Hey guys I'm looking of going into doing web development. I noticed the ones I looked at where Associate degrees and I wondered, what's a good level of education for a Web Developer to get? What did you guys get? So please do share your wonderful insites because I would love to have them.
< Self taught as well. It's worth mentioning that I did take several few web development classes before I got serious with it. But, as many can attest, they are pretty awful.
I'm a big proponent of education as long as it makes sense. In the case of web development, I'd recommend a complimentary degree such as marketing or something like server administration type courses.
I've taught myself web development to a pretty big degree. I don't want to waste my time and money on a degree if it's like "this is what HTML is..." but I also don't want to be like "don't worry I may not have a degree but I'm really good!" So what are some good degrees to get that would supplement my knowledge or make me more valuable?
I have a bachelor's degree in computer science, but that has nothing to do with my web development skills (self-taught as well).
I guess the value of it (in fact ANY bachelor's degree) would be for an employer hiring you; it just says that you're smart enough in general, so to speak.
Not that it guarantees anything, but put it like this: if there's two guys who apply for the same web development job, one is a high-school dropout and the other one has a bachelor's degree in economics, the one with the degree has better chances to be invited for an interview. Even though the dropout may actually have better development skills. So in a way, it just makes for some impression.
But it's not the be-all-end-all. If the dropout writes a better application letter than the bachelor, then THAT might get the dropout a foot in the door.
All in all, the degree is just one of the (many) factors.
I got a degree from the school of doing it myself lol
actually that's not 100% true, I actually starting in 1998 with a NVQ (UK National Vocational Qualification) in HTML and Web Design - but that was seriously not worth the time really... I did learn how to play Quake though.
Seriously @karlcrowley - from the answers you are giving you should apply anyway :)
Mostly the things they say on job descriptions are mostly bollocks - and as long as you can get your foot in the door you can make a good impression in the interview :)
I took a multi-media course that taught basic html, css and php but from there it's mostly self taught, tutorials and forums. The portfolio is key though.
The Degree of Self Taught Hair Tearing and Headaches - self taught over many years (My first IDE was Macromedia MX Dreamweaver! So all the way back to 2002.)
Well you could put it on your CV... - but I meant you seem pretty competent to me and I think if you did get an interview you could easily show that competence.
I have a degree in Interactive Media and Animation.
It's not really worth the paper it's written on, but what I did gain from it was a placement at a web development company for a year. Without this I would never have got a job after graduating
I have an IED-accredited degree in Product Design. Not directly web related, but being a design degree it gave me a lot of the grounding I needed. Plus, in it's own right, it is a fantastic degree that could lead to other things.
I have a bachelors in multimedia and graphic design...self taught in web dev, but actually going to school for Associates in Web Dev & Design starting April 7th...
The best way to learn is follow the pro's: Read their blog, watch/read their tutorials, and if possible attend their conferences.
I have degree's but they're useless at this point (no employer has even asked) I had a blog post up on my thoughts on education systems, the gist of it has already been mentioned. Unless it's a well-known place for this type of media it's highly likely you will be learning old techniques that may or may not be of much use these days.
The only upsides I see to it are:
You will hopefully meet some other designers and form a few allies.
Employers may take it into account, possibly helping you become employed.
As an educator and web applications developer at the same college.... no. That should tell ya something ;) Both colleges and conferences are behind the times. I have been to dev connections, and some design usability courses. You're best bet is to become self taught.
I have to disagree (just a little bit) with you there hero I wouldn't recommend a web design or development course alright but what tobeeornot is talking about is a graphic design course graphic design doesn't age as fast
I am self-taught in the very basics of web development; learning HTML and CSS for a while then, possessed a slight knowledge of PHP for personal projects. I think I realized development just wasn't for me. I progressed much quicker in design than developing and it's something I enjoy. Eventually I branched into UI Design and Typography/Lettering.
