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Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA)Learn instructional design from
a hiring manager.
Build a portfolio that impresses one.

Built for career changers moving into corporate instructional design, whether you're starting fresh or you've been trying it on your own.Enrollment for the November cohort closes Tuesday, November 17.

Join the November Cohort Book a Call
★ 4.8/5 Trustpilot (140+ reviews) · 4.9/5 Google 760+ employers have hired AIDA grads Bonus Articulate 360 included through Jan 9, November cohort only
The short version

Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA) in 60 seconds.

What it is

A self-paced instructional design certification program with weekly support, designed to help you build a portfolio that replaces experience so you can get your first instructional design job.

You learn instructional design fundamentals, the eLearning authoring tools used in the field and AI skills on a step-by-step path. Along the way, you create real, practical portfolio samples that look like the work instructional designers actually do, and experienced IDs review every one, as many rounds as it takes, until it reaches the level that replaces experience.

How long

On average, about 6 months through AIDA (623 reported) and about 4 months to get hired once grads start applying (554 reported). It's designed around 15 hours a week, and you have up to 12 months to finish.

Who it's for

You're changing careers into instructional design. You might be a teacher, instructional coach or media specialist, a trainer or LMS admin, faculty or staff in higher ed, or coming from healthcare, marketing, tech or another field. Already working as an ID and haven't built eLearning in Storyline? It fits you too.

What you leave with

  • A professionally reviewed portfolio website with your reviewed samples: a design document, a storyboard, a job aid, and eLearning in Rise and Storyline, with AI built into each one where it makes sense
  • The Applied Instructional Design Certification (AIDC)
  • A professionally reviewed resume and LinkedIn
  • Confidence in your job search, from mock interviews and career services support
  • Referrals to companies that are hiring IDs, through our contacts
$76K
Average starting salary · 347 grads reported
$43/hr
Average contract rate · 214 reported
61%
Of grads who reported a role work fully remote
29%
Work hybrid, and 10% on-site

From the AIDA Outcomes Report, built from grads' own survey answers.

Where grads work

Your future coworkers are already there.

Since joining AIDA, grads have been hired into ID jobs at 760+ employers. Each company here hired at least one AIDA grad who changed careers into instructional design.

106
Companies have hired two or more AIDA grads
49
Have hired three or more
19
Have hired five or more, and 5 have hired ten or more
31
AIDA grads hired by one company, the most so far
1 in 4grads found their ID job through AIDA
40%found it through networking, in AIDA or outside it

Networking is how you skip to the front of the line, so we teach you how to do it, inside AIDA and out. See how the network works

See the full breakdown in the AIDA Outcomes Report →
Doing it on your own

The moves most career changers make on their own.

Maybe you've already made a few of them. Maybe you're just starting and want to skip the ones that cost people a year. Either way, here's what they look like.

The late-night searchChecking LinkedIn at night and finding the one ID job you like already has 100+ applicants.
The workshop, againSitting through a free workshop, then another one. Taking good notes, and then the school year (or the job) takes over.
The free trialStarting the Articulate free trial (it used to be 30 days, now it's 14) and watching it run out before your first sample is finished.
The master's or certificateLooking into a master's or a certificate because it seems like the only way in. Maybe you already have one.
The resume rewriteRunning your resume through ChatGPT to make it "ATS friendly," and it still gets auto-rejected.
The applicationsSending out dozens and getting thanks-but-no-thanks emails, or nothing at all. Nobody tells you what to fix.

None of these moves is a mistake. Each one makes sense with what you know, and each one covers part of the job. On their own, they rarely add up to a job offer.

Your experience brings some of the skills it takes to get hired and do this work well. That counts, and it gets you part of the way. The rest have to be learned, then shown in a portfolio. A resume can't show a skill you haven't had the chance to build yet.

I've been the hiring manager. What makes me keep reading is proof you can do the work.

Real samples, built in the tools we use, with good thinking behind every choice. AIDA is built to get you there, one reviewed piece at a time.

Have you been already applying and hearing nothing back?

What you've built on your own counts. We evaluate it to see what you can use and what needs to be brought up to standard with our rubrics.

You use the rubrics to bring each piece up to that level, then submit it for feedback. The pieces you don't have yet, you build in AIDA, and they're reviewed the same way.

