How To Become An Instructional Designer Internship: What It Is and Career Path

What is an instructional designer internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

Instructional designer interns get a glimpse of the day-to-day tasks professionals in this field have to deal with. Performing entry-level duties under experienced colleagues' supervision, they get to match their theoretical knowledge with practical skills.

Working in this position, you will have the chance to collaborate in creating course content and learning activities. You will learn how to apply instructional design theories and course development methods to practice. You will review learning resources to make sure they align with learning goals and conduct quality surveys on learning materials.

You will need a degree in instructional design to be considered for this position or be an enrolled student at a relevant course. You will need to be passionate about the subject to succeed at it, and strong communication and organizational skills will be a must.

What general advice would you give to an instructional designer internship?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreInstructional Designer InternshipUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,791

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 5.49%

Black or African American 9.96%

Hispanic or Latino 17.05%

Unknown 4.25%

White 62.50%

Gender

female 63.50%

male 36.50%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an instructional designer internship

Explore instructional designer internship education requirements

Most common instructional designer internship degrees

Bachelor's

63.3 %

Master's

17.9 %

Associate

10.6 %

Start to develop specific instructional designer internship skills

Skills	Percentages
Instructional Design	11.85%
PowerPoint	8.80%
Subject Matter Experts	7.97%
Learning Management System	6.33%
Internship Program	5.95%

Complete relevant instructional designer internship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New instructional designer interns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an instructional designer internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real instructional designer internship resumes.

Research instructional designer internship duties and responsibilities

Design, develop, and manage faculty websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Lead the virtualization of military training exercises and provide periods of instruction using virtual simulations.
Revise SharePoint site when asset documents change.
Review and ensure compliance with SCORM standards.

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