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Help..what Web Cert. Program is good for me?

Hi Everyone, Currently, I am deciding on which web design certificate program I should take. I decided to go this route since I have a BS already and I am not interested in going back to school for another 4 years. This will all be based on cost and the timeframe. I noticed some certificate programs can last from 5 months to 1 years. Does it really matter the length of time? I just want to make sure I am getting everything that I need to get started in this field. Can you please let me know if this is a good program. Also, does it matter if this is a non-credit certificate or will that effect me later? I am listing 2 of the same programs but from 2 different institutions (community colleges). The both cost less than $1500 for all courses. Communicty College 1 (only have to take 6 courses and 2 electives) Duration: 1 year Courses: CSP247 HTML 1 - Creating Web Pages CSP296 HTML 2 - Creating Web Pages CSP297 1 JavaScript CSP299 Planning and Maintaining Your Web Site CSP313 Web Graphics CSP325 1 HTML 3 - Creating Web Pages CSP389 Dynamic HTML - Cascading Style Sheets CSP398 Dreamweaver - An Introduction CSP404 1 Flash Workshop CSP413 1 Dreamweaver - Advanced CSP415 1 CGI Scripting and Server Interface CSP417 Advanced Web Design Workshop Communicty College 2 Duration: 5-6 months Courses: Dreamweaver Basics and Essential Photoshop Skills Macromedia Dreamweaver is the web development program used by more than 80 percent of web professionals. Topics will include text formatting, dynamic graphics, hyperlinks, templates, tables, frames, style sheets and forms. Practice publishing your completed site to a web host. Adobe is the premier image-manipulation tool for both print and the Web. Learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop in this thorough beginner/intermediate course. If you are planning on working with images in any way, you need to know it. Even if you just took your software out of the box, this course will help you learn and tame this creative powerhouse of a program. (18 hours) $329 HTML Basics An introduction to HTML used for creating web pages for publishing on the World Wide Web. Topics include HTML tags, formatting text, lists, adding simple images, background colors, and hypertext links. This is a hands-on course using Windows. Students must have word processing skills, knowledge of Windows, and knowledge of the Internet. (12 hours) Advandced Dreamweaver + CSS This course is a continuation of Dreamweaver Basics. Focus is on functions that convert static web pages into engaging sites as well as on formatting and laying out your site using Cascading Style Sheets. It examines advanced design techniques such as color, font, position, rollovers and pop-ups. Students will also be introduced to Javascript driven, Spry widgets to quickly create drop-down menus, accordion boxes and more without having to write a single line of code! This course will benefit anybody who needs to create professional, consistent looking web sites using Dreamweaver's CSS tools. This hands-on course requires basic knowledge of the Windows Operating system, Internet, and HTML. Flash Animation + Photoshop Gain experience in the functions and capabilities of Adobe Flash. This course will teach you to use incorporate animation/interface design and illustration principles and practice into websites. (36 hours) $499 Maintaining a Website Layout, navigation, and maintenance are the three keys to the success of a website. Learn to analyze website content, audience profiles, IP addresses and domain name registration. Other topics include: web hosting, start-up and maintenance costs, updating HTML documents and graphics, guest books, submitting sites to search engines, and log files. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will also be discussed. (12 hours) $189 Totaling 96 hours

Public Comments

1. One area that does not seem to be covered is the design of web sites. The classes listed teach you about the tools of the trade, It would be like learning to paint by studying about the different types of paints and brushes. Maybe you already had some graphics design classes or have natural talent, but if you don't learn some principles of design you just become a web site hack and use templates and steal ideas (called "heavy lifting") from real designers. Are you aware that there are some classes available on the web? Harvard has put the video of some of their classes online. I liked Hanspeter Pfister class on Visualization. Video from the class was available on i-tunes for free, but I could not find the link. CSCI E-64 Visualization , http://www.extension.harvard.edu/courses/22872.jsp Did find this one, but have not watched it. Harvard Extension School's Computer Science E-75: Building Dynamic Websites http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/harvard-extension-schools/id273114068 One suggestion. Start creating a portfolio of your work. Save copies of your school work and as you skill improve look back and see what you could do to improve them and consider updating them. Future employer will be interested in seeing your work. Should also be aware that web design is a changing field and the tools you learn now might be consider out of date in five years. Another reason for focusing more on what your should design rather on just learning the tools to create the design.