"
I got two interviews over the course of a year and a half, neither of which led any further. And so I was kind of desperate.
Laura HallLaura HallTeacher → Instructional Designer, NearmapAfter a year and a half of applying on her own
What you want

Here's what you're working toward.

Ask people why they joined AIDA, and you hear the same things again and again.

Freedom in your weekFlexibility, remote work, the trip you take in October because you can. Freedom looks different for everyone. Mine is travel.
Money that stretchesPay that covers the life you want, with some left to save, and a way to earn more that doesn't mean moving into administration or management.
Present for your familyPut your kid on the bus in the morning and be home when it comes back. Watch the game from the stands.
A workday that endsClose the laptop at five and be done. Take a day off without writing sub plans, rescheduling a training session or finding someone to cover your lecture.
The part you loveDesigning how people learn, all day. Minus the hall duty and the grading pile, the sessions you deliver from someone else's slides, or the course shells you set up for faculty.
Treated like a professionalA manager who trusts you with your own time and your own judgment, and work that gets noticed.
"
Recently my mom was having some health issues and I was able to work from the hospital. I worked outside while my kids were playing with the bounce house. I'm not exhausted at the end of the day.
Kristen MaclinKristen MaclinEducator (17 Years) → Supervisor, Training Legal Operations, Navy Federal Credit Union
"
Hiring managers were asking me, "What can we say to you to make you accept our offer over other people's offers?"
Monique WilliamsMonique WilliamsSenior Software Engineer → Learning Experience Designer, SweetRush
"
Today I was able to take my mom to a doctor's appointment. I didn't have to ask anybody. I just built that time into my day.
Gina Hauth-MillerGina Hauth-MillerCorporate Trainer → Instructional Designer and Developer, TrainingPros
“Back when I was doing client work, I used to say I'd start teaching people how to get into instructional design when the work got lighter. It never got lighter. In 2019 I stopped waiting and started AIDA. The next year is going to go by either way. You get to decide whether you spend it building toward this.”
Jill DavidianJill DavidianFounder of AIDA
The money

What would the switch pay where you live?

A pay cut is one of the biggest worries people bring to this decision, so look at the numbers yourself. AIDA grads report a $76K average starting salary (347 reported) and a $43 an hour average contract rate (214 reported), and 74% earned more in their ID job than in the job they had before AIDA (232 reported).

Pick your state and slide in what you make now to see the entry-level estimate next to it.

Entry-level ID salary in your state Pick your state
$55,000
$30k$120k
The difference, per year
Your number
Choose your state above to see the entry-level estimate where you live.
Market estimates for entry-level instructional design roles by state (Salary.com, May 2026). They're averages, and your offer depends on the role and the company. For remote roles, the company's state sets the benchmark.

Join the November Cohort

Your options

You have three ways into ID.

All three can get you there. They cost very different things.

Door one

Teach yourself

YouTube tutorials, free templates, Facebook groups. Some people pull it off. You're on your own deciding whether your sample reads as professional work or beginner work, and a year disappears fast while you guess.

MoneyFreeTimeCan take 2+ years, because you're figuring out on your own what isn't working
Door two

Grad school

Most master's programs focus on theory and are geared toward jobs in education, so if you're headed into higher ed instructional design, a master's fits. Corporate hiring managers want corporate-style samples and tool skills. Plenty of AIDA grads arrived with a master's already on the wall.

MoneyOften $16,000 to $31,000TimeCan take 2+ years, between the degree and figuring out what corporate hiring managers want
Door three

AIDA

Think of it as trade school for instructional design.

  • Learn how IDs think first, then how to work with AI, then the tools job postings name
  • Build real corporate-style samples in a set order, each one building on the last
  • Get mentor feedback on every piece until it's ready to show a hiring manager
  • Run your job search from Job Search HQ, with career services beside you
Money$5,997, or 12 payments of $547TimeAbout 6 months through AIDA, then about 4 months to get hired once you start applying

Compare all three side by side

Jill Davidian

M.S. Instructional Systems Technology · Indiana University

"
My passion was being able to travel with my son, which is why I went remote in 2016, and I've done contract work in instructional design from all over the world. I want to help you find your freedom, whatever that means to you.

More about Jill →

Who built it

Built by someone who's hired IDs.

