SVC’s pro instructors get you ready for a new career in UX.

  • LEARN from the pros.

    All SVC classes are taught by senior working professionals. These are the people who write the books, speak at conferences, and are genuine thought leaders in their fields. And more than a few are hiring managers, making them essential folks to add to your network. Meet some of SVC’s top instructors.

  • Shunpike Website

    do real work for real clients (like this!)

    If the website above looks like the real deal, that’s because it is. SVC capstone class students designed the UX, wrote the copy, and handed it off to Shunpike. Other SVC real-world clients include Nordstrom, Webex, PETA, MOD Pizza, and the proverbial many more.

  • keep earning while you do your learning.

    SVC certificate program classes are all live, and take place in the evening or on the occasional Saturday morning. That means those of you in North America can prepare for your next job while you’re still holding down your current one.

  • Laptop displaying a design portfolio

    IT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR PORTFOLIO.

    You do get a lovely letterpress certificate of completion from this program, but what hiring managers are far more interested in is your portfolio. So that’s where we devote our energy — to making sure yours is a cut above other portfolios from other entry-level job-seekers.

  • Two women having a meeting

    NEED A MENTOR? LET US HELP YOU FIND ONE.

    While your instructors will be happy to give you career advice, it’s definitely a plus to have your own personal mentor to guide you through the learning process. If you don’t have your own mentor, SVC’s optional mentorship will set you up with one

  • Two Tablet Screens

    what are the prospects for grads?

    While the job market’s definitely tightened up the last couple of years, there are still entry-level jobs out there for top-performing students. Over all, about 70% of SVC program grads get hired within 12 months of their graduation.

    See the Course Track

  • Here’s where you’ll find the answers to your questions and policies for SVC’s certificate program. For more detailed information, you should also check out SVC’s Student Handbook.

  • SVC is delaying the start of the next cohort until we see more hiring activity in the UX design job sector. We’re postponing this next cohort so current SVC students and recent graduates will have less competition as they enter their active job hunt.

  • We’re delaying the start of the next cohort until hiring market conditions improve so we’re not currently accepting new applications. If you’d like to be notified when we resume the application period, please click here to send us an emaii.

  • Tuition for the program effective January 1, 2024 will be $9,895. The optional mentorship program is an additional $1,200. Fifty percent of your tuition is due when you register, with the remaining 50 percent due at the mid-point of the program.

  • If you prefer, you can pay in 10 monthly installments starting when you register for the program. SVC doesn’t charge interest, but there is a $250 fee to set up your payment plan.

  • All SVC classes are held live on Zoom, and they run at times so you can continue to work during the day. That means classes meet once or twice per week in the evening — usually 6p - 9p Pacific Time. While there are sometimes exceptions, classes meet on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. We also occasionally hold workshops on Saturday mornings from 10a - 1p Pacific Time.

  • If you have industry experience or have taken a similar class at another school, you can apply to challenge the Intro to UX workshop requirement. Let us know if that’s of interest at the time you apply.

  • You will present your portfolio projects in the final class in the sequence, Portfolio Lab. Your presentation and website will be scored by a panel of experienced, senior designers and your aggregated score must exceed 60% of the maximum possible score.

    You must also attend at least 80% of course sessions and complete 100% of your course assignments.

    Students who do not achieve any of these goals will be given the opportunity to retake any courses where they’ve fallen short at 50% of the standard tuition and then re-present their work at the conclusion of the next cohort.

  • The State of Washington spells out the exact refund policies for schools like ours, and here’s the overview: You may receive a partial refund of your tuition if you drop a class or your enrollment is terminated by SVC due to lack of progress or disciplinary problems. It’s complicated, so please read the Student Handbook section of our website carefully for more details.

  • This is a more-than-fair question. And while no one can predict what the job market will be like 12 or 18 months from now when you’ve completed the SVC program, there are lots of reasons for optimism as firms outside the tech sector are hiring UX designers at a more rapid pace.

    If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, read the post we wrote for LinkedIn: Is this a good time to be learning UX Design?