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Certificate

Children’s Book Illustration

Children's book illustrators capture the imagination, delight the senses, and engage the minds of kids.

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About the Children’s Book Illustration Program

Engage the Minds of Children as a Book Illustrator


Develop a solid foundation in the specialized skills that help improve your chances of getting published within the world of children's book illustrating. This program introduces students to a wide variety of media and advanced topics required for a thriving career. Discover how to translate text into imagery while learning how to capture the imagination, delight the senses, and engage the minds of kids of all ages.

The courses in this program are administered in an ONLINE or LIVE ONLINE format.
 --ONLINE courses have pre-recorded lectures each week and guided assignments from the instructor; course materials are housed on Canvas.
 --LIVE ONLINE courses are fully online with live virtual weekly class meetings using Zoom, with course materials housed on Canvas.
Online, Live Online
Varies by course and quarter.
12 -18 months
Dependent on number of courses taken per quarter.
$2,500-$2,795
Early enrollment discount available. Cost does not include textbooks or materials.

What You Will Learn

  • Storyboarding, basic book structure and format, character development, style, and self-promotional strategies.
  • How to build an illustration portfolio.
  • Areas of elective study including figure drawing, animal illustration, writing, and digital illustration.
  • The art of navigating the children’s book market.
  • The history of children’s literature, to provide a deeper understanding of the evolution of this genre.
  • How to think in pictures and focus on style as it relates to illustration.
  • How to work effectively with others in the field such as designers, editors, and authors to create the best possible manuscript.

This Program Is Designed For

  • Children’s book creators who are seeking to hone their skillset and enhance their abilities.
  • Artists looking to expand their illustration and design expertise.
  • Writers seeking to craft a children’s book from content to creation.
  • Designers, creative writers, and authors desiring to expand their versatility and increase career opportunities.

How to Apply

Students may enroll in individual courses without applying to the certificate program. There is a $0.00 application fee. For students pursuing the certificate, there will be a one-time $95.00 certificate fee.

Get More Information

For detailed information, please contact our Arts, Humanities, Languages & Digital Arts department.

Children’s Book Illustration
Classroom type:
Live Online
In-Person
Online
Hybrid
Download Course List

Information Session

(Learn more about the program in a free, online Information Session)

Required Courses

12 units

Final Required Course

(All other Required Courses and Electives must be completed first)

Electives

Min 6 units required (Offerings subject to change. Certificate students must follow Matrix as listed in their MyExtension account.)

Story of Success

Magdalena Esparza

Meet Magdalena Esparza, a biochemist from Chile turned children’s book illustrator thanks to UC San Diego’s Children’s Book Illustration program. Esparza’s story is inspiring in more ways than one. She and her husband moved from their hometown in Chile with a work visa after she accepted a job offer as a biochemist at the University of Texas in 2014 and then at Texas Children’s Hospital. It was while working at the children’s hospital that she began to explore her artistic side as a hobby and gradually delved deeper into the arts until becoming a freelance artist.

"The program helped me to feel confident about my art, my illustration, and my creative process. They helped me improve my illustration skills. The program was a key factor in advancing my career and allowing me to pursue my passion for creating art that inspires and engages children. I’m grateful for the skills and knowledge I gained from the program, and for the positive impact it has had on my professional and personal life."

Learn More »

Additional Information

Questions about our classes or certificates? Contact our department at 858-534-5760 or ahl@ucsd.edu.

Conditions for Admission

Please see the application for specific admission requirements for this program.

Although a college degree or professional experience in the field are not required, applicants with such experience may receive preference for admission when program capacity is limited.

Current UCSD students may be considered for admission depending on their academic and career focus and educational performance.

Certificate Guidelines

Children's Book Illustration certificate program consists of 18 total units that can be completed in 12-18 months (depending on the number of courses taken per quarter).

About Online Courses

  • Online courses in this certificate are led by live instructors, but students may view lectures according to their own schedules. There are no set lecture dates or times; however, students will be required to meet weekly assignment deadlines, participate in critiques, and contribute to discussion topics.
  • Online students should expect to spend four to six hours per week per course.
  • Online students must provide their own software.

FAQs

Most courses combine theory with hands-on exercises. Our courses are taught by professionals who work in the field they teach, and will bring real-life projects and examples to your course.
 
