Art Certificates

Certificate Programs for Art Design Students

Although some aspiring designers try to enter the field without any formal training, it is truly in your best interest to consider completing a certificate program.  Doing so will give you the specific training needed to gain employment in this industry.  Whether working for someone else or choosing to run your own business, a certificate will give not only you, but also your clients and employers, confidence in your work. 

You will be able to both refine your existing art skills as well as learn new techniques that will improve your work and can be applied to practical settings.  With the many venues for visual media available today, this is an ever-expanding field that offers great opportunities for rewarding employment, both artistically as well as financially.  

-Certificates communicate to employers and clients that you have the professionalism and experience in order to produce high-quality work.

-You will be eligible to work in many different settings doing a wide variety of jobs, appealing to your creative side, while giving you the potential for a good income. 

-It is possible to continue on in your education and training without having to necessarily commit to completing a full-length degree program as you have already done some applicable coursework.

But What Will I Learn With a Certificate?

There are many options for what kind of a certificate you can get when it comes to art design programs.  Some are more general and provide a survey of many different design methods.  From there, you can continue training either formally or on your own in the subject which you enjoy the most. 

However, other programs offer certificates that focus on some of these specific design subjects.   So, when choosing a school, it is important to decide if you already know the area you want to study or if you want to learn a bit about many different areas and techniques.  Some of the subjects covered in either specific or more general programs are:

-Digital imaging, photography, and retouching

-Web design and interactive media

-Advertising, logo, and brand identity

-Illustration, both by computer as well as by hand

-Basic drawing skills

-Design and color theory

-Industry standard software programs

-Typography and graphic design

What Kind of Career Can I Find?

With a certificate in art design, you can apply for almost any job in the industry.  Of course, when you are first starting out, you might be limited in terms of the positions for which you can apply.  But, virtually any area is open to you.  Getting your dream position will simply take a bit of time by gaining a few years of applicable work experience.  You will be able to work for yourself, either owning your own business or as a freelancer.  Or else, you can choose to work for any number of companies.  It is possible to work in television and movies, book and magazine publishing, web design, or a whole host of other areas. 

Many of the jobs available today require a specific set of skills, many of which are computer or visual in nature.  You can greatly up your chances of employment by getting formal training in these techniques.  As a certificate program typically does not take nearly as long as an associate's or bachelor's program to complete, you will be able to join the work force and start making money faster than those committing to a longer, more involved, program.