11 UI Design Certification Programs To Get You Hired in 2023
Sakshi Gupta | 11 minute read | September 14, 2022 
In this article
UI design is one of the top tech jobs in the US today. According to Dice’s Tech Hiring Trends, there’s been an 81% growth in the number of UI/UX jobs posted in the first half of this year. And, UI/UX salaries have increased 10% in just the last year alone.
To land one of these coveted positions, you’ll need to stand out from the crowd, and a reputable UI design certification program is one of the best ways to do that. Today, there are a number of courses available in various formats, curricula, schedules, and prices. But with so many available, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. That’s why we’ve created this guide. In this post, we’ll tell you about the eleven best UI design certification programs. We explore their features, benefits, price, and ratings to give you everything you need to choose the right one for your needs.
What Is a UI Design Certification?
A UI design certification teaches you the fundamentals of UI design, and assures hiring managers that you have the skills to perform the job at hand. It also helps differentiate you from self-taught designers.
| Company | Certification/Course | Rank | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
UI/UX Design Bootcamp | 4.64 | $11,900 | Learn More |
 |
UI Online Course | N/A | $2495 | Learn More |
 |
UI / UX Design Specialization | 4.8 | $59 | Learn More |
 |
Certification in UI Design | 4.65 | $2350 | Learn More |
 |
UI Design Certification | 4.64 | $3,250 | Learn More |
 |
UI Design Patterns | 4.67 | $16 | Learn More |
 |
UX & UI Design Program | 4.7 | $3,495 | Learn More |
 |
UI Design program | 4.53 | $7900 | Learn More |
 |
UI Design Certification | 4.5 | $600 | Learn More |
 |
Human-Computer Interaction Certification | 4.3 | $356.40 | Learn More |
 |
UI Design Certificate Program | 4.5 | $2,700 | Learn More |
Best UI Design Certifications
UI design certifications come in all shapes and sizes—online/offline, free/paid, long-term/short-term, beginner-level/advanced level, and so on. Here are the top eleven you can choose from:
Springboard UI/UX Design Career Track
Rating
Overview
The Springboard UI/UX Design Career Track is a 9-month comprehensive online program that covers design thinking, user research, ideation, design, sketching, wireframing, prototyping, and more. The program gives you the opportunity to complete several mini-projects and four portfolio projects, including a design sprint. It also includes a 40-hour industry design project where you solve a business problem.
In addition to an industry-ready curriculum, the career track offers 1:1 mentorship from experienced UI/UX designers, career coaching, and a job guarantee.
Get To Know Other Design Students
Valena Del Valle
Junior Product Designer at The Hartford
Arin Soukoule
Design Experience Analyst at Accenture Interactive
Talayeh Motameni
Senior UX Designer at United Airlines
Best For
All you need to enroll for the UI/UX Career Track is an eye for design and empathy for the user. Other than that, this program does not have any other prerequisites, making it suitable for fresh graduates and career transitioners alike.
Price
The Springboard UI/UX Design Career Track costs $11,900. It offers payment plans, deferred tuition plans, Climb Credit loans, and scholarships as well.
Learn UI Design: The Complete Online Video Course
Rating
N/A
Overview
Created by Erik Kennedy, a freelance UX/UI designer from Seattle, Learn UI Design is an online course comprising 53 video lessons, skill-based exercises, cheat sheets, and a student Slack community. It also includes live video demos by Erik himself for students to follow along and learn from. The curriculum covers design fundamentals, color, typography, UI components, design platforms, and communicating design.
Best For
This course is best for beginners and career transitioners, although it expects you to be eager about UI design, self-motivated, and have some interest in tech.
Price
The Learn UI Design course costs between $995-2495, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
UI/UX Design Specialization (CalArts on Coursera)
Rating
Coursera users have given this course an average rating of 4.8.
Overview
California Institute of the Arts offers a comprehensive UI/UX design specialization on Coursera, which would take approximately four months to complete if you invest 5 hours a week. You can pace yourself faster or slower based on your availability. The program includes four courses, with one each in visual elements, UX fundamentals, web design strategy and infrastructure, and wireframes and prototypes. On completing this course, you would have worked on several small design projects, a mid-level prototype, and a comprehensive plan for a complex website.
Best For
No prior experience is required to take this course, which is beginner-friendly.
Price
Certifications for specializations on Coursera are charged on a monthly subscription, which costs $49-79. You can subscribe to Coursera Plus to access all available courses for $59. You can audit the course material for free. However, you will not gain certification in the free tier.
