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Instruction dean education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an instruction dean. Instruction deans usually study education, educational leadership, or elementary education. 49% of instruction deans hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 284 real instruction dean resumes to see exactly what instruction dean education sections show.

The most common colleges for instruction deans are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

There are also many online instruction dean courses to help get the education required to be an instruction dean.

What education do you need to become an instruction dean?

What degree do you need to be an instruction dean?

The most common degree for instruction deans is bachelor's degree, with 49% of instruction deans earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 36% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Master's, 36%
  • Doctorate, 7%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an instruction dean?

You should major in education to become an instruction dean. 17% of instruction deans major in education. Other common majors for an instruction dean include educational leadership and elementary education.

Most common colleges for instruction deans

Instruction deans often get their degrees at University of North Texas, University of Phoenix, and Prairie View A & M University. Here are the most common colleges for instruction deans in the US based on their resumes.
Instruction dean common collegePercentages
University of North Texas9.26%
University of Phoenix9.26%
Prairie View A & M University7.41%
Harvard University5.56%
Pennsylvania State University5.56%

Best majors for instruction deans

Best colleges for instruction deans

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

An instruction dean with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for instruction deans. 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 instruction deans.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for instruction deans

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1. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom

coursera

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. Instructional Planning with Genially

coursera

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...

3. Instructional Design for ELearning

udemy
4.3
(6,506)

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

4. The complete Instructional Designer course

udemy
4.4
(1,391)

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

5. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education

coursera

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...

6. Foundations of Virtual Instruction

coursera

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...

7. Instructional Design for Classroom Training

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4.4
(1,602)

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

8. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!

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4.2
(1,750)

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

9. Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom

coursera

Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...

10. Music Education for Teachers

coursera

In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

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

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4.7
(369)

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

12. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development

udemy
4.1
(420)

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

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

udemy
4.6
(632)

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

14. Intuitive Curriculum Development: Make it Easy to Understand

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4.2
(341)

A Time-Tested and Research Based Approach To Making Difficult Concepts Easy To Understand...

15. Easy Instructional Harmonium for Yoga, Kirtans, Meditations

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4.5
(254)

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

16. The Perfect Golf Swing - Timeless Golf Instruction

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4.7
(853)

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

17. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance

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4.4
(1,390)

Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...

18. x86 Assembly Language Programming From Ground Up™

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4.5
(1,377)

Build over 50 Assembly Programs - x86 Instruction Set, SIMD, Image Processing Algorithms, DSP Routines, MMX, SSE, AVX...

19. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)

udemy
4.4
(876)

Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...

20. Master the FTCE Reading K-12

udemy
4.7
(609)

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for instruction deans

The most affordable schools for instruction deans are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for instruction deans 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 instruction deans.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instruction deans

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

Some great schools for instruction deans 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 instruction deans 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instruction deans

The easiest schools for instruction deans to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instruction dean 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 instruction deans.

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average instruction dean salary by education level

Instruction deans with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $106,800 annually. With a Master's degree, instruction deans earn a median annual income of $95,026 compared to $80,526 for instruction deans with an Bachelor's degree.
Instruction dean education levelInstruction dean salary
Master's Degree$95,026
Bachelor's Degree$80,526
Doctorate Degree$106,800

Instruction dean 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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