Jill Davidian has worked in instructional design since 2002. She started in higher education while earning her M.S. in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University, then spent ten years full-time in corporate instructional design at companies including Discover, Sysco, Vestas and BP. At BP she was an instructional design manager, leading ethical leadership and inclusive leadership programs for supervisors up through vice presidents across North and South America, and hiring for her team.

She read a lot of resumes and portfolio samples in that seat. She knows what makes a hiring manager stop scrolling, because she was the one scrolling.

She founded Learning Strategy & Design in 2014 and has designed training for clients including Chevron, Deloitte, Hilton and Lockheed Martin. She started AIDA in 2019 to teach career changers what she looked for when she was the one hiring.

20+ years in instructional design100+ corporate clients served1,200+ AIDA graduates

Where she worked

  • BP
  • Discover
  • Sysco
  • Vestas

A few of the clients she's designed training for

  • Chevron
  • Deloitte
  • Hilton
  • Lockheed Martin
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
How it works

The Applied ID Portfolio Method.

AIDA runs on the Applied ID Portfolio Method, developed by Jill Davidian of Learning Strategy & Design. Five stages take you from how instructional designers think to your first ID job: Think, Build, Iterate, Prove and Land, with every sample reviewed until it's approved.

See the whole method →

The Applied ID Portfolio Method from Learning Strategy & Design: 1 Think, then 2 Build and 3 Iterate as a loop until each piece is approved, then 4 Prove and 5 Land.
The Skill Ladder

Scaffolded to expert, on purpose.

A lot of programs give you access to everything at once, with no step-by-step path. It's overwhelming to figure out what needs to happen first, and it's very hard to build on your skills when you get everything at once.

It's how you get to expert level in a short period of time without being overwhelmed, and it's how we get you to replace experience.

Portfolio-Grade Reviews

Feedback with criteria and a stamp.

Many programs give you feedback and send you on your way. Nobody makes sure your sample is the quality it takes to get an instructional design job. In AIDA, a mentor reviews it against the rubric within 4 days, and we review your samples until they're approved, because your portfolio carries our name too.

Portfolio-grade means work that impresses a hiring manager. The rounds between draft one and the stamp are where "looks like a beginner made it" turns into "who did you hire to make this?"

Inside AIDA

What's inside AIDA.

The short version of each part, with its own page when you want the details.

ID FundamentalsAI for IDsRise AIContent MappingStorylineVisual DesignAdvanced StorylineID Process

The curriculum: climb the ID Skill Ladder

A set order where each module builds on the last, from how adults learn to an advanced Storyline sample with audio on every slide. You earn badges along the way and your AIDA Certification at the end.

See the curriculum →
Lock it inEvaluateAdjustDeliverProtect

AI, all the way through

AI for IDs comes right after ID Fundamentals. Then you use AI on your samples with the LEAD AI Framework, and your Working with AI page shows employers exactly how you work with it.

See how AI fits in →
Reviews within 4 daysLive calls every weekAda, any hourMindset Studio

Real people, real support, every week

Experienced instructional designers review every submission until it's approved. There are multiple live calls a week, plus Ada (Jill's brain), the AI assistant in AIDA HQ, between calls, and an accountability partner if you want one.

See the support →
PortfolioResumeLinkedInThe search

Your job search, run from Job Search HQ

When you earn your certification, you run your search from Job Search HQ, a complete system for your job search: portfolio, resume and LinkedIn first, then applying, networking, interviewing and offers. Employers reach out to us when they're hiring, and if there's an opening while you're searching, we refer you so you can skip the line.

See the job search →
Enrollment for the November cohort closes Tuesday, November 17.
The cohort starts Wednesday, November 18, with Articulate 360 included through January 9 so you can start building right away. Then you set your pace.
Join the November Cohort
Who it's for

Grads from all kinds of careers.

Most AIDA grads come from teaching, and plenty don't. AIDA is built for career changers, whatever you're changing from.

Where you're starting from.

Pick the one that sounds like you for the full path from there.

K-12 teacher

Your resume is your past. Your portfolio is your future.

Krysten SmithKrysten SmithMiddle School Science Teacher (20 Years) → Technical Instructional Designer, HondaFrom teacher to ID → L&D or training

Your resume shows the training you've run. Your portfolio shows the training you can build.

Jennifer SchroederJennifer SchroederTechnical Trainer in Biotech → Senior Instructional Designer, PenumbraFrom L&D to ID → Another corporate field

The training you built at work stays with your employer. You learn the process and the tools, and you build samples you can show, set in a field you already know.

