Instructional Design Foundations, CAS

Become the person every organization turns to when learning matters.

Every organization that trains, onboards, or informs people needs someone who knows how to design instruction that works. The CAS in Instructional Design Foundations gives working professionals a rigorous, 12-credit grounding in how people learn and how to design, develop, and evaluate instruction that meets that need.

Suggested Application Deadline: Varies by semester start | More admissions information

Why Instructional Design Foundations at Syracuse?

The program moves through the full arc of instructional design work: starting from the principles of how people learn, into the practical craft of designing and developing instruction, and finishing with the techniques used to evaluate whether that instruction succeeds.

Coursework is available fully on campus or fully online, so you can complete the program part time, alongside full-time work, in about one calendar year.

• A credential that stands on its own. Unlike a single introductory course or a non-credit certificate, the CAS in Instructional Design Foundations is a complete, 12-credit graduate credential recognized on your transcript, whether or not you ever pursue further study.
• Your choice, your format. Complete all coursework on campus or entirely online, depending on what fits your life and your work. Both paths lead to the same rigorous curriculum, taught by the same faculty.
• A running start toward more. Courses in the certificate program counts directly toward Syracuse’s M.S. in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation.
• Faculty at the forefront of education research. Courses are taught by faculty who are active researchers as well as educators. Syracuse is an R1 research institution, and instruction throughout the program reflects that standard.

“Syracuse’s instructional design program has provided me with countless opportunities to bridge knowledge, skill, and attitude gaps and shape future curriculum. This program provides both government and private sectors paths towards success post-military and allows me to continue serving through education and self-development.”
—Lourdes M. Barragan, G’25

Who Should Apply?

This program is built for working professionals already placed in, or moving into, training and instructional roles who need a rigorous foundation in instructional design without committing to a full master’s degree.

Candidates typically come from business and industry, higher education, nonprofit and social services organizations, government and the military, health care and insurance, and media. Some already hold a master’s degree and want a focused, stand-alone credential; others plan to continue directly into the instructional design master’s degree program.

Program at a Glance

The Certificate of Advanced Study in Instructional Design Foundations is a 12-credit program built from four required courses. Most students complete the program in about one calendar year while continuing to work, taking two courses at a time.

• Study on your terms: Choose fully on-campus or fully online coursework; the online option requires no on-campus time and can be completed from anywhere.
• A solid foundation: Principles of Instruction and Learning, Instructional Design and Development I, Instructional Design and Development II, and Techniques in Educational Evaluation together build skills across analyzing, designing, developing, and evaluating instruction.
• Built around a real project cycle: The four courses are sequenced so that what you learn about how people learn directly informs the instruction you design and develop, which you then learn to evaluate, which is the same cycle you will use on the job.

More information on academic requirements available in the Syracuse University Course Catalog. Note: This School of Education certificate programs is standalone, requiring a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA to apply. It can complement or can be taken alongside SOE master’s degree programs.

What Our Graduates Do

Employment of training and development specialists, the broader occupational category instructional designers fall under, is projected to grow 12% through 2033, well above the national average, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Graduates of the program work as instructional designers and evaluators, training development or eLearning coordinators, and project or quality assessment managers, across business and industry, higher education, nonprofit and social services organizations, government and the military, health care and insurance, and media.

Because the certificate covers the full design, development, and evaluation cycle, graduates are prepared to run an instructional project from analysis through assessment, not just to build the materials in the middle.