{"id":8973,"date":"2023-09-08T16:33:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T16:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=8973"},"modified":"2025-07-14T11:52:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T10:52:32","slug":"ux-bootcamp-vs-credit-rated-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-bootcamp-vs-credit-rated-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to start a career in UX? Bootcamps and free courses are not the answer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If you want to break into the exciting field of UX, you\u2019ve no doubt spent hours weighing up your options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">An expensive but thorough UX bootcamp? Or perhaps the more affordable (but presumably highly credible) Google UX Design Certificate? Or maybe you can just wing it with free UX courses\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your end goal is to start a UX design career, we\u2019d strongly advise you to consider a fourth option: <\/span><b>a university credit-rated UX design diploma<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Before you invest your hard-earned money and precious time, you\u2019ll want to read this guide. In it, we shed some much-needed light on why UX bootcamps, free courses, the Google certificate, and similar options are not the solution to your long-awaited career change\u2014despite plenty of powerful marketing and bold promises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what\u2019s in store:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#What-do-we-mean-by-bootcamps\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What do we mean by UX bootcamps and free UX courses?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what-about-google-ux-design-professional-certificate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What about the Google UX Design Professional Certificate?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Want-to-start-a-UX-career\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to start a UX career? Why free courses, UX bootcamps, and Google\u2019s UX Certificate are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the answer<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Whats-the-alternative\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What\u2019s the alternative? Consider a university credit-rated UX diploma<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Why-choose-a-university-credit-rated-UX-diploma\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Why choose a university credit-rated UX diploma over a UX bootcamp or a non credit-rated course?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Your-learning-path-will-make-all-the-difference\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Your learning path will make all the difference. Choose wisely!<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Let\u2019s break it down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-yt ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to get into a career in UX Design\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jgmlec-nziw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"What-do-we-mean-by-bootcamps\"><\/a>What do we mean by UX bootcamps and free UX courses?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>UX bootcamps and free UX courses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: two extremely popular yet very different options for learning UX design.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What to expect from a UX bootcamp:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A UX bootcamp typically offers an intensive, accelerated program condensed into a short period of time. It might take two days, two weeks, or three months to complete; it all depends on the provider.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Traditionally, bootcamps were associated with in-person learning. And, while on-campus UX bootcamps still exist, online bootcamps are now just as common.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Bootcamps tend to have you learning as part of a cohort, and their main selling point is that they focus on practical skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Here\u2019s an overview of some popular UX bootcamps:<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>UX bootcamp<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Price<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Duration<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Online?<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>On-campus?<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ironhack.com\/uk\/en\/ux-ui-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Ironhack UX\/UI Design Bootcamp<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\u20ac6,500 &#8211; \u20ac8,000<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">9 weeks full-time, 24 weeks part-time<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Yes, in London, Lisbon, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Paris, S\u00e3o Paulo, Miami and Mexico City.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkful.com\/bootcamp\/ux-ui\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Thinkful UX\/UI Design Bootcamp<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Approx. \u20ac11,400 &#8211; \u20ac13,700\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">5 months full-time (50 hours\/week) or 6 months part-time (25 hours\/week)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/flatironschool.com\/courses\/product-design-bootcamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Flatiron School UX\/UI Product Design Bootcamp<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Approx. \u20ac15,600<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">15 weeks full-time (40 hours\/week) or 40 weeks part-time<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Yes, in Denver and New York.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">As you can see, UX bootcamps often come with a hefty price tag and an intense study schedule. Then, at the other end of the scale, you\u2019ve got free UX courses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_professional-diploma-in-ux-designp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog_panel_pdux&amp;utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n                    <span>Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What to expect from a free UX course:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Free UX courses offer a short, high-level introduction to UX design (or specific UX-related topics, such as an introduction to wireframing or UX writing).