How Long Do WordPress Courses Take?

If you plan to take a WordPress class, length is one of your most significant considerations. Class length depends upon factors such as the mode of instruction and what the course covers or requires students to do. Some classes are comprehensive, aiming to teach beginning skills along with more advanced WordPress techniques while others are shorter and hyper-focused on teaching only a specific group of people or only one part of the WordPress skill set. 

Length of Classes

Compared to learning other digital skills, it will not take you a long time to learn the basics of WordPress and get started using the WordPress software. Overall, if the class is only focused on WordPress (and not part of a longer degree or certificate program), the length will depend on what is covered in the course, the mode of instruction, and the course requirements. For example, more modules or subjects covered by the course usually means the class will be longer. Live online and in-person classes also might be longer than self-paced, on-demand classes because they incorporate more time for students to practice what they are learning, ask questions of the instructor, and receive feedback on assignments and projects. 

Part-Time or Full-Time?

How much time you plan to devote to the class will impact the class length. Many in-person and live online classes offer both full-time and part-time options. Full-time options will allow you to complete the course quicker, but you will need to devote more of your time and energy to the class over a set number of days, weeks, or months. If you need a more flexible option, consider looking for part-time options, which allow you to take the class over a longer period in usually shorter amounts of time--for example, a couple of hours once or twice a week or even during evenings or weekends instead of weekdays. 

Additionally, on-demand classes (further discussed below) allow you to learn and practice material at your own pace, as you will have access to the course content and are not being taught by an instructor or taking the class with other students. Unfortunately, some students stall out and do not finish these classes because they are less structured and require students to purposefully watch material on their own time. In this case, too much time and flexibility is a burden for those who need to finish learning the material and get started using what they’ve learned to create websites. 

Introductory Classes

Introductory WordPress classes will usually be shorter, depending on what is being introduced. If you are looking to learn general familiarity with WordPress and how to set up a blog or website with no programming knowledge, you can learn this in as little as an hour or two. Longer introductory classes might also incorporate information about WordPress and SEO, security features, or more advanced ways to customize themes and plugins (without rewriting their code), if so, this could be a multi-hour introductory class. 

Many basic introductory WordPress classes are offered as online seminars or video lectures. You can check out Noble Desktop’s free Intro to WordPress seminar, for instance. This short seminar provides an overview of WordPress, how to begin from the point of installation, what features and services are important to know, and more. 

On-Demand Classes

On-demand classes are self-paced classes where you can access the course content--often in the form of readings, video lectures, workbooks, and skills check quizzes--and can go through the material at your own pace. This is a very popular form of online learning and you can find many on-demand WordPress classes targeted to your skill level and what you are interested in learning. If you’re only interested in setting up a membership site, for instance, you can take a class to learn how to do so, or, if you’re looking to learn about AI integration with WordPress, you can take a targeted on-demand class focused only on this topic. 

The length is highly variable with on-demand classes. More targeted and specialized classes are often shorter, some are as short as an hour or two, whereas more comprehensive WordPress classes will take days or even weeks to work through the provided material. When looking at these classes, they will indicate the length of video lectures so you can determine how long it will take you to watch the course material fully. This length does not usually factor in re-viewing material or the time it might take you to practice and implement the skills covered. 

Bootcamps

A bootcamp is usually a quick, intensive way to learn a topic or specific skillset. As such, it is often one of the shorter options for learning WordPress. Here, too, what is covered in the course will determine its length. Beginner bootcamps (no coding knowledge necessary) will still typically be shorter than those that require knowledge of, at least, HTML and CSS. Even those WordPress bootcamps requiring programming knowledge will still typically last only a certain number of hours or days. If learning WordPress is part of a larger skills bootcamp--for instance, a coding bootcamp--then it might be a multi-week bootcamp. 

A typical WordPress bootcamp often covers how to install WordPress software on your computer, create and publish content, use themes and plugins, implement strategies for SEO, and--if the bootcamp requires programming language knowledge--will walk students through how to create their own theme using WordPress. Bootcamps are more likely to be in-person or live online, so they will incorporate time to practice and test skills during the course. This means that they might look longer than some on-demand classes to account for required projects, practice, and feedback given to learners in the course. 

