UX Design Bootcamp vs Design Degree! Which One Should You Choose? 

Thanks for your comment Aditya Mankare! You're spot on. You always have to keep learning and take advantage of all types of resources that are available. Cheers!

Thank you Kim Tendo! It's nice to hear that your experience also matches ours and what we've seen. You're right on every point! Thanks for sharing and best of luck!

My partner has been a freelancer in London for almost two decades as a UI/UX Designer and he was completely self-taught. He works for many of the largest agencies and on major campaigns - from pitches to entire redesigns. Initially, gaining experience was a little tricky but he threw himself into many free projects, building up a portfolio and required references. Networking was a major factor to that. Also, when he did start getting a small foot into the door, via agencies, he did not pigeon-hole himself according to preferences. Many of his peers would only work in sectors they favoured, often refusing client-side contracts or lower day rates. When gaining experience, he found that taking what was offered gave him a far more varied portfolio and, as he progressed higher, gained him even more offers (due to his diverse skill set). Although he will always state that creative agencies are his favourite working environments. He is a huge believer, like you, in self-learning. I am too; I even home ed my children 👍. Courses give you direction but they do not often replicate the real-life experiences and fast paced environments students may find themselves propelled into upon completion. I have read online forums where many students complained about not being taught everything required or every trick but, as one tutor informed them, they are expected to take what they learn in the class and use that as a foundation to build upon in their own time (to show initiative and make use of the numerous free resources and tutorials the internet has to offer us all); that they should be driven enough to go the extra few miles themselves, fully immersing themselves in as much as they can find which adds to their skill sets. My partner has had a few similar issues with people he has hired who were Uni. trained as he stated that, although many were familiar with required programmes, many took long periods to do simple tasks because they had all been taught a standard way of doing things - which were not time efficient, especially with multiple and important deadlines looming for clients. He would have to take time from his tasks to teach them the shortcuts and design tricks which sped up their workflows. You never stop learning and training. Having a degree is one thing, but some expect to go straight in at medium level positions. It was the same when I studied for my qualifications in SPFX make up and some students naively believed they could go out into the world as medium to senior level experts! Our tutor explained that we would all start at the very bottom, as the assistants/juniors, that what we were actually qualified in were just the basics required to enter that profession and that there was so much more to learn because tools, techniques and products were always changing: we had just learned the tip of the iceberg. That swiftly deflated a few egos 😉 Many employees and recruiters focus much on people having degrees but some of the most talented designers and developers my partner has worked with have life-hacked their skills, with one teaching himself the entire curriculum for a high-end development course and he passed. He is only one out of five people in the country with that certification and he enjoys contract day rates many would envy yet he is still teaching himself other curriculums to aim even higher. People can achieve it [self-learning] if they really want to. It is not brain science but they do need a passion and natural flair, motivation and self-discipline. This method exhibits a level of drive and determination in individuals which should be far more appreciated than it actually is.

@@mariabenetti8902 Thank you for your input Maria.This is really a great motivation for me. I am just starting my journey as Ux designer(student) and reading your comment alone cleared all my doubt with regards to taking up Ux design as a Career path.

Thank you for providing your input as both an experienced professional in this field and an employer. Your comment alone has assisted me greatly in my debate regarding professional marketability and which program type will be best.

Thank you , I come from a design background and as my fitness side of things has lost momentum I’m now looking for virtual support roles in design so i can brush up my skills once again . (Should you be looking ) 😏

Thanks for the suggestion Federico Nastasi! That could be a good way to do it for some people. Is that how you learned UX and found a job? Cheers

@@AJSmart I don't have a job in UX : in my country there isn't too much UX and it's not valueable for companies. It is for all people, there's no need to go to degree: go only if you do medicine, nurse or something that you can't learn on internet

That sounds like a good idea!

Man, that's great advice!

