New web specialist certificates open new paths

By Brian Babcock
Staff Writer

WCC is offering five new web development certificates this fall in the following disciplines: client-side web development, digital strategy, user interface design, user experience design and server-side web development.

To meet the demands of the web industry, WCC tailored these certificates for students looking to become specialists in as little as two semesters.

“The specialization allowed us to reduce the number of courses that are in a certificate,” said Jason Withrow, a web design and development instructor at WCC. “What preceded them were longer certificates, so they had more classes and they focused on being more of a generalist.”

“These new certificates take the individual pathways, like, for example, coding, user experience, digital marketing and interface design and they split them out so you can go down a pathway that is of interest to you,” he said.

No experience in these fields is necessary to begin the certificate programs, and many of them can be completed online.

“Our first classes don’t assume any knowledge of the field,” Withrow said. “You don’t have to come in knowing this; you start with the foundation and we build up from there.”

Students don’t have to take the certificate path though, especially if they want to pursue an associate degree, for example. With three courses required per certificate, students have the option to blend multiple certificates with a general studies associate degree or occupational studies associate.

“It’s more open in terms of students being able to create their own program that’s specialized to what they want to do,” said Linda Blakey, vice president of student and academic services. “It just adds on top of their skillset.”

“We also have a lot of students who are already working, or we have college graduates who come back and want a short-term marketable skillset with a short-term certificate,” she added.

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