Today’s professionals can use graphic design certificates and certifications to qualify for competitive positions in law, manufacturing, and B2B outreach, as well as art and entertainment.
Why should today’s students consider a graphic design certificate or certification, though, instead of leaping straight into their field of choice? While neither certificates nor certifications are necessary to secure graphic design jobs, both documents serve as proof of a person’s expertise. A professional who can submit a graphic design certificate or certification alongside a job application may prove to be more competitive than their peers.
With that in mind, take a look at some of the best graphic design certificate and certification-oriented programs available to Phoenix, AZ, professionals.
Noble Desktop: UX & UI Design Certificate
While there are several institutions that offer certificate-track graphic design programs, Noble Desktop stands out from the rest. The institution’s in-person and virtual User Experience & User Interface Design Certificate, or UX & UI Design Certificate program, takes place over the course of 132 hours. Students can take the course on a part-time or full-time basis, depending on their availability.
Learn Graphic Design
- Live & Hands-on
- In NYC or Online
- Learn From Experts
- Free Retake
- Small Class Sizes
- Certificate of Completion
Noble Desktop’s team’s experienced instructors use that time to introduce students to introductory UX & UI theories before moving into practical application. Students’ first lessons include a breakdown of marketing personas, possible product audiences, and audience troubleshooting.
Students then progress into a practical application of UX & UI development skills. Instructors guide students through the process of creating Graphic Design portfolios, emphasizing work on websites and apps. Students should graduate from the UX & UI Design Certificate track with clickable prototypes of their work that they can go on to share with possible employers.
What’s more, Noble Desktop actively prepares students for conversations with future employers. The last few sessions of the UX & UI Design Certificate track focus on job preparation. Students can collaborate with one another and an experienced instructor to integrate their UI & UX development skills into their portfolios.
This program’s highlights include 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities as provided by Noble Desktop’s staff. Students additionally benefit from small class sizes, free course retakes for up to a year, and a certificate of completion upon their graduation.
This course costs $3,495, which students can pay over the course of 12 months. Students can alternatively register for a 0 percent interest tuition financing plan through Noble Desktop. Interested parties can reach out to the Noble Desktop team for more information about program scholarships, discounts, and alternative financing opportunities.
Noble Desktop: UI Design Certificate
Noble Desktop also offers an in-person and virtual UI-specific workshop to professionals interested in Adobe Creative Cloud and its practical applications. The institution’s UI Design Certificate requires 120 hours of participation and provides attendees with the graphical skills they need to stand out in a digital space.
This program specifically breaks down the design process into accessible steps. First and foremost, students learn about the theory that goes into modern graphic design and related fields like advertising. From there, students learn the basics of color, typography, graphical interactivity, and other UI elements.
After students have the basics mastered, they can move into practical applications. Instructors can provide students with 1-on-1 guidance as students create webpages for mobile and desktop. Students will get first-hand experience with programs like Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator throughout this process.
Last but not least, students will get to put all of their completed work together in a comprehensive portfolio. Noble Desktop’s instructors make it possible for students to use these portfolios in a professional environment. Attendees pursuing promotions or applying for jobs in new fields can refer back to their portfolios when asked to demonstrate their professional UI expertise.
What are the benefits of attending this certificate program? The New York State Department of Education has approved Noble Desktop’s UI Design Certificate as an environment for professional development. Graduates leaving this program can display a certificate of completion licensed by the NYS Department of Education and reap the benefits thereof.
This program costs $3,995 and runs for an average of six full-time weeks or five part-time months. Students can choose the course schedule that best suits their availability and even retake the course within a year of graduating. Interested parties can even reach out to Noble Desktop for more information about financing options that may make the course’s tuition more affordable.
Noble Desktop—Graphic Design Certificate
Noble Desktop also offers a graphic design-specific certificate program, referred to as its Graphic Design Certificate. This course runs for a month on a full-time basis but is also available to part-time students. Part-time students can expect to complete the program in three months, either attending the class on Sundays or in the evenings.
