Instructional Designers

High School

Recommended high school classes include English, speech, psychology, digital design, computer science, and foreign language. Since instructional designers create courses and educational materials about a variety of subjects, it’s a good idea to take a wide range of classes including those in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and social studies.

Postsecondary Education

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required to enter this career, although some employers (especially colleges and universities) require a master’s degree. Most instructional designers employed by postsecondary institutions have master’s degrees, and some have doctoral degrees, according to a survey of instructional designers by Intentional Futures.

Instructional designers typically have degrees in instructional design and technology, educational technology, education, distance education, or educational administration, but some have degrees in science, business, educational psychology, history, communications, and information technology.

Typical classes in an instructional design and technology program include Principles of Instructional Design; Foundations of Instructional Technology; Instructional Development for Business and Training; Integration of the Internet and Multimedia in Education and Training; Graphics Applications in Education and Training; Interactive Multimedia Development; Instructional Web Development; and Advanced Web-Based Instruction.

Certification

Some colleges and universities offer certificates in instructional design and related areas. For example, Western Illinois University offers the following certificates that will be of use to instructional designers: Educational Technology Specialist, Instructional Media Development, Online and Distance Learning Development, Technology Integration in Education, and Workplace Learning and Performance. The Association for Talent Development also provides useful certificates, including Instructional Design, Microlearning, Designing Virtual Training, E-Learning Instructional Design, and Certified Professional in Talent Development. Contact the association for more information.

Other Education or Training

Many professional organizations provide continuing education webinars and in-person classes to instructional designers to help them stay abreast of changing technology and new teaching strategies. For example, The Learning Guild (formerly The eLearning Guild) offers courses such as Learner Personas: The Human in the Experience, Generative AI in L&D: Current State and Future Needs, Designing for Devices: Good Solutions & Good Practices, Microlearning 2024: Current State and Future Implications, and Chatbots for Learning. Professional development opportunities are also provided by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, EDUCAUSE, Association for Talent Development, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, Instructional Technology Council, and Learning Forward.