Web Design Certificate

Certificate of Achievement in Web Design

The Certificate of Achievement in Web Design is intended to provide the necessary basic technical and creative skills for those planning to enter this growing field of visual communication.

The program will prepare students for positions in the web design field such as entry-level web designers, user experience designers, content developers, and information architects.

Other examples where students might find employment using their creative problem-solving and design skills might include website development, interaction design, and the creation of interactive media such as digital publications, marketing presentations, or interactive learning products.

The students, by the end of the program, are expected to understand and apply the basic principles of visual communication as applied to Interactive and Web Design, along with the basic coding skills and software skills used in web design and related fields. The certificate includes training in basic front-end coding.

This program differs from the Web Development Certificate in its emphasis on the design and strategy aspects or web production, whereas the Web Development includes more training on back-end (server-side) coding. The classes in the core requirements should be taken in the general order that they are listed.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to identify, explain, and apply advanced design principles such as typography, color and layout to the creation and evaluation of web designs.
Students will be able to generate documents related to User Experience Design such as wireframes and personas.
Students will apply the technical concepts and best practices used in web design and development at an intermediate level.

Meet the Following Requirements

Complete all required certificate courses with a C (or P) or better.
Complete at least 1/3 of the program courses at Mission College to establish residency.

NOTES

Requirements here apply to the current catalog year and are subject to change. Visit DegreeWorks in My Mission Portal to view requirements based your catalog year.
Not all classes are offered each semester.

Core Curriculum Courses Required (15.0 Units)

Code	Class	Units
GDS 035	Graphic Design I (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 045	Web Design and Development 1 (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 064	Introduction to Adobe Photoshop (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 072	Digital Imaging and User Interface Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 046	Web Design and Development 2 (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 070	User Experience, Interface, and Multimedia Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0

List A - Select Two (2) Courses (Not ALready Used Above) from the Following List

Code	Class	Units
GDS 047	Web Animation (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 064	Introduction to Adobe Photoshop (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 072	Digital Imaging and User Interface Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 049	Wordpress and Content Management System (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 076	Emerging Trends in Interaction Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 077	Interactive Projects & Explorations in UXD (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 051	Mobile Application and Web Development With Web Standards (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0

List B - Select One or More Courses (Not Already Used Above) to Bring Your Total to a Minimum of 24 Units

Code	Class	Units
ART 031A	Drawing (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
ART 033A	Basic Design: Two-Dimensional (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
BUS 084	Internet Marketing (3.0 Lecture)	3.0
CAP 092A	Fundamentals of Web 2.0 & Cloud Technologies (2.0 Lecture)	2.0
GDS 012	History of Photography (3.0 Lecture)	3.0
GDS 047	Web Animation (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 049	Wordpress and Content Management System (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 051	Mobile Application and Web Development With Web Standards (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 055A	Design Agency and Branding (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 062	Digital Illustration with Adobe Illustrator (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 064	Introduction to Adobe Photoshop (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 072	Digital Imaging and User Interface Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 073	Digital Photography (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 074	Digital Video Production 1 (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 076	Emerging Trends in Interaction Design (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 077	Interactive Projects & Explorations in UXD (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 085	Professional Portfolio and Design Career Preparation (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0
GDS 089	Javascript 1 (2.0 Lecture/1.0 Lab)	3.0

Units Required

	Units
Total Required Units	24.0 - 26.0

Scroll right for full chart

Job Market Outlook

Skills Needed

Excellent IT skills, especially with design and photo-editing software.
Exceptional creativity and innovation.
Adobe Creative Suite.
Excellent time management and organizational skills.
Accuracy and attention to detail.
An understanding of the latest trends and their role within a commercial environment.
Professional approach to time, costs and deadlines.

Career Paths

If you don't know what to major in, or you already have a major but don't know how it translates into a career, start here. At Mission we can help you research your major and career options so you can make informed decisions. Read more about Career paths.

Careers in Design

At Mission College, we facilitate degrees and certificates in Digital Illustration, Graphic Arts, Web Design/Development, and Multimedia. Develop a portfolio and prepare for transfer or job interviews. Learn more about Graphic Design jobs.