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Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging

Build a strong foundation of design principles and technical knowledge of industry-standard graphic and web design tools with this online certificate program.

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Get Ready for a Successful Graphic Design Career

UMass Lowell's Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging features an innovative mix of traditional design courses along with courses in website design, photographic imaging, typography, user interface prototyping and advertising design. While learning how to effectively translate ideas and information into visually compelling print and digital communications materials, you will complete numerous design projects for your portfolio as part of this program, gaining hands-on experience using software such as Adobe InDesign®, Photoshop® and Illustrator®.

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Incorporating current topics and best practices in the field, the curriculum for UMass Lowell's graphic design certificate program will enable you to learn about and develop capabilities in fundamental areas such as web development, image enhancement and manipulation, digital media and interactive screen design.

Upon completion of this program, you will have a practical understanding and working knowledge of many important facets of graphic design, paving the way for career growth and advancement opportunities.

Gain Valuable Knowledge for Today's Workplace

UMass Lowell's Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging covers a diverse range of graphic design, web design and digital imaging subjects such as:

  • Essential concepts of image, form and space relations
  • Page layout, the introduction of color and rendering techniques
  • Design for the user experience on mobile and web devices
  • The creative use of type in visual communication
  • Image capture and preparation for a variety of media
  • Web design testing and advanced CSS layout techniques

Students who successfully complete the Graphic Design and Digital Imaging certificate program can apply certain certificate courses towards UMass Lowell's Bachelor of Liberal Arts (which offers a concentration in Graphic Design) or Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

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Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging
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Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts
OR
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Certificate Program in Graphic Design and Digital Imaging
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Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Curriculum Outline

Required Courses (10 / 30cr)

Certificate Students - Plan Ahead! GRFX.4000 Portfolio Production Seminar is typically only offered during the Spring and Summer semesters.

Certificate programs differ from degrees in that they consist of fewer courses and may be completed in a relatively short time frame. While they do not offer the broad-based knowledge experience that comes from a full degree program, they offer a concentrated selection of courses which, when taken together, demonstrate expertise in a particular area. While admission to UMass Lowell's undergraduate certificate programs usually requires at least a high school diploma or GED® / HiSET,® many adult students who have already earned their bachelor's, and even their master's degrees, choose to pursue short term certificates to supplement their knowledge of a particular topic.

Undergraduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in UMass Lowell certificate programs must complete all courses, generally consisting of both required courses and electives. Students are required to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better to receive the certificate. All Certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period.

Students can complete the certificate program at their own pace, enrolling in one or two courses each semester. Courses are available throughout the year, during the Fall (September-December), Spring (January-May) and Summer (May-August) semesters.

Certificate Completion

Upon successful completion of the certificate program, students must complete and submit a Certificate Petition Form. Once successful completion of the program is verified, certificates will be mailed to students. Receipt of the certificate will be noted formally on the student's transcript with an award date of October, February or June.

Course Descriptions

Exercises, lectures and projects will introduce students to graphic design principles and techniques. Course will begin with a fundamental study of image, form, and space relations, then cover such topics as working with grids, typography basics, page layout, the introduction of color, rendering techniques, history, and more. Students will be assigned a series of projects to enhance their visual communication skills. Formerly 70.291 & 70.210. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

Basic Computer Prof. (CSCE)

Studies typographic concepts, techniques, and the creative use of type in visual communication. Emphasis will be placed upon the history of type design and its context within the graphic design industry. Formerly 70.240. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

Basic Computer Prof. (CSCE)

Covers the fundamentals of image enhancement, image manipulation, scanning, digital capture and using industry-standard photo imaging software. Image preparation for a variety of media will also be explored. Formerly 70.262. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

Basic Computer Prof. (CSCE)

This course will focus on the creation of visual content for the web and will explore what constitutes a visually exciting and engaging site. Other topics that will be covered are: file formats, compression, web color strategies, and platforms standards. Formerly 70.379 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

HTML & Photoshop (CSCE)

Students will be assigned a variety of advanced-level projects dealing with areas such as logo design, publication design, interactive screen design, direct mail projects, corporate identity systems, poster design, and more. Projects in this class are designed to better develop the students ability to take a project to its final stage and render it as a professional portfolio piece. Formerly 70.391. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

GRFX 2000 or GRFX 2020 Pre/Co-

Studies expressive visual communications of words including type hierarchy, grid organization, and the primary visual communication job of typographic design. Students should be able to articulate ideas and thought processes in relation to their use of type. An extended type project will be completed. Objectives include furthering the student sensitivity to the qualities of letter forms, legibility, and the refinement of technical skills. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

GRFX.2020, Fundamentals of Typography, GRFX.2030 Photographic Imaging, GRFX.2040 Computer graphics and Illustration.