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some free courses are indeed completely free, like The UX Design Institute\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/free-ux-design-course\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduction to UX Design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which will cost you no more than your mobile number and email address.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Other courses are free in the sense that they\u2019re included in the price of a monthly subscription to platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Free UX courses are brief, spanning mere hours or days, and you can expect to work through them independently at your own pace. The goal of a free course is to give you some insight into the topic and help you decide whether or not you want to pursue a paid program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Here\u2019s an overview of some popular free UX courses:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Free UX course<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Price<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Duration<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Format<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/free-ux-design-course\/\"><b>UXDI Introduction to UX Design<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Free<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Approximately 45 minutes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">7 video lessons and 18 curated articles<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/generalassemb.ly\/education\/intro-to-ux-design-free-online-livestream\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>General Assembly Intro to UX Design<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Free<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">2 hours\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Online livestream<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.codecademy.com\/learn\/intro-to-ui-ux\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Codecademy Introduction to UI and UX Design<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Free<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">5 hours<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Written lessons, projects, and quizzes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"what-about-google-ux-design-professional-certificate\"><\/a>What about the Google UX Design Professional Certificate?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Somewhere in between those intensive, expensive UX bootcamps and short-and-sweet free courses, you\u2019ve got programs like Google\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/professional-certificates\/google-ux-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX Design Professional Certificate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> available via Coursera.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">When it first launched back in March 2021, this new addition to the UX education market caused quite a stir. Created by one of the biggest names in tech, it had the instant advantage of recognition and credibility. It\u2019s provided by Google so it must be good, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Then there\u2019s the fact that it\u2019s \u201cfree\u201d (well, within the price of a Coursera subscription which will set you back $39\/month, or around \u20ac36). It\u2019s also pretty comprehensive, offering 7 courses in total and spanning 6 months at a pace of 10 hours per week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All in all, that\u2019s not a bad deal. <\/span><b>But is it enough to launch a career in UX design?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">The answer is no\u2014and the same applies for UX bootcamps and free UX courses. If you\u2019re curious as to why, keep reading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"Want-to-start-a-UX-career\"><\/a>Want to start a UX career? Why free courses, UX bootcamps, and the Google UX Certificate are <i>not<\/i> the answer<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re not saying that UX bootcamps, free courses, and programs like the Google UX Design Certificate aren\u2019t valuable resources for learning about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-ux-stand-for\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s just that they\u2019re not the best option if your goal is to actually start a career in the field and get hired into a UX role. Let\u2019s explore why.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A free UX course will definitely not get you hired (but that\u2019s ok\u2026they don\u2019t promise to)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Let\u2019s start with free UX courses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These are designed to give you a taste of the topic and a surface-level insight into what a career in UX involves. They\u2019re short, concise, and don\u2019t go into any kind of depth\u2014just what you\u2019d expect from a quick, free resource.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should start with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-free-ux-design-courses-in-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free UX courses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you don\u2019t know much about UX and want to dip a tentative toe in without any heavy time or financial investment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Many UX bootcamps <i>do<\/i> guarantee that you\u2019ll land a job\u2026but they tend to over-promise and under-deliver<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>UX bootcamps certainly appear more promising<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They\u2019re intensive and full-on, they place great emphasis on practical skills, and they put you right in the midst of a cohort of fellow learners.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">What\u2019s more, many UX bootcamps promise that you\u2019ll land a job within six months of graduating, or your money back. And, given the price\u2014which often falls in the five-digit range\u2014you\u2019d expect nothing less than a top quality learning experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>But that\u2019s not always the reality. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest issue with UX bootcamps is, first and foremost, the quality of the curriculum and the overall learning experience. The market is largely unregulated, so there aren\u2019t really any standards that the curriculum must meet or adhere to.