UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State World Campus Online Faculty Development is announcing its 2026 catalog of professional development courses, which includes 32 self-guided and instructor-led courses covering content accessibility, student advising, course design and more.
Access to self-guided courses runs throughout the year, allowing Penn State instructors and staff members to fit professional development into their schedules. The first round of instructor-led courses begins Feb. 2 with OL 2000.01: Essentials of Online Teaching and OL 2450.01: Integrating Open Educational Resources into Your Course. Both courses are paced for completion in one month.
Additional instructor-led courses start in March, April, May, June, July, September and October.
Matt Dingo, assistant director for Online Faculty Development at Penn State World Campus, said the 2026 catalog includes courses in returning topics, like serving military-connected students and teaching the adult learner, while introducing new courses with more in-depth looks at topics relevant to the current higher education landscape.
“Each year, we look at our portfolio and make changes based on feedback and faculty needs,” Dingo said. “For example, we just redesigned Teaching the International Student in collaboration with Penn State Global to address Penn State policies and procedures as well as pedagogical approaches to international students.”
Courses and certificates are free and available to all Penn State instructors and staff members. Registration is open now for the entire year of courses.
View the full list of 2026 courses on the Penn State World Campus Online Faculty Development website.