Graduate Diploma – Instructional Design

The Graduate Diploma – Instructional Design at Athabasca University is an 18-credit online program, with a minimum of nine credits required through Athabasca University, delivered as paced study with monthly start dates and up to three years allowed for completion. Students take courses alongside those enrolled in the Master of Education – Open, Digital, and Distance Education program, and completed credits may be applied toward that master's degree if the graduate continues into it. Admission requires a baccalaureate degree or equivalent education and experience. The diploma is designed for those pursuing instructional design as a profession, offering hands-on exposure to distance education technologies together with individualized student support throughout the program. It suits practitioners who want a focused, graduate-level credential in instructional design without committing immediately to a full master's degree, while keeping the pathway into the related MEd program available for later study.