The course costs $2,995, with some discounts and funding opportunities available through Noble Desktop’s platform. That tuition covers an array of Noble Desktop services, including 1-on-1 mentoring and a free course retake. Students can specifically expect to learn about the basics of Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Noble Desktop’s Graphic Design Certificate instructors highlight the fundamentals of design theory, from typography to composition, before diving into the practical application of graphic design tools. The course is portfolio-focused, allowing students to create graphics and other visual forms for social media and websites. Graduates can use their portfolios to showcase their skills when applying for a relevant position.
This certificate course is the ideal program for parties who have little to no experience with graphic design. Noble Desktop’s instructors can walk interested parties through the basics of the practice. Upon their graduation, students can expect to display a working-to-professional understanding of Adobe Creative Cloud and its graphic design-specific tools.
Phoenix College, a Maricopa Community College: Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Graphic Design
Phoenix College, a Maricopa Community College, offers local students the opportunity to complete enough courses to graduate with an in-person or hybrid Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Graphic Design. Students can complete this certificate individually or as part of an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Graphic Design.
This series of courses requires students to undergo several gen-eds in addition to the following courses:
- Digital Photographic Imaging I
- Drawing I or Life Drawing I
- Color or Digital Color
- Art from Prehistory Through Middle Ages or Art from Renaissance to Modernism or History of Graphic Design
- 2D Media
- Digital Art Studies
- Digital Graphic Arts I
- Introduction to Digital Photography
- Art of Web Site Design or internet/Web Development Level I
- Design Self Promotion or Art Marketing
- Digital Graphic Arts II
- Digital Media Arts and Design Capstone
This certificate takes a minimum of one year to complete. That said, students may register for as few as a single course per semester while pursuing their certification. Students should reach out to an academic adviser to discuss their preferred schedule and graduation rate.
That variable schedule means that the cost of a CCL varies from person to person. Parties with questions about the cost of each relevant course should reach out to Phoenix College for more information about their preferred approach to this certificate program.
Phoenix College notes that all attending students must receive a minimum of a C- in their relevant classes to graduate with a CCL.
General Assembly: User Experience Design Immersive
When General Assembly hosts certificate workshops like its virtual User Experience Design Immersive, it prioritizes its students’ ability to find work after they graduate. As such, students who participate in this program receive as much career advice and professional guidance as they do 1-on-1 graphic design education.
General Assembly’s User Experience Design Immersive takes place over 12 weeks, full-time, and costs $16,450. Students can divide that tuition into four payments, apply for private loans at a zero percent interest rate, research income share loans, or apply for General Assembly’s tuition discounts.
Expert instructors break this graphic design/UX certificate course down into the following modules:
- UX Fundamentals
- UX Foundations
- UI Foundations
- Design Iteration & Development
- Working With a Product Team
- UX in the Real World
- UX Career Planning
Instructors expect students to read up on the UX Fundamentals prior to the start of the program. Interested parties can request the course’s syllabus before committing to this program.
Lumenbrite: Photoshop Training: Bootcamp
Lumenbrite’s virtual Photoshop Training: Bootcamp does not touch on the other tools that a person can use to excel in the field of graphic design. That said, participants who come away from this workshop graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of Photoshop, its most recent updates, and its practical applications in the workplace.
Instructors through Lumenbright specifically explore Photoshop’s interface before introducing students to its professional uses. Once students know how to use the tools at their disposal, they can put their knowledge to use by creating social media ads, marketing graphics, and working portfolios. Graduates can then take the work they created in Lumenbrite’s Photoshop Training: Bootcamp to better demonstrate their expertise to possible employers.
Students who graduate from this program receive an Adobe Photoshop Course Certificate. The course runs for three days over Zoom and usually lasts for seven hours per day. Lumenbrite charges incoming students $1,595 to attend the course, though interested parties can reach out to the institution for more information about payment plans or scholarships.
