Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Online
Elevate your technical development and instructional design proficiencies through flexible online coursework that prepares you to lead innovation in corporate training or educational learning experiences.
Program Overview
The instructional technology specialist certificate prepares you to lead innovation in education
Develop the expertise to create learning experiences through the Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate online program. Built for working adults seeking roles in education or corporate training, this career-transition focused pathway prepares you to manage elearning programs and enhance teaching practices by utilizing the latest digital tools.
Improve your ability to evaluate learning models, analyze theoretical frameworks and create engaging digital media as you progress through flexible online coursework. This instructional technology specialist certificate program supports your pursuit of advanced career opportunities and the 079 Special Endorsement in Educational Computing and Technology Facilitation (TF).
All credits from this certificate program can be applied toward earning an M.S. in Instructional Technology with UNCW.
In this online instructional technology program, you will learn to:
- Design instructional eLearning programs and custom learning solutions
- Lead and manage training programs for medium-to-large businesses and corporations, healthcare organizations, and public and private schools and universities
- Develop instructional or educational software using multiple, combined media
- Design instructional eLearning programs and custom learning solutions
- Lead and manage training programs for medium-to-large businesses and corporations, healthcare organizations, and public and private schools and universities
- Develop instructional or educational software using multiple, combined media
Graduates of this online instructional technology program are prepared for careers that include:
- Instructional Designer (Education or Corporate)
- Learning and Development Manager
- Educational Technology Specialist
- eLearning Developer
- Training and Development Specialist
- Instructional Designer (Education or Corporate)
- Learning and Development Manager
- Educational Technology Specialist
- eLearning Developer
- Training and Development Specialist
UNCW's Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate is built for working adults moving into eLearning design, digital training, or educational technology leadership roles. Graduates pursue titles such as Instructional Designer (Education or Corporate), Learning and Development Manager, Educational Technology Specialist, eLearning Developer, and Training and Development Specialist.
The curriculum lets you specialize your electives toward the setting you want: courses like Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning and Organization and Management of Instructional Technology suit K-12 or higher-ed-focused careers, while courses like Web Teaching: Design and Development and Instructional Design: Project Management & Development suit corporate training paths. For North Carolina educators specifically, the program also supports pursuit of the 079 Special Endorsement in Educational Computing and Technology Facilitation, a state licensure add-on for technology-facilitation roles in K-12 schools. Instructional designer roles show strong, sustained national job-search and salary-research interest, and instructional technology-specific searches show steady, if smaller, demand, reflecting the more specialized nature of the title.
Whether you're aiming for a school-based technology facilitation role or a corporate learning and development position, the certificate's elective flexibility lets you build a course sequence around your specific target role. Review the full elective list and career outcomes on the program page, and, if you're a licensed NC educator, ask an enrollment specialist how the 079 endorsement pathway fits your certification plans.
An instructional designer plans, builds, and evaluates learning experiences - whether that's a corporate training module, a K-12 lesson sequence, or a fully online course - applying learning theory and design principles rather than simply assembling content. UNCW's Instructional Technology Specialist certificate builds this skill set directly through its two core courses, Foundations of Instructional Design and Multimedia Design and Development, which cover theoretical foundations and hands-on design practice.
Day-to-day work typically includes analyzing a learning gap or performance problem, designing instructional materials and assessments, selecting and using authoring or multimedia tools, and evaluating whether the finished product actually improves learner performance. Because instructional design shows consistent, high search and hiring interest nationally, it's one of the most in-demand roles the certificate's coursework directly prepares you for.
Review the Foundations of Instructional Design and Multimedia Design and Development course descriptions on the program page to see exactly how the curriculum builds these skills, and talk with an enrollment specialist if you want to confirm this role matches your preferences before enrolling.
No, a graduate certificate and a master's degree are not the same credential. UNCW's Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate is a shorter, more focused program - six courses and 18 credit hours - built to develop a specific skill set rather than the broader coursework and longer time commitment a full master's degree requires.
The certificate stands on its own as a credential you can use immediately for career transition or advancement, but it's also structured so all 18 credit hours apply directly toward UNCW's M.S. in Instructional Technology if you choose to continue your education later. That means starting with the certificate doesn't close off the master's option: you won't repeat coursework or lose credits if you decide to continue toward the full degree.