I would like to add why to not go so soon to university : why waste 4 years without knowing if you will like the job? Let me explain : a lot of people study 4 years for something they like but when they go to work their expectations does not match up with the reality. Jobs are not like in the movies, every work has good and bad aspects that if not taken in account or some secrets that only experts of that field only knows, you could get stuck in a job that you hate and end up in burnout because you have to pay the bills. If you still want to go to university and you are from USA, go for university in Europe : life,rent, tuition fees are more cheaper than paying >100k in loans. If you are not from USA, go to an university in another state that is cheaper(India, Finland, Germany ), a degree is a piece of paper, unless you won't go to MIT , every university is good.

Thanks for sharing Christine Givens! We're glad that you enjoyed our Masterclass! How did you learn UX Design?

Thanks for sharing Patrick Manno! The UX field is very much about experience and skills. It's normal to feel a little bit of imposter syndrome after finishing a UX Bootcamp, but that shouldn't discourage you from pursuing this career. Keep learning, keep practicing, keep gathering experience in other ways. Glad this video was helpful. Best of luck!

We’re you able to find a job?

@@khaylavacs3880 I’m wondering that too????

Thanks for your comment Aaryan Kher! We're very glad you find the video and the 7-day email course helpful! That's what we're striving for. Best of luck!

Thanks for sharing your experience Alina Döring! It sounds like a very good program. It's great to have an understanding of both areas in order to make a decision of what you actually want to do. Best of luck in the rest of your studies.

@@AJSmart Thank you!!

@@alinadoring425 is it IUBH University?

what have you chosen?

Thanks Calum Russell! Between those two we would choose Mairol!

do you like it ?

Thanks Salvador Ochoa! Glad you find the content useful. Are you an aspiring or a junior UX designer? How are you learning UX design? Cheers

​@@AJSmart I finished my UX/UI bootcamp at Ironhack Mexico City last December. And I've been struggling to get a job in an important UX/UI agency so I'm freelancing on graphic design projects while I make it... I have a long useful background in Art direction for advertising, 3D, Motion Graphics, and book design though.

@@salvadorochoa6664 Thanks for sharing! It's not always easy to get a job right after finishing a bootcamp. But you're doing the right thing by gaining experience by freelancing. Try to put yourself out there to find some UX freelance jobs and gain more experience and skills with real projects and real clients, this will help you in your journey to find a job in a big UX/UI agency. Best of luck!

Thanks for sharing stokedonspokes! In industry hubs like San Francisco it is indeed more difficult to find a job with just a bootcamp and not much experience. A design degree + bootcamp + self learning might be the way to go there. Cheers!

Design degree + boot camp + self learning should be also my goal

Thanks for sharing whalelam228! You're spot on. It really depends on how far you would like your career to go and on your current circumstances. How did you learn design? Cheers

good point of view... i like bigger companies because they are better structured than start ups

Or work at the small tech companies get the experience and then go to the bigger companies

Will big tech companies not hire guys without a relevant degree? Even with some experience..

Thanks for sharing David! Let us know what you think about the bootcamp. Best of luck!

Hi David! I just graduated with a BA degree that I am no longer interested in. I have thought about seriously enrolling in a UX bootcamp, but I have also considered an HCI graduate program. I am having difficulty choosing. How is your UX journey going so far? Would you recommend doing a UX bootcamp over the grad program?

Thanks for sharing your experience Lamar Tittle! You're right, UX bootcamps are intense and you should be prepared for that. Best of luck with the rest of your bootcamp!

Hi Lamar, thanks for sharing! I'm finishing up Design 101 through DesignLab and thinking I will take some time to better learn Figma before committing to a bootcamp. Which bootcamp are you doing now?

@@katieroehrich8199 I think getting a start in Figma will definitely help but don't focus too much on becoming an expert. The tools designers use change all the time. I'm sure you'll be fine! :) Also, I'm currently doing the UX/UI Immersion at Thinkful. Feel free to contact me @LamarTittle on Twitter if you ever have any bootcamp questions!

