Designing and Managing High Impact Programs - January 2027
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Register
- Non-member - $599
- Member - $499
Course Description
Successful online and professional education programs begin with thoughtful planning, strategic design, and a deep understanding of learner and institutional needs. This course provides a practical framework for developing, launching, and managing high-impact programs that deliver value for learners while advancing institutional goals.
Participants will explore the program planning process from concept through implementation, examining market opportunities, stakeholder engagement, curriculum design, operational planning, and program evaluation. Through collaborative discussions and applied planning activities, learners will develop practical strategies for designing sustainable programs that respond to evolving learner needs and institutional priorities.
Whether developing a new certificate, workforce initiative, academic program, or professional learning experience, participants will gain the tools and perspectives needed to design programs that are intentional, learner-centered, and positioned for long-term success.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Design learner-centered programs that align with institutional priorities, market opportunities, and workforce needs.
- Evaluate program ideas using data, stakeholder input, and available institutional resources to determine feasibility and impact.
- Develop operational, curricular, and assessment plans that support successful program implementation and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate effectively with internal and external partners throughout the program planning and management process.
- Apply best practices for evaluating program effectiveness and making data-informed decisions to strengthen long-term program success.
Course Structure and Expectations
This instructor-supported course is delivered over four weeks. Each week combines asynchronous coursework with a one-hour live Zoom session that provides opportunities for discussion, peer exchange, and application of course concepts.
Asynchronous Coursework
Complete readings, videos, discussions, applied activities, and assignments on your own schedule within each weekly module.
Weekly Live Session
Participate in a one-hour Zoom session each week for faculty guidance, collaborative discussion, and peer learning.
Weekly Commitment
Plan to spend approximately 5–7 hours each week completing course materials, activities, assignments, and the live session.
Melissa K. Mahan
Associate Vice Provost of Academic Innovation
University of Texas at San Antonio
Melissa K. Mahan serves as Associate Vice Provost of Academic Innovation at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she coordinates the advancement of the university’s workforce programs, business community engagement, and professional and continuing education offerings. Dr. Mahan has a long history of serving in national leadership roles focused on increasing access to adult education and workforce development while supporting women and leadership. As a higher education thought leader, she has spoken at numerous conferences and been recognized for innovation. She earned her Ph.D. in Occupational and Adult Education from Oklahoma State University.
See what past participants have said about this course:
"I would recommend this course to my fellow directors/deans for their teams. I will strongly consider using this course, or ones related to it, to help onboard new employees in the future. It will definitely help establish a common understanding and provide a framework to help them operate.” John Freeze, Director, Center for Professional Education, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Download John's story)
"This course provided relevant and helpful information in a user-friendly format, which allowed for a variety of participants to engage in a variety of ways at their convenience. The discussions were thoughtful and I really enjoyed gaining perspectives from professionals and practitioners from all over the country. This was my first UPCEA course, and I look forward to future opportunities to enroll in other UPCEA courses." R Katherine Samford, GA Institute of Technology
I was able to take the course as part of the PCO Pro certificate thanks to receiving the Bethaida "Bea" González Diversity in Leadership scholarship. As someone new to the field, this course took me from 0-60 in a matter of weeks. Highly recommend! Sandra Watts, PhD, Interdisciplinary Faculty, Program Coordinator, Online and Blended Learning Expert, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
"This was the fourth PCO course that I have taken with UPCEA. What a delight it was to see that this course was designed as a truly online course by an experienced ID! I appreciated the mix of content, the clear identification of required and supplemental readings, the "TLDR" summaries (even though I always read all of the materials), and the optional "challenge" activities."
"I just want to say, Julia Uranis is a national treasure. Her energy and accessibility made this course. Thank you!"
"The scope of the course was great--I was able to understand the broad, overarching principles of program planning, then it also zoomed in and covered some of the details of each topic. I appreciated that the course didn't require too much prior knowledge about program planning, and that the readings and resources were approachable and informative. I enjoyed the interaction with my peers, and the course was well organized and easy to navigate."
"All the content was very beneficial. Plus I enjoy being able to discuss our unique situations during the live class versus going back over everything we just read or studied."
"Julie was friendly, engaging, and had both a sense of humor and realistic expectations about pacing/workload. During the weekly synchronous Zoom sessions, Julie consistently and deliberately referred to a range of participants by name and their comments in the asynchronous discussion threads, inviting them to elaborate on their thoughts. This made a larger class seem more intimate and was a thoughtful way to signal that Julie had read our contributions to discussion threads."
"This was my first UPCEA course, and it was an eye opener for me. Although I have many years of experience as a college-level instructor for both face-to-face and online courses, I have not been a student for almost 40 years. I think I will always prefer in-person situations in education, but I know that online instruction is an ever-expanding industry, especially in the last couple of years with COVID. It is good to know that the experience continues to improve over time. Well done UPCEA!"
"Julie was a great instructor. It was helpful to hear about her personal experiences and challenges in program planning."
"This course really helped me to contextualize and frame best practices in program planning, some things I already do and others that were new to me."
"Julie was excellent: very welcoming and engaging. She had fantastic examples and could speak to a range of experiences with expertise. The course included excellent resources and thoughtfully prepared lectures."
"I really liked Julie. She was very personable and ensured that she was inclusive of all experience levels from seasoned veterans to newcomers to program planning (me). It was much appreciated."