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Even if your chosen bootcamp does offer a top notch curriculum, it can very quickly become outdated\u2014such is the fast-moving pace of the UX industry. Many students thrive and excel within the context of their bootcamp. But, when it comes to finding a job, the skills they\u2019ve learnt just don\u2019t match up to what\u2019s required in the real world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">That brings us to the issue of UX bootcamp job guarantees. Many bootcamp providers make bold claims about how they\u2019ll ensure you land a job or give you a refund. Sounds like a fool-proof investment, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not exactly. Often, such job guarantees are bound by complex, very-hard-to-satisfy terms and conditions, such as requiring you to live in a certain city and complete between four and ten job applications per week. That\u2019s a lot! You can read more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/problem-with-ux-job-guarantees\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the problem with UX job guarantees in this post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, UX bootcamps promise lots of bang for a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lot <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of buck\u2014but, when you look closer, the quality and outcomes seldom match up to the amount of time, effort, and money you\u2019re expected to put in.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">So Google\u2019s UX Design Certificate is the perfect sweet-spot, right? Not as such\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Again, we\u2019re not saying that Google\u2019s UX Design Certificate isn\u2019t a quality resource. The curriculum has had glowing reviews, and it\u2019s one of the most affordable UX courses out there. It\u2019s also completely self-paced, making it accessible for those who are working and have other commitments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>What\u2019s the problem then? <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s UX Design Professional Certificate is a great way to learn <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-design-principles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the fundamentals of UX design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and it does promise to help you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-ux-portfolio-from-scratch-your-step-by-step-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">build your UX portfolio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But, when it comes to actually launching your UX career, there are certain areas where it falls short.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">First, bear in mind that you\u2019ll be studying completely independently. You won\u2019t have any individual mentor support. You can submit your work for peer-to-peer reviews, but that\u2019s as far as it goes in terms of feedback and guidance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">The same goes for job hunting; you won\u2019t have any professional or one-to-one support there, either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">You will come away with important knowledge, such as how to create wireframes and prototypes, but there\u2019ll still be a wide gap to bridge between completing the course and working towards a UX career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>In summary:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Free UX courses <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offer a low-intensity introduction to the field. Take as many as you like, dip your toe in, and see how you feel about pursuing UX design further.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>UX bootcamps <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are expensive, intensive, and promise an accelerated route into the industry\u2014but they have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver, especially in terms of curriculum quality and job guarantees.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Google\u2019s UX Design Professional Certificate <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(and similar) is an affordable, fully flexible option boasting a solid curriculum. It\u2019s a valuable resource for learning some practical aspects of UX, but it\u2019s not the all-round package you\u2019ll need to get job-ready.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what\u2019s left? There\u2019s one alternative that we think trumps the rest: <\/span><b>a university credit-rated UX diploma<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Keep reading to learn what that means and why it\u2019s so valuable.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"Whats-the-alternative\"><\/a>What\u2019s the alternative? Consider a university credit-rated UX diploma\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>First things first: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What exactly is a university credit-rated diploma?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A university credit-rated course is vetted and approved by an external professional body<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A university credit-rated course is one that has been reviewed and approved by a professional body\u2014like the British Psychological Society (BPS) for psychology courses, or the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) for accounting courses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">And credit-rated courses aren\u2019t reviewed and approved just once. If they want to obtain, and retain, their credit-rated status, a course provider must continuously meet all the standards set out by the accrediting body\u2014standards concerning quality, accuracy, and the overall student experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>In a nutshell, university credit-rated courses are regulated and vetted by external bodies to ensure ultimate quality.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A university credit-rated course gives you transferable credits<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">When you complete a university credit-rated UX design course, you don\u2019t just graduate with a certificate that looks good on LinkedIn. Because you\u2019ve studied with a credit-rated provider, your qualification is worth a certain number of credits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These credits can be counted towards additional courses or study programs\u2014and even converted globally. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/pdfs\/level_and_credit_equivalents_2.pdf?v=3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Credit rating frameworks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vary from country to country, but you\u2019ll be able to convert your credits accordingly. For example, a course worth 20 credits in Scotland may be worth 10 credits in Europe.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ok, great\u2014<\/span><b>but what does that all mean in terms of starting your UX career? <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s weigh up the value of a university credit-rated UX diploma versus bootcamps and other courses.