About the User Experience (UX) Design Program
Following the advent of mobile devices, advanced web technologies, and user-centered design, demand for qualified User Experience (UX) designers has skyrocketed.
Good UX can create loyal customers or guide them toward a sale; bad UX can break your app or stop users in their tracks – and it's important to be on the right side of that decisive click.
However, User Experience Design (UX) isn't just the process of maximizing functionality or making your product look attractive; UX is a science with a significant focus on research, data collection, and psychology of human-computer interaction. Because of this, UX designers must possess a wide range of skills.
This certificate in User Experience Design provides students with a practical knowledge of UX principles, software, and techniques for analysis. Upon successful completion of the User Experience Design certificate, students will have completed a portfolio and a gained a solid foundation in UX that can be applied immediately to their current or future professions as junior UX designers.
For detailed information, please enroll in the online on-demand User Experience (UX) Design Information Session .
Conditions for Admission
Students who wish to apply to this program should meet the following prerequisites:
1. Basic knowledge of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Suggested option: Completion of the UC San Diego Coursera course Human-Centered Design: an Introduction. Students may audit this course and view all videos and lectures for free on Coursera.
2. Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS
Suggested option: Completion of the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies course CSE-41207 Introduction to HTML and CSS.
No transcripts or other documentation proving these prerequisites have been completed is necessary when applying to the program. Once these prerequisites are met, students must then complete the UX Design Certificate application (if you don't already have a MyExtension account, you will need to make one) and pay the application fee. There will be a $95 fee upon acceptance into the program.
User Experience (UX) Design
Information Session
Required Courses
All 16 units are required.
Final Required Course
All required courses and 2 elective courses must be completed before taking this course.
Electives
Minimum of 6 units required. Subject to change. Enrolled certificate students MUST follow matrix as listed in their MyExtension account.
Certificate Guidelines
This program can be completed in 15-21 months (taking 1-2 courses per quarter). Tuition is $595-795 per course. All required courses are offered online, but some electives may not be available online. Please refer to the UX Design Program Course Listing Matrix for more information.
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.
- Software is not provided to online students.
- To preview our e-learning system, visit our Canvas platform.
Required Software, Hardware, and other Program Materials
- Mac or Windows OS laptop or desktop - Students may work on either operating system.
- Adobe Creative Cloud subscription - Students must setup their Adobe CC account once they are enrolled in the program. With proof of enrollment, students are eligible for a discounted subscription rate.
- Prototyping software (Figma, OmniGraffle, Axure, Adobe XD)
- HTML Editor software (BBEdit, Sublime Text)
- Web Hosting provider subscription
- LinkedIn Learning subscription
Please note: Materials and software requirements vary by course. Before taking an online course, refer to the course description for exact software requirements. Student discounts may apply to certain subscriptions/software. Please visit their respective website for more details.
FAQs
All required courses cost $795 each. The estimated cost of the entire certificate program, not including certificate fee, enrollment fees, and textbooks/materials is $5,400.
Your mileage may vary depending on what electives you choose. How students pace their coursework may affect the program cost since many courses require software subscriptions, which are charged by month.
Students pay as they go when they register for classes, not in one lump sum.
- In your My Extension account, click on “My Courses.”
- On the right side of the page under “My Certificates,” click on the name of the certificate.
- On the right side of the page under “Tools,” click on “Request Certificate Audit.”
- Complete and submit the form that appears.
- 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.
Students must complete the first four required courses, as well as 6 units of electives, prior to enrolling in the capstone UX Portfolio course. All required courses must be taken in sequence and not simultaneously.
The UX Portfolio course may only be taken after the student has completed all required courses and electives. Please view individual course pages on our website for specific prerequisites.
Students may enroll concurrently in more than one course, however we recommend participating in the required certificate courses in the order listed on our certificate matrix above.
Certificate students should begin the program with Principles of User Experience (UX).
STEP 2: Click on the "Apply Now" button on the certificate page. Complete the required fields on the application. Then click the "Save" button. Once you have saved the application, the "Submit" button will appear. Click on the "Submit" button to submit your application for review and consideration. Once submitted, your application cannot be changed. You can track the progress of your application at My Extension.
Students are advised to be enrolled no later than the day before the start date of the course.
◦The class is closed (see FAQ on when enrollment closes).
◦The class is at capacity. If the class is at capacity you will only be able to join the waitlist.
◦The class is cancelled due to low enrollments.
◦The class has prerequisites that you have not completed yet.
For these reasons we recommend that you enroll early.
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.
The transferability of credit is determined solely by the receiving institution. Students should discuss how your individual courses will transfer with the Office of the Registrar at the receiving institution prior to enrolling.
Quarter to Semester Unit Conversion
If the receiving institution operates on a semester system, credits will be converted to semester hours during their evaluation. As a general rule, quarter credits are converted to semester credits by dividing the number of quarter credits by 1.5. For example, if the student completed a course worth 4 quarter credits at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, the course would be worth 4 ÷ 1.5 = 2.66 semester credits.
If you are interested in taking courses at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, you will need to obtain written approval from your school principal or counselor. The approval must be signed and printed on school letterhead, and must be included with your registration. If you are homeschooled, your approval needs to be signed by your contact in your local school district.
The letter should verify that you, the student, have the maturity and academic readiness to attend a post-baccalaureate level or college-level course.
Approvals can be emailed to unex-reg@ucsd.edu.
We are unable to accept letters signed by your parent, even if your parent is your teacher and/or school administrator. If you have taken community college courses, an official transcript from that college verifying coursework will be accepted in lieu of a letter from your high school or district. College transcripts must reflect a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
**Please note that some courses may address adult themes or use nude models.