Curriculum Development Training Programs

For teachers looking to hone their skills in curriculum development, a curriculum development training program may be a good option.

These programs are available online in several formats. Below, we'll dive into what to expect from a curriculum development training program as well as some excellent program options.

What Is a Curriculum Development Training Program?

Curriculum development training programs are a type of training program geared toward teachers and educators who already have their degrees.

These programs train teachers and educators to develop effective, engaging curriculums that really help students understand and retain the course's subject matter.

In these programs, teachers learn how to create curriculums that are:

• appropriate for the age range and learning level of the students
• cultivate engagement
• effectively teach the material
• put the students' needs first

In some cases, you may be able to specialize in developing a specific type of curriculum, like a curriculum for adult learners or for distance education.

There are a few different ways you can take the curriculum development training. Some of the more common options are to take a training course online or to earn a degree or certification.

We'll dive into these options below.

Online Curriculum Development Courses

Online curriculum development courses are a great way to brush up on your curriculum development skills. These courses are often a few weeks long, and some allow you to learn at your own pace.

Coursera

Coursera is a popular platform for online learning. It hosts a Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Curriculum course offered by the Commonwealth Education Trust.

The course is six weeks long and 100% online. It includes hands-on learning projects through Coursera Labs and offers a certificate when you finish.

Each week of the course takes one to two hours to complete. The topics for each week are:

• getting to know the curriculum
• curriculum development
• putting curriculum to work
• theories and theorists
• optimizing curriculum outcomes

Study.com

Study.com is a website providing lessons and resources for students and educators. It offers a Curriculum Development for Teachers course.

The course is broken into six chapters:

• curriculum development
• types of curriculum
• planning the curriculum
• learning goals and objectives
• learning experiences in curriculum
• assessments in curriculum

Within each chapter are lessons, and each lesson includes a lesson quiz. There are a total of 48 lessons in the course, and they average about eight minutes each.

The course is self-paced, meaning you can complete each lesson and quiz at your own speed. Once you finish the course, you'll be eligible for a certificate.

Curriculum Development Degrees and Certifications

For those looking to further their education or enhance their current degree, you may want to consider earning a master's degree or certificate in curriculum development.

Many colleges and universities offer these programs. We've listed some of our top picks below.

Ball State University

Ball State University is a public research university in Muncie, IN. It offers an online graduate certificate and a master's degree with a curriculum focus.

The Curriculum Development and Leadership certificate is geared toward anyone who wants to specialize in curriculum development and implementation or wants to develop skills for administration.

The certificate is 12 credits and includes courses like Principles and Procedures of Curriculum Development and Curriculum Evaluation.

These credits can be applied toward a master's degree if you decide to pursue one at a later time.

The Master of Arts in curriculum and educational technology is 30 credits. Courses for this program include:

• Evaluation of Educational Programs
• Research on Impacting Student Learning
• Curricular Integration of Learning Technology

National University

National University is a private university in California. It's headquartered in San Diego but offers multiple online programs. It offers two specialized curriculum certificates.

The Online Curriculum Development certificate is for teachers looking to learn how to develop effective curriculums for online courses and lessons.

The program is made up of five modules and can be completed in six months. The credits in this program can be used as continuing education credits.

The early childhood education certificate in Curriculum Connections focuses on how the right curriculum can maximize student potential in young learners.

The program is made of eight courses and can be finished in eight months. It's part of the school's early childhood education pathway.

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University is based in Manchester, NH, but the university is best known for its many online programs.

One of these programs is a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction. It requires 36 credits and can be completed in as few as 15 months.

If you'd like, you can choose to specialize in one of the six concentrations available in this program. These concentrations are:

• dyslexia studies and language-based learning disabilities
• education leadership
• online teaching
• reading
• special education
• technology integration

UMass Global

UMass Global is a private affiliate of the University of Massachusetts. It has a huge online campus as well as physical campus locations throughout California.

It has a few different programs that focus on curriculum development. One is the Master of Arts (MA) in education, curriculum and instruction.

This program requires 30 credits. 18 are core requirements, and 12 are part of the curriculum and instruction emphasis.

Other programs offered by UMass Global with an emphasis in curriculum include:

• MA in education, instructional technology: teaching the 21st-century learner
• MA in education, teaching and learning
• Diversity and Inclusion for Educators certificate
• STEAM to Support Innovation and Creativity Across the Curriculum professional development course

Start a Curriculum Development Training Program

Teachers who want to learn more about developing effective curriculums have several options, including online courses and advanced degrees and certificates.