Distance Education Certificate Program

This program is currently not accepting new enrollments.
Please check back in Spring 2013.

Audience

organization profileThe Distance Education Certificate Program serves individuals in higher education, business and industry, government, military, and K-12 who want to achieve personal and career goals in the rapidly growing field of distance education.

Organizations we've served

Many of our learners are education or training managers and administrators. Others are involved in teaching, instructional design, course production, media support, evaluation, learner services, or consulting.

  • Instructional designers benefit by expanding views and experiencing the role of the distance learner firsthand.
  • Faculty gain confidence and broadedn knowledge for moving into lead faculty distance education roles.
  • Media specialists, librarians, and other support staff learn about the needs of distance learners and the challenges technology decisions create.
  • Administrators broaden understanding of the faculty issues, technology options, program evaluation, and instructional design needs.

profileHow different professionals have benefitted

The DECP provides a broad base of knowledge and skills that can lead to new opportunities and new roles leading and developing distance learning programs. Here are comments from participants of different backgrounds that highlight specific skills and results they gained from participating in this program.

I have now implemented two separate projects. One was an online learning course which we offer just to students new to online learning. It was so successful and the feedback from it said all students should do this and that we should implement it for all students ... And we’ve also implemented a student profile so that we’re trying to do a needs assessment of our student population so we can mold our program to student needs.
Director of Distance Learning, North Park Theological Seminary

Even though I don’t teach online I do work with hundreds of professors who either teach online or use online tools in their classes. And I was able to show them the strategies that were used in some of the courses I took as a student ... By experiencing that myself I was able to pass along to them what I thought worked best, things to avoid. And I think it’s made a big difference with some of the professors I’ve worked with.”
Instructional Technology Specialist, The Ohio State University

I was looking for a program that would challenge the people in it. I was not looking for a program that you could take a one or two week module and be certified as an online instructor. There are a lot of those out there. I was looking for something that people would have to make a commitment to and have some dedication to and therefore learn in the process. And this program met the criteria.
Associate Professor, Joint Forces Staff College

I’ve never really taken a distance learning course. How can you build distance learning environment , I ask, without taking a course? I figured now is the time to do it. I have been not just pleased but absolutely thrilled about the level of confidence I have gained from this particular program.
Assistant Dean for Distributed Education, Northwestern University