Career Track Program: Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

This article covers some frequently asked questions about UX Academy and UX Academy Foundations

 

Topics covered in this article:

 

 

 

 

 

Software Tools & Equipment

What tools will I need for UX Academy Foundations? What do they cost?

Find out more about what tools you'll need for UX Academy Foundations here.

 

What equipment and software do I need for UX Academy?

Check out this article for more information about what equipment and software you'll need for UX Academy. 

 

What perks are offered to UX Academy students?

Read more about our student perks here

 

Does Designlab offer any courses for UX/UI tools?

Yes, we offer free courses on the most popular industry-standard tools - find our more here

 

Timeline & Schedule

Do I need to be online at a certain time during UX Academy Foundations?

One of the great things about Designlab courses is their flexibility. Read more about when you need to be online here

 

How often does UX Academy start?

Our UX Academy cohorts launch every month. See the upcoming start dates and application deadlines here.

 

Can I take a break between UX Academy Foundations and UX Academy?

You can take a break between finishing UX Academy Foundations and UX Academy! Students don't need to move right from finishing the prerequisite into the full bootcamp, and are welcome to take a short breaker of only a month or two, or a pause that is longer in length. 

If you do choose to take a more extended break between UX Academy Foundations and UX Academy, such as longer than six months, we may ask you to complete a quick design challenge as part of your application. This will be a free UI-based assessment that's geared towards ensuring your skillset is still at the forefront of your mind before entering into the full bootcamp program.

 

Are there any breaks during UX Academy?

UX Academy has community breaks four times throughout the calendar year. Read more about community-wide breaks here.

 

International Students

I'm not based in a U.S. time zone. Can I still take UX Academy?

UX Academy is fully online and mostly asynchronous, which means there's no set schedule for when you need to complete your coursework. You can participate regardless of where in the world you're located — as long as you have internet access!

During the program, you’ll be matched with a mentor whom you meet via video call to discuss your work. We have a global community of mentors and career coaches to help accommodate students living in different regions around the world. When you enroll in UX Academy, we'll ask about your availability for mentor sessions to help us pair you with a mentor whose schedule is compatible with yours. Additionally, we offer Group Crits seven days a week across all hours of the day to accommodate different time zones and schedules.

Please note that all course payments are processed in the US in US dollars. We don’t charge any international fees; however, your bank may assess transaction fees if you’re purchasing a course from outside the US and it’s best to check with them directly about their policies.

The map below highlights where our graduates have landed jobs across the world:

 

Outcomes_map.JPG

 

English isn't my native language. Can I still enroll in UX Academy?

All students looking to participate in UX Academy Foundations and UX Academy should have an English language level of C1 or higher. If you’re unsure of your language level, we recommend you take this free test. Please make sure to select “both business and general English” when setting up your testing preferences. We may ask you to provide proof of your English language proficiency before starting UX Academy.

 

Cancellations & Refunds

What is your refund policy for UX Academy Foundations?

Read more about our refund policy for UX Academy Foundations here

 

What is your refund policy for UX Academy?

Take a look at this article for more information about our refund policy for UX Academy.

 

Other

Can I request a specific mentor?

Mentorship is an important component of our courses, and we want to make sure you have a productive and insightful experience with our programs.

If you have a specific mentor in mind, please let us know before your course launch date by reaching out to our CX team so we can make a note of your request. 

Upon enrollment in UX Academy, we ask a series of questions that help us with matching you with the appropriate mentor. As much as we'd love to always be able to match you with your top choice, please keep in mind that there are multiple factors that can impact our ability to match you with specific mentors:

  • Whether they mentor for the course you are interested in
  • If they have enough capacity 
  • If they are available for the cohort (i.e. if they are on holiday during a particular cohort)

For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that we'll be able to pair you with a specific mentor. Rest assured that we've vetted all of our mentors to ensure that they have the experience and skillset to guide all of our students through the UX and UI components of the program. You can learn more about our vetting process here.

 

Is programming covered in UX Academy? Do I need to learn how to code to be a UX Designer?

We do not cover any programming in UX Academy. Teaching the entire UX/UI design process (research, interaction design, prototyping, visual / UI design) in sufficient depth in a compressed period is a difficult-enough undertaking on its own without also adding coding to the mix.

It isn't necessary to learn how to write code to land a great design position, because designers typically hand off their files to development teams who are responsible for that process. The majority of our graduates land positions as designers without any coding knowledge. 

That said, learning some front-end basics (HTML, CSS, and potentially even some Javascript) can only help you as a UX designer — you'll improve your ability to communicate with engineering teams, increase your understanding of technical feasibility, and acquire another skill that can be used to prototype solutions quickly.

Here are some related links that discuss this topic in depth:

If you want to begin with the basics, Codecademy is a great option to get started with HTML/CSS. Once you get more comfortable, a great way to practice is to recreate simple layouts — e.g. building the layout for a landing page from scratch.

 

Do you have any profiles from students who've finished up UX Academy?

Yes! We're proud of the outcomes of our student graduates from the program.

 

Success Stories

We regularly publish success stories of our students, profiling how they made their career switch and moved into the design field. You can read our recently published stories on the blog here.

Example Portfolios

We've had strong success with the program, with students getting hired at companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Sony, Adidas, and many more.

You can check out recent examples of UX Academy graduates’ portfolios on the UX Academy page of our website.

 

Testimonials

"Enrolling in UX Academy has been the best decision I have made in a very long time." - Anna Lee

"I joined UX Academy full time after years working around building digital products but with no formal experience in design. After three months I was able to create a portfolio, develop my own apps and now I have a job as a UX/UI Designer in a big company in the Netherlands where I now live (I'm from Mexico)." - Celeste North

Browse more testimonials here.

 

Can you tell me more about career outcomes?

In both its curriculum and structure, UX Academy is designed to give you the firm foundation you need to land a junior UX design role in the industry. As well as learning fundamental design skills, you also build a portfolio of projects and a professional website that will give you the very best chance of finding your first design job.

After you complete the core UX Academy curriculum, there is a third phase of the program—Career Services—in which you’re paired with a Career Coach. They will help you to identify which roles to apply for, prepare job applications, polish up your portfolio, and hone your interview technique.

We are serious about supporting you as you enter the industry, and as a mark of our confidence both in you and in the UX Academy program, we offer tuition reimbursement. Please note that the reimbursement is subject to terms and conditions.

If you’re still unsure, we’d encourage you to check out some of the many inspiring success stories we’ve shared on our blog. We’ve seen many students complete UX Academy and change their careers for the better, and we believe anyone who shows commitment and perseverance can do the same.

If you’d like to discuss your questions further, email us at admissions@designlab.com or schedule a call and we’ll be happy to help!