Certificate Programs 

A certificate program is on the longer side of class length. Certificate programs are comprehensive courses of study designed to teach you the skills necessary to do a specific job. WordPress will often be incorporated into a longer certificate program rather than be a standalone certificate you can get--indeed, there are no formal guidelines for what certifies someone as an expert in WordPress. 

Most certificate programs will take weeks or months to complete and this is because they will cover more topics than other specialized classes like a bootcamp. If you are looking for career training, a certificate program is a great option to learn the information, skills, and tools you will need to perform a specific job successfully. It takes time to learn and practice these skills, though certificate programs are still considered quicker and more accelerated than something like a traditional college or university degree program. 

College Degree Programs

Learning how to use WordPress is often a feature of college classes in information technology, computer science, web development, or web design. Learning how to use or code WordPress software will be part of a longer degree program or specific class, rather than something taken as a standalone major or college class. The benefit of earning a degree while learning how to utilize WordPress is that you receive training in other associated skills, network with future colleagues and employers, and are primed to enter a career upon graduation. 

College or university degree programs are the longest option for learning how to use WordPress, as degree programs require you to fulfill general education requirements along with taking a certain number of classes in your major and completing any required graduation projects or papers. Typically, college or university degrees take 4-5 years to complete, though there are accelerated 3-year programs. Colleges and universities do offer part-time options for enrollment and many offer continuing education programs for those returning to school with work experience to earn degrees. 

Learn WordPress Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a variety of affordable in-person and live online classes for those looking to learn how to use WordPress. A great bootcamp option is Noble Desktop’s 18-hour WordPress Bootcamp. Knowledge of HTML and CSS is a prerequisite to taking this bootcamp as it is designed for those who want not only an introduction to WordPress but who want to learn more advanced and specialized ways to code and develop customized WordPress websites and themes. This prerequisite can be fulfilled by taking Noble’s Web Development with HMTL & CSS class or equivalent knowledge and training in HTML and CSS. Students taking this bootcamp can expect to receive expert instruction and hands-on guidance as they learn the ins and outs of WordPress from installing WordPress, publishing posts, adding text, images, and video, and utilizing themes and plugins, to learning about more advanced customization options, downloading WordPress onto your computer, and creating your own custom theme for WordPress. 

Additionally, you can consider taking a longer, more comprehensive certificate program to learn multiple skill sets and tools throughout one class. The WordPress Bootcamp is included as part of two useful certificate programs offered by Noble Desktop, the Front-End Web Development Certificate and the Web Design Certificate. Both certificate programs are geared towards teaching WordPress website development and are for those looking to follow career pathways to become Web Developers, Web Designers, or WordPress Developers. 

Front-end web development focuses on coding the part of a website or application that users will see and interact with and this is usually the part of web development that you’ll need to know to become a WordPress Developer. The Front End Web Development Certificate offers hands-on training from experts and taking this program will provide all of the skills necessary to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for front end web development and WordPress website creation. Noble Desktop is currently offering the Front End Web Development Certificate with a 4-week full-time option or a part-time evening option that can be taken over 4 months. 

The Web Design Certificate will be more useful if you are interested in not only learning to code, for WordPress and other websites, but also learning important principles of design and getting hands-on experience creating clickable prototypes of websites to add to your portfolio. You can take this certificate program at Noble Desktop full-time over 6 weeks or part-time during evenings over 5 months. 

Additionally, if you take Noble Desktop’s Full-Stack Web Developer Certificate, you will have the option to add on the WordPress Bootcamp at the end for no additional cost. This program is especially useful for those who want to become well-rounded Web Developers and are interested in knowing not only how to program the part of a website users see and interact with (the front end) but also the infrastructure behind the front-facing website (the back end). The Full-Stack Web Developer Certificate is currently being offered for 17 weeks of full-time instruction on weekdays or with a part-time option for evenings that will take 10 months to complete.