OREANDA-NEWS. September 30, 2016.  To further align its curriculum with today’s career fields, helping to close the national workforce skills gap, DeVry University added two new certificates in website design and website development in its College of Media Arts & Technology.

The certificates are part of the university’s strategy to offer more technology-focused, “stackable” programs, which enable students to earn a certificate or associate degree and apply the course credits toward the next-level degree. Students can now begin building their website design skills and portfolio while they earn their certificate, which can be accomplished in 10-20 months, depending if one or two courses are taken during a term.

“At DeVry, we align our program offerings to match the technology skills needed by employers,” said Shantanu Bose, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic excellence at DeVry University. “Earning website design and development certificates and degrees helps students demonstrate technology proficiency, build on their career skills if they are already working and stand out in the competitive job market.”

In the website design certificate program, students learn to design user interfaces and graphic elements, and to code responsive web-based content viewed on computers, smartphones, tablets, e-readers and other connected devices. The website development certificate program helps prepare students to develop the user experience for responsive, interactive and data-driven websites by writing web-based code that adds interactivity, responsive design, navigation, databases and multimedia elements to websites.

Additionally, as with all degree programs in the College of Media Arts & Technology, students have the opportunity to learn the skills needed to take Adobe® Certified Associate (ACA) exams. DeVry University pays for each student’s first attempt at taking any of the six available ACA exams once 80 percent or higher has been scored on their practice exam.

“The key benefit to stackable programs is that each level of academic achievement provides the student with a credential to assist them on their career path,” Bose said. “When students are ready to pursue the next degree, they can return anytime, picking up where they left off.”

About DeVry University

DeVry University’s mission is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, business, science and the arts. Founded in 1931, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs onsite and online within its five distinguished colleges of study: Business & Management, Engineering & Information Sciences, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Media Arts & Technology. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC, www.hlcommission.org). Its highly credentialed faculty members have experience in the fields that they teach, providing real-world experiences designed to prepare students for in-demand careers.

With locations across the U.S., DeVry University is one of the largest private-sector universities in North America. The university is a part of DeVry Education Group (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services.