Web Design and Web Interface (Microprogram)

Designing a website and understanding user experience are essential skill sets for anyone wanting a career in today’s cultural industries. Our microprogram provides an agile path to a re-skilling opportunity in digital design and communications. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds who can bring a variety of personal and professional experience to the classroom.

The nine-credit Microprogram in Web Design and User Interface, completed over the course of thirteen weeks, constitutes a selection of three courses in Design and Computation Arts. The courses are bundled together to provide a highly-focused and cohesive curriculum that will develop a foundation in visual literacy and technical skills in web design, with a conceptual emphasis on a historical and contemporary overview of web design and networked environments. There is an overarching focus on user interface and user experience. The Microprogram will build conceptual and technical skills to complements any creative discipline and will enhance a graduate's professional and/or research profile. The course will be taught by award-winning faculty instructor Santo Romano.  

Upon successful completion of the program

Graduates will possess technical web design skills and understand internet environments in a way that will enhance their communications with collaborators across many digital environments. By the end of this micro-program, you should be able to:

• Apply visual literacy theory to develop screen-based user interfaces with an emphasis on user experience
• Create custom-based websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Launch a live website that is legible, aesthetic, user-friendly, and easily navigable as a capstone project.
  

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates with online profiles and personal websites will be able to seek employment opportunities in new domains, including:

• Employment with web and graphic design teams for online promotion and marketing
  
• Cultural industries (e.g. community centres, galleries and libraries in digital archiving, creative direction)
  
• Employment requiring knowledge in designing for navigation, user experience, software, or scripting when working online or in digital environments

Degree requirements

Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a total of 9 credits.

9 credits – Core Courses

• CART 214/GA - Visual Form and Communication (3 credits)
  
• DART 349/GA - Introduction to Web Design (3 credits) 
• DART 449/GA - The Language of the Web (3 credits)
  

Consult the Undergraduate Calendar for the complete description of courses.

Note: The course prerequisites as currently listed for these three courses in the Undergraduate Calendar do not apply to students enrolled in the Microprogram in Web Design and User Interface.

We welcome candidates with non-traditional career paths or those who do not necessarily possess a university or college degree. 

• Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only.
• Students already registered in an undergraduate program at Concordia are ineligible.
• You do not need a previous degree or diploma to be accepted.

• Your letter of intent which you are required to submit with your application, should be a maximum of 2 pages and discuss your reasons for chosing to study at university at this time, outline your goals and/or aspirations and describe any experience, knowledge, or skills which you have acquired that would assist you in your web and visual communication studies.
• Although not required, a portfolio would be considered an asset. A portfolio is broadly understood as creative projects undertaken by the individual or as part of a team. It may include, examples of sketches, drawings, story boards, scientific graphs, information maps, creative writing, client based or self-directed projects, or any other design support material. You may upload a portfolio in slideroom if you wish.

Application process

Please check program availability for the term, before you start your application.

1. You’ll need a Concordia Netname to start an application. Create a Netname account.
2. Once you have a Netname, complete an application. Select “Undergraduate Microprogram” from the list to get started.
3. Include your supporting documents:
   • Letter of intent
   • Curriculum vitae (cv)
   • Proof of your status in Canada
4. Have a valid credit card available to pay the application fee of $40 CAD.
   Please note: we accept the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club, and UATP.
5. The application deadline varies by microprogram. Please check your program of interest for details.

You may upload documents to your application even after submitting it. However, we cannot complete the assessment of your application until we receive all required documents.

Contact us

Contact designandcomputationarts@concordia.ca if you have any questions.