Public university in Ohio for career prep
The Wall Street Journal
Career opportunities
The human performance technology (HPT) certificate prepares you to take on expanded responsibilities in:
- Learning and development
- Instructional design
- Organizational performance improvement
By strengthening your skills in consulting, leadership, evaluation and performance analysis, you'll be prepared to guide initiatives that support employee development, organizational effectiveness and strategic goals.
Career paths
- Performance consultant
- Learning and development manager
- Senior Instructional Designer
- Training and development manager
- Organizational development specialist
- Performance improvement improvement specialist
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Curriculum
The fully online HPT graduate certificate is offered through the instructional design and technology (IDT) program. The 12-credit certificate includes:
- Required coursework in performance consulting, evaluation and leadership
- An elective that allows students to strengthen skills aligned with their professional interests
The curriculum gives you a practical framework for analyzing performance challenges and leading improvement efforts across organizational settings. Coursework connects performance analysis, consulting, leadership and evaluation so students can better understand why performance problems occur and how to support effective, measurable solutions.
You will also build experience using data and analytics to evaluate outcomes and guide decision-making. Uou’ll develop a broader view of performance improvement that includes both instructional and non-instructional strategies.
Sample courses
- Human Performance Consulting
- Evaluation and Learning Analytics
- Leadership Theory and Practice
- Principles of Learning Design
- Instructional Systems Design
- Gamification and Game-Based Learning
Human performance technology (HPT) is a systematic approach to improving workplace and organizational performance through analysis, design, development, implementation,and evaluation. HPT professionals look beyond training alone to identify root causes and recommend solutions that improve performance and support organizational goals.
The HPT certificate helps professionals move beyond training delivery and into more strategic roles focused on improving workplace performance. Graduates develop skills in performance consulting, needs assessment, leadership, project management and evaluation that can be applied across learning and development, talent development, performance improvement and organizational development functions.
Today's organizations need professionals who can go beyond training delivery to solve workplace performance challenges. In-demand skills include performance consulting, needs assessment, root cause analysis, stakeholder engagement, project leadership, data-informed decision making and the ability to align learning and performance solutions with organizational goals.
As organizations face increasing pressure to improve performance and demonstrate results, they need professionals who can connect learning initiatives to business goals. In-demand skills include performance consulting, needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, project leadership, evaluation and data-informed decision making. These capabilities help professionals identify performance challenges, recommend effective solutions and lead improvement initiatives that create measurable impact.
The program is ideal for professionals in learning and development, training, talent development, human resources and instructional design who want to expand their impact beyond instructional design or training delivery. The HPT certificate helps professionals develop the consulting, leadership and performance improvement skills needed to take on more strategic roles focused on improving workplace and organizational performance.
Students learn from faculty with expertise in human performance improvement, performance consulting, leadership, project management, learning and development, and learning analytics, bringing together perspectives from both research and professional practice.
Career opportunities include:
- Performance consultant
- Learning and development manager
- Talent development manager
- Senior instructional designer
- Organizational development specialist
According to labor market data, many positions related to learning, talent and performance improvement offer median salaries approaching $100,000, with compensation varying by role, industry and experience.
BGSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation — and the only one in Ohio — to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all of our online programs. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing the critical support and academic services that online students need to succeed.
The human performance technology certificate is a program within the instructional design and technology program in the College of Engineering and Innovation.
Updated: 08/19/2026 03:03PM