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School of Education

Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology

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Tara Brinkoetter

Director of Enrollment for Online & Graduate Studies & Student Services

Baker Online

Earn a Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology

Education, learning, and training are undergoing a unique and swift transformation—and you can be ready to respond and stand out with a doctorate in instructional design from Baker University.

This degree is different from traditional instructional design programs. Why? Because we unite our instructional design degree with the field of human performance technology.

The result: You learn to design, develop, use, manage, and evaluate learning in ways that improve the performance of organizations and their people.

Earn an instructional design degree while you develop human performance technology skills to improve productivity, comprehension, and retention in education and workplace settings.

At Baker, you can earn your instructional design degree online. Study from anywhere as you discover how to lead and direct training and performance in a variety of settings—from PK-12 schools and government agencies to health care organizations and financial institutions.

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Baker curriculum is built on IBSTPI competencies, so you learn systems and models that have been rigorously tested and researched.

Offering the Midwest’s only doctoral instructional design degree of its kind online, we build your expertise so you can make a difference in the lives of learners. You’ll learn how to:

  • Lead and direct future training and performance.
  • Reimagine learning, education, and training in corporate, military, health care, government, PK-12 education, and higher education.
  • Make connections between theory, knowledge, and real-world instructional design and human performance technology with two field experiences.
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Program Details: EdD in IDPT

Learning doesn’t have to happen in a classroom. You can earn a doctorate in instructional design at Baker University without relocating or leaving your full-time job.

  • Instructional design degree online—earn your degree from anywhere.
  • Seven-week classes help you finish coursework quickly.
  • No GRE needed.
  • Designed for working professionals.
  • Complete coursework in two years and complete your dissertation in your third year.

Start your journey by taking the first step in the admissions process.

         

Program Highlights: Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology

There are several reasons to choose Baker University as you study instructional design and human performance technology. Here are just a few things our students love about earning a doctorate in instructional design here.

Technology deep dive. You’ll learn about different industry tools of the trade—including software, apps, and emerging technology like 3D learning and virtual reality—and how they can be used to transform you into an expert instructional designer.

Support for modern workplaces. When the industry told us this program was needed, we built it from the ground up. Our degree in instructional design was created through the lenses of corporate and nonprofit organizations. As a result, Baker students show up at their best for the organizations that need their guidance.

Industry pros. We prioritize relationships at all levels. Create connections with faculty who have real-world expertise in high-level instructional design and human performance technology. Partner with like-minded professionals in our IDPT Student Association. Get to know active alumni who support our program and guide you to career opportunities.

Small by design. To facilitate natural connections, we keep our instruction design degree program to a specific size. Even though you earn your instructional design degree online, Baker takes learning to the next level with tailored feedback from professors and career-advising professionals. Your dedicated enrollment and academic advisors are committed to your success.

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Exceptional Experiences: Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology

Learn from pros. Our faculty bring unique and diverse industry perspectives to every instructional design and human performance technology course they teach. Their authentic experiences help you understand what to expect in your own career.

Designed for new ways of learning. Baker’s curriculum prepares you to work on training, education, and learning in every format: from e-books and interactive online games to podcasts, videos, webinars, and presentations.

Schedules that work for you. An asynchronous approach means you take classes at the right time for you—whether that’s 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. Elective virtual discussions with classmates and faculty let you discuss what you learn in real time.

Accreditation. The EdD in Instructional Design and Performance Technology is approved by the Higher Learning Commission.

         

What Can You Do With a Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology?

After earning an instructional design degree online, you can teach, research, lead—and so much more. Baker’s doctorate in instructional design makes you an instructional design generalist who stands out in many fields.

From higher education and retail to pharmaceutical and financial industries, you’ll make a big impact through the education and training curriculum you lead and design.

Baker’s degree in instructional design helps you understand how people learn—and the best ways to help them understand and apply new concepts. The work you do every day directly affects the lives of the people you work with.

Organizations will look to you to do things like:

  • Lead onboarding initiatives for new employees
  • Design effective team training efforts
  • Plan innovative courses and curriculum
  • Create solutions to improve the performance of organizations and their employees

Possible Career Paths in Instructional Design

Forward-thinking organizations look for professionals with a doctorate in instructional design. An online EdD in Instructional Design and Performance Technology from Baker can lead you to these job titles:

  • Change management consultant
  • Director of curriculum
  • Director of education
  • E-learning developer or designer
  • Instructional designer
  • Instructional technologist
  • Learning architect
  • Learning-experience designer
  • Learning strategist
  • Performance improvement consultant
  • Senior designer

Financial Aid to Earn Your Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology

Baker University is highly ranked for best online programs, offering the highest return on investment of private colleges in Kansas, according to Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2022), and the highest average salaries among graduates of universities in Kansas. The program is also approved for federal financial loans.

Financial Aid Options

Tuition & Fees

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Examples of Doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology Courses

Baker’s intellectual and innovative courses unite instructional design and human performance technology so you can bridge gaps in technology, training, and education.

Discover how to align training and education materials with organizational goals to solve specific problems and generate results.

These are just a few of the graduate courses offered as you earn a degree in instructional design:

Design Principles for Instructional Design and Performance Technology: Get an overview of design thinking, message design, and user interface design as they apply to instructional design and performance improvement. You’ll design, develop, and create a human performance training unit or course, including the creation of an instructional website related to your area of interest.

Project Management: Study the project management models and methodologies that keep instructional design work on track, including PMI, PMP, Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile (Scrum).

Informal Learning Environments: Realize the potential of informal learning. As you earn a degree in instructional design, you’ll design and develop informal learning solutions, such as mentoring, coaching, peer reviews, job shadowing, social media, learning communities, and performance support materials and systems.

Leadership, Motivation, and Change Management: Explore major theories and perspectives concerning organization motivation, development, and change as you earn your instructional design degree online. Uncover why people resist change—and the dynamics and issues involved with implementing and executing an effective change strategy

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Related Programs at Baker University

In addition to offering a degree in instructional design and performance technology, Baker University offers these doctoral programs as well:

 

Requirements & Curriculum

Admission Requirements

Transfer Graduate Hours

Dissertation Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Required Courses

Curriculum

Directed Field Experience

Instructional Design & Performance Technology Faculty

Regena Aye, EdD, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of EdD in IDPT, and Coordinator of Directed Field Experience

Anna J. Catterson, PhD, Assistant Professor

Kyunghwa Cho, PhD, Assistant Professor and Research Analyst

Wendy Gentry, PhD, Assistant Professor

Charlsie Prosser, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of the School of Education Undergraduate Programs

Dr. Tracy Russo, PhD, Assistant Professor

Stephanie Hill, EdD, Director of Academics