver. This assessment must containing a minimum of (5) selective response and (5) constructive response questions that cover the entire APP.
  • Supporting Resources
    • Video Description (8 pts): A YouTube quality video describing the delivery of this APP. This should be a voice-over description of the documents, procedure, software (as needed), and activity. Describe where the APB fits in the course, how you would deliver the information, and how you would evaluate it. Highlight the appropriate documents as you do so.
    • Teacher Notes (4 pts): Description and delivery guidelines for the APB and associated presentation that would be suitable to include in the Teacher’s Notes section of the curriculum All material developed must be in the same format and quality of the current PLTW curriculum materials. The development of this material should be completed outside of the scheduled training.

Questions regarding the exam and project should be directed to:
Scott Banister
Pittsford Mendon High School
472 Mendon Road
Pittsford, NY 14534
585-267-3662
Scott_banister@pittsford.monroe.edu

Project: Original Project or Problem Development, 30% of your final grade:

Develop an original project or problem for the Design and Modeling and/or Automation and Robotics courses that utilizes the design process and reinforces the content in the course(s). The project or problem must incorporate the following material:

  • All design requirements/problem statement
  • Rubric
  • Deliverables
  • Any additional material needed by students
  • Must utilize the design process

You may create a project/problem that utilizes both Automation and Robotics and Design and Modeling.

Questions regarding the exam and project should be directed to:
Steve Thering
steve_thering@pittsford.monroe.edu

Letter Grade Conversion

RIT Letter Grade Course Final Grade
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59

Register for Credit

To register for course credit, you must:

  • Submit the Graduate Registration Form via mail.
  • Send payment and a copy of your PLTW Core Training Certificate of Completion to RIT.

Payment

The $700 per course tuition must be paid for by a check made payable to RIT.

Mail your payment, registration form, and training certificate copy to:
Sarah Pillittere
Rochester Institute of Technology
137 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623

Additional Information

  • If you are planning to use these credits towards your state teaching certification requirements, please ensure that the credits will qualify prior to registering. Once they are awarded credit cannot be refunded.
  • Only the PLTW courses are offered at the $700 per course tuition. Any other RIT courses needed for the degree are charged at the current RIT graduate rate.
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