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Director of instruction education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of instruction. Directors of instruction usually study business, education, or elementary education. 61% of directors of instruction hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,743 real director of instruction resumes to see exactly what director of instruction education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of instruction are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online director of instruction courses to help get the education required to be a director of instruction.

There are certain director of instruction certifications that you should consider. These director of instruction certifications include Certified Bearing Specialist (CBS) and Instructor.

What education do you need to become a director of instruction?

What degree do you need to be a director of instruction?

The most common degree for directors of instruction is bachelor's degree, with 61% of directors of instruction earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a director of instruction?

You should major in business to become a director of instruction. 17% of directors of instruction major in business. Other common majors for a director of instruction include education and elementary education.

Most common colleges for directors of instruction

Directors of instruction often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for directors of instruction in the US based on their resumes.
Director of instruction common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix10.79%
Florida State University8.71%
University of Maryland - College Park7.05%
Ball State University5.39%
University of Houston4.98%

Best majors for directors of instruction

RankMajorPercentages
1Business16.8%
2Education11.0%
3Elementary Education8.5%
4Educational Leadership7.6%
5Psychology7.0%

Best colleges for directors of instruction

The best colleges for directors of instruction are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A director of instruction with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of instruction. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors of instruction.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for directors of instruction

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1. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom

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Welcome to Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you apply strategies to the critical areas of K-12 virtual instruction to significantly impact virtual education. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to empower your students to be voracious...

2. Foundations of Virtual Instruction

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Welcome to Foundations of Virtual Instruction! This course will help you 'up' your game and develop the advanced skills and techniques that elude even some of the most experienced virtual teachers in the K-12 space. Examine pitfalls and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the most significant impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. When you complete this course, you will be able to: • Craft virtual learning experiences that align with your...

3. The complete Instructional Designer course

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Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...

4. Instructional Design for ELearning

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Designing Successful ELearning Courses. Learn from a multi-award-winning instructional designer...

5. Instructional Planning with Genially

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Genially is “the tool that brings content to life.” Genially allows you to map out a learning journey for your students using high interest images and interactive tools. But did you know that Genially is also a wonderful tool for organizing your lessons and units. With Genially, you can plan and organize your units in one central place, simplifying your planning process with templates created with teachers in mind! Throughout this project, we will work together to build your confidence using...

6. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education

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This course provides those involved in educating members of the health professions an asynchronous, interdisciplinary, and interactive way to obtain, expand, and improve their teaching skills. These skills can then be applied within their own professional context, with a variety of learners, extending across many stages. After completing this course, learners will: 1. Understand educational theory as it relates to health professions education 2. Match instructional methods with desired...

7. Instructional Design for Classroom Training

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Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...

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9. Constructivism and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education

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This course is designed to help participants examine the implications of constructivism for learning and teaching in science, mathematics, and technology focused areas. Course readings, discussions, and assignments will examine constructivist views of learning, research on students' ideas and idea-based interactions, research on instructional approaches taking student ideas into account, and challenges in implementing constructivist perspectives in instruction...

10. Teaching Impacts of Technology in K-12 Education

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2% That’s the estimate of how many high school students in all of California took a Computer Science class in 2015. And yet, computers and data are everywhere. Just consider a typical 24 hours in your life … how many different computer devices do you use? We all live in multiple digital worlds that are changing rapidly with new apps, devices, and data analyses offering a constant stream of innovations and technology integrations for our lives.\n\nAs it's an integral part of our lives, we’re...

11. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!

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Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...

12. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development

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Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...

13. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!

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Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...

14. Master the FTCE Reading K-12

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Instruction and Practice on the 44 Skills Needed to Pass the FTCE Reading K-12 Exam...

15. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems

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Learn about the exciting world of Management Information Systems and its impact on the way organisations now function...

16. The Perfect Golf Swing - Timeless Golf Instruction

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Absolutely the best golf videos ever made, period. 99% of golf instruction is utter nonsense...

17. Easy Instructional Harmonium for Yoga, Kirtans, Meditations

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Easy instructional harmonium for yoga classes, kirtans and personal meditations...

18. Elearning 2023: Create & Sell Online Courses

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Instructional design to create online courses or teach online on Thinkific Elearning. Create an online course & sell...

19. Stress management for business owners, directors & managers

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Reduce & manage stress at work & in business & build stress resilience, with 50+ practical stress management strategies...

20. VPs and Directors of Product Management: Finding Excellence

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Succeeding in an intense, stressful, invigorating job...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of instruction

The most affordable schools for directors of instruction are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for directors of instruction are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors of instruction.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of instruction

The hardest universities for directors of instruction to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for directors of instruction are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors of instruction based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of instruction

The easiest schools for directors of instruction to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of instruction without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors of instruction.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

Average director of instruction salary by education level

According to our data, directors of instruction with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $86,773 annually. Directors of instruction with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $67,917.
Director of instruction education levelDirector of instruction salary
Master's Degree$67,917
Doctorate Degree$86,773

Director of instruction education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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