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Program Dates
April 18, 2026
April 25, 2026
May 10, 2026
+1-on-1 coaching with instructor
Target Audience
Accomplished professionals and executives with an interest in university teaching
Certificate
All students will receive a Certificate of Completion from NYU Shanghai after the conclusion of the program
Instructor
Professor Ted Magder, Associate Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication, NYU Steinhardt
Language of Instruction
English
This NYU Shanghai certificate program offers an intensive, practice-oriented introduction to university-level teaching for accomplished professionals and executives who are considering the transition into higher education—whether as professors of practice, industry lecturers, or academic contributors in applied fields.
Designed for participants from any industry or field and requiring no prior teaching experience, the program is grounded in a simple premise: outstanding teaching is both an art and a craft, and it can be learned, refined, and performed with confidence.
Participants who complete this program will have a better understanding of the craft of teaching - how and when teaching works, and how to create significant and rewarding learning experiences that have a sustained and substantial impact on how students think, act, and feel.
- Who Is This Program For
- Program Description and Activities: What We Will Do
- Program Structure and Schedule
- About the Instructor
- Application Process and Program Fee
Who Is This Program For
This certificate program is designed specifically for accomplished professionals and executives with an interest in university teaching. Corporate educators, coaches / consultants, and professionals in learning and development or with backgrounds in related fields will also benefit greatly from the course. All participants should be professionally fluent in English.
Regardless of whether you have taught before or have no prior teaching experience, this program will benefit those who seek to further develop their pedagogical techniques and better understand the key theories behind effective instruction.
Program Description and Activities: What We Will Do
Together, we will examine what makes learning “stick” and how effective instructors shape not only what students know, but how they think, engage, and apply ideas in the real world. The program blends core principles from learning science with practical techniques for course design and classroom delivery. Through guided discussion, hands-on exercises, and targeted feedback, participants will explore how to define learning outcomes, sequence content, build rapport, facilitate meaningful discussion, and create environments that motivate participation—whether teaching through lectures, cases, projects, or experiential activities that connect theory with practice.
Topics will include:
- Theories of knowledge construction and learning science
- Creating a syllabus and sequencing course content
- General classroom management and building rapport
- Strategies for lectures and facilitating discussions
- Techniques for active and collaborative learning
- Case-based and project learning
- Experiential learning - application and reflection
- Assessment instruments, such as assignments and tests
- Grading and evaluation
By the end of the course, all participants will complete a portfolio that includes:
- A polished lesson plan for a 60-minute lecture or educational workshop on a topic of their choice that marries theory and practice;
- A semester-long, 15-week sequence of classes
- A deck of completed slides to supplement a 15-minute portion of their lecture or workshop; and
- Delivery of that presentation live before a peer group
Presentations will also be recorded for participants to review. Participants will come away with the tools, materials, and confidence to translate their professional experience into classroom-ready academic lessons and pursue future teaching opportunities.
Program Structure and Schedule
This program will run as a small cohort of around 20 students where participants can expect extensive engagement in a supportive environment, group discussion, interaction with the professor, and personalized feedback. Participants should also expect to spend time outside of the classroom working on assignments and preparing for program sessions.
The program will consist of 3 full-day sessions scheduled as below, followed by a 30-minute 1-on-1 online coaching session with the professor. Each session will also include lunch and daily refreshments. Upon finishing all course components, all participants will receive a certificate of completion from NYU Shanghai.
Class 1:
April 18 (Saturday), from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m.
Class 2:
April 25 (Saturday), from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m.
Class 3:
May 10 (Sunday), from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m.
About the Instructor
Ted Magder is an Associate Professor in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. He has over 30 years of teaching experience covering almost every type of instruction from large introductory classes with hundreds of students to small, graduate level seminars. In 2012, Ted Magder was a recipient of New York University’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
From 2015 - 2019, Ted Magder was the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development overseeing the design and delivery of over 100 academic programs to more than 7,000 students. He has also worked with NYU’s Office of Global Programs to support teaching excellence at NYU’s 13 global campuses. Over the years he has observed, evaluated and advised hundreds of university teachers.
Application Process and Program Fee
Interested participants should submit the following in English via email to shanghai.nondegree@nyu.edu:
- A CV or resume
- A 1-2 page statement that describes your personal connection to higher education, relates a story about a favored past professor, introduces a teaching philosophy, and lists courses or subjects that one aspires to teach in the future.
Applications will be reviewed beginning on March 16 and thereafter on a rolling basis until the program is fully enrolled. For best consideration, please apply before March 16. Accepted participants will be notified with instructions on how to pay the program fee.
The program fee is 15,000 CNY and covers tuition, materials, daily lunches and refreshments, your certificate of completion, campus access privileges, and access to the learning management system. Students are responsible for their own accommodations during the program.