Thanks for your comment Garance Chere! That sounds like a plan! Let us know how it goes. Best of luck!

degree in ux design? dose that exist as a major in colleage?

Cool! You are in vietnam. Please let me know how are you doing so far

Hi Sam, may I ask which bootcamp did you choose and why you made that decision? I have been comparing different bootcamp for a while, but stuck between Springboard, CareerFoundry, and DesignLab. They are all online program with similar curriculum, so hard to make the choice.

@@hiimhuaqi9829 I’m actually going to be studying at Prime Academy in Minneapolis! They are a solid company that has an excellent reputation in this neighborhood. Not to mention, they go above and beyond to set their students up with actual work rojeces to help them build a portfolio and graduate ready for a job.

@@samtupy Hi, Sam, thanks a lot for your kind response. I haven't noticed Prime Academy before, but I will definitely check it. The thing I care most is also to work on real-life project, work with clients and build good portfolio. But in this covid time, working collaboratively on real-life projects become much harder than before. Are you going to Minneapolis to take the on-campus course? Do you have some idea about the project thing?

@@hiimhuaqi9829 I’m from Minnesota so it’s easy for me to be close, but they’re actually completely remote right now so you don’t have to be here to participate! If you don’t want to move out here, you should be able to go to school remotely. It’s not super cheap, and it’s super intensive, but they do a great job of giving you what you need to succeed!

@@hiimhuaqi9829 Also a big part of the reason that I’m going to prime academy is that they do collaborative projects as part of their schooling. From what I understand, they actually do real life projects for local nonprofits as part of the course. In order to “graduate” you actually have to complete a couple of projects, one of which is very collaborative

It depends!🙃 Thanks for your comment Aleksandra P. Glad to hear it went well with the bootcamp. Best of luck in your career!

Oh and to add, I’m currently in a UX Bootcamp and really enjoying it!

Thanks for your comment Erin! That's a great point. A lot more talented people have now the opportunity to learn and start their careers, which maybe wasn't possible a few years ago. Glad you're enjoying your bootcamp. Best of luck!

Thank you, Erin! I know your comment was 1+ years ago, but this really resonates with me. I’m in my 40s and very much wanting to start a new career. I had to quit college my first year because I had my first child and could not handle the very long walk to and from the bus stop daily and had no other transportation. Then I ended up raising children on my own and had to work to support them with no degree. I never have been able to go back. I spent many years freelancing so I could work at home with them, but now I’m stuck with no retirement or benefits. I can’t afford college. I can’t even afford a bootcamp. For me, the Google UX Design course on Coursera was the only option.

@@tarabooartarmy3654 I’m so glad to hear you’ve found a way to learn outside of traditional education! I started college but my parents couldn’t fund it, and I didn’t qualify for enough student loans to get me through because I didn’t have a co-signer. I had to start working immediately - that’s just how it is for some people. I’ve been working as a UX Copywriter for almost a year now and couldn’t be more satisfied in my career. Have you completed the Google course yet, or just getting started? Let me know how it is!

what UX bootcamp did u do if u don’t mind me asking?

Thanks for sharing! Most of the ux bootcamps are focused on bringing people with no or little knowledge about UX to a level where they can be employable. However you should put a lot of hard work into learning outside the course and keep practicing what you're learning. Also you should use other ways to gather experience, like internships. In most of the cases if you have experience, skills and a good portfolio to back that up, you'll find acceptance from your peers. Also you should check how is the job market in your area. Look into job postings from companies in your city. What are the requirements for the job. What are they looking for in a UX designer? Hope this was helpful. Best of luck!

Job listings show requirements

do u think your graphic design degree was worth it??

Thanks for sharing Mike Deng! Nice to hear that you could get those great positions by self-teaching. It definitely takes some serious discipline to learn by yourself. And you're right a degree program can offer a more structured and efficient way of learning things. Best of luck!

What degree are you going after now?

