ATD Master Instructional Designer® Program

At the end of this advanced instructional design certificate program, you will be able to:

• Use instructional design models to develop learning solutions that change behavior and improve performance.

• Assess factors that will shape your design.

• Use research and evidence-based practices to make key design decisions.

• Write measurable learning objectives that describe desired results.

• Use a collaborative approach with stakeholders and subject matter experts for curating, creating and reviewing content.

• Design learning solutions that leverage adult learning theories, incorporate brain science, and address the needs of the learners and the organization.

• Use various modalities such as formal classroom training, virtual classroom training, blended learning, online learning, and informal approaches.

• Make decisions to reach learning outcomes across all modalities.

• Use storyboards, prototypes, visual representations, and design thinking approaches to illustrate your designs early in the design process to key stakeholders.

• Manage training course production and quality assurance.

• Create a plan to assess effectiveness for the course launch.

• Identify appropriate evaluation techniques to effectively connect and communicate the business impact of your learning solutions.

• Develop and demonstrate mastery of instructional design through a multi-part real-world project, including individualized feedback and analysis.

• Gain access to tools, resources, and templates to use on the job.

• Receive personalized feedback from your facilitator and peers.

• Earn the industry-recognized ATD Master Instructional Designer designation and digital badge.

• Accelerate your pathway toward achieving the APTD or CPTD certification.

• Learn research-based best practices from across the Talent Development Capability Model to elevate your instructional design skills.

• Engage in a flexible around-your-schedule program via ATD’s online learning platform.

• Attend four virtual facilitator-led sessions throughout the program, in weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7.

• Benefit from the role- modeling, wisdom, and guidance of an ATD expert facilitator.

• Learn with and from a group of peers through application-based discussions and reflections.

• Personalize your Master Instructional Designer journey by assessing your current skills, taking a deep dive into content most relevant to you, and demonstrating success with a multi-part real-world project.

Elective Course Offering

To support ongoing professional development, ATD master program registration includes a complimentary course elective. Take the ATD certificate program of your choice following successful completion of your ATD master program. Exclusions apply.

Learners cannot enroll in the following as their complimentary elective:

• Other ATD master programs

• Essentials of Talent Development Certificate

• Talent Development Executive Certificate

• Applying AI in Learning & Development Certificate

• Training Design & Delivery Certificate

• APTD or CPTD preparation courses and preparation bootcamps

• ATD on-demand courses, including ATDYou and Micro courses

ATD Master Instructional Designer® Program is offered by the ATD Certification Institute. 

This program is ideal for experienced instructional designers and training and development specialists ready to boost their competency, capability, and confidence in instructional design. Review the eligibility criteria before you enroll.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To ensure you gain the most from this advanced-level program, you must have a:

1. Minimum of three years in the instructional design profession

2. Solid understanding of instructional design principles and terms

3. Demonstrated knowledge and application of various instructional design models

4. A strong background in traditional instructional design tasks which could include conducting needs assessments, writing effective learning objectives, structuring content, developing learning materials, implementing training solutions, and evaluating learning impact

5. Awareness of design considerations for a variety of modalities (for instance, traditional classroom, virtual classroom, and e-learning)

6. Completion of a foundational ATD certificate program (preferred, not required)

Not quite ready for this program? ATD’s Instructional Design Certificate is a great fit for participants new to the field or those with some experience who wish to learn and practice foundational instructional design principles, models, and skills.

ATD offers a variety of additional instructional design courses, such as E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate, Virtual Instructional Design Certificate, and Writing for Instructional Design and Training Certificate.

Each of these instructional design courses serves a different need. ATD's Master Instructional Designer is an advanced instructional design certificate program. The course is assessment-based, assumes some prior knowledge of instructional design, and goes more in depth than ATD’s Instructional Design Certificate. Alongside a certificate of completion, you will earn the ATD Master Instructional Designer designation, a verified credential recognized in the talent development field.

The Instructional Design Certificate is a foundational program that introduces the end-to-end instructional design process from needs assessment through evaluation. If you are new to instructional design or have some experience but are looking for formal training, this certificate in instructional design is the place to start. The program also works well for talent development professionals who specialize in training, learning technology, or other aspects of the field and want to deepen their knowledge of the instructional design process.

Like instructional design graduate certificates, ATD’s instructional design programs include leading instructional design principles and models. But, unlike those instructional design courses, our facilitators are experienced in the talent development field and our content, real-world application opportunities, practical skills, and tools, templates, and resources are tailored specifically to instructional design in learning and development.

This 8-week blended program combines self-directed learning and live online sessions, with a total of 28 learning hours (22 self-directed, including the final project, and 6 instructor-led, virtual sessions). Each week, new content is released on Friday and must be completed by the next Friday. The program includes four required 1.5-hour virtual classroom sessions. Participation in all live sessions is mandatory for completion.

This 8-week program is offered as a blended online course, combining weekly self-directed online learning and instructor-led live online sessions in the virtual classroom. Attending the live online sessions is required for completion. For specific dates, select the “More Info” link for each offering listed under dates and location. In addition to the start and end dates, you will find a list of dates and times for the online instruction sessions.

In addition to an ATD Master designation, 2.8 CEUs, and a digital badge, participants can accelerate their pathway to APTD or CPTD certification by completing the program, which satisfies the professional development hours required for certification eligibility. Visit the certification website for the full details on eligibility requirements.

This program offers recertification credit toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR through the HR Certification Institute. It is valid for PDCs for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, and provides recertification points from the ATD Certification Institute for APTD® and CPTD® credentials.

In the first week of this blended experience, you will assess your current knowledge and skill level of instructional design. Get to know your peers and your facilitator and become familiar with the course structure.

