Courses for instructional designers have experienced a boom in the past few years, triggering a plethora of educational programs: on campus and online, Master’s, graduate certificates, and more. Whatever your goals, be it upskilling or merely obtaining relevant credentials, you are sure to delve into the theory and practice of instruction adjusted to the Web 3.0 reality, and modern teaching techniques. There are dozens of schools in the US providing web-based Instructional Design (ID) Certification, which helps you get on the right track in the development of engaging e-Learning courses and curriculums. Specific ID programs may vary by duration, cost, number of credits required (usually between 10 and 18), etc. Most programs give you certain flexibility, so you can absorb material at your own pace. After all, it’s e-Learning about e-Learning, so you can’t go wrong!
For your convenience, I’ve compiled a table of the 31 most promising ID certificate programs. Check out the details below.
Organization | Course name | Credits | Total cost and duration |
---|---|---|---|
Best choice:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Online (Coursera) |
e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age | Upon request | $29
4 weeks, 12 hours per week |
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia |
E-Learning Graduate Certificate | 15 | Upon request |
UCI Division of Continuing Education Irvine, California |
E-Learning Instructional Design | 15 | Upon request |
Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Learning Design and Technology Certificate | 16 | $10,200 1.5 years |
University of Washington Seattle, Washington |
E-Learning design & development | Upon request | $4,310 6–8 months |
University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota |
Instructional Design Certificate Online | 12 | Upon request |
University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, Massachusetts |
Instructional Technology Design | 15 | Upon request |
Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon |
E-Learning Instructional Design and Development | 18 | $1,755 Six weeks |
University of Georgia Athens, Georgia |
Graduate Certificate eLearning Design | 15 | $11,000 12 months |
Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts |
Graduate Certificate in eLearning and Instructional Design | 16 | Upon request |
Saint Leo University Saint Leo, Florida |
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design | 15 | Upon request |
University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona |
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology | 15 | Upon request |
University of California Oakland, California |
Teaching Online Certificate | 13 | $1,705 1–2 months |
UHM College of Education Honolulu, Hawaii |
GCERT Learning Design and Technology: Online Learning and Teaching | 15 | 12 months, price upon request |
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina | ITS/TF Certificate Program | 18 | Upon request |
La Salle University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Instructional Technology Management | 18 | Upon request |
Boise State University Boise, Idaho |
Workplace Instructional Design | 18 | $8,100, duration upon request |
Colorado State University-Global Campus Greenwood Village, Colorado |
K-12 education technology and instructional design | 12 | Upon request |
Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida |
Online Instructional Development | 15 | Upon request |
The George Washington University Washington, D.C. |
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design | Upon request | Upon request |
Graduate School of Education and Human Development Washington, D.C. |
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design | 18 | Upon request |
Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana |
Instructional Systems Technology | 15 | Upon request |
University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin |
Online Instructional Design Graduate Certificate | Upon request | $1,305 per course 8 months |
Walden University Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology | 12 | $7,940, duration upon request |
Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia |
Instructional Design and Technology | 12 | Upon request |
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania |
eLearning Developer Certificate | 12 | Upon request |
Association for Talent Development Alexandria, Virginia |
E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate | Upon request | $1,480, duration upon request |
American Military University Charles Town, West Virginia |
Instructional Design and Delivery | 18 | $4,860 1 year |
Drexel University Online Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design | 27 | $24,138 4 months |
Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania |
Certification for Instructional Design and Technology Specialists | Upon request | Upon request |
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brownsville, Edinburg, Harlingen, McAllen, Rio Grande City, South Padre Island, Texas |
E-Learning Graduate Certificate | 15 | $8,841 in total 12 months |
As you can see, there is no shortage of web-based ID programs, so how can you make the right choice? Here is a piece of advice below.
Make up your mind: Online graduate certificate or a Master’s
Before you actually go for an ID certificate, it makes sense to weigh the pros and cons of this option against the Master’s degree. In most cases, your online program credits can be transferred to the Master’s, so there is no big risk in starting with the more flexible option. Some schools even leverage e-Learning certification programs as a promotional factor with a view of ‘upselling’ the remaining credits. Needless to say, distance learning technology courses are dramatically cheaper and they give you a taste – or even a sufficient abstract – of the complete degree course. If you like how it’s going, feel free to proceed to the Master’s.