Carol BeachCarol BeachAccount Executive in Fashion → Lead Instructional Designer, ExperianFrom another field to ID → Already an ID

Your years in the field count. A hiring manager weighs them alongside a current portfolio, and the portfolio is the piece to fix.

Kristen ShermanKristen ShermanReturning ID → Lead Instructional Designer, Schweitzer Engineering LaboratoriesIf you're already an ID → Higher ed

Move from higher ed to corporate instructional design without another degree. What's new is building training from scratch, end to end, for a business problem.

Chelsey BrownChelsey BrownCommunity College Nursing Professor → Facilitation & Design Manager, HumanaFrom higher ed to ID → Have or weighing a master's

For corporate jobs, it's a strong foundation. Your portfolio shows what you can do with it.

Caroline HainCaroline HainSenior Instructional Designer, Dashe & ThomsonHad a master's and still no interviewsMaster's or AIDA →

Teachers ask me all the time whether a hiring manager will only ever see a teacher. Your portfolio is how you change what they see.

"
She said, I was always very hesitant to hire someone who had come from education. [...] And she said, and you've proven me wrong, she said, I would absolutely go through someone who has an education background but has been through AIDA.
Holli HurtHolli HurtMiddle School English Teacher → Instructional Designer, Sodexo
Stories like yours → Case studies → AIDA portfolios → AIDA reviews → Reviews on Trustpilot →
★★★★★
More than learning tools, I learned how to think like an instructional designer, how to analyze needs, make intentional design choices, and communicate my value to stakeholders.
Mohua RoddamMohua RoddamLeadership Development and Psychology → Learning Designer, Husch Blackwell
★★★★★
There is no way that I could have learned all the authoring tools, revamped my resume and LinkedIn profile, and created a portfolio without the support of the AIDA program, the mentors, the coaches, and the community.
Casey JonesCasey JonesTeacher (16 Years) → Senior Instructional Designer, GM Financial
★★★★★
The portfolio assistance I received here made all the difference.
Adriel HalliburtonAdriel HalliburtonTeacher (10 Years) → Instructional Designer, ISGFAlready had a master's in the field
★★★★★
What sets AIDA apart is the invaluable feedback from industry professionals. Your submitted work is reviewed and given feedback for improvements by those who know the ins and outs of instructional design in the real world.
Tami ShepardTami ShepardCollege Dean, School of Health Sciences → Onboarding and Retention Lead, Trimedx
★★★★★
Even if you already have a MS in the field, this program helps because it gives you a better feel of how the work is actually done. Having this program greatly increased my confidence in my ID skills.
June GavettJune GavettTraining Specialist → Instructional Systems Specialist, United States Department of Defense
★★★★★
My favorite aspect was the coaching calls. [...] When I ran into issues that I couldn't figure out on my own, coaching calls and the facebook group were unbelievably helpful.
Emily JohnsEmily JohnsTeacher → Instructional Designer, Zendesk

Verified reviews on Trustpilot · 4.8/5 (140+ reviews)

Is it a fit

The real deal, before you decide.

Made for you

I built AIDA for you if you're done waiting for the right time.

It's for you once you've decided instructional design is the move, or you're close. You get a clear path, someone who's hired IDs telling you the truth about your work, and people beside you while you do it. Here's what it takes.

  • About 15 hours a week, most weeks
  • Enough tech comfort to put together a solid PowerPoint or Google Slides deck
  • A computer with Windows access. Mac users run Windows for Storyline, and we'll show you the setup
  • An AI assistant you can practice with. The free versions work for the required pieces
What it takes

This is a rigorous program, because we're getting you to the level of skill that replaces experience so you can get hired.

  • Your first drafts won't be your best work. The feedback rounds are where it gets good, and they take effort
  • Articulate 360 is included through January 9 for the November cohort. It's the tool employers expect, and you build your Rise and Storyline samples in it. Access ends January 9, so start building right away.
  • Fifteen hours a week on top of your job is a real ask. It's a fixed stretch, and on the other side of it your week looks different
  • If a basic PowerPoint is a struggle, this career path isn't the right fit, and I'd rather tell you now
  • If you want a shortcut, AIDA won't be a fit. It takes a season of real work, and nobody can do that part for you
Tuition

Join the November cohort.

