Peter Filledes, M.S., CPT
Organizational Performance Consultant
Naval Human Performance Center

Choosing to study Instructional &  Performance Technology (IPT) at Boise State was one of the best decisions I ever made. I researched several distance programs at other well-known brick and mortar schools and I felt that Boise State offered the best curriculum.

What also attracted me was the solid foundation it provides in Performance Technology, coupled with Instructional Systems Design, and the quality and real-world experience of the faculty. I also heard many good things about the program at professional events with ISPI and ASTD.

The degree has been a boost to my career, but more importantly, it has given me the formal education and training needed to be able to truly call myself a "Qualified" Training and Performance Professional. Here's how it helped me. I started my career in Sales & Marketing, first in Pharmaceuticals with Pfizer, and then in Consumer Products with Gillette. After spending six years in sales I began to feel that it just didn't give me the personal satisfaction that my personality requires. I needed to be in more of a "helping," "teaching," and "coaching" situation. I left business and taught High School Biology for the next four years. Although I enjoyed teaching, I wasn't that thrilled with being around teenagers all day. I also missed aspects of the business world. So, I started thinking that maybe I could combine my love of education and teaching with another business career, and made the move to Corporate Training & Development. I started as an Employee Development Specialist with Putnam Investments. I then moved to PFPC/PNC Financial Services as a  Senior Training Specialist.

I soon discovered I was one of thirty-three trainers in three locations, and I was the only one who was pursuing a graduate degree. I let my managers know that I was studying IPT at Boise State and I was soon offered the position of Training Manager to head-up the new Web-Based training effort at the company. I attribute this promotion to them recognizing the value of my IPT education at Boise State. After two years as Training Manager, my wife and I relocated from Boston to San Diego and I went to work for the Navy's newly-created Human Performance Center (HPC) as an Organizational Performance Consultant. I have been with HPC and the Navy for three years, and have worked on several performance improvement projects. The IPT program gave me the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in my positions as Training Manager and Navy Performance Consultant.

In closing, I would suggest that in this day and age, it will be a disadvantage to one's career to lack formal graduate education in IPT. Pursuing an IPT graduate education will be a gigantic boost to one's career. and as more and more organizations seek an M.S. degree for key training and development positions, you would positioning yourself and your career for success by pursuing Boise State's IPT Master's degree.  It's the best place to start.