How Long Do UX Design Courses Take?

With such a variety of course formats available, the length of UX design classes can vary from an hour to several months. While UX design majors are virtually nonexistent in the U.S., you can learn related skills in two- or four-year degree programs. When looking for the right UX design class for your learning needs, the time commitment required is among the several factors you’ll want to consider. With both full-time and part-time options available, some lengthier classes may require more learning hours than shorter, more intensive courses. This resource will introduce you to the various UX design class formats so you have the information you need to select the best option for your goals and schedule.

Lengths of Classes

UX design is a wide skill set, including expertise in several design and prototyping applications, research tools, up-to-date concepts and best practices, data analysis, and many soft human-centered skills. As with most subjects, any class length will depend on how much material it covers, so a class on a single tool of the trade, for instance, will run a fraction of the time that a comprehensive career-prep bootcamp will. Where you are in your UX design learning journey and your ultimate goals in learning UX design will determine the ideal course for you and how much time you will need to dedicate to your user experience training.

Introductory Classes

If you’re a complete beginner to UX design, you have a few options for where to begin your education. Those confident that they want to launch a career in UX design may prefer to jump into a bootcamp with no experience required as a prerequisite. However, others may choose to enroll in an introductory UX design class as their first step into the topic. These classes tend to be short courses of anywhere between an afternoon and a week, as that is the time most need to master the basics of UX design. Introductory UX design classes may primarily cover a single application like Figma or Sketch, the foundational principles of UX design, or a foundational treatment of both tools and techniques. Of course, by their nature, introductory classes will not explore UX design in depth or prepare you for a career. However, they are an excellent place to familiarize yourself with the topic if that is all you need in your UX design education. An introductory class is also an excellent choice for those curious about a UX design career but who need a better understanding of it before choosing to pursue it as a career.

Advanced Courses

Advanced UX design courses are the next step for many who attend an introductory class. They’re also a frequent choice of those who choose to learn the basics of UX design with free online seminars and tutorials, as learners tend to find they can only go so far with self-teaching UX design with the help of free resources. Like introductory classes, advanced classes are usually short courses running no more than four or five days. You’ll also find that advanced courses are available in various areas of UX design, covering specific tools and techniques of the field. Those wishing to strengthen their knowledge of an application like Adobe XD can use an advanced course to achieve their learning goals. Others with strong skills in self-directed learning may be able to piece together a solid education in UX design with advanced courses. Still, this experience will be very challenging to assemble, and chances are high of unintentionally missing an element of the skill set. Bootcamps also boast the benefits of career support and mentorship that you’ll miss out on by exclusively attending advanced courses.

UX Design Bootcamps 

UX design bootcamps and certificate programs are comprehensive career-centered classes that can guide you every step of the way from a beginner with no experience in UX design to ready to land your first job in the field. By nature, any UX design professional development course will be substantially longer than introductory and advanced short courses, as these bootcamps must take up the time necessary to teach a vast amount of content. In addition to traditional instruction and discussion, they also provide support in portfolio building, career support, and other mentorship, adding to the valuable hours of education that you receive for the considerable financial investment required by UX design bootcamps.

For those who dream of becoming a UX design professional, the price of a bootcamp or certificate program promises a return on investment well worth the while for most students. They also tend to find that the time investment pays off abundantly, as a full-time bootcamp is arguably the fastest track to launching a UX design career with the potential to last a lifetime. Full-time UX design programs are intense and immersive, so they require you to set aside several weeks to dedicate exclusively to your education. If you are a busy professional or parent, a slower-paced part-time program of several months may be a better fit for you.

Self-Paced Classes

Featuring a unique blend of structure and flexibility, self-paced classes can be an appealing UX design learning solution for disciplined and self-driven students. Also known as on-demand courses, self-paced classes allow you to begin a class and do coursework whenever is most convenient. For some learners with the ability to keep themselves focused and motivated, this freedom is welcome. However, many struggle to stay on track with their learning goals without a set schedule and the support of an expert instructor who can answer questions and troubleshoot problems as they arise in real-time. Bootcamps and live short courses provide these benefits and others that keep students on track in their UX design education and prepare them for job readiness by the completion of the course. Self-paced classes can vary significantly in length, as introductory, advanced, and comprehensive options are available, and, ultimately, the student sets the pace of the program.

College Degrees

While UX design classes and degrees are few and far between, some adjacent two- and four-year degrees will cover related skills. Some recent high school graduates wishing for a traditional college experience or individuals wanting to explore fields in addition to UX design may benefit from investing time and money in a college degree. Subjects like computer science, graphic design, and behavioral science can be excellent foundations for building a UX design career. However, individuals planning to go to college for a UX design career may need additional training and portfolio-building support before becoming career-ready UX Designers.

Learn UX Design Skills with Noble Desktop

Design and coding school Noble Desktop provides UX design classes of various lengths and scopes to meet you where you are in your learning career. Noble offers a comprehensive UX & UI Design Certificate program ideal for beginners who want to launch a UX design career. Whether you choose the full-time or part-time track, you will receive 132 hours of hands-on training, a free retake option, one-on-one mentorship, and a verified certificate of completion as a student in this UX design class. You can attend this class live online from anywhere, or, if you’re in the NYC area, you can enjoy this UX design certificate program in-person. In addition to the UX design skills in prototyping, user testing, and Figma you gain in the class, you’ll also have completed a professional portfolio to showcase those skills to potential employers by the end of the program.

Noble Desktop’s UX Design Foundations is an introductory class available in-person in NYC and live online for those wishing to learn the basics of the field. No experience is necessary to enroll in this 12-hour short course. Featuring lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, UX Design Foundations is an ideal first step in your UX design learning journey. Whether you’re simply needing familiarity with the basics or looking for a low-commitment taste of the topic before committing to pursuing a career as a UX Designer, you’ll learn the foundational concepts and tools of UX design in this course and earn a verified digital certificate when you complete the course.

For those whose UX design educational needs include or are limited to mastering Figma, Noble Desktop offers a 12-hour Figma Bootcamp. With the guidance of an expert instructor, you’ll learn how to use the industry-standard application to create intuitive layouts and interactive prototypes using the software’s robust menu of tools. By the end of the bootcamp, you’ll be making impressive animations, using the Team library, designing with grids, and able to share your designs with both clients and designers with ease. In addition to your hands-on digital or in-person classroom experience, you’ll have the option to retake the course for free within a year should you ever need a refresher.