Spending this much on yourself is a big decision, especially if you've paid for a course or a degree before and it didn't get you hired. Here's exactly what you get, and what protects you if life gets in the way.

Enrollment closes Tuesday, November 17 at 11:59pm CT. The cohort starts Wednesday, November 18.

Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA)
$5,997Paid in full
$54712 payments

12 payments of $547 is $6,564 in all. Pay in full and save $567.

Designed to finish in6 months at 15 hrs a week
Time to finishUp to 12 months
PauseUp to 3 months
What's included
  • ✓The full curriculum in AIDA HQ, from ID Fundamentals through the Instructional Design Process
  • ✓Articulate 360 (Rise and Storyline) through January 9, 2027, a $1,449 value, for the November cohort
  • ✓AI for IDs and the LEAD AI Framework, with AI built into the modules after it
  • ✓Multiple live calls a week, including coaching calls and the AI Lab, all recorded
  • ✓AIDA HQ, with Ada, Your Pace and Mindset Studio
  • ✓AIDA's AI tools: the Portfolio Topic Generator and the reviewers
  • ✓Job Search HQ for your portfolio, resume, LinkedIn and the whole search
  • ✓Your AIDA Certification, plus the ID Fundamentals, Rise, Storyline and AI for Instructional Design badges
  • ✓A community of career changers making the same move
What we commit to

Been burned by another program? In AIDA, real people review every submission, you can talk to them live every week, and you don't move on until your work is ready.

  • ✓A mentor reviews every submission within 4 days
  • ✓You get as many rounds as it takes to meet the rubric
  • ✓You keep the lessons for life. Live calls, mentor reviews, submitting assignments and AIDA's AI tools run while you're in the program.
  • ✓Career services and Job Search HQ while you're in the program, up to 12 months
Pay in Full Payment Plan
Your first week: You get into AIDA HQ the minute you join and begin with ID Fundamentals. The cohort starts Wednesday, November 18. You start building in the first modules, so you see how the work feels early on.
Questions before you decide? Book a Program Clarity Consultation and talk it through.
"
I have been able to hire five AIDA graduates. [...] they have been the highest performers on my team because they get it, because of the rigor of the program. And not just the rigor of the program, but how clear everything is set out for you to learn in a very scaffolded fashion.
Marion CallahanMarion CallahanInstructional Systems Design Manager, CPaT GlobalHas hired five AIDA grads
"
It's not a quick and easy program, but intensive and practical, and for me, it was worth it. I love the supportive community of learning in AIDA, and the connections I've made in the program are so valuable.
Kristen ShermanKristen ShermanReturning ID → Lead Instructional Designer, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

|| Life happens. Pause.

You can pause for up to 3 months. Your progress stays where it is, and your end date moves later by the length of the pause. Plan payments keep going on their regular schedule.

3 A 3-day refund window

Request a refund within 72 hours of your purchase, minus a $300 processing fee, whether you paid in full or chose the payment plan.

$ Your employer might cover it.

A lot of companies pay for training that builds skills their teams can use, and plenty of that money goes unspent because nobody asks. If you're already on a training team, your company may pay for this. Get the employer kit to bring to your manager: a one-page business case, the full syllabus, every module outline and a request letter you can fill in.

Bonuses when you join AIDA

  1. First 15 to join
    BonusA seat at Portfolio Sample in a Day (a $297 value)

    Live Saturday, November 21, plus the recording.

  2. Join by Thursday, November 12 at 11:59pm CT
    BonusA one-hour, one-on-one call with me.

    Use it any time you're active in AIDA, job search included. Bring your transition questions, get personalized feedback on your work, or talk through whatever you want.

  3. Join by Friday, November 13 at 11:59pm CT
    BonusThe Salary Negotiation Workshop recording.

    What to say, how to say it, when to say it and when not to, plus how to breathe through the conversation and keep your nervous system calm.

  4. Join by Sunday, November 15 at 11:59pm CT
    BonusThe Rise AI Code Block training, live with me.

    We build AI code blocks that personalize your Rise samples and make them stand out to a hiring manager, live together, on top of what you learn in Advanced Rise. Bring your questions. AI does the coding. You do the review.

  5. Join by Tuesday, November 17 at 11:59pm CT
    BonusArticulate 360 through January 9, 2027 (a $1,449 value).

    Rise and Storyline, with their AI features.

