According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Film and Video Editors is significantly higher than average, with a projected growth of 14% between 2021 and 2031.
While experience and skills tend to matter more than a degree when procuring a video editing job, education matters significantly for those just beginning in the field with little to no experience. A four-year degree is certainly helpful—and sometimes required—when applying for entry-level jobs. However, a certificate or certification in an editing software is a more accessible educational path to a video editing career, requiring a fraction of the time and financial investment needed for a bachelor’s degree. A video editing certificate or certification can make an individual a highly desirable job candidate, building their mastery of the craft and showcasing their skills to their future employers.
Noble Desktop: Video Editing Certificate
Key Information: NY State-licensed technology training center Noble Desktop offers a Video Editing Certificate program in-person in NYC or live online. The price for the course is $2,995, which may be paid via an installment plan or through a 0% interest 12-month financing plan. Tuition covers curricula and supplementary materials, a hands-on learning experience, instruction by industry experts with years of experience, one-on-one mentoring that can be used for job hunt and career preparation, and a certificate of completion. The Noble team will help you secure a free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud. The only prerequisite for this beginner-friendly course is being comfortable with using a computer.
Noble Desktop’s certificate program will teach you all you need to know to begin your video editing career. You will gain a thorough understanding of video editing and audio editing while also learning the foundations of motion graphics and animation. This comprehensive video editing course includes extensive instruction in Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, and After Effects, as well as opportunities to practice adding animation to Photoshop or Illustrator files.
With the help of Noble’s team of expert instructors, you will build a video editing demo reel through the course of the program, thanks to the many hands-on projects you’ll complete. The projects will help you to master your new video editing skills such as utilizing Audition to clean up and mix audio and Premiere Pro to add music and voiceover and adjust placement, speed, and color. By the end of the program, you will feel confident in your mastery of the video editing workflow from concept to fully edited video and be able to showcase your expertise to prospective clients or employers with your impressive reel and resume.
The Video Editing Certificate includes 78 hours of live instruction, which may be completed in either two months as a full-time course or four months when approached as a part-time program. Full-time classes are offered on weekdays, while part-time ones are in the evenings. Missed classes can be watched as a recording or attended live later, thanks to Noble’s option to retake the entire course for one year. Five units comprise the program, which may be taken in the order of your choice.
Noble Desktop: Motion Graphics Certificate
Key Information: If you are interested in learning video editing as the next step in your career as a Motion Graphics Designer, Noble Desktop’s Motion Graphics Certificate is the course for you. The price of the certificate program is $3,495, which covers 102 hours of live online instruction (or in-person, if you are in NYC), curricula and supplementary materials, one-on-one mentoring that may be used as career coaching, and a certificate of completion. Tuition is eligible for payment via an installment plan or a 0% interest 12-month financing plan. Prerequisites for this program include a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. While not required, basic design skills and some video timeline editing knowledge are also helpful.
This certificate program will help you become a competitive freelancer or job candidate in the steadily growing fields of animation, motion graphics, and video editing. Not only will you learn Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Cinema 4D Lite—all applications used by professionals—but you will also build a stunning demo reel that will accurately showcase your new skills to your future employers and clients.
In the Premiere Pro Bootcamp module, you will learn to edit video, time out video clips, adjust their placement, speed, and color, and add music, voiceover, and dialogue to the audio. You will create animations in the After Effects Bootcamp, and in the Cinema 4D in After Effects Bootcamp, you will discover how to create 3D models. Through the many projects in this hands-on program, you will master the applications used by motion graphics professionals while gaining a solid understanding of the workflow you’ll need to follow, from concept to fully animated graphics.
Participants may complete the Motion Graphics Certificate program in four months as part-time students or two months as full-time students. With both weekday and weeknight classes available and the option to take the five-course units in the order of your choice, you can customize your schedule. You can retake the course for one year, and you may use that to attend a live class you missed or simply watch a recording if you prefer. Online students must provide their own computers. Noble Desktop can help you secure a free trial version if you do not already have Adobe Creative Cloud.
Lumenbrite: Premiere Pro Training: Bootcamp
Key Information: Lumenbrite is a professional training and consultation company based in Houston, Texas but known for its online courses in their specialty of Adobe software. Upon completing the remote Premiere Pro Bootcamp, students receive Adobe Premiere Pro Course Certificates. The course will also prepare participants to ace the Adobe Certified Professional exam. Tuition for this comprehensive bootcamp on a professional video editing application is $1,995. The price of the class covers courseware, one week of seven-hour live online classes, and class recordings. Basic Windows or Mac computer skills are a prerequisite for this class.Â
In addition to guiding students to an intermediate mastery of Premiere Pro, this bootcamp will also cover other tools and applications used in video editing workflows such as Dynamic Link with After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder. By the end of the course, participants will have a strong understanding of three-point editing, working efficiently in HD, and using transitions and audio and video effects. The instructor will lead the class in exploring best practices through the editing and producing process, from effects like Lumetri Color to correcting audio with Audition.
