How to Earn a Degree in Web Design

Statistics from labor organizations state that the unemployment rate of college graduates is half that of those with only a high school education. While there are many great web designers who don't have a degree, earning a 2 or 4 year degree has many benefits. You can make professional connections on campus, you can be taught the ins and outs of the latest web design programs and you can get a first rate education from some of the best designers in your area. While getting a degree in web design is not a fixed requirement, it will open many more doors than learning it all from "Web Design for Dummies" books.

Where Should I Go to School?

Many art schools offer classes or degree programs in graphic design. Note that while you'll learn programming languages, the emphasis is on the artistic side of web design. If you're skilled in the fine arts, you might want to go this route.

For profit colleges are accredited 2 or 4 year schools. The main difference between these schools and your local state university is that you'll only take classes pertaining to your course of study at a for-profit college. Financial aid packages may also be a lot different between a school offering degree programs and those offering certificates.

Most two and four year schools require you to take a "foundation curriculum" in addition to your major. The resources that you'll be privy to at a two or four year program may be better than those you get a for-profit school.

Are Online Courses Viable?

Online degrees are the wave of the future in higher education. More and more busy adults are taking their quest for education and professional advancement to their computers and earning their degrees online. If you know your way around computers and can work independently, you might want to consider online learning as one of your options.

The benefits to earning a degree or certificate online include not having a commute and the ability to pursue this course of study at your own desired pace. The disadvantages of an online education are the professional contacts on which you'll miss out. If you decide to go to pursue an online degree, look for mentors either in your area or from your program that could give you guidance in your professional endeavors.

Best of luck to you!

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What You Need to Know to Become a Web Designer

Many people think of a web designer as someone who just creates web pages out of thin air. While that is technically true, there's more to being a web designer than putting up a Wordpress blog and choosing backgrounds. To be a web designer, you need to be familiar with various software programs and keep up on the latest developments in web design. Here you'll find out the areas of knowledge in which you'll need to be proficient as well as whether you need a diploma in order to design cool web pages.

Software

You have probably seen advertisements touting do-it-yourself websites. These sites just ask the user to pick from a pre-selected palette of themes, fonts and backgrounds. Web designers create all of this by themselves with the help of software programs. They do this with a few programs issued by Adobe. The two you'll definitely need to know are Photoshop and Illustrator.

You'll also need to have a deep knowledge of Adobe's Fireworks and Dreamweaver. These programs should give you the best leeway in producing the web pages that you will bring you even more satisfied.

Programming Languages

While the artistic side of creating web pages is fun, there's another side to creating a new web presence. You'll have to possess a deep knowledge of several programming languages. You've probably heard or even seen HTML sometime in the past few years.

In addition to HTML, learning CSS, Javascript, Flash, PHP and jquery will open more professional doors for you and your business. You might be thinking "how will I learn all of these programming languages?" or "I just want to make cool web pages." The next section will describe your education options.

Should I Stay or Should I Go to College?

Many people learn web design in a 2 or 4 year college program. There are benefits to pursuing higher education. You'll have the help and guidance from faculty who are also working professionals. You'll be among people who are interested in the same things as you.

However, there are many people who are great web designers who don't have a degree. If you have a passion for the field, are a quick learner and can work independently, you could probably learn all the fundamentals on your own. You'll just have to be proactive about keeping up on the latest developments in the field.

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