@karlpcrowley What do you mean design doesn't age as fast?
in a design course you learn about typefaces, white space, negative space etc. trends come and go the basics will still be there
Helvetica is 55 years old and still one of the most popular typefaces, you don't learn stuff like that in a development course 55 year old code isn't as popular :)
Thanks guys. It's interesting that courses in web design can become outdated so quickly. I'm probably going to give Treehouse a whirl next month as they have some modules in Aesthetic Foundations.
You're comparing a typeface that was produced in the late 50's and type design that has been around for centuries to a technology that is still relatively new. Web development did not exist 55 years ago. And code has basic principles much like design.
I started with computers science and changed to graphic design, which I graduated in. so I self-taught myself starting with html for dummies! (includes js, jquery, php, css...BIG book...never finished the whole thing...) seriously its a really good book and explains everything really well.
Getting a degree isn't worth all that much. Say a Bachelors for instance. Anything you learn during the first 2 years is outdated. Anything you learn in the 3rd year is about to be outdated. And everything you learned in the 4th year is current, but clients don't want what's current, they want the brand new stuff, and they don't teach that in class.
Web Development is an interesting career in that the turn over for relevant knowledge is very fast. You always have to be learning in order to keep up.
If you do "graphic design and art" classes, I would recommend staying away from anything that resembles trendy... take the very basics to give you those foundations (shapes, lighting, natural feeling, illustration, etc). Those are timeless and will certainly make you a better designer.
But yeah, some degrees are great, some not so much.
There are a lot of jobs, and not just jobs but also employers, who simply will not even bother reading your CV if you haven't got a degree. But some will.
For me the bottom line is, a decent degree from a reputable establishment cannot possibly harm your career. There isn't really a downside to it - as long as it is a good, relevant degree.
Very impressive when I know that you guys are self-taught developer. I had never thought so. I think they have great special education so that they can create something awesome. This is great, Even I ventured to learn English further because of you.
@Hompimpa Your english is pretty excellent. It's always been good. :)
@MrBrightside Self-taught, but currently studying for a Bachelors in CS or SE (as a freshman, I still have time to pick) Honestly the only reason I'm in College is to form connections. Nothing I'm learning here is good for my freelance work and I don't really plan on being hired. (of course, I'm learning Java and C, not javascript and CSS)
+ 1 self taught. I'm busy teaching someone to be a web dev. It's been a week and he is doing remarkably. My secret of teaching is.. Nothing, He is doing it all himself. I steer him in the right direction and let him know where he can find certain information but 99% of the teaching comes from his own practice. I think you have to be very interested and learn yourself to become 'good'. I dont think any web-dev course is going to teach you anything.
If you have questions, ask here and people will help you as far as they can. Good luck =)
I’d opt for a bachelor’s degree in web design and development mainly because it’ll cover a broader range of subjects and provide you with an in-depth understanding of the field. I'm interested in computer programming and I’m currently reviewing Stevens Henager College. According to a review I read of Stevens Henager, the college offers both online and on-campus programs in web design. You might want to check it out.
I started college as a Computer Science major and switched to Graphics/Web Dev my Sophomore year. I've been self-taught up until this point starting in like 6th grade.
Bachelor's Degree in CS with a focus in game programming. Self taught obviously but I got started making video games, which moved into Flash/Facebook games, which moved into websites (I had dabbled in web design for fun up until college). Still do games but I don't think I'd ever work for anyone but myself in that - no one pays enough for the hours required.
I'd also like to add that living in CA, USA, those average salary graphs always stun me and make me realize how ridiculously expensive it is to live here.
I've always suggested visual communications and marketing education is a really good compliment. Those concepts really make a difference when you are building sites to work for people, generate activity, create compelling reasons to do business, market websites, etc. But I'm far more on the marketing/visual side of it than the programming, so it kind of depends on what the sub focus is, wouldn't it?
I went to Art School. Most of what I learned in terms of coding has been self taught. My advice is read, read and then read some more. Everyone is different though, I have co-workers that learned by tutorials and straight up trial and error. Start hanging out with developers also. Not sure where you are from but buildguild pretty cool meetup. You will find all sorts of folks from illustrators to designers to programmers there.
