Continuing & Professional Education

UX / UI Design

Earn a Certificate

Courses for everyone 11

  • team leads
  • man­agers
  • entre­pre­neurs
  • busi­ness and agency own­ers
  • com­put­er pro­gram­mers
  • dig­i­tal mar­keters
  • graph­ic design­ers

These part-time study courses are designed to enhance current practitioners’ skillsets
Program enrolment is optional – register in a course without applying for admission

Discover what it means to use a user-centered design process and learn the fundamentals of UX (user experience) design including the principles of design thinking, user-centered design and information architecture in this course. Gain an understanding of the importance of user research, usability testing and assessment, and the basics of contextual inquiry. By the end of the course, you will be able to describe and apply current best practices and conventions in UX design and make use of the fundamental principles of UX design.
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
The user interface (UI) is the point where your users interact with your website/app. In this course, you'll learn the fundamentals of UI design. You will learn the UI design process including storytelling, sketching, and prototyping, and how the user experiences these on the front end. Understand how data visualization and web design, impacts branding, visual identity, and accessibility. By the end of this course, you'll be able to articulate the design process and how this influences the user experience.
April 29
starts in 4 days
Online learning, asynchronous. With Najia Aftab
Details & register
Visual design is a field that has emerged by blending the principles of both user interface design and graphic design. Learn how to use key design principles such as imagery, colour, typography, and form to enhance usability and improve user experience. You will learn to analyze and construct graphic/visual design using conceptual and technical approaches appropriate to client and target audience. Apply this knowledge to a hands-on project that integrates UI and the principles of graphic design. Prerequisite EXSM 3921
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
Understanding your user is key to building a successful experience. Learn how human-centred design can guide quantitative and qualitative methods, and generate 'the right' research questions and methods for your client. This course will include practical experience in brainstorming, planning and conducting user-centred research, as well as creating user personas and affinity diagrams. It will also touch upon legal and ethical concerns. Prerequisite EXSM 3920 and EXSM 3921
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
Stretch your generative and creative abilities as you integrate the knowledge you acquired in the previous core courses and apply theory and method to research, plan, execute, present, and review a real-world project. Mirroring industry practice, you will work as part of a team, operate within an Agile project management framework, and evaluate the features of this approach. Prerequisite EXSM 3920, 3921, 3922 and 3923
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
Understanding your user is key to building a successful experience. Learn how human-centred design can generate user insights using quantitative and qualitative methods such as surveys, interviews and in-context observations. This course will also teach students how to summarize their research using Experience Mapping, Journey Mapping, Personas and Service Design Blueprint. This course will also touch upon legal and ethical concerns.
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
Students will evaluate a set of quantitative and qualitative research methods to gain insights into how we can design things better. This course will teach students how to evaluate their user research using feedback to develop effective UX design strategies. You¿ll learn the most widely used technique by UX Researchers, usability testing. Additionally, this course will cover the fundamentals of organizing information with card-sorting and tree testing and basic statistical analysis through A/B testing. Learn about key tools in evaluative research such as prototyping, MVP, moderated and unmoderated user testing, and AB/Testing.
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
This course provides an introduction to web design principles and client-side scripting. This course will introduce students to HTML5 and CSS and the fundamentals of web development and design. The course provides a foundation on web page construction, wireframing, prototyping and development. By the end, students will understand the anatomy of a web page and know how to work with developers/communicate with developers. Students will have an opportunity to design and develop a personal website.
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
Digital accessibility refers to the practice of enabling all people to use a website or native application. It involves minimizing or removing restrictions in the use of technology due to barriers of ability: visual, auditory, speech, physical, or neurological. Learn how to consider accessibility in the design, planning, and marketing of websites, applications, and forms. Explore the principles of human-centred design and the universal design process in light of the unique requirements of rich media to become accessible for people with disabilities.
April 30
starts in 5 days
Online learning, synchronous. With Jonathan Sanderson
Details & register
Learn values, principles, practices, and benefits of the Agile development and management framework to effectively respond to change, work collaboratively with customers, and increase productivity. Understand the principles of Agile management and how to apply them in design and development. Explore a variety of Agile methodologies, such as scrum, lean development, and kanban. Through practical exercises, you will discover how to apply the framework to successfully implement change, improve customer engagement, create faster and predictable products, and reduce risk.
Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview

Explore the etiquette, ethics, and various legal and policy issues that affect how we use social media. Discuss topics like copyright, privacy, intellectual property, fair dealing, creative commons, and the public domain. Learn how these issues play out differently nationally and internationally, as well as the implications of those differences for social media use.

Not currently scheduled – new schedules announced each June and November.
Course overview
  • An appli­ca­tion fee of $100 is required for admis­sion into the program.
  • Tuition is paid on a course-by-course basis as you reg­is­ter for your classes.
  • Some cours­es require a text­book at an addi­tion­al cost.
  • Eli­gi­ble for the Cana­da-Alber­ta Job Grant.
Bursaries and funding opportunities
Funding source
Eligibility
Amount
Apply by
Canada-Alberta Job Grant 

Available for businesses in all sectors across Alberta

 Two-thirds of the training costs (up to 100% if hiring an unemployed Albertan)
any time
Canada Training Benefit 

Residents of Canada, 25-65 years old, who have $10,000-150,000 in earnings for work.

 $250+
income tax return
Skilled Immigrant Micro-Loan 

Whether you intend to work in the same field you trained in outside of Canada, or you wish to apply your transferable skills to a new career, this low-interest loan helps you cover the cost of education and related living expenses.

 Up to $15,000 loan
N/A
HRDF 

Employed by the University of Alberta as Non-Academic Staff (NASA)

 $750 annually
Dec / Mar / Jun / Sep
                                                                                                                                       

Ready to take a course?

  • Take a course without applying and enrolling in the program.
  • No University of Alberta background necessary.
    • Questions: techprog@ualberta.ca
    • 780-492-7237
    • Course planner schedule-at-a-glance

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