FAQ for Graphic Design Certificates
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
The term “certification” refers to a document given to a student who passes an examination. Students who take workshops that require them to undergo examinations before the course ends may award passing students with certifications. Students can then display those certifications as evidence of their mastery of a certain topic.
Comparatively, the term “certificate” refers to a document that a student receives upon the completion of a training course. Students may not have to pass an exam to receive a certificate. Instead, participation alone may be enough to qualify a student for a certificate.
This does not mean that certificates have less value than certifications. Both graphic design certificates and certifications can have their place in a professional environment. What’s more, both forms of verification indicate that a student undertook an educational endeavor designed to improve their understanding of a graphic design topic.
In other words, a professional with a graphic design certificate can, depending on their location and industry of choice, have as much of a chance to secure a promotion or position as a professional with a graphic design certification.
Should I Pursue a Certificate or a Certification?
Professionals wondering whether they should pursue certificates or certifications do not have to worry about a difference in value between these two documents. Both documents can help a student secure a certain job or promotion. Instead, these students should ask themselves which of these two options best suits the student’s budget, availability, and long-term goals.
Do I Need to Become Certified to Find a Job?
Professionals interested in securing a graphic design position do not necessarily need to become certified to secure a particular position. Many freelance Graphic Designers do not have certificates and still find temporary and permanent positions with prominent companies.
That said, certificates and certifications alike both have their value in the workplace. Both of these documents make a professional more competitive when compared against their peers. Some positions even require applicants to have a certificate or certification with a certain graphic design tool.
With that in mind, the answer to the question, “does someone need to become certified to find a job?” varies. Professionals who want to make themselves more competitive, however, should consider registering for a program that may see them receive a graphic design certificate or certification.
What Certificate Program is Right for Me?
As noted, there are several graphic design certificates and certifications available to Phoenix residents. Determining which of these programs ranks among the best can prove challenging. No two students have the same needs, after all, nor the same graphic design experience.
That said, students struggling to decide what kind of certification to pursue can ask themselves the following questions:
Which is Better: In-Person or Online Classes?
These days, there are as many in-person classes available to Phoenix students as there are virtual alternatives. Is one method of learning better than the other? Not necessarily.
In-person graphic design certificates and certifications tend to suit students who thrive in a social setting. Even though courses will focus on lesson plans, most students attending in-person workshops have the opportunity to bounce ideas off of one another. Some instructors even encourage collaboration on graphic design projects. This combination of collective work and in-person attention from an instructor can help social students better take in their particular lessons.
Comparatively, online graphic design certificates and certifications are ideal both for students on the go and students who thrive when learning on their own. Students who have to travel for work can continue their professional education thanks to these virtual workshops. While those students may not benefit from the same collaboration that their in-person alternatives do, virtual attendees still benefit from 1-on-1 attention from a course’s instructors.
What’s more, not every student thrives in a social setting. Students who prefer to learn at their own pace or who feel uncomfortable in crowds may find themselves more engaged in virtual lessons.
Which is Better: Live Online or Asynchronous Classes?
Students who do take virtual graphic design certificate or certification courses often have the option to choose between live online courses or asynchronous courses. As is the case with the in-person versus virtual debate, both types of courses have their pros and cons.
Live online graphic design certificates and certifications expose students to their virtual peers in real-time. These courses can operate like their in-person alternatives, with students breaking out into groups to tackle graphic design projects. That collaboration may be one of the live online course’s selling points, but it also requires all students to attend the course at the same time. That strict schedule can make live online courses less convenient for professionals on the go.
Asynchronous classes are also known as “self-driven” workshops. Students who participate in asynchronous graphic design courses often have to come to a computer in their own time, participate in a week’s lessons, and turn their assignments in on their own terms. These classes can be particularly challenging for a student who needs external motivation to get their work done. It’s all too easy for students to fall behind on projects if they don’t feel there may be consequences for a delay. That said, self-driven students who are often on the go tend to thrive in asynchronous classes. When a student can operate outside of a set schedule, they can dedicate more of their undivided attention to the course at hand.