Program Description

Accord­ing to the Infor­ma­tion and Com­mu­ni­ca­tion Tech­nol­o­gy Coun­cil of Cana­da (ICTC), UX/UI design­er is the third most in-demand dig­i­tal job in Alberta.

User Expe­ri­ence (UX) Design and User Inter­face (UI) Design are the two sides of user-cen­tred design, an emer­gent field that has seen rapid growth over the past few years. UX explores what it means to be user-cen­tred, while UI oth­er exam­ines how users inter­act with­in a space. Both require skills in design think­ing, research, and work­ing with diverse teams and stakeholders.

UX DESIGN — User Expe­ri­ence Design

Every day we engage in a myr­i­ad of inter­ac­tions — both in the phys­i­cal and the dig­i­tal world. Some of these inter­ac­tions are amaz­ing, while oth­ers bring high lev­els of frus­tra­tion. The best inter­ac­tions occur when the exchange feels per­son­al­ized and intu­itive. What makes them so suc­cess­ful is the use of thought­ful and skilled user-cen­tred design thinking. 

  • UX design is all about the over­all feel of the experience.
  • UX design is all about iden­ti­fy­ing and solv­ing user problems.
  • UX deals with pur­pose and functionality.

UI DESIGN — User Inter­face Design

A great UI design­er has the skills and knowl­edge to cre­ate designs that are true to brand while seam­less­ly blend­ing inter­ac­tiv­i­ty and ease of nav­i­ga­tion. Users are increas­ing­ly learn­ing to expect flaw­less, high-qual­i­ty expe­ri­ences, and it is the cal­i­bre of the UI design that can make or break this impact. 

  • UI design is all about how an inter­face looks and func­tions, about the qual­i­ty of the inter­ac­tion that the end-user has with the product.
  • UI design is all about cre­at­ing intu­itive, aes­thet­i­cal­ly-pleas­ing, and inter­ac­tive interfaces.
  • UI design has an artis­tic com­po­nent as it relates to the design and inter­face with the product.
  • UI con­sid­ers acces­si­bil­i­ty and the dif­fer­ent kinds of users who might inter­act with an expe­ri­ence, from kids to seniors to peo­ple with all kinds of dif­fer­ent abilities.

Is This Program Right For You?

Aimed at learn­ers look­ing to get into the design fields of UX/UI, upskill, or devel­op new skills, this pro­gram will be par­tic­u­lar­ly rel­e­vant to those who are graph­ic design­ers, dig­i­tal mar­keters, com­put­er pro­gram­mers, busi­ness and agency own­ers, entre­pre­neurs, and tech­nol­o­gy star­tups, as well as man­agers and team leads who work with designers.

Whether you are new to the field or have an exist­ing back­ground in design, you will ben­e­fit from learn­ing direct­ly from indus­try lead­ers about cur­rent approach­es and tools, as well as keep­ing up-to-date with the most recent trends.

Learning Objectives

The ful­ly online UX/UI Design Cer­tifi­cate teach­es par­tic­i­pants:

  • The foun­da­tions of both UX and UI design, 
  • How to approach prob­lems from a user-cen­tred per­spec­tive,
  • And how to con­duct user research to best guide the design process.

 A spe­cial cap­stone project inte­grates pre­vi­ous learn­ing, applies the­o­ry and method, and stretch­es the learn­ers’ gen­er­a­tive and cre­ative abilities.

What will I receive?

Upon completion of all program requirements, you will receive a UX/UI Design Certificate

Cost  

  • The approximate cost of this Certificate is $5,455 CAD.
  • Course Fees are typically $595 CAD.
  • Pay as you go - students pay on a course-by-course basis as they register. You do not need to pay the entire program fee at once.
  • An application fee of $100 is required for admis­sion into the program.
  • Cours­es are GST-exempt.
  • Consider applying for the Cana­da-Alber­ta Job Grant.
  • Some courses may require additional resources such as textbooks. This information can be found in the course section details.

Program Details

This program is comprised of five core and four elective courses. Each course is 21 hours in length, for a total of 189 instructional hours. This program is designed for part-time study and can generally be completed within one to two years

UX Design Foundations and UI Design Foundations must be taken as the first courses in the program. The User Experience / User Interface Capstone Project is the final core course.

Course Information

  • Students have the flexibility to schedule courses around their availability. Typically students complete 1-3 courses per semester based on the course length.
  • Courses are graded with assessments. This might include quizzes, exams, discussion forums, papers, and presentations.
  • Courses are offered online synchronously and/or asynchronously. Please check the course section for details. Further details on delivery formats can be found here .
  • Course materials are shared in eClass. Some courses may require additional resources, such as textbooks. This information can be found in the course section details.

Your Instructors

  • Our instructors are not just educators; they are industry experts, adult learning specialists, and professionals deeply connected to the pulse of their respective fields. 

How to Apply

  • We are open to stu­dents with a variety of educational and professional back­grounds. Our expec­ta­tion is that you have a com­mit­ment to learn and achieve your con­tin­u­ing edu­ca­tion goals.
  • To apply, download the Application for Program Admission.
  • The admission fee is $100.
  • Individual courses are open for general studies and may be completed without being admitted into a program. 
  • Programs change occasionally, so we recommend applying for admission early. Once admitted, your requirements to complete the program are locked in. You can be confident that completed and eligible courses will continue to apply to your program.

How to Apply for your Credential

  • Students can verify their program requirements and progress by logging into the University of Alberta’s student portal, Bear Tracks, to view your Academic Advisement.
  • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required to graduate.
  • To qualify for program completion, you must submit a request to obtain your credential.
  • For a breakdown of details and how to qualify, visit the program completion page.
  • Upon completing this credential, you are eligible to become a UAlberta Associate Alumni.

Transferability

Explore Funding and Scholarship Opportunities 

International Students

  • International Students are welcome to enroll in our courses, with the only requirement being a stable internet connection. There are no differential course fees for international students completing courses in this program.
  • Students are responsible for ensuring that they are proficient in English so that they can fully participate in classes.
  • Please note that non-credit programming does not qualify for a study permit, therefore this program cannot be used for immigration to Canada. Foreign nationals authorized to work in Canada who are prohibited from engaging in studies as a condition of their work permit are allowed to engage in distance learning courses. For more information please contact University of Alberta International Student Services.

Student Services and Policies

Further information can be found on withdrawals, refunds+ transfers, assessment + grading, and program admission.

Support Services

Contact us

techprog@ualberta.ca

Additional Details

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