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Certificate Program

User Experience and Web Design

Design the future.

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certificate Description

UX skills for an AI-driven, inclusive world

The User Experience and Web Design professional certificate program equips students with essential skills for designing modern, user-centered digital experiences. The latest industry-aligned curriculum integrates foundational UX principles with emerging trends, including accessibility, inclusivity, ethical design, artificial intelligence integration, and data-driven decision-making.

The UX and web design field continues to evolve rapidly reflecting advancements in technology, new user expectations, and evolving industry demands. We focus on the skills you need to be competitive in this dynamic field.

  • AI-powered design solutions
  • Accessibility standards
  • Ethical design practices
  • Hands-on learning
  • Real-world application

You’ll work with the latest design systems and collaboration tools including Figma, Miro, and Jira.

Learning Outcomes

  • Design user experiences that prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, ethical practices, responsible design, and user privacy.
  • Conduct user research studies using industry-standard tools and methodologies.
  • Integrate user-centered design principles.
  • Employ industry-standard prototyping tools and data-driven design principles to solve real-world problems.

Program Overview

Estimated Cost: $4,850–$5,085 + est. course materials: $550 (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost

Program Requirements: 6 courses (minimum 15 quarter units). Take 5 core courses (12 quarter units) and 1 elective course (minimum 3 quarter units). End with a certificate of completion review.

Minimum Hours of Instruction: Minimum 150 hours of instruction.

Estimated Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate in 9–12 months.

Modality: You can complete this program fully online, in person, or choose a mix of course formats.

Special Programs: This program is approved for workforce and international students.

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Courses


1. Required Course(s)

Quarter Units: 3.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
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Quarter Units: 2.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID

06-25-2025 to 08-06-2025
$720.00
UEWD.X416.(15)
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Quarter Units: 3.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 2.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me

2. Electives: (Choose One)

Summer TBD
Quarter Units: 3.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
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Quarter Units: 3.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 3.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me

3. Capstone Course: Required

Quarter Units: 2.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
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4. Completion Review:

Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID

None
$95.00

TBD

O-CE0613.(007)
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Meet Our Instructors

Alp Tiritoglu
Principal, UILAB LLC
Audrey A Blumeneau
CVC-OEI Lead Reviewer |Web Design Tech Instructor
Eric Dorf
Senior UX Designer, Google
Jeanette Smith
Creative Dtr., former owner, Wild Horse Design | Research Coord., Stanford
Jumar T Balacy
Program Advisor | User Experience Designer, Amazon Lab126
Min Wu
Senior Staff Software Engineer, ServiceNow
Nicole Sharratt
Chair | Vice President of Product Design, Jumio Corp.
Samuel Ting
Visual Design Lead, IBM Data & AI

What students are saying

Certificate Inquiry Form

Contact Us

Speak to a student services representative.

Call (408) 861-3860

Envelope extension@ucsc.edu

Requisite Knowledge

Please review the course descriptions to ensure that you have taken the prerequisites or meet the requirements through job experience or previous education. It’s recommended that you are familiar with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.) through coursework or equivalent knowledge and experience.

Advisory Board

Nicole Sharratt, Instructor

NICOLE SHARRATT, M.S., is a vice president of product design with 30 years of experience in user experience. She has worked as a UX leader with B2B and B2C organizations and is passionate about growing innovative UX teams and future design leaders. She has been part of the AI movement both designing for and with AI to create award-winning products. Previous experience includes UX leadership positions at FICO, McAfee, TrendMicro, and Intuit, among other organizations. She earned her master's degree in Cognitive Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and a bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.

UX & Web Design Certificate Program Advisory Committee

JUMAR T. BALACY
UX Designer, Amazon

ALEX HUGHES
Senior UX Manager, Best Buy

ARIN BHOWMICK, M.S.
Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer, SAP

LUIS CALERO, M.A.
Conversational UX Designer, Centene Corp.

SNEHA CHOWDHARY, MS
Senior Product Manager, UX & Human-Centered AI Design, Adobe

ILKIN GULIYEV, Masters & Extension Studies
User Experience Designer, Microsoft

SHARMAINE MANALO, B.S.
Generative AI UX Prototyper, Apple

Establish Candidacy

Grade Requirements

Please note that only letter grades of C or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements.

See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.