Yes. Our programs are designed to be working-student friendly and most of our students are working professionals. The courses vary between two and three units, which amount to approximately 18-20 hours of class time for a two unit course and 27-30 hours of class time for a three unit course.
Most of the courses in this program are 3 units. 3-unit courses run for 9 weeks with 3 classroom hours per week (totalling 27 classroom hours). For exact course dates of upcoming sections, visit the webpage of the course you are interested in taking on our website.
 
Each student has their own learning style so this can vary greatly. As a rule of thumb, expect to spend an average of two hours studying for every hour you spend in-class. For online courses, students should plan to spend approximately 8-10 hours per week viewing lectures and completing coursework.
You officially have five years to complete all requirements for the certificate, although students can typically complete the entire program in 12-16 months (4-6 quarters) when taking 1-2 courses per quarter.
 

Students pay as they go when they register for classes, not in one lump sum.
 
UC San Diego is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies - like all other UC San Diego schools, colleges, and departments - is accredited by WASC through the University. All courses and certificate programs offered by UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies have been developed and are administered in accordance with Extension policy and the regulations of the Academic Senate of the University of California. 
  • UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies offers continuing education loans through UC Approved Lenders. Each institution offers low competitive interest rates and flexible payment options. You are also encouraged to contact your personal financial institution about possible lending solutions. Direct links to UC Approved Lenders can be found on our website’s Financial Resources page.
  • The Employment Development Department (EDD) provides a comprehensive range of employment and training services in partnership with state and local agencies/organizations. More information is available on their website at edd.ca.gov.
  • Career Centers Located throughout San Diego County offer their communities comprehensive employment and training services benefiting both business and job seekers. More information is available on their website at workforce.org.
  • Please click here for information about Veteran’s Benefits.
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) funds are limited to degree programs only, and cannot be used for courses or certificate fees at UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies.
Yes, you may enroll in the program at any time. However, it is recommended that you enroll as soon as possible. The program curriculum may be updated at any time; if certificate requirements change, you must adhere to the curriculum at the time of your enrollment into the certificate. Enrolling in the certificate also gives you access to quarterly, personalized enrollment reminders from the program manager.
Yes, you may take any course in this program without registering for the certificate.
We recommend enrolling as soon as possible. Many of our core certificate courses may fill up before the course start date. Each quarter we also offer an early enrollment discount of $25 on select courses if you enroll by the discount deadline.
Students are advised to be enrolled no later than the day before the start date of the course.
 
To enroll into a class, click on the class link in the matrix and that will take you to that class page. There you can find the start date for that course, and you can click on “Add to Cart” which will lead you to complete the registration/payment process.
You may take a course for one of three options: Letter Grade, Pass/No Pass, or Not for Credit. If you are taking a course towards a certificate you must complete your courses for credit (i.e. Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade) and receive a C-/Pass or higher grade. Grades below a C-, No Pass, and Not for Credit will not count towards certificate requirements.
The online courses are asynchronous: they have a start and end date but all the lessons are uploaded on Canvas, our online learning management system, so you can learn at your own pace. However, please be aware that you may have weekly assignments, quizzes, or tests that are due on specific dates.
If you have enrolled at least three days before the course begins, you will have access starting on the first day of class. You should receive an email from Student Services with instructions for how to login to the course. If you have enrolled on or after the start date of the course, you will have access to the course within one business day.
 

You will have access to the online Canvas course on the official start date of the class/exam/info session.  Access will be available at 12:01am Pacific Time.

Enrollment to online classes can take up to 24 hours to process and sync up to our online platform, Canvas. For example, if a class started on Tuesday and that is the day a student enrolled, they will likely not have full access to the class until 24 hours later on Wednesday.

For questions regarding these courses and certificate, please contact us at ahl@ucsd.edu or 858-534-5760.
 

Advisory Board

Joy Chu, B.F.A.

Principal, Joy Chu Designs; Instructor
UC San Diego Extension

Edith Fine

Author

Deborah Halverson

Author and Freelance Editor

Seth Lerer

Dean, Arts and Humanities
UC San Diego

Annika Nelson, B.A.

Artist, Instructor; Program Manager
UC San Diego Extension

Brian Selznick

Author

Kelly Sonnack

Agent
Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Peter Thomas, M.A., Ed.M.

Assoc. Director, Arts, Humanities, Languages, Digital Arts
UC San Diego Extension

Blair Thornley

Illustrator, Painter and Animator

Sarah Tomp

Author

Andrea Zimmerman

Author

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