    BonusFour electives, Camtasia, Vyond, Virtual Instructor-Led Training and Synthesia.

    Build a sample in each, get mentor feedback on every one, and add more skills employers look for. You take them during Job Readiness.

Pay in Full Payment Plan
FAQ

Good questions, straight answers.

How long does AIDA take, and how many hours a week?+
AIDA is designed to take 6 months at 15 hours a week. It's self-paced, so you can go faster or slower, and you have up to 12 months to finish. If life gets in the way, you can pause for up to 3 months. Your Pace in AIDA HQ turns your real hours into a finish date, and the date moves with you when your week changes.
What instructional design certification do you earn in AIDA?+
The AIDA Certification: you earn the Applied Instructional Design Certification (AIDC). It also counts for 60 credits toward ATD's APTD and CPTD credentials. Hiring managers look at your portfolio first, and the certification comes with it.
What does "cohort" mean if AIDA is self-paced?+
Everyone in the November cohort starts on Wednesday, November 18. From there, you move at your own pace. Enrollment closes Tuesday, November 17 at 11:59pm CT.
Is AIDA only for teachers?+
No. Most AIDA grads come from teaching, and plenty come from other careers, like software engineering, higher education, social work and corporate training. The skills you learn and the portfolio you build are the same either way.
I already work as an ID, mostly instructor-led. Is AIDA for me?+
If you haven't designed or developed eLearning, or you've only built it in Rise or as microlearning, yes. Your instructor-led and virtual instructor-led work comes with you, and AIDA is where you add Storyline, Rise and AI and build eLearning samples, each one reviewed until it's approved. It fits too if you know Storyline and have no samples you can show because your work stayed with your employer. It's self-paced, so you can move quickly through what you already know. If you already build in Storyline and want feedback on samples you have, the Portfolio Review Session is the better fit.
Am I too old to make this switch?+
Most people come into instructional design as a second career, so the field skews older. Andi Stanfield made the move after 50 and was hired into a state government role. In her words, the obstacles people expect over 50 are "an urban legend out there."
Isn't the field saturated?+
The front door is crowded with applicants who have nothing to show. A reviewed portfolio, the AI skills employers ask for and a network get you through it. Between July 2025 and June 2026, 123 AIDA grads reported a new ID job or contract. That count only includes grads who filled out our paid work questionnaire, so the real number is higher.
Do I need to know AI already?+
No. AI for IDs starts with how AI works, just enough to evaluate it, and builds from there.
Is AI going to make this career pointless?+
AI is changing how the work gets done. Someone still has to decide what the training needs to do, evaluate whether the AI output actually teaches, and put their name on the finished course. The instructional designer does that. AIDA teaches you to work with AI the way employers want, and your Working with AI page shows them how you do it.
I've been burned by another program. How is AIDA different?+
We hear this a lot, usually with a number attached. In AIDA, an experienced instructional designer reviews every submission within 4 days, and you keep revising until your work meets the rubric. There are multiple live calls a week with real people, Ada between calls, and a set path so you always know what's next. Your portfolio carries our name too, so we keep reviewing until it's ready.
I already built a portfolio on my own. Do I start over?+
No. We evaluate what you've built to see what you can use and what needs to be brought up to standard with our rubrics. If you've already built things, you use the rubrics to bring them up to that level, then submit them for feedback. The pieces you don't have yet, you build in AIDA, and they're reviewed the same way.
Is AIDA too good to be true? What's the catch?+
It's a fair question to ask about any program. The catch is the work: about 15 hours a week, drafts that come back with feedback, and revising until each piece meets the rubric. AIDA has been running since 2019 and has 1,200+ graduates. You can read their reviews on Trustpilot, look through their portfolios and see where they work now on the Reviews page. Then book a Program Clarity Consultation and ask me anything.
I already have a master's or a graduate certificate in ID. Why would I need this?+
A degree gives you the theory. Hiring managers want to see the work. Plenty of our grads arrived with a master's and months of silence from job applications. AIDA is closer to trade school. You build the samples employers ask for, and experienced instructional designers review them until they're ready. It isn't paying for the same thing twice. Your degree is the foundation, and this is the hands-on part most programs skip.
Job postings ask for a master's. Do I need one?+