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"Why-choose-a-university-credit-rated-UX-diploma\"><\/a>Why choose a university credit-rated UX diploma over a UX bootcamp or a non credit-rated course?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">University credit-rated UX diplomas are held to high standards by an external body. UX bootcamps and courses are unregulated and unvetted.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">One of the biggest drawbacks of UX bootcamps and non credit-rated courses is that the quality of the learning experience varies so greatly from one provider to the next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">They can ultimately charge what they like\u2014and, in the case of UX bootcamps, that\u2019s usually a pretty high price\u2014regardless of whether their curriculum is actually teaching relevant, up-to-date skills and content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">The exact opposite is true of a university credit-rated UX diploma. Both the curriculum and the overall learning experience are vetted against rigorous standards to determine whether or not the provider gets to obtain and\/or keep their university credit rating. As such, you can guarantee that you\u2019re getting a high-quality UX education.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Credit-rated courses must reapply for their credit rating every few years. If a UX course has a current credit-rating, you know they\u2019re providing industry-relevant training.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design is one of the fastest-moving, rapidly-evolving industries. Just look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/how-ai-will-impact-ux-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how AI is transforming the field<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as we speak! If you want to finish your UX studies with relevant knowledge and skills that apply to the current world of UX, you need a dynamic and up-to-date curriculum.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">University credit-rated course providers must reapply for their credit rating regularly, which means that their curriculum and training methods must be vetted against current standards. If a UX course has a valid credit rating, you know that it\u2019s providing modern, relevant training. And that\u2019s ultimately what you\u2019ll need to get a job in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Learn more: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/choose-university-accredited-ux-certification\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 reasons to choose a university credit-rated UX certification<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Invest wisely with a university credit-rated UX diploma from The UX Design Institute\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The UX Design Institute offers a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional Diploma in UX Design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is university credit-rated by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Previously, the diploma was worth 20 credits under the Scottish Credits and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). But now, thanks to significant updates to both the course content and the wider learning experience, GCU has increased the value of the qualification to 30 credits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">This is due to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Continuous content updates to the curriculum;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Enhanced career support services;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Live mentor sessions;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Up-to-date Figma training;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Comprehensive portfolio guidance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that\u2019s what we\u2019re talking about! You can read more about this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/gcu-increases-credits-enhancements\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exciting update to the UXDI Professional UX Diploma here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a id=\"Your-learning-path-will-make-all-the-difference\"><\/a>Your learning path will make all the difference. Choose wisely!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">The goal of this article wasn\u2019t to devalue UX bootcamps and courses like the Google UX Design Certificate. Both are valuable resources for learning fundamental UX design theory and practical skills. Likewise, free UX courses are an excellent, low-investment way to dip your toe in before committing to a more extensive (and expensive) program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">However, it\u2019s important to be aware that not all UX courses and bootcamps offer the same level of quality\u2014and that\u2019s ultimately where the difference lies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If your aim is to simply pick up some UX skills, a university credit-rating may not be a priority for you. But, if your end goal is to start your UX career and be ready to work in the field, it\u2019s absolutely critical that you study with an up-to-date curriculum and a quality-approved learning experience. That\u2019s only guaranteed with a rigorously vetted, regularly reviewed university credit-rated program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope you\u2019ve found this comparison helpful. For more UX career insights, check out the following:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-hiring-in-2023\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The state of UX hiring in 2023<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/want-a-career-in-ux\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want a career in UX? Here\u2019s why it\u2019s a smart move<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/hiring-managers-ux-portfolio\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do hiring managers look for in a UX portfolio?<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you invest your hard-earned money and precious time, you\u2019ll want to read this guide. In it, we spotlight why UX bootcamps, free courses, the Google certificate, and similar options are not the solution to your long-awaited career change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":8974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[266,265],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-into-ux","category-career"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8973"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12317,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8973\/revisions\/12317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}