20-credit certificate can be earned fully online in one year
The 20-credit Web Design certificate at Dakota County Technical College is a one-year, fully online program that emphasizes webpage architecture for graphic designers or visual artists looking for basic website design skills.
DeAnn Engvall
As a student in the program, you will work with user interface design concepts, HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create webpage structures. The curriculum covers content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress for quick site development with robust features and client content changes.
You will learn image creation and optimization, basic animation in 2d and 3d environments along with audio and video editing for web content to develop a complete set of web-design skills.
DeAnn Engvall teaches Web Design at DCTC. DeAnn reported that students can include the certificate on the web path for graphic design if they wish to earn the Graphic Design Technology 70-credit A.A.S. degree later in their academic careers. The Web Design certificate covers Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator basics to create static and animated web content.
Students in the program also learn:
- Introductory typography and layout
- Adobe Dreamweaver to code websites
- UX/UI concepts for designing interactivity and effective layouts
“The program is a bit of a whirlwind,” DeAnn said, “but completing this certificate is a great idea for someone looking for a broad range of skills focusing on the visual side of design instead of just coding.”
Student work gallery
More about web design as a career option…
Like graphic designers and desktop publishers, web designers usually work in comfortable office environments. They frequently adhere to strict deadlines and spend considerable time seated before computer monitors.
According to PayScale, the average annual salary for a web designer in the U.S. is $50,333. The median hourly wage is $20.01; experienced web designers at the top of the pay scale can expect earn as much as $45/hour.
Minnesota State CAREERwise reports that web development is a career currently in very high demand and seeing high growth compared to other careers. Growth rate in Minnesota is 7.8 percent, or above the statewide average.
There will be a need for about 3,322 new Web Developers to meet market demand between 2016–2026. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
AIGA Club
Web design students at DCTC can join the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Club. AIGA is the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design—with 70+ chapters with more than 18,000 members.
AIGA advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. From content that defines the global practice to events that connect and catalyze, AIGA members work to enhance the value and deepen the impact of design across all disciplines on business, society and the world’s collective future.
At DCTC, AIGA Club members strive to help educate growing professionals while fostering a strong community of design-minded individuals.
Learn more about the Web Design certificate program at DCTC by contacting:
DeAnn Engvall
Web Design Faculty
Graphic Design Technology Faculty
Anika Stafford
Academic and Financial Aid Advisor
651-423-8384
