Graphic design program

Graphic Design Certificate Program

The courses in the Graphic Design Certificate Program are designed to help individuals develop their skills and remain competitive in the graphic design industry and beyond. Using Adobe Creative Cloud applications, the courses cover essential purposes and methods to prepare participants for sophisticated graphic design processes. To earn a certificate, participants must complete all three courses successfully.

Each course in this series lasts approximately four weeks, is instructor-led, fully online and self-paced.

Requirements

An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription is required to complete the course assignments in this program. Please visit www.adobe.com/creativecloud to choose your plan.

 

Courses may be taken individually and in any order; however, participants who wish to earn the graphic design certificate must successfully complete all three courses.
Up and Running on Photoshop

In this hands-on course, we will work through examples of real-world creative challenges you will encounter as you learn to master Adobe Photoshop CC. We will start from the basics and work up to more challenging and exciting techniques. You'll learn about adjusting colors, masking, retouching, and manipulating images. As a graphic designer, you will learn what it takes to work efficiently and effectively, gaining the skills needed to add Photoshop into your creative toolkit.

Upcoming Courses:
  • Feb 5 – March 3, 2024
  • Aug 12 – September 8, 2024
Mastering Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is the designer’s essential tool for creating vector logos, professional type effects, maps, diagrams, illustrations and more. Understand the unique features of Illustrator, the difference between vector and raster graphics and how to create complex graphics with simple components and selection tools. Learn lines and shapes, using the live trace, type basics, gradients, using layers, transparency and exporting images to EPS and PDF, and discover high quality drawing and digital illustration.

Upcoming Courses:
  • March 18 – April 14, 2024
  • September 23 – October 20, 2024
Bringing it Together with Adobe InDesign

InDesign is the leading publication layout and design software. Learn to harness the power of InDesign to create materials for print, digital and PDF distribution. In this course, you will learn type controls, graphics file management, interactive design, layers and document setup and more as you become an InDesign power user.

Upcoming Courses:
  • April 29 – May 26, 2024
  • November 4 – December 1, 2024

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Tonya Wright
Tonya D. Wright
CEO & Creative Consultant, Wright Touch Designs LLC

Tonya Wright is the founder and creative consultant of Wright Touch Designs LLC. As a branding and marketing professional, her job is to dig deep and discover the most compelling aspects of an organization’s backstory, create a visual campaign that speaks to this story, and share it with the right audiences. For over 15 years, Tonya has used her entrepreneurial experiences to provide 21st-century learners with innovative training. Her creative lessons in graphic design and Web development projects introduce students to real-life scenarios and solutions to navigate today’s digital-laden workforce and diverse clientele.


Registration

Up and Running on Photoshop CC

February 5 - March 3, 2024
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August 12 – September 8, 2024
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Mastering Adobe Illustrator

March 18 - April 14, 2024
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September 23 – October 20, 2024
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Bringing it Together with Adobe InDesign

April 29 - May 26, 2024
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November 4 – December 1, 2024
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These courses are open to the public, so anyone can enroll regardless of university affiliation. In fact, it is the mission of the Office of Professional and Continuing Education to make educational resources available to the public.

Registration remains open until the course start date. Late registrations (Through the third day of the first week, will be considered on a case by case basis.)

The courses offered by OPCE are eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEU’s are units that measure continuing education hours and are not transferrable for academic credit. For this reason, they typically do not qualify for scholarships, aid or grants.

The courses offered by OPCE are eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEU’s are units that measure continuing education hours and are not transferrable for academic credit. For this reason, they typically do not qualify for scholarships, aid or grants.

At this time, we are unable to offer discounts or promotion codes.

The courses are designed so that they may be taken in any order.

No. As long as the course is completed within the four-week time period, students may log in according to their personal schedules.

One of the many benefits to the online structure is the freedom to work according to the pace of the individual.

Our instructor has created course files for you to use and practice with as you learn the techniques and tools of each of the three programs. In each course, you will move through a series of videos that allows you to practice, then complete an assignment for instructor feedback. Students may communicate directly with the instructor using the course messaging feature. Each course lasts four weeks, and is made up of four modules. It is reasonable to complete one module per week, but some may progress faster as their schedule allows.

You will receive personal feedback on your assignment submissions from the instructor.

The courses are designed to start with the basics, so novice students can jump right in and become well-acquainted with the program. The instructor provides sample files as collateral to work with and the videos serve as a guide for step-by-step processes.

As the course progresses, the tools, techniques and workflow become more complex. A more familiar student can expect to learn high-level functions of the program and may even choose to create their own collateral to work with.

The course is self-paced with guidance and feedback from the instructor. While the time commitment varies by participant, one can anticipate spending 2-3 hours per week to work through the course. Each course lasts four weeks, and is made up of four modules. It is reasonable to complete one module per week, but some may progress faster as their schedule allows.

Each course in our graphic design program consists of four modules, over four weeks. It is reasonable to complete a module per week. The modules are formatted into groups of videos that demonstrate the program tools and techniques. As you watch the videos, you will have the opportunity to practice, then complete and submit an assignment to the instructor. Once she provides feedback that the assignment is satisfactory, you will be able to advance to the next module.

Students who successfully complete a course will retain access to the course videos for 90 days.

We offer a certificate of completion for our graphic design program with CEU credit. CEUs are not transferable for academic credit hours. Our graphic design program was created to deliver immediate skills in the three programs graphic designers frequently use and for participants to be able to complete in a reasonable amount of time. The courses do not cover theory or case studies, and instead focus on hands-on practice with the tools and techniques the programs offer. Additionally, with continuing education programs such as ours, there is no degree requirement, application process or fee; participants may simply register.

In order to complete the assignments, students must have access to the most current version of Adobe Creative Cloud, which is available both for Mac and PC. Please visit https://www.adobe.com to review specific system requirements and pricing. You may also consider free trials offered by Adobe.

Employees: Any Auburn University employee is eligible to purchase a subscription through their unit’s IT provider.

Students: Any Auburn University student who is currently enrolled may request a subscription at no cost. Go to https://adobe.auburn.edu to request your subscription. For specific information Employees and Students may visit https://auburn.service-now.com/it?id=kb_article_view&sys_kb_id=5bfa6107dbc45b00965cf9b9af961930#arcGIS-content

Upon successful completion of an individual course, the student will have the opportunity to print a certificate for that particular course.

Upon successful completion of the Graphic Design Program, which consists of all three courses, OPCE will mail the formal graphic design certificate. Please allow up to ten business days for processing.

Certificates are mailed from Auburn. Please allow additional time for shipping.

Last Updated: January 5, 2024