by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Instructional Media Design will provide you with the knowledge needed to revolutionize the educational system. You will discover new ways to teach and learn how to use current and future technology in teaching and assessments. This major also prepares you to develop instructional material for online and other nontraditional methods of education. You will successfully learn how to integrate technology into educational curriculum while still coordinating with educational standards and current content.
To become certified in this field, you may be required to take courses such as advertising, computer applications, drawing, art, design, and education. This major may vary by university.
In 2021-2022, instructional media design was the 98th most popular major nationwide with 9,224 degrees awarded. This year's Best Instructional Media Design Schools ranking compares 92 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of instructional media programs later in this article.
As a person working in education you should have a passion for empowering the youth of tomorrow. Your passion, excitement and dedication to education will lead to success in your work. Creativity is also an important trait to posses as someone who will be working on educational technology, computer applications, multimedia instruction, and web-based instruction. To design and produce educational software and materials you should also be an innovative thinker. Students will need knowledge and understanding in reaching all different types of learners.
As an instructional designer you will be in charge of balancing the work of designing programs while still connecting to state standards. You will have to be organized and efficient in making sure that these instructional methods and programs are used effectively in schools.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most instructional media degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific instructional media careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Instructional Media degree levels vary. Instructional Media Design programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest instructional media degree you can get. How long it takes to complete some common instructional media degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to instructional media, with approximately 44.7% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to instructional media tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 47.9% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 28.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.9% |
| Doctoral Degree | 4.9% |
| Some College Courses | 4.8% |
About 55.7% of workers in careers related to instructional media obtain at least master's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in instructional media design careers have.
This of course varies depending on which instructional media career you choose.
Depending on the focus you choose to take with a degree in instructional media design you have many possible career paths. You may become an instructional media designer, interactive media designer, digital media designer, multimedia design professional, or an instructional design specialist. This is a growing field that is essential to educational institutions as a support staff.
Another way into this field is to earn you undergraduate degree in digital media and web design to get the understanding of graphics, communications, computers, and media. You may choose to focus on instructional media design and continue on to obtain a master's degree in where you will also learn different teaching techniques to make your work more effective.
Want a job when you graduate with your instructional media degree? Instructional Media Design careers are expected to grow 10.4% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to instructional media design.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional Coordinators | 180,400 | 10.5% |
| Multimedia Collections Specialists | 12,300 | 8.8% |
Recently graduated instructional media design students earned an average of $63,650 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $24,321 to as high as $90,736. As you might expect, salaries for instructional media graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for instructional media design graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers instructional media grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Instructional Coordinators | $67,490 |
| Multimedia Collections Specialists | $52,270 |
With over 561 different instructional media degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased instructional media school rankings to help you with this.
Instructional Media Design is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Educational/Instructional Technology | 9,224 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110,770 |
| Educational Administration | 46,975 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 42,343 |
| Special Education | 35,973 |
| General Education | 29,389 |
