MS, Instructional Design and Technology

Study Format Online

Program Length 30 credits, 20 months

Tuition Cost $13,950

A top-ranked online program

Concordia-Chicago’s online MS in Instructional Design and Technology is ranked ninth in the U.S. by OnlineColleges.net. Concordia-Chicago is the only university in Illinois and one of the few in the Midwest to receive an OnlineColleges.net ranking in this area of study.

Harness technology to design effective training and development

The Master of Science degree in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) is designed to meet the needs of instructional designers, e-learning developers, and trainers in corporate, higher education, non-profit, and government organizations. Through applied research and hands-on design, the IDT program contributes to the improvement of instructional methodologies and the design and implementation of learning innovations and environments.

The Master of Science (MS) in Instructional Design and Technology is for individuals seeking

to design instruction and instructional technologies in real world contexts
to enable and support learning through creativity and innovation by designing learning environments and technologies

Career and salary: trends and outlook

The field of instructional design and technology has changed dramatically over the last several years and will continue to grow and change with the rapid introduction and adoption of emerging technologies and new approaches to teaching and learning. Technology through social, distance and mobile learning media continues to change the landscape of traditional education and training.

For the professional instructional designer—especially for those with a master's degree—career options exist in academic, government and profit and non-profit sectors and include positions such as:

Instructional Designer
Learning System Designer/Developer
Corporate Trainer
Performance Improvement Coordinator
Learning and Development Director
Director of Instructional Design Technologies
Curriculum Designer

Recruiter.com and Indeed.com report a very positive outlook for instructional designer and technologist careers:

Job growth has been positive over the past decade, with total employment jumping 20 percent from 106,590 to 128,780 jobs.
36,220 new jobs are expected to be added by 2018, an increase of 28 percent in just eight years.
California leads the nation in the number of jobs (17,900), followed by Texas (10,890), New York (9,970), Florida (6,990) and Ohio (5,670).
In 2015, the average salary was $63,000.
Median salaries range from $50,090 (private sector) to $84,000 (federal government).
Based on experience and tenure within an organization, salaries range from $28,900-$87,820 (private sector), $36,100-$84,400 (state government), $37,970-$95,520 (local government) and $63,130-$121,580 (federal government).

What is Instructional Design and Technology?

The field of instructional design and technology seeks to understand how people learn and how to best design, integrate and evaluate instructional systems and materials to facilitate that learning. Through applied research, students can create and enhance learning experiences and systems for academic, corporate, non-profit, or government settings.

This Master of Science program is for people who want to change the world through research, creativity, and innovation. From enhancing medical training technologies to designing educational apps, instructional designers are essential for organizations that wish to leverage technology for learning in a dynamic world.

Read the list of courses and course descriptions.

Learning objectives and competencies

Apply learning theory in the development of instructional strategies to meet defined learning outcomes.
Identify, apply and evaluate instructional design methods and principles in learning systems architectures.
Effectively manage and lead instructional design project development in a changing environment.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role of instructional design and technology as it relates to human performance.
Utilize learning analytics to support data-driven decision making critical to change and improvement.
Contribute to the improvement of instructional methodologies and development of learning innovations through research.

Interested in instructional design for the K-12 classroom?

Concordia-Chicago’s Instructional Design and Technology program focuses on the design of learning experiences for adults. Individuals seeking to enroll in a graduate-level program that emphasizes the design of learning experiences for children in grades K-12 may explore these Concordia-Chicago programs:

Student Testimonials

A friend who graduated from the IDT program referred me to apply and it's been a great fit! My instructors have provided great insight and guidance within the classroom and about the field of instructional design. The faculty seem well-connected in the field, passing along emails from prospective employers looking to fill positions.

Bill Simantirakis, Class of 2018

I was hired as a Senior Training Specialist, and we are building the training department from the ground up. I'm so excited and so glad that my Concordia-Chicago coursework really prepared me! I did NOT feel lost in my first one-on-one with my boss as she talked to me about meeting with SMEs and creating a Gannt chart to outline our project management.

Colette Boynton, Class of 2018

The IDT program is a thorough and engaging program that helped me better gauge the instructional design field and my career path. My professors were helpful and experts in the field. I completed the program in less than two years!

Marea Iakovos, Class of 2017

I just got promoted to a Learning Designer! Earning my masters and being able to speak the language of instructional design was key to me landing my new position.

Bill Simantirakis, Class of 2018