Graduating with an online master's in training & development could foster one's own career growth for promotions into mid- and upper-level HR jobs leading corporate programs that keep employees erudite. According to Forbes, organizations are investing $70 billion nationwide and $130 billion globally to promote their workforce's "skills supply chain." In 2016, Training Magazine estimated that small businesses spend $290,000 and large corporations spend $13 million on average each year for professional development. Online training & development master's degrees develop the pedagogical know-how for specialists to plan cohesive, effective seminars or workshops that boost staff productivity. Demand for training gurus is sky-scraping because executives have learned the impact of HR development on the bottom line. Huffington Post details how entities that devote at least $1,500 per employee to education annually reap 24 percent higher profit margins! Cheap online master's in training & development offerings are available for leaders to incite the power of learning in diverse workplaces with no physical classroom time.
Training and Development Master's for You
These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master's or PhD programs.
Methodology
The Grad School Hub staff learned about the availability of affordable training & development master's online programs by studying results from the National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator. Our team marked the box for distance education to filter four-year, nonprofit colleges with advanced degrees related to adult education/training and HR development. Regional accreditation reigns supreme in our book, so we checked our 93 potential colleges' approval in the Council on Higher Education Accreditation database. Any nationally accredited schools, i.e. California Intercontinental University and Ashworth College, were excluded. Preference was also given for being in the Association for Talent Development (ATD) directory. Lastly, we compared value based on 2016-17 average in-state graduate tuition data and removed any above $11,500. For example, the University of Idaho just missed the cutoff at $11,530 for its Adult Organizational Learning & Leadership M.S. Online. Below are the 10 least expensive master's in training & development online degrees where adults learn to teach adults.
Affordable Online Master's in Training & Development
Which Jobs Benefit From Master's in Training & Development Online Programs?
Finishing an online training & development master's would qualify professionals with experience for virtually all openings on the ATD Jobs Board from instructional technologist to learning solutions manager. Aside from PhD-preferred university teaching, post-grads are prepared to coordinate adult education in various forms, including compliance training, team building, employee orientation, sexual harassment prevention, and safety refreshers, especially with industry credentials. For instance, the Institute for Performance and Learning created the Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP) title for members who pass a 100-question, $950 exam and skills demo. Training Industry Inc. launched the Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) program with 10 online modules, a four-day practicum, and 2.5-hour exam to prove leadership competencies. Many graduates also choose to join the 285,000 other members of the Society for Human Resource Management for networking events, including the Talent Conference & Exposition. Let's review five job descriptions where putting a training & development master's online atop one's résumé is advantageous.
Training & Development Manager- Chosen for CNN Money's 71st best job with an "A" for low stress, training & development managers provide overall strategic direction for the delivery of employee instruction. Getting a cheap online master's in training & development could help assess worker needs, architect curriculum, select manuals, supervise teachers, order supplies, monitor spending, measure program results, and suggest improvements.
Executive Recruiter- The Glassdoor Statistical Reference Guide reports that the average corporate vacancy goes unfilled for 28.1 days, so training & development master's online graduates can help businesses draft the industry's brightest minds. Executive recruiters evaluate hiring needs, select job criteria, identify top talent, assess candidate qualifications, check references, conduct interviews, negotiate hires, and assist with transition training.
Adult GED Teacher- Outside the HR realm, online master's in training & development graduates may find nonprofit jobs instructing the over 560,000 U.S. adults who earn the General Equivalency Diploma yearly according to GED Testing Service. These teachers craft secondary-level lessons, build job skills, emphasize exam-taking strategies, evaluate learning progress, adapt for English language learners, give practice tests, and aid college transitions.
Corporate eLearning Director- Earning a master's in training & development online would give the tech prowess to oversee corporations' Web-based classrooms in a fast-growing eLearning sector expected to reach $31 billion by 2020 on Docebo. Corporate eLearning directors develop webinars, select online platforms like Blackboard, set instructional goals, control user access, establish vendor partnerships, address IT errors, and recap course reviews.
Chief Learning Officer-LinkedIn has recognized extraordinary Chief Learning Officers like Tom Evans, Amy Hayes, and Tamar Elkeles for 25 years, but online master's in training & development graduates could be future award winners. CLOs have C-Suite executive power to set organizational training policy, direct large-scale education initiatives, institute new technologies, edit course modules, make HR management changes, and diagnose skill gaps.
How Much Can Training & Development Master's Online Graduates Earn?
Cheap online master's in training & development study could pay off because management jobs offer average pay of $105,000 on Investopedia. The U.S. News & World Report stated that mean lifetime earnings jump from $2.27 million to $2.67 million with a master's across industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 32,880 training & development managers nationwide make an average wage of $115,180, or $55.37 per hour. Human resource managers earn slightly more at $120,210 annually. Employee benefits managers bring home median profits of $116,240. Corporate instructional designers snag mean income of $77,060. Private-sector positions pay considerably more than the average salary of $55,140 for adult educators. On Salary.com, Chief Learning Officers report median compensation worth $187,109. Other high averages include $92,066 for executive recruiters, $121,861 for talent managers, $145,720 for sales training directors, and $130,998 for flight training coordinators.
What is the Employment Outlook for Online Training & Development Master's Degrees?
Investing in a training & development master's online isn't deemed high-risk because PR Newswire published projections of solid 10.55 percent growth in global corporate training from 2016 to 2020. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) reported a low 1.7 percent unemployment rate for adults aged 25+ with master's degrees in 2017. Training & development managers have a favorable job outlook with 10 percent growth for 3,600 new jobs by 2026 according to the Department of Labor. Hiring in HR management is slightly slower at 9 percent for total U.S. employment of 148,400. Decade-long forecasts show job increases of 11 percent for instructional coordinators, 5 percent for benefits managers, 4 percent for adult education teachers, and 8 percent for chief executives like CLOs. Monster recognized Bonobos, Amazon, AT&T, Randstad, Paychex, and Marriott International among the best companies with hiring training programs. An online master's in training & development can push careers forward into management to ensure talented employees realize their fullest potential.
