Web Development Certifications and Certificates

Learning a skill is excellent and mastering it is even better, but what if you want to show others that you’re an expert above the rest of the crowd? Web development certificates and certifications are among the best ways to show employers that you’re a harder worker committed to your craft.

You might have questions about these web development credentials: what’s the difference between a certificate and a certification? How should I prepare myself to get one? Will they help me get a job? This guide will provide answers to these questions so you can efficiently choose the right path that matches your goals.

What is Web Development?

Web development is the art of creating a website and ensuring it’s consistently usable. Web Developers use various coding languages to achieve this goal, and it’s common for coding teams to have a person—or multiple people—entirely dedicated to web development. It’s commonly broken down into three types: front end, back end, and full stack development. Each type has a unique role that contributes to the website’s operations.

Front end web development works with the website's client-side, referred to as the “front end.” This part of the website contains the sections people can see, such as sliders, banners, text, and other visual information. On the opposite side, back end web development works on the website's server-side, or “back end.” This part of web development controls the website's functionality and is where all its data resides.

Full stack web development is a fusion of the two and takes on their best qualities. A Full Stack Developer will have skills in each category and can seamlessly maneuver between the front and back end. Teams will often have at least one Front End Developer, Back End Developer, and Full Stack Developer readily working on the website regularly.

Read more about what web development is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Web Development?

Web development can bolster your career, highlight your hobby, and possibly evolve into a small business of its own. Every industry, from medicine to finance to education, has adapted to the world’s changes and is relying on the internet to complete its work. This list only scratches the surface—nearly every business has shifted online because they value the easy access the internet brings them and their clients.

You’ll increase your professional value by having web development skills and helping build your company’s website. You can also shift career tracks by using web development as a bridge. Are you in medicine but want to switch to art? First, you can start web development for hospitals and then pivot to creating websites for artists. The internet’s importance to all industries means you can easily change companies as you progress.

While you can showcase your passions on social media, having a website increases your credibility, helps you connect with others without vying for their attention, and creates a centralized location for your work. Most importantly, it allows you to operate on your own terms without worrying about sudden changes to a social media platform’s algorithms or policies. And, if you want to build a network on social media, why not have both?

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

Once you have a handle on the fundamentals of web development, you can take the next step and get a certificate or certification. While people often say “certificate” and “certification” interchangeably, they’re two completely different things. Certificates are earned after taking a course and focus on improving your chances for employment. Certifications are earned after an exam that tests your knowledge in that content area. In simpler terms, certificates teach you content knowledge, while certifications test your knowledge.

Both of these credentials indicate that you have mastery in a specific content area. Certification exams typically come with study guides, but you’ll want to learn the knowledge from an expert. Certification programs will expose you to those experts—who have also likely taken the same exams—and give you the knowledge you need to pass the certification exam. You’ll hit two birds with one stone and get the most out of your money if you plan your education with those goals.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Web Development

The certificate programs you choose should be based on your goals for yourself and your career. Here are some certificate programs through Noble Desktop that you can explore to get started:

• Full Stack Web Development Certificate
• Front End Web Development Certificate
• JavaScript Development Certificate
• Software Engineering Certificate
• Python Developer Certificate

After you’ve taken these programs, you’ll be prepared to take a certification exam. The following certification exams are widely respected by the programming and technology industry:

• Amazon Web Services Certification
• International Web Association’s Certified Web Professional Certification
• CIW Web Development Professional Certification
• Microsoft Azure Developer Associate Certification

Should I Get Certified in Web Development?

Web development certifications are usually recommended for professionals planning to move into a higher web development position or seeking a pay increase. If you want to learn web development simply to have the skills in your back pocket, a certificate program will be enough for employers to take you seriously.

For the most part, careers with web development-related roles but not necessarily programming-focused—such as UX Design—don’t need certifications to excel at their job. But if you’re planning to pivot into a programming career like Python, certifications in web development can undoubtedly help you when it’s time to apply to those jobs. In either case, finding a quality certificate program is a step in the right direction.

How to Get Certified in Web Development

Most certifications have their requirements available on their main pages, which will outline the requirements for obtaining the certification. Some certifications require you to pass a specific number of exams. For example, the Microsoft Azure Developer Associate Certification requires you to pass one exam, while the CIW Web Development Professional Certification requires you to obtain three smaller certifications to earn the Web Development Professional one.

You may also need to have other special prerequisites based on the program, such as a membership to the International Web Association for its exam. Double-check all prerequisites on their websites before registering. In most cases, you should still be able to download the study materials to help you prepare for each certification exam even if you don’t meet other requirements yet.

By reading this guide, you already have the tools you need to get started—research each certificate program and certification exam to determine which aligns with your interests. After identifying the career tracks that appeal to you, sign up for a certificate program related to that topic and work toward taking the certification exam. Your instructors will be able to point you in the right direction for how to approach studying.

Learn Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers high-quality web development classes and bootcamps that are flexible to your learning needs. These courses, taught by experts in web development, are available in-person at their training center in Manhattan and live online internationally. Noble ensures that you will work in small groups with your instructors to help you receive individualized attention, support, and career mentorship. All Noble courses are also available for a free retake up to one year after completion.

Beginners might be interested in the Front End Web Development certificate program because it gives them the practical knowledge needed to become Web Developers. This program has two tracks depending on how quickly you want to learn: the full-time option takes four weeks to complete, while part-time students will complete the course in four months.

For those that are interested in learning more about web development as a whole, the Full Stack Web Development Certificate will show you all of the significant concepts associated with client-side and server-side web development. This course is another excellent option for beginners since you can take it with no prior experience. Noble’s courses come with certificates that you can proudly display on LinkedIn or send to employers alongside your resume.

Key Insights

• Certificates are earned at the end of a set of courses in a certificate program.
• Certifications are earned by passing a certification exam.
• Both are valuable for improving your chances of promotion and increasing your income.
• Both show employers that you’re serious about your role in the web development world.
• Noble Desktop can give you the knowledge you need to pass certification exams through in-person or live online web development courses.