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Metropolitan State University (Home)

Learner Experience Design Graduate Certificate

College of Liberal Arts / Technical Communication and Interaction Design
Graduate certificate

About The Program

About the program

The Learner Experience Design Graduate Certificate prepares learners to develop, assess, and deliver effective learner-centered and workplace-focused digital learning experiences that promote learner retention and application. Program emphasis is on hands-on experience to support online learning in organizational settings, with topics such as strategies for creating and producing learning experiences, methodologies of interactive digital learning, needs assessment, user experience, and design thinking.

Learn more about the LXD certificate at our Zoom information session.

Student outcomes

  • Develop and deliver learner-centered and workplace-focused online learning from static documents, such as instruction manuals, presentation slides, and other technical documentation
  • Design and assess learner-centered designs for online learning
  • Create interactive workplace-focused online learning that meets learner needs
  • Using learning technology, apply various interactive instructional design methodologies
  • Apply adult learning theory and pedagogical strategies, and interactivity models to workplace-focused digital learning experiences

How to enroll

Program eligibility requirements

  • Bachelor's degree earned from an accredited institution (or a foreign equivalent)
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher
  • Digital literacy and desire to learn new digital applications
  • Reliable Internet access and the ability to install programs on your digital device

International Students

Because this is not a degree-granting program, applications from international students studying on an F-1 student visa will not be accepted. However, overseas students may complete the certificate online without traveling to the United States. In such cases, overseas students must meet the admission requirements and present evidence of language proficiency. We accept TOEFL score of at least 550 (PBT) or 213 (CBT) or 80 (IBT); IELTS score of at least 6.0; and Duolingo English exam score of 105 or higher. Official score report comes into the Metropolitan State University dashboard from Duolingo.

Application instructions

Deadlines

We process applications on a rolling basis. Incomplete applications will roll forward to the next semester for a total of three semesters, after which you must re-apply if your file is still incomplete. Applications for admission are not complete until all materials and fees are received.

Application Packet

All application materials become the property of Metropolitan State University and are not returned. To be considered for full admission you must submit all parts of the application packet:

Part one

  • Official Transcripts
    • Must show a baccalaureate degree or equivalent earned from a regionally accredited institution with grade-point average or narrative description describing courses completed and minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA
    • All transcripts from non-U.S. schools must be evaluated (course-by-course) by either ECE (preferred) or WES
    • Electronic transcripts should be sent to graduate.studies@metrostate.edu

Part two

After you have submitted your online application, use your StarID and password to log in to the Applicant Portal and upload application materials and to check on the status of your application. The Applicant Portal will indicate missing application items. To be considered for admission you must submit the following:

  • Current Resume
  • Essay of professional goals (no more than two pages)

Courses and Requirements

SKIP TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Academic Standing

You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain in the certificate program. Only courses for which you receive a letter grade of C (2.0) or better count toward certificate requirements; and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. If you receive a letter grade of C- or below in any graduate course, you will be placed on academic probation. If you receive a letter grade of C- or below in two courses, or if your cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, you will be dismissed from the graduate certificate program.

If you have been dismissed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may apply for readmission after one calendar year has passed. To reapply, submit an updated resume and a letter to the Learner Experience Design Graduate Certificate Program indicating what circumstances have changed and how you plan to successfully complete the program. The program faculty review your request and respond in
writing.

Only courses in which you receive a letter grade are applied toward your certificate. The option of a competence/no competence with a narrative
transcript is not available.

Appeal of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Removals from the Program

If you are removed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may appeal the removal to the College of Liberal Arts dean. The appeal must be in writing, and it must provide specific grounds for the appeal. The appeal is due to the dean within 30 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision to remove you from the program. The dean has 30 days to respond, in writing, to the appeal. Appeals received after 30 days will not be considered.

Time to Completion

You have two years from your first semester in this program to complete your certificate requirements. You may request an extension of the time limit by writing to the Learner Experience Design Graduate Certificate Program. Such requests must be received prior to the expiration of the time limit. Requests for extensions should include your reason(s) for requesting the extension, a summary of your plan to finish graduation requirements, and a specific date for the extension to expire. Extension decisions are made by the certificate program faculty and are not automatic.

Reactivating into the Program

If you are a student in good academic standing who has not registered for courses for three or more consecutive semesters, you must apply to reactivate into the certificate program. To reactivate, submit an updated resume and a letter to the Learner Experience Design Graduate Certificate Program expressing a desire to reactivate. We will review your request and respond in writing, specifying certificate completion requirements and deadline for completion. You may be required to satisfy certificate requirements in force at the time of reactivation, even if those requirements differ from those in force at the time of original admission to the certificate
program.

Requirements (16 credits)

+ Required courses (10 credits)

This course is designed to provide an introduction to Learner Experience Design, which brings together principles of design and learning to create effective interactive training and learning experiences. The course draws on fields such as instructional design, user experience design (UXD), and learning and development. Students learn concepts and techniques to prepare them to analyze learners and learning situations and to choose appropriate strategies in order to create interactive, engaging, and effective learning experiences

Full course description for Foundations of Learner Experience Design

+ Elective (6 credits)

Choose from the courses below

Strategies for Learner Experience Design focuses on strategies and tools to help designers create effective learning experiences that promote learner retention and application. Strategies discussed might include microlearning, interactive case studies, decision- making scenarios, spaced and guided practice, and short simulations -- all of which relate to the underlying concepts of conditional logic, variables, user and performance data, personalization, responsiveness, and universal design.

Full course description for Strategies for Learner Experience Design

This course, specifically designed for students interested in human resource management or general management, focuses on human resource development in organizations and stresses applications to improve productivity and employee satisfaction. Topics include the evolution of training and development, needs assessment, testing for developmental purposes, the learning process, selecting proper training methods, and evaluating training and development.

Full course description for Employee Development and Training