For corporate ID, no. Corporate hiring managers look at your portfolio. Most master's programs focus on theory and are geared toward jobs in education, so if you're headed into higher ed instructional design, a master's fits. If you already have one, it isn't wasted. When two candidates are otherwise identical, the degree can be the cherry on top. Your portfolio shows the rest. See a master's and AIDA side by side.
Do I have to buy Articulate 360?+
Not if you join the November cohort. Articulate 360, with Rise AI and Storyline's AI Assistant, is included through January 9, 2027. Articulate sells it for $1,449 a year, with no monthly option. Start building right away so you get the most out of it. After January 9, use Articulate's 14-day free trial to finish, or buy your own license. This is for the November cohort only, and future cohorts may not get it.
Which AI tools do I have to pay for?+
Rise AI and Storyline's AI Assistant come with Articulate 360. For everything else, you can use the AI assistant you already have, and the free versions work for the required pieces.
I'm not super tech-savvy. Can I do this?+
If you can put together a solid PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation, you have enough tech skill to start. There's no coding, even for the AI-built pieces. I will be honest, though. If a basic PowerPoint is a struggle, this career path isn't the right fit, and I'd rather tell you that here than after you've paid me.
What if I don't like the work once I'm in it?+
You find out early. You start building in the first modules, with content maps and then your first Rise sample, so you know how the work feels before you're deep in. Planning and creating how people learn is the core of this job, whether you've done it in a classroom, a training room or a lecture hall. And you won't be alone at a computer all day. There are live calls every week and a community of career changers making the same move.
Will I lose the part where I work with people?+
No. Instructional design keeps you working with people, too: subject matter experts, stakeholders, and sometimes the learners in the room. Inside AIDA, there are live calls every week and a community of career changers making the same move.
What kind of computer do I need?+
A computer with Windows access, at least 8GB of RAM, and an i5 or newer processor handles everything comfortably. Mac users run Windows through virtualization for Storyline, and we'll point you to the setup that works.
What if life gets in the way?+
You can pause for up to 3 months. Your progress stays where it is, and your end date moves later by the length of the pause. Payments on a payment plan keep going on their regular schedule.
Do I keep access after I finish?+
You keep the lessons for life, so you can go back to any of them once you're working as an ID. Live calls, mentor reviews, submitting assignments and AIDA's AI tools run while you're in the program.
Where do AIDA grads work?+
Grads have been hired at 760+ employers, from Fortune 500 companies to hospitals, universities and government agencies. Salesforce, Google, Disney, Cleveland Clinic and the United Nations are a few of them.
How is AIDA different from a university certificate in instructional design?+
A university certificate is usually about four classes. It costs less than a master's, and it's still mostly theory. AIDA is built around the samples hiring managers ask to see. You build them in the tools employers use, and experienced instructional designers review every piece until it meets the rubric.
How does an employer check my AIDC?+
Your AIDC comes with a digital credential, issued on Certifier, that you can share as a link. Hiring managers look at your portfolio first, and it shows the work behind the credential.
What's the refund policy?+
You can request a refund within 72 hours of your purchase, minus a $300 processing fee, whether you paid in full or chose the payment plan. After that, payments are non-refundable, and a payment plan continues until it's paid in full.
Do you guarantee a job?+
No, and I'd be careful with anyone who does. What we do: review your work until it's ready to show an employer, prepare you for interviews until you can speak to the real work, and support your search with career services and Job Search HQ while you're in the program, up to 12 months. Then you go earn the offer.
Can my employer pay for it?+
Plenty of employers reimburse professional development. Get the employer kit on this page: a request letter you can send and a one-page breakdown your manager can approve.

Questions before you join?

Email info@learningstrategyanddesign.com and our team replies within one business day. Refund within 72 hours of purchase, minus a $300 processing fee, and you can pause your enrollment for up to 3 months. Read the terms.

Jill Davidian

Jill Davidian is the founder of Learning Strategy & Design and creator of the Applied ID Portfolio Method. 20+ years in instructional design, including time as a hiring manager. 1,200+ AIDA graduates. More about Jill
Last updated: November 2026

We'd love to have you in the November cohort.

The intersection of excited and scared is the perfect place to be. It's where you grow. Enrollment closes Tuesday, November 17 at 11:59pm CT, and the Articulate 360 bonus closes with it. We start Wednesday, November 18.

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