This advanced-level course is designed for students who have completed Website Design. The course will cover topics such as advanced css layout techniques, user-centered design, dynamic pages and testing. Students will have the opportunity to further develop their design and conceptualization skills. Formerly 70.384. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

GRFX 2120 (CSCE) Pre-req

Instruction in the design and layout of commercial advertisements as well as the creative aspects of advertising are integral parts of this course. Practical problems and technical guidance from preliminary layouts to finished work will help preliminary layouts to finished work will help prepare students for the commercial art field. Students will prepare an advertising campaign concept and translate it into a professionally-designed commercial series for use in their portfolios. This course will focus on the integration of design with the overall advertising message. Formerly 70.392. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

GRFX 2000&202,Familiarity/Adob

Project based introduction to design for the user experience on mobile and web devices. It introduces tools, techniques, and information about Human-Computer Interaction and offers an approach to design for mobile devices. Students should be able to articulate ideas and thought processes in relation to their choice of design and type. An extended project will be completed. Objectives include an introduction to user research methods, design validation, and ADA compliance. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

GRFX.2020, Fundamentals of Typography, GRFX.2030 Photographic Imaging, GRFX.2000 Intro to Graphic Design.

This course is designed to help students to organize their work into a professional package and prepare it for presentation. Students may decide to rework existing portfolio pieces or complete additional design projects to enhance their existing portfolios and fully demonstrate their design capabilities. Mock interviews will be conducted in which students will have an opportunity to discuss their work. Includes an end-of-semester portfolio review. 3 credits/3 contact hours. 3 credits. Access to Adobe's Creative Cloud Software requires a monthly Creative Cloud membership subscription. Special pricing is available for students: Visit https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu Note: While the above courses will not transfer directly into the Art Department's Bachelor of Fine Arts Day School degree program, certain two-course clusters may be accepted for transfer upon prior department approval.
Prerequisites:

GRFX 2000,202,211 & 300 Pre-re

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Summer 2021 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Undergraduate Face-to-Face Courses $340.00
Undergraduate Online Courses
(Except Undergraduate Online Business* Courses)
 $380.00
Undergraduate Online Business* Courses $385.00

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business

**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering. Applies also to MSIT courses in the Master's in Information Technology, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity and the Graduate Certificate in Systems Models and Management.

The cost to audit a course will be charged the rates listed above.

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00

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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

Transfer Policy

With the program coordinator's approval, one course may be transferred from another accredited institution to satisfy undergraduate certificate program requirements. The course should be equivalent to UMass Lowell instruction, applicable to the intended program, and the student must have received a grade equivalent to a C- (1.70 on a 4.00 scale) or better.

Academic Advising

Our professional advisors in our Advising Center are available to help students determine appropriate course loads, discuss admission requirements and review the transferability of courses. If you have a question, we invite you to Schedule an Appointment, email Continuing_Education@uml.edu or call 978-934-2474.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations, and procedures for the University as set forth in our Academic Policies & Procedures and on the main UMass Lowell website.

Applying into an Undergraduate Certificate Program

Apply to an undergraduate certificate program using the Online Application Form or by printing and completing the Undergraduate Certificate Application Form in .pdf file format. Applicants will be required to have either their official high school transcript, HiSET®, GED® or their most recent college transcript if applicable, sent to Graduate, Online & Professional Studies at the address below. Applications, transcripts, and other correspondence should be sent to:

University of Massachusetts Lowell
Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies
Undergraduate Admissions
839 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor
Lowell, MA 01854

Undergraduate certificate applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and there is no fee to apply. You will be notified upon acceptance.

Apply Now

Questions Regarding Your Undergraduate Application?

Email OCE_Admissions@uml.edu or call 978-934-2474.

For General Assistance:

Call the Advising Center at 978-934-2474 or 800-480-3190. Our academic advisors are here to help!

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