If you're weighing a standalone certificate against the full master's degree, compare the career outcomes and curriculum for both programs, and talk with an enrollment specialist about which starting point best matches your timeline and goals, including whether the 079 Special Endorsement pathway factors into your decision.
Also available:
UNCW offers a variety of flexible education degree and certificate programs online.
Accreditation:
All educator preparation programs at the University of North Carolina Wilmington are approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Tuition
Pay your competitive tuition one course at a time
UNCW offers convenient, pay-by-the-course tuition for our online programs. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
Tuition and fees are subject to change each academic year pending legislative approval. View more information on your cost of attendance.
| Program | Total Tuition & Fees* |
|---|---|
| ITS, Post-Baccalaureate Cert(in-state residents) | $6,387.30 |
| ITS, Post-Baccalaureate Cert (out-of-state residents) | $23,949.36 |
*All amounts shown are estimates for full program tuition and fees. Tuition and fee rates are based on 2026-2027 figures, are subject to change, and do not include textbook costs and future tuition and/or fee increases. You can review the estimated costs of attendance for information about the full cost of attendance.
Tuition breakdown:
Calendar
Add these key dates and deadlines to your calendar
The Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate online program is delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring rolling admissions and six start dates each year. Choose the date that best suits your goals.
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2 | 10/19/26 | 9/26/26 | 9/26/26 | 10/21/26 | 10/22/26 | 12/6/26 |
| Spring 1 | 1/11/27 | 12/12/26 | 12/12/26 | 1/13/27 | 1/14/27 | 2/28/27 |
| Spring 2 | 3/8/27 | 2/13/27 | 2/13/27 | 3/10/27 | 3/11/27 | 4/25/27 |
| Summer 1 | 5/10/27 | 4/17/27 | 4/17/27 | 5/12/27 | 5/13/27 | 6/27/27 |
| Summer 2 | 6/28/27 | 6/5/27 | 6/5/27 | 6/30/27 | 7/1/27 | 8/15/27 |
Students must register for courses by 5 p.m. (EST) on the registration deadline date.
Students must remit tuition payment by 10 a.m. (EST) on the tuition deadline date.
Now enrolling:
Admissions
What are the requirements for the instructional technology specialist certificate online program?
Learn more about admission guidelines for the online Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program. UNCW reviews applications on a rolling basis, so you are urged to apply promptly for your preferred start date.
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Official transcripts
- 3.0 GPA
A post-baccalaureate certificate is a focused, graduate-level credential for people who already hold a bachelor's degree and want targeted expertise without enrolling in a full master's program. UNCW's Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate requires a bachelor's degree (or U.S. equivalent) from an accredited institution, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references. Unofficial transcripts are accepted for your initial application review, and official transcripts confirming your degree are required if admitted.
The certificate totals six courses (18 credit hours) delivered 100% online: two required foundation courses plus four electives chosen from eight options covering topics like distance education, web-based instructional design, and organizational management of instructional technology. Because it's a certificate and not a full master's, it's a lower-commitment way to build instructional technology expertise, and every credit applies toward UNCW's M.S. in Instructional Technology if you decide to continue.
Review the full admissions requirements and current application deadlines on the program page, and start requesting transcripts and recommendation letters as early as possible since those steps typically take the longest.
Admission requirements include:
- Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree, or its U.S. equivalent, from a college or university accredited by an approved institutional accreditor completed before graduate study begins.
- Unofficial transcripts may be submitted for the initial application review. If admitted, applicants are required to provide an official transcript showing proof of their bachelor’s degree(s).
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Three letters of recommendation: Professional or academic references who can speak to your ability to complete graduate-level work. In lieu of a letter, references can submit a recommendation via the form embedded in the application. Once you submit your contact information, your reference will receive an email allowing them to add their recommendation.
Courses
What will you learn in the online instructional technology specialist certificate program?
Curriculum in the online Instructional Technology Specialist, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate online program is comprised of six courses (18 credit hours).
Students choose 4 of the following courses for a total of 12 credit hours of electives.
**Students taking a full-time course load throughout the program can complete it in as few as 8 months. Consult with your advisor.
Request Information
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