The Premiere Pro Bootcamp covers all the most valuable tools of the software such as the Ripple and Rolling Edit, Rolling Edit, and Slip and Slide tools to polish even the most complicated edits. In addition to learning how to animate titles and graphics, participants will learn how to manipulate audio, including background music and foley. Students will create projects to practice their new skills and render them with Audio Media Encoder into a film reel.
Key Code Education: DaVinci Resolve Essentials (Online)
Key Information: An industry-focused Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education school, Key Code Education offers TV, film, and media post-production training in-person in Burbank, California, on-site, and online. Completing their remote DaVinci Resolve Essentials course unlocks the DaVinci Resolve Essentials Certified User exam. The price for the program is $1,195 and covers four-hour sessions offered on consecutive weekdays. The prerequisite for the program is a working knowledge of Macintosh operating systems, but no familiarity with DaVinci Resolve is required. Both beginners and professionals new to the software will find the class helpful in gaining an understanding of Blackmagic’s one-of-a-kind application that combines color grading, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production all in one application.
Key Code Education’s DaVinci Resolve course includes lessons on the new cut page and the traditional edit page, as well as in manipulating color, Fusion VFX, and Fairlight audio tools so students will be able to create professional-caliber films in no time. Some of the topics covered in the class are working with titles, animating with keyframes, adding effects, editing clips in the timeline, and using context-sensitive trimming. Students will also learn how to match shots, use color management, and grade multiple clips.
Program participants will master Resolve’s color tools, use PowerWindows, and track objects in a shot. Audio sweetening and mixing with the latest Fairlight tools will also be covered. Upon completing this program, students will be ready to use DaVinci Resolve as a Video Editor or Sound Editor.
George Mason University: Multimedia Arts Certificate
Key Information: George Mason University Continuing and Professional Education partners with ed2go to offer various online training opportunities focused on preparing students for success in the professional world. One such program is the remote Multimedia Arts Certificate program, available for $3,645. As a non-credit course, George Mason’s certificate program does not accept federal aid, but affordable monthly payments are possible by financing with Affirm. The self-paced program includes 360 hours of instruction that students may complete in a timeframe of one year. Students must be at least 18, and a high school diploma or equivalent is recommended. No additional prerequisites are required for this certificate program designed to transform beginners into pros with the skills necessary to qualify for entry-level jobs in video editing and other multimedia fields.
This Multimedia Arts Certificate program will guide students to proficiency in Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop. Participants will gain a thorough mastery of the conceptual, technical, and visual design skills needed to thrive while shooting and editing digital video, as well as creating images, pages, and motion graphics. Students will also learn the fundamentals of color theory, typography, and how to create their own font. The projects participants create throughout the course of the certificate program will come together to form a portfolio ideal for jumpstarting a career as a Video Editor, Motion Graphics Designer, or in another area of multimedia.
Students will complete this comprehensive multimedia arts course with a strong understanding of topics ranging from documentary and scripted video-making to digital image touching and compositing. Sources of support through the program include a student advising team, instructors via email, and occasionally a team of industry experts. Hardware requirements are a digital video camera with storage media and a PC or Mac capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud apps. Adobe apps must be acquired by the student before the beginning of the course, including Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, and Acrobat Reader.
Catholic University of America: Certificate in Video Production and Digital Storytelling
Key Information: The Catholic University of America is a private Roman Catholic research university located in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Their Certificate in Video Production and Digital Storytelling is among the school’s growing number of undergraduate certificate programs. Tuition for the program is contingent upon many factors, but the approximate price for completion in two semesters is $42,600. The program includes six in-person courses for a total of 19 credit hours which may be applied toward a bachelor’s degree should students decide to pursue one in the future. A high school diploma or equivalent is a prerequisite for admission.
The Certificate in Video Production and Digital Storytelling combines courses in Media Studies, Art, and Drama to assist students in developing their creative voice in digital storytelling while building their skills in videography, motion graphics, digital audio, and video editing. With these highly marketable skills, graduates will be ready for entry-level positions in many careers, including video editing, graphic design, social media management, public relations, and marketing. While the certificate is a significant educational achievement, it can also be a foundation for students who wish to pursue media-related advanced degrees in the future.