Complete your learning prioritization inventory and start key assignments to prepare you for your real-world project deliverables.

During this week you'll spend approximately two flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing. You will also attend a 90-minute facilitator-led live online session.

Determining the need is the first step in the instructional design process. The results of a needs assessment will guide the rest of the process. This week you will explore the factors that will shape your design as well as how to present the results of a needs assessment.

Topics covered include factors to assess, presenting findings, and early planning for summative evaluation. You will complete and deliver your first learning project deliverable to receive feedback from your facilitator.

During this week you'll spend approximately three-and-a-half flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing.

Instructional designers use the needs assessment results to define outcome statements, then ensure learning objectives align to them. Learn how to make good learning objectives great and leverage them to make design decisions.

Topics include leveraging models for writing learning objectives for the best results, design considerations, and how motivation and knowledge differ. You will receive feedback on your first learning project deliverable.

During this week you'll spend approximately two flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing. You will also attend a 90-minute facilitator-led live online session.

This week you will go beyond the basics of course design to explore how you can promote collaborative partnerships to curate, create, and review content. Apply design thinking approaches to design innovative courses.

Topics include design thinking, visual style and representation, gaining buy-in, and collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) and stakeholders. You will complete and deliver your second learning project deliverable to receive feedback from your facilitator.

Throughout this week, you'll spend approximately three-and-a-half flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing.

Instructional designers should have working knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal modalities. Within this week you will consider how a blend of approaches will enhance your instructional design practice.

Topics include content development considerations such as cultural awareness, translation, and accessibility, writing content, and created blending experiences. You will receive feedback on your second learning project deliverable.

During this week you'll spend approximately two flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing. You will also attend a 90-minute facilitator-led live online session.

Instructional designers must have the knowledge and skills to curate and develop content and the ability to deliver that content through technologies that meet their learners’ needs. Explore how to stay current with technology, assess your organization’s readiness, and develop and deliver content accordingly.

Topics include tools selection, curating content, technological readiness, and building learning materials. You will complete and deliver your third learning project deliverable to receive feedback from your facilitator.

During this week you'll spend approximately three-and-a-half flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing.

Quality assurance and testing instructional designs are important parts of the instructional design process. No matter what modality, learning solutions should include a comprehensive roll out plan that includes testing or piloting. Learn how to create a plan that manages the expectations and responsibilities of all stakeholders.

Topics include planning implementation, assuring quality, and managing stakeholders and SMEs. You will receive feedback on your third learning project deliverable.

During this week, you'll spend approximately two flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing. You will also attend a 90-minute facilitator-led live online session.

Evaluation data is only useful if the instructional designer can act on to improve future efforts. Within this week you will examine data collections methods and tools, as well as how to interpret the data and present evaluation results.

Topics include models and methods to evaluate impact, data collection, and data interpretation. Additional topics include planning for future readiness and lifelong learning. You will receive feedback on your project deliverable within 72 hours after the close of the program.

During this week you'll spend approximately three-and-a-half flexible hours online on the days and times of your choosing.

Earn the ATD Master Instructional Designer digital badge and designation after completing all course work and passing your final learning project.

After completing the program, you will be invited to join the ATD Masters’ Collective, a private community of other ATD Masters' alumni where you will have the opportunity to continue to learn and celebrate accomplishments together.

To support ongoing professional development, ATD master program registration includes a complimentary course elective. Take the ATD certificate program of your choice following successful completion of your ATD master program. Exclusions apply.

Learners cannot enroll in the following as their complimentary elective:

• Other ATD master programs

• Essentials of Talent Development Certificate

• Talent Development Executive Certificate

• Applying AI in Learning & Development Certificate

• Training Design & Delivery Certificate

• APTD or CPTD preparation courses and preparation bootcamps

• ATD on-demand courses, including ATDYou and Micro courses

ATD Master® Programs are blended learning experiences that take place over multiple weeks. Participation in all originally scheduled days of the program, including both face-to-face and online program components (if applicable), and completion of all coursework and a program evaluation are mandatory to earn the ATD Master designation and continuing education credits.

Face-to-Face Program Components (if applicable):

• No more than two hours of the entire face-to-face program can be missed.

• Make-up policy: There is no make-up policy for face-to-face components.

Live Online Program Components (if applicable):

• ATD requires active participation throughout the program to receive credit. Active participation in live online sessions includes but is not limited to participating in virtual classroom activities, discussions, breakout sessions, and intersession work.

• Make-up policy: You can miss and make up one session* by listening to a session recording. Instructions for reporting make-up sessions are posted on ATD’s learning platform.

*For full-day live online sessions, you can miss a maximum of three and a half hours and must make up the time by listening to the recording.

Asynchronous Program Components:

• New content will be made available on ATD’s learning platform each week. All activities, assessments, and project work must be completed the week they are assigned.

Please note: You must use a laptop to fully and actively participate in these programs. In addition to your full participation, you must complete your post-course evaluation to receive your certificate.

A laptop computer with Wi-Fi capability is required to participate in ATD Master® Programs. 

Face-to-Face Program Components (if applicable): Please do not bring mobile devices (for example, phones or tablets) instead of a laptop. There will be no computers available on-site for participants. Note: You might not have an optimal experience using Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge to access your courses. Chrome is the recommended browser.  

Live Online Program Components (if applicable): You must log in to the learning platform to access course content and to join all live online sessions. Special software is not required. You only need a standard web browser and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capability to participate. Please join your session from a location with a strong internet connection and plan to use VoIP for your audio during the entire session.   

Enrolled in a program? To check your course status and enrollment details, launch your course, or download your certificate, go to MyATD.

Transfers/Cancellations
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ATD Health and Safety Policy
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