Professional Certificate in UI Design (UX Design Institute)
Rating
Overview
UX Design Institute’s Professional Certificate in UI Design is a 12-week online program that covers an introduction to design principles, typography, color, shapes, effects, iconography, imagery, and more. It also has modules for design tools, processes, and presentation. The course includes practical exercises and monthly webinars with mentors.
Best For
While the course is open for individuals without a tech or design background, having one is a plus. It is best for those with a background in graphic design, UX design, or digital product development.
Price
The program costs $2350, with an early bird discount of $250.
UI Design Professional Certification (BrainStation)
Rating
Overview
BrainStation’s UI Design Professional Certification is a 10-week program with live classes conducted on the same day every week. The curriculum includes modules in principles of UI design, visual design, responsive design, and UI design career development. By the end of the program, you will have a user interface design solution from sketches to interactive prototypes that you can showcase to your prospective employers.
Best For
The course has no prerequisites and welcomes those new to UI design.
Price
The up-front tuition fee for the UI Design Professional Certification is $3,250. The course offers monthly payment plans and various scholarships.
UI Design Patterns for Successful Software (Interaction Design Foundation)
Rating
Overview
UI Design Patterns for Successful Software is a self-paced program focused on identifying and utilizing UI patterns, estimated to take about 24 hours to finish. However, the course offers permanent access to course material, allowing you to take the time you need. The curriculum covers page structure, content optimization, fluid navigation, data entry, social aspects of UI design, and dark patterns.
Best For
It is a beginner-friendly course. However, those with some professional experience in product design, project management, and software development will also benefit from it.
Price
You can subscribe to all courses at the Interaction Design Foundation for $16 a month.
UX & UI Design Certificate (Noble Desktop)
Rating
Overview
The UX and UI Design Certificate from Noble Desktop is a project-based program with instructor-led live online classes for 24 weeks. Students are invited to speak with or text the instructor during the lessons. The program also includes hands-on projects that the students can complete between classes and get feedback from the instructor during class time. The curriculum covers design fundamentals, user research, testing, wireframing, prototyping, and the business of UI design.
Best For
This course does not require any prior knowledge or experience, making it best for beginners as well as early career professionals.
Price
The tuition fee is $3,495. Financing and monthly installments are available.
UI Design Program (CareerFoundry)
Rating
Overview
CareerFoundry’s UI Design Program is an online course that can be completed in five months at 30-40 hours/week, or nine months at 15-20 hours/week. During the course, you have access to a tutor for an immediate evaluation of exercises and a mentor for detailed feedback on portfolio pieces. The curriculum includes:
- A short introduction to UI design
- A longer immersion into UI covering design principles, UX process, UI process, mobile app design, animation, branding, and UI design
- A specialization in voice UI design, animation, or frontend development
Best For
It is for anyone interested in UI design, even if you don’t have a background or experience in the field.
Price
The program costs $7900—you pay $1400 upfront, then $650 per month in 10 installments. You can also pay the total upfront and receive a $395 discount.
CIW User Interface Designer Certification
Rating
- uCertify: 4.5
Overview
The CIW User Interface Designer Certification covers strategies and tactics needed to design user interfaces, especially for mobile devices. The curriculum covers an introduction, design process, principles and legal guidelines, navigation concepts, wireframes, color schemes, tones, templates, formatting, typography, site publishing, maintenance, security, and SEO strategies.
Best For
This course requires an understanding of HTML5 and CSS coding, making it best for those with web development experience.
Price
The self-study kit costs $450, and the exam credits an additional $150.
Professional Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction (Georgia Tech)
Rating
Overview
EdX’s Professional Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction is a 6-month program comprising four skill-building courses: Fundamentals and design principles; cognition, context, and culture; ethics, need finding and prototyping; and evaluation, agile methods, and beyond. The course also introduces emerging technologies like AR/VR, wearable devices, context-sensitive UI, and social computing.
Best For
There are no prerequisites for this program, making it suitable for beginners.
Price
The certificate program, including four courses, costs $356.40.
UI Design Certificate Program (FIT NYC)
Rating
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has an overall rating of 4.5 on Indeed.
Overview
The FIT NYC’s UI Design Certificate Program is an 8-week, remote online course with real-time lectures twice a week. Class sizes are small, only 14 members each, enabling more personal interactions between students, faculty, and industry professionals. The curriculum includes UI design workflow, methodology, tools, typography, color, grids, hierarchy, accessibility, responsive web design, considerations for website/mobile apps, prototyping, and micro-interactions.
Best For
The course expects students to know the Adobe creative suite and design fundamentals. So, it is best suited for those with a background in graphic/visual design looking to transition to UI.