Practice reveals that in most cases ID course attendees seek a deeper understanding of the subject and specific guidelines rather than certification as an end in itself. Given the overall positive feedback on the quality of existing web-based ID programs, instructors are happy to rely on another source of knowledge. If this also helps you get a more fulfilling job, so much the better!
Apparently, a Master’s is more of a ‘brand’; it’s something you can throw into a grant application, a brief resume or a proposal degree and expect to reap more benefits. Many experts believe a Master’s degree unlocks superior career opportunities for instructional designers, especially in academia. Somehow, business is deemed to be more pragmatic on the issue, discarding formal paid studies as optional and giving more weight to tangible skills and experience.
Define your goals and inclinations
Online programs are all different – some of them teach you how to deliver courses in secondary education, some target college education, others have a research slant, still others focus on creating nice-looking and logical courses. Alternative parameters may include business/corporate vs academic, process management vs authoring, etc. Figure out your type of instructional design degree and find the right balance between theory and practice. Administrators, e-Learning strategists, subject matter experts, college teachers – all instructors can discover the program of their dreams with a little digging and asking.
Discern what ID methodology the program builds on
A crucial factor in studying instructional design is the theory behind it. Is this a brick-and-mortar content-driven way of building courses, or an e-Learning 4.0 concept that provides valuable insights into the future? Does this particular design methodology factor in performance and personal pattern assessment, and does it keep the student in mind? Go through the list of courses above and try to figure this out for yourself. Sometimes you can read in between the lines, and sometimes it pays off to ask direct questions or review the faculty’s experience and footprint on the web. After all, these guys must’ve made some courses themselves. Be curious, but don’t get carried away with minor details.
Check out their cloud/software infrastructure
A seemingly irrelevant point, the tech organization of the process may turn into a pitfall once you get started. Does your college provide the necessary infrastructure and software (if necessary), how can you share feedback and interact with the instructor, and how can you evaluate your personal progress? Get these issues straight before jumping on board.
Last but not least: consider the bang for the buck
Program cost might not always be a determining factor, but it does influence your decision-making. Is the quote you were provided all-inclusive? Are there any extra fees associated with the program? Software plugins, books, extra materials that you’d need to acquire on your own? Define your budget and sign up for the best value program.
In conclusion
In my opinion, neither employers nor fellow trainers will judge you by your grades or certificates in e-Learning design and development. It’s the experience, attitude and portfolio that matter. Make sure you read prominent alumni reviews, follow their trajectories, and see if they are more or less on the same scale as your personal roadmap. Is the knowledge obtained from your ID program applicable in the real world? That’s the pivotal question, and the answer is up to you.
Update! I’d like to thank Christy Tucker for pointing out an honest mistake I first made in the posting. I had the impression that most schools didn’t actually label the degree in question as ‘Master’s in instructional design’ or the like. As a matter of fact, they do. You can often come across ‘Master of Science in Instructional Technology’ or ‘Master of Education in Instructional Design’.
Survey
Many thanks! Stay tuned for more e-Learning content!
ADT would be the best choice for me. I already have my Masters degree and I’ve been building and running online courses since 2005. But as I try to break in to a career in Instructional Design, I’m up against others with a printed certificate and I don’t have one.
My question is, do you think the ATD e-learning certificate is recognized as a professional certificate equal to those obtained through accredited colleges?
Thank you in advance for your advice.
Vallarie, in my opinion, ATD is doing the right thing. From what I heard, their courses leverage the best practices in Instructional Design, including Michael Allen’s work. Plus, it’s a quick and cost-efficient way to earn an e-Learning certificate. When it comes to recognition, I have mixed feeling about this. I’ve seen people frown upon ATD and give priority to college certificate holders. On the other hand, I’ve also seen fair assessment of candidates’ skills regardless of credentials. If you are pursuing a specific position, make sure to learn about their preferences/policies in advance. Market-wise, nothing is written in stone.
I am new to discovering the career choice of ID. I have my my Master’s in Elementary Education, and have experience in instructor led applications training. I am in my 40s and so I don’t want 4 years of college again. What would be recommended ? I would like to design instruction for either the education setting or maybe non-profit sector? Not sure about the corporate setting?
I have a JD and a Master’s in Teaching in Elementary and a Middle School Endorsement in the Language Arts. I would like to do Instructional Design for the corporate world?
How do you recommend I go about doing that?
Great Post! I really appreciate your blog. You share useful content regarding instructional design process Keep up the good work!