Forum Discussion
Instructional Design Master's or Graduate Certificate Programs
Hi everyone!
People reach out to me all the time asking which Master's or graduate degree programs they should enroll in to become an instructional designer. With so many programs out there—and ma...
I totally agree with what Carissa and Chantel have said about the OPWL program at Boise State. I'd like to add to their points that there are different graduate learning options depending on your goals and background. Since I already have a master's degree in another field and have years of experience creating instructional materials in an educational setting, I decided to pursue their graduate certificate in instructional design. Of all the programs I looked at, this seemed the most efficient and practical way to develop skills in areas such as storyboarding, scenario-based e-learning, and using authoring programs like Articulate. I love how the courses provide a lot of practical experience combined with theory on best practices. For example, the course that covered Articulate Rise and Storyline provided a lot of opportunity to delve into multimedia principles, accessibility, and forward-thinking topics like exploring how we can make e-learning more immersive through audio.
One more thing that really stands out about this program is how much they care about their students. I applied to one local program as well, and this other institution couldn't answer questions about when the classes I needed to take would be offered. On the other hand, Boise State sent me a full schedule to consider the timeframe in which I could complete the degree. Similarly, there is a great focus on helping students in their career searches by developing their portfolios.
It's been a great experience in Boise State's OPWL program.
I gotta say it sounds like BOISE STATE has really UP'd their game! In 2009 I thought I was going after their MS in IT & PT. I took Foundational Instructional Technology and Performance Technology.
I kid you not. It was a Lotus Notes Discussion board. You got a .swf of the lesson to watch, and then were expected to perform an activity/exercise based on it. It felt really detached from itself. I felt no sense of community. Just "watch-this, do-this, review-these-3-peoples' work", one week at a time. (eg. Here's Learning Objectives. And here's how you do it with the ABCD method. Now YOU write 3 learning objectives based on ABCD method. And NEXT!)
I wound up doing a blended M.Ed program at Penn State (at the Great Valley Graduate School). And I think I turned out. Ok. :)
Although I've started looking around at post-Masters educational opportunities. Like, if I have a MEd in Instructional Systems Design, and the non-profit that employed me nuked their entire learning department, what's the NEXT thing to do? Are Graduate Certificates worth it? Or are those for Bachelor degree people who don't want to do a whole Grad school stint?