Thanks,
I'm a big proponent of education as long as it makes sense. In the case of web development, I'd recommend a complimentary degree such as marketing or something like server administration type courses.
but anyway I want more people's comments.
I guess the value of it (in fact ANY bachelor's degree) would be for an employer hiring you; it just says that you're smart enough in general, so to speak.
Not that it guarantees anything, but put it like this: if there's two guys who apply for the same web development job, one is a high-school dropout and the other one has a bachelor's degree in economics, the one with the degree has better chances to be invited for an interview. Even though the dropout may actually have better development skills. So in a way, it just makes for some impression.
But it's not the be-all-end-all. If the dropout writes a better application letter than the bachelor, then THAT might get the dropout a foot in the door.
All in all, the degree is just one of the (many) factors.
actually that's not 100% true, I actually starting in 1998 with a NVQ (UK National Vocational Qualification) in HTML and Web Design - but that was seriously not worth the time really... I did learn how to play Quake though.
I think you'll find that the majority of courses are behind the times. If you want to learn, there are plenty of up-to-date online resources.
Most places want minimum of two years experience but nobody will give me the experience so I can't quit my day job just yet :(
Mostly the things they say on job descriptions are mostly bollocks - and as long as you can get your foot in the door you can make a good impression in the interview :)
Just go for em!
I have been applying anyway ;)
Absolutely, you should say that. It's published proof of your programming, troubleshooting/debugging, communication, and teamwork skills.
no joke : )
"I Helpz Interwebz peoplez"
It's not really worth the paper it's written on, but what I did gain from it was a placement at a web development company for a year. Without this I would never have got a job after graduating
I think I'll put it in the cover section of my CV
...Or just send them this -> http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/16273527.jpg
The best way to learn is follow the pro's: Read their blog, watch/read their tutorials, and if possible attend their conferences.
I have degree's but they're useless at this point (no employer has even asked) I had a blog post up on my thoughts on education systems, the gist of it has already been mentioned. Unless it's a well-known place for this type of media it's highly likely you will be learning old techniques that may or may not be of much use these days.
The only upsides I see to it are:
If so, can anyone recommend any courses, whether they be online or not?
As an educator and web applications developer at the same college.... no. That should tell ya something ;) Both colleges and conferences are behind the times. I have been to dev connections, and some design usability courses. You're best bet is to become self taught.
I wouldn't recommend a web design or development course alright but what tobeeornot is talking about is a graphic design course
graphic design doesn't age as fast
I would still go the self thought route though
@karlpcrowley What do you mean design doesn't age as fast?
trends come and go the basics will still be there
Helvetica is 55 years old and still one of the most popular typefaces, you don't learn stuff like that in a development course
55 year old code isn't as popular :)
so I self-taught myself starting with html for dummies! (includes js, jquery, php, css...BIG book...never finished the whole thing...)
seriously its a really good book and explains everything really well.
Web Development is an interesting career in that the turn over for relevant knowledge is very fast. You always have to be learning in order to keep up.
But yeah, some degrees are great, some not so much.
There are a lot of jobs, and not just jobs but also employers, who simply will not even bother reading your CV if you haven't got a degree. But some will.
For me the bottom line is, a decent degree from a reputable establishment cannot possibly harm your career. There isn't really a downside to it - as long as it is a good, relevant degree.
I agree and hopefully I haven't offended anybody
This is great, Even I ventured to learn English further because of you.
PS: Sorry about my bad english.
Your english is pretty excellent. It's always been good. :)
@MrBrightside
Self-taught, but currently studying for a Bachelors in CS or SE (as a freshman, I still have time to pick)
Honestly the only reason I'm in College is to form connections. Nothing I'm learning here is good for my freelance work and I don't really plan on being hired. (of course, I'm learning Java and C, not javascript and CSS)
If you have questions, ask here and people will help you as far as they can. Good luck =)
From: TopWebDesignSchools.org
I'd also like to add that living in CA, USA, those average salary graphs always stun me and make me realize how ridiculously expensive it is to live here.
Mottie, I must say that I LOVE that graphic, that is SOO true.
Thanks pkinchla, Doesn't look like they have anything in my area though.