These days, educational content is found in far more than just traditional K-12 and higher education classrooms. It is an integral part of nearly every industry and organization. For instance, individuals in the workforce who are starting, maintaining, and progressing in their jobs must turn to educational or training materials at various points in their careers.



Full Sail University offers an Instructional Design & Technology master’s degree program. Dr. Thomas Lucas, the Program Director for this online master’s, says the broad goal of the curriculum is to help prepare students to effectively create educational content for various audiences across numerous industries. He explains how the courses are structured to give students the most relevant education possible.



“We are focused on aligning the curriculum with industry expectations so that successful students will have the skills and the knowledge and the theoretical background to be highly effective instructional designers,” Dr. Lucas says.



Students will ideally enter the program with an undergraduate degree in education, teaching, graphic design, communications, or a related area of study. Those with some professional experience in education or training often make an even better fit for the coursework. Some qualities that Instructional Design & Technology students possess – and those required for success working in the field in general – include strong technical and design skills, a keen attention to detail, solid time management skills, a knack for collaboration, a passion for helping others, and the ability to handle rejection well.


The curriculum focuses on both instructional methods and the multimedia skills needed to convey important information to users. Course highlights include Strategies for Learner Engagement, Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design, Corporate Training and Motivational Development, Music and Audio for Instructional Design, and Game Strategies and Motivation.


“As [students] move through the program, it is designed to help them acquire a research and theoretical background, all of which culminates in a capstone project,” Dr. Lucas explains.

For this final project, students have the option of developing a variety of relevant pieces of content, such as an e-learning course, an interactive media asset like an educational game or simulation, or an instructional video.

“We try to give them as many options [to choose from] considering the intensity of the 12-month master’s curriculum,” he says.



In the program, students get hands-on exposure to industry-standard hardware and software through Project LaunchBox, a suite of relevant tools used throughout their coursework. The tools for this program include software like Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Captivate, and ScreenFlow. In terms of hardware, they receive Snowball and lavalier microphones, as well as a tripod with a ring light for video production.



“When you’re engaged in project-based learning, you’re doing the same kind of things you’ll be doing when you’re on the job after graduation,” Dr. Lucas adds. “I think it’s the best way to learn.”


Typically, those enrolled in this program are looking for either a new role in their field or a career change. Graduates may qualify for instructional design-related opportunities in the corporate world, healthcare, government, military, or higher education.



“With the wide variety of tools and industries that are out there, our goal is to mold students who can be real ‘Swiss Army knives’ and can translate the skills they learn in this program to any environment,” he explains.