Thanks to the program’s structure of two required courses and four electives, it is very customizable to each student’s unique interests and goals. The two core courses are Media Rhetoric & Aesthetics and Media Composition, while the electives include one in media narratives and three in production. Production class options include two on Final Cut Pro, one on Digital Video Editing, Introduction to Digital Design, and many other areas of concentration ideal for building the skills, resumes, and portfolios of aspiring Video Editors.
FAQ for Video Editing Certificates
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
Certificates and certifications are similar in their potential to make a Video Editor’s resume shine, but the similarities end there. A certificate shows successful completion of a particular training program, often tied to a university or a film or media school. Some offered by universities are essentially one or two semesters of university classes, complete with credit, that students may usually apply toward an advanced degree should the student later decide to pursue one. Certificates typically require more time and money than a certification but significantly less than a full degree. Potential employers view video editing certificates as evidence that the job applicant has completed an industry-recognized educational program in which they have received quality training in the skills and software required by a qualified Video Editor.
On the other hand, various software companies offer video editing certifications as validation that the certification holder is a knowledgeable and skilled user of their program. Some of the most commonly pursued certifications for a Video Editor include Adobe Certified Expert in Premiere Pro, Apple Certified Pro in Final Cut Pro X, and Avid Certified Professional in Media Composer. While classes tend not to be required for a certification, they are ideal for learning the high level of proficiency required by certification exams. While certificates, like diplomas, do not expire, many certifications require periodic renewal.
Should I Pursue a Certificate or a Certification?
Whether a person will benefit more from pursuing a certificate or a certification in their video editing education depends upon several factors. Suppose an individual already has some freelance or internship experience in video editing or has successfully self-trained themself. In that case, all they may need is a certification to prove their skills to potential employers. A certification can also be a wise choice for those who have limited resources to invest in their education. Their career path will likely require building experience in a lower-paying position, which can be as impressive (or sometimes more so) than a certificate or diploma.
On the other hand, a certificate program is ideal for individuals who prefer a structured learning environment and have dreams of starting a video editing career but little or no experience. While this path is more of an investment of time and money than a certificate, it's much less than most degrees require.. A video editing certificate and a certification in a particular video editing software can both open doors for employment in the field. Still, it's important to note that any job candidate in the field will need a solid reel to prove their skills. While a certification will not necessarily help with this, many certificate programs offer students support in creating this integral part of a Video Editor’s portfolio.
Do I Need to Become Certified to Find a Job?
A video editing certificate or certification is not a requirement for every video editing job. Still, it can be beneficial in building a competitive resume that grabs the hiring team's attention. A certificate serves a similar role to a degree on a resume, proving to potential future employers that the candidate has the drive, dedication, and self-discipline to pursue an education in the field to completion. And while an applicant will still want to list their well-earned qualifications and assets individually, a certificate is resume shorthand indicating that the applicant is knowledgeable in the software and skills taught by the program they attended.
Certifications function somewhat differently on resumes, showcasing an applicant’s mastery of an individual software rather than evidence of their dedicated study of the art of video editing. As an individual earns a certification by passing an exam, certifications do not necessarily show whether or not a job applicant has taken a course in the program or successfully trained themselves in the software. Nonetheless, a certification in a standard video editing software like Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro can determine whether a resume is moved to the top of the stack or thrown into the trash.
What Certificate Program is Right for Me?
Which is Better: In-Person or Online Classes
In-person video editing classes are few and far between in the post-Covid world, as so many went online during quarantine and many schools realized the benefits of staying there. However, some students will still prefer an in-person class over a remote one. While the occasional in-person course will require students to bring their own laptops equipped with video editing software, most provide these in a professional lab environment. And some people will always prefer to work with an instructor and classmates in the same classroom, finding the commute worth the experience.
While online video editing classes will virtually always require students to provide their own computer and software, these are things individuals working in video editing will usually want to have at home. Live online courses feature similar experiences to in-person programs, with an instructor leading classes in real-time but with the added benefit of allowing students to attend from the location of their choice. Some online certificate programs are available on-demand, creating flexibility that will enable even the busiest aspiring Video Editors to fit their desired education into their schedule.
Which is Better: Live Online or Asynchronous Classes?
Whether a student will prefer a live online class or an asynchronous class is based mainly on their personality and current lifestyle. Live online courses are better for those who prefer a set schedule of classes and assignments to keep them accountable. Live online classes also offer a similar classroom environment to an in-person class, allowing the opportunities to ask an instructor questions in real-time and interact with classmates in a teleconferencing space.
Asynchronous classes, sometimes referred to as on-demand or self-paced, typically do not include live sessions with an instructor and classmates. However, they feature recorded lectures that students may listen to whenever it works for them. Some choose asynchronous classes to pursue their education at their own pace, with instructors available via email or another messaging system.