Online Web Design Degrees and Programs

Online web design degrees provide the necessary skills required for entry-level jobs in the field of web design and development.

Technical schools, private and community colleges, art schools, and universities offer web design degrees.

You can earn an associate degree or bachelor's degree. Depending on the school and the program, you may earn a degree in web design and development, multimedia studies, web graphic design, web design and interactive media or an inter-disciplinary degree that combines the various aspects of web design and development.

An online degree in web design offers the flexibility you need if you want to continue working while you learn. Web design online programs also help learners keep pace with evolving technologies. You can study anytime and anywhere and earn the same degree as campus students without the cost and inconvenience of commuting. Frequent start dates allow you to begin your studies when you are ready.

Featured Online Colleges for Web Development & Design Degrees

Art Institute of Pittsburgh

• Associate of Science - Web Design and Interactive Media
• Bachelor of Science - Web Design and Interactive Media

Kaplan University

• Associate of Science in IT/Web Development
• Bachelor of Science in IT/Web Development

DeVry University

• Associate in Web Graphic Design
• Bachelor in Computer Information Systems - Web Development and Administration
• Bachelor in Computer Information Systems - Web Game Programming
• Bachelor in Multimedia Design and Development

Westwood College

• Bachelor in Graphic Design - Web Design
• Bachelor in Graphic Design - Visual Communications

Education and Training

While the programs provide a broad foundation in web design and technology, many online web design degree programs also allow students to choose a particular concentration, such as visual communication or interactive media.

Coursework for a web design degree includes both design and technical studies. As an online learner you will study cutting edge design techniques and technologies and use the newest software and communication devices.

Classes may cover visual communication, graphic design, writing, and information technology. Technology courses provide training in web design software and use of multimedia tools such as audio, video, flash, and animation, e-commerce, Java scripting and HTML coding, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and authoring.

Business, management and general education courses round out a typical degree program. At the end of the program, most web design online degree learners get an opportunity to create a portfolio that showcases their web design and development projects carried out during the course of study.

Jobs and Salaries

Web designers may specialize in fields such as digital or interactive media, e-commerce, flash animation, search engine optimization, database integration, content development, accessibility, or advertising hosting. As a web designer you may be self-employed, work for a web design company, or work for a large business that has in-house web designers.

Advancements in technology and continued growth in use of the Internet by both consumers and businesses have spurred a need for web experts, thus job prospects for web designers are good. In fact, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 39% increase in the demand for web designers in the next few years.

The American Institute of Graphic Arts surveyed web designers and found their median annual salary to be $48,000 in 2006. A senior web designer may earn from $45,000 to over $75,000 a year. As with many professions, high-level administrative positions in large companies bring the highest salaries. Education, experience, geographic location, and skills affect the salary you can expect to earn.

Web design is a highly competitive field, and while there are numerous jobs for web designers, there are even more web designers looking for jobs. The more education and experience you can offer a company, the better your chances of getting hired. Another alternative for web design and development degree holders looking for web design jobs is to become self-employed and seek projects through the various web design outsourcing websites/marketplaces that link buyers with service providers.

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