The Professional Certificate in Instructional Design (PIND) graduate professional certificate provides a strong foundation in instructional design as well as the tools and perspective needed for flexible career paths and continuing professional development in the fast-evolving field. It prepares students to become generalist instructional designers equipped to work in a variety of industries and professional settings, including education and business environments.
Rather than focusing on a narrower area of specialization within the field, such as learning technologies, PIND delivers a breadth of foundational knowledge and skills in different areas. It prepares instructional designers to work with technical specialists as well as subject matter experts and also empowers them to develop more specialized interests as they grow in their profession.
Curriculum
The 18-credit hour certificate includes courses offered in 8-week sessions in a fully online format with evening synchronous meetings. Upon completing the certificate, students can apply for admission into the MPS in Instructional Design program, where their six graduate-level PIND certificate courses will count toward that graduate degree’s requirements.
Certificate Requirements
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| CIEP 470 | Principles of Instructional Design | 3 |
| INDN 420 | Instructional Design Theories and Models | 3 |
| INDN 421 | Design & Development of Instructional Materials | 3 |
| CIEP 488 | Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Schools and Communities | 3 |
| INDN 440 | Applications of Human Centered Design Principles | 3 |
| INDN 430 | Performance Improvement in Organizations | 3 |
| or INDN 431 | Fundamentals of Learning Analytics |
| Total Hours | 18 |
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
Plan of Study Grid
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| CIEP 470 |
Principles of Instructional Design |
3 |
| INDN 420 |
Instructional Design Theories and Models |
3 |
| INDN 440 |
Applications of Human Centered Design Principles |
3 |
| | Hours | 9 |
| Spring |
|---|
| INDN 421 |
Design & Development of Instructional Materials |
3 |
INDN 430
|
Performance Improvement in Organizations
or Fundamentals of Learning Analytics |
3 |
| | Hours | 6 |
| Summer |
|---|
| CIEP 488 |
Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Schools and Communities |
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| | Total Hours | 18 |
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the MPS in Instructional Design candidates will be able to:
- Utilize instructional design processes and adapt appropriate theoretical approaches to a variety of professional settings (K-12 schools, corporate organizations, higher education institutions, etc). while designing and creating effective and innovative learning experiences.
- Employ a variety of technologies and multimedia authoring tools to produce instructional materials.
- Apply culturally responsive and ethical practices while establishing collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders (e.g., administrators, faculty, students, technologists, project managers, public) and building a network of industry colleagues.
- Conduct research to inform practice and stay abreast of emerging trends in the field of instructional design to make recommendations about instructional practices in an organization.
