UPCOMING TERM DATES:
8/26/24 - 8/17/25 | TUITION:
$368 x 18 Credit Hours + Fees | PROGRAM COORDINATOR:
Dr. Li-Wei Peng | Delivery:
Online |
Entry Term: Fall Only! 2024 Fall Term Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 31, 2024
About ONTL
Increase your marketability in today's economy by advancing your skills in the growing field of online education and open the door to new online teaching and training opportunities. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning (ONTL) is an online certificate program with significant job-embedded learning.
"ONTL has offered a flexible approach to empower our participants with the knowledge necessary to make meaningful changes to their own online course design practice, reflect on their experience with a friendly learning community, receive feedback from experienced facilitators, and further refine their practice. This kind of immediate application and impact is powerful." — Dr. Li-Wei Peng, ONTL Program Coordinator
Overview
ONTL provides you with an innovative online learning experience that develops a robust understanding of the complexities within online course design systems, while honing the leadership skills to create transformational change.
Led by GSU faculty members who are also experienced Quality Matters-certified Higher Education and K-12 online course master reviewers, ONTL offers 6 graduate-level courses entirely online in 7.5-week modules, respectively, enabling you to earn your certificate in 3 semesters. ONTL is perfect for busy working professionals like you, because it allows you to participate on your own time and you only need to focus on 1 course at time. You will enjoy the hands-on curriculum in which both your instructors and fellow classmates provide detailed feedback on every project. You will have a designated online learning facilitator to contact directly for support.
Schedule of Offerings
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester |
1st 7.5 weeks | ONTL 6101 (1st Course) | ONTL 6850 (3rd Course) | ONTL 7105 (5th Course) |
2nd 7.5 weeks | ONTL 6201 (2nd Course) | ONTL 7101 (4th Course) | ONTL 7201 (6th Course) |
Outcomes
Whether you are a professor, K-12 teacher, trainer, or
facilitator in corporate, non-profit, business, and military settings, ONTL prepares you to effectively design, produce, and facilitate online courses. ONTL builds you with the
confidence and high level skills to:
- Design high-quality online courses aligning with Quality Matters K-12, Higher Education, or Continuing and Professional Education Standards;
- Apply instructional design models and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) to provide high-energy, technology-enriched online instructional materials that enhance student learning and increase student retention;
- Integrate a variety of learning
management systems (e.g., Blackboard, Canvas, Google Classroom, and Seesaw) to deliver active learning that advances accessibility and fosters collaboration;
- Engage learners creatively through online conferencing platforms (e.g., Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, Zoom, and Cisco Webex);
- Create dynamic online learning activities and assessments to meet the diverse learning styles of all learners (e.g., visual, kinaesthetic, and auditory).
Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability & Tuition Assistance
ONTL adopts open educational resources. ONTL offers entire courses at no cost for textbook and instructional materials. Financial aids are available for ONTL on a need- and application-basis. Requests for financial aids have no effect on an applicant's prospects for admission. You may access the financial aid application after you have submitted your program application.
Admission Requirements
- A complete online application
(Please select "Fall" entry term, choose "Masters" for the Graduate Plan section, and then find "Online Teaching Certificate" in the Graduate Programs section.) - An official transcript showing your completion of Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2 or higher (undergraduate) 3 or higher (graduate)
Your official transcript must be directly sent by the Registrars of your degree-granting institution attended to the Governors State University Office of Admissions at apotranscripts@govst.edu or this address:
Governors State University
Office of Admissions
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484-0975
If you have any question regarding the admission process, please feel free to contact the Program Coordinator Dr. Li-Wei Peng at ontladvisor@govst.edu or 708-235-7573.

Dawn Ladislas 2019 ONTL Student
“I am designing a religious education
online class as my capstone project
in the Online Teaching and Learning
Certificate Program. I was recently
notified that a university not only
found it, but its administrators called
me for an interview! They told me that
they like my class setup and want to
consider online religious education in
the near future and want to keep me
in mind for a few positions upcoming,
including director of the religious
education program and this is all
due to my class! I am so excited for
this and I just love this Certificate
program!”

Regina Richardson, 2019 ONTL Student / Real Estate Agent
“I have found that this course was
helpful because it allowed us not only
to learn the useful principles but also
to actually facilitate an online learning
module both synchronously and
asynchronously. My professor created
a safe and secure environment for me
and my peers to learn how to teach
a real online class for the first time.
We all learned together and learning
was not only fundamental but fun. I
highly recommend for any instructor
who wants to enlarge their territory in
teaching.”
Online Application
Apply to ONTL as the first step towards increasing your marketability!