Training Specialist

The training specialist major is a 120-hour program designed to prepare students to be training specialists who design, develop, and present training in business and industry. It is offered on campus as well as at distance sites on TELETECHNET. This program is based on the latest research by the American Society for Training and Development. (Program sheet in an Acrobat format.)

Training specialists function primarily as training program developers, presenters, and in some instances, evaluators. Their job description includes discovering the training needs of specific groups, planning new programs and revising old programs to meet those needs, analyzing jobs and operations for teaching purposes, preparing course outlines, writing training manuals, furnishing and equipping classrooms, publicizing and selling training within the company, counseling individual employees on problems that might be solved through training, and measuring and maintaining employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Classes begin at the freshman level with their basic general education courses in English, mathematics, science, social studies, communications, and computer literacy. They also begin to take basic business and training courses including salesmanship, personnel management, advertising, and adult education. As they enter their junior year they begin to take more advanced training courses in instructional development, presentation techniques, and evaluation and measurement.

During the summer between their junior and senior year, students must complete a internship that gives them training-related practical experience.

Old Dominion University training specialist graduates have successfully transitioned from the campus to business and industry. In addition to positions as instructors, they have become instructional designers, training coordinators and managers, and program evaluators in government and industries such as banking, manufacturing, retailing, and production.

Specific courses requirements for the training specialist program (PDF).

Program Leader:

Mr. David l. Netherton
Education Building, Room 228
683-4305, Fax 683-5227
dnethert@odu.edu

The Faculty:

Sharon Davis
Lecturer
757-683-4305
mailto:srdavis

Mickey Kosloski
Instructor
757-683-4305
mkoslos@odu.edu