Price
The tuition for this program is $2,430 to 2,700.
How Do You Choose a UI Design Certification?
As you can see from the list above, not all UI design courses are created equal. They vary widely in structure, curriculum, mode of delivery, and price. If you’re looking to choose one that’s right for you, consider the following:
Syllabus
The syllabus of a UI design certification program depends mainly on who it is designed for. Some courses, like the Springboard UI/UX Career Track, are designed for beginners with no experience in design. Other programs might be for graphic designers or UX professionals to gain specialization in UI design. Depending on where you are in your UI design journey, choose a course with a syllabus that meets your needs.
Career Goals
Before choosing a program, it’s helpful to list some career goals. If your goal is to find a job in UI design immediately after the certification, choose a program that offers career services and a job guarantee. On the other hand, if you’re looking to upskill, then you might want to choose a certification program that’s tailored to more experienced designers.
Budget
There are UI certification courses from free to over $11,000. Choose a course that fits your budget. Consider the installments, scholarships, and payment plans available. While doing so, check if the course offers a job guarantee, which would give you a better return on your investment.
Schedule
Some courses offer live lectures at a specific time every week, while others offer more flexibility with pre-recorded lectures. Choose one that fits your availability.
Reviews and Ratings
Websites like Course Report, SwitchUp, and Career Karma collate user ratings and reviews for top UI design bootcamps. While looking at the ratings, also read reviews to understand what students like you have gained from these courses.
Job Support
Career services like resume and portfolio building, interview preparation, and negotiation coaching are critical to finding a job after your certification. While considering a course, thoroughly evaluate the job support you will get. See if the program offers a job guarantee or has a money-back policy. Also, look for the organizations in which past students work and read their testimonials if there are any.
Type of Certification (With or Without a Course)
There are certificate exams you can take without necessarily studying the course material or completing projects. These are more suitable for UI designers with experience. If you’re new to UI design, you might need a comprehensive training program. So, choose one that gives you the skills and the qualifications you need to be certified.
Certification Value
Certificates from reputable organizations are more valuable than those from newer institutions. University certification might be more valuable if you’re looking to pursue academic research. So, understand the value of the certificate program you’re choosing in achieving your career goals.
Making the Most Out of a UI Design Certification
Here are some things to consider if you want to make the most of your investment.
How Does a UI Design Certification Work?
A typical UI design certification is a part-time/full-time training program that includes video lectures, downloadable material, hands-on assignments, and a capstone project. Some of the best programs also include 1:1 mentorships from industry leaders, career coaching, and job guarantee.
What Should You Expect To Learn?
A good UI design certification program should give you an understanding of:
- Principles such as user-centered design, design thinking along with the design thinking process
- Foundational concepts of UI design such as color, grids, and typography
- How UI design fits into the larger user experience design
- UI patterns and design decisions
- Heuristics and interaction design principles
- Guidelines for web/mobile apps and responsive design
- Inclusivity and accessibility in design
- Tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma or InVision
- User testing and usability studies
Related Read: 11 Best Design Thinking Courses and Certifications
What Does the Schedule Generally Look Like?
Most UI design certifications demand 15-20 hours of study time each week. Many of them are flexible, allowing you to learn in your own time. However, some courses are structured to have live online lectures for which you need to be available at a specific time.
FAQs About UI Design Certifications
We’ve got the answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Is UI Design Hard To Learn?
No. With dedicated time and interest, you can learn UI design in a few weeks/months. A comprehensive certification program will make it easier for you with a structured curriculum, hands-on assignments, and ongoing mentorship to keep you on track.
Is a UI Design Certification Worth It?
Yes. A recognized UI design certification allows you to demonstrate your skills and experience in the field. In such a competitive job market, this gives you an advantage over self-taught designers.
Are There Any Prerequisites for a UI Design Certification?
Most UI design programs have no prerequisites for joining. For example, the Springboard UI/UX Career Track only needs you to have an eye for design and the ability to empathize with the user.
Can You Land a Job With a UI Design Certification?
Yes. Several UI design certifications offer a job guarantee. Even otherwise, a recognized certification makes your resume stand out against the competition.
The peer and mentor networks you will build during your time at the bootcamp will also help open doors to your new career.
Since you’re here…
If you’re looking to move into design, having strong UX and UI skills is a major edge. Our UI/UX Design Bootcamp has earned graduates jobs with the most competitive organizations on earth, and 99.5% of our students are fully employed within 12 months of graduation. Check out our student reviews for good feels, and If you’re totally new to the field, try our free intro course.
