How Do I Become an Instructional Designer?

An instructional designer creates course layouts and written content for training programs in primary and secondary schools, universities, training centers and businesses. He or she possesses a combination of web design and writing skills, along with the ability to effectively educate others. Although one typically creates material for online study, he or she also may create written training materials. To become an instructional designer, you will need a bachelor's or master's degree related to instructional design, experience creating course content and layouts, and sufficient web design and writing skills. You also will need experience using various web technologies and productivity programs.

To become an instructional designer, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in education or instructional design. Both programs require similar basic education classes, but the instructional design major specializes in technology courses, including web design, multimedia design and online learning. A basic education degree may not provide enough instructional design courses in the basic curriculum, so you also should take design courses as electives when possible. If you want to become an instructional designer but have a bachelor's degree in another field, then you may obtain a graduate certificate or master's degree in instructional design or instructional technology. Graduate programs mainly focus on instructional design concepts, so you may need to take prerequisite education classes.

Creativity is essential to becoming an instructional designer, because you will need to be able to create the most effective interactive content that fits the group for which the material is being created. This requires knowing when to use various web design technologies and how to use your designs to effectively teach the material. Instructional designers usually have tight deadlines and must work with others, so it's important to be flexible and have excellent interpersonal skills. Being an effective writer is critical for creating course content, and you should be able to write clear material that various groups of learners can understand.

You will need a combination of experience in writing, teaching and creating educational materials to become an instructional designer. An applicant with only a bachelor's degree will likely need more years of experience than a candidate with a master's degree. Although each employer determines an experience requirement, some prefer about three years of experience designing courses and writing educational content. A portfolio detailing your previous work is helpful and requested by many employers, so you should consider an internship if you are in college or if you are a recent graduate.