I study interaction design at ArtCenter College of Design, and recently put up a video on how to get into UX Design. I find that AJ provides a wealth of knowledge, though.

@@MikeDeng interesting career path way.. im thinking start degree first and then partime with self learning and bootcamps

I am doing Masters in hci and alot of students are from psychology background btw i am from software engineering background

Hey Matt! Congrats on finishing the degree! That's a huge achievement already! Definitely consider a bootcamp and just work on your portfolio and experience. Try to get involved in UX / UI projects at your current workplace and think about all the transferable skills you'll be brining to the UX industry. Someone with your education would be a great asset for companies like Airbnb or Eventbrite for example. Good luck 💪

Thanks for your question Muhammad Ammar! Unfortunately we're not familiar with that specific program and its results. What we recommend you to do, is to research the program. Read the curriculum, is that what you would like to learn and do? Research the teachers, what are their credentials, what have they done? And find a way to reach out to alumni and ask them about their experience in the program. Hope this was helpful. Best of luck!

Hi, I checked the program and it cost 19 900 EUR per year. So for the full program: 3 years, you must pay 59,700. It is the most expensive program I ever saw in my life. How anyone can afford something like that?

Thanks for you comment ChrisOnAWav! That's really nice to hear. Your program sounds great and if you're happy with your decision, we're happy for you too. Best of luck!

Hey man! What program are you enrolled in? I'd love to know more.

Yes, do tell about which program

@@varun99tr depaul university hci program

@@tealrobotica DePaul university hci

Yo im not experienced or anyth but i’ve heard many people w different bachelors getting jobs in the ux/ui field after learning independently or joining bootcamps!! Its totally possible!

Thanks for sharing Avinash Kumar! Have you try to do a pros and cons list for each of the two options? That could help you clarify a little bit what is it that you actually want to do. Research both programs, compare the content. Is that what they are offering, what you would like to do? Consider the financial aspect, the time investment aspect. Consider the things that are important to you and your future. Hope this was helpful. Best of luck!

@Avinash Kumar are u from India even i am looking forward to go for UX, can u suggest me any good bootcamps that u took in India, even if they were Online please suggest.

Hey, what did you end up doing? I’m kinda at the same place right now

Thanks for sharing Ali Dbouk! Congratulations on your job! Self teaching is a good option for people who are disciplined, structured and are able to create a timeline for the achievements they want to reach. For other people a more structured environment, with the support of peers, mentors or professor is a more suitable space to learn. Best of luck!

Congratulations on your job Ali Dbouk. Could you please share the resources from where you learned ui ux design by yourself? It will really help me out as I am just starting out to ui ux design.

AJ&Smart exactly!!!!

shriya sahu Thanks!!! Well literally I spent my whole quarantine time learning UX/UI design because in that period of time I was doing an internship in a small startup( 6 persons), my tasks were how to improve the ranking of the website so I had to edit many things!!! And since then I was introduced to UX/UI design. I installed Figma and Adobe XD and started working on my visual design, and at the same time UX was somehow easy for me to learn because I used to work for them, so I know how they work and think. I spent the whole summer working on my personal project which was enough for me to secure a job for me in Uk. P.S: Originally I’m a digital marketer, I think it helped me understanding UX more and sorry for my English it isn’t my first language.

@@alidbouk4132 thanks for sharing your experience

Thanks for your question itssumeetp! Well, it depends on you. Have you researched the content of the HCI program? Is that something you want to learn and ultimately do? How much time do you want to spend into learning UX design? Is the cost something to consider? Is that, what you want to learn something you could learn somewhere else? What would be the benefit of that? Do you want to go into a more theoretical path or a practical path. Those are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you make a decision. At the end it depends on you. Hope this was helpful.

@@AJSmart thanks for the reply, will sure try to ponder upon these questions, i already have answers for some but havent ever thought about few of them. Thanks for this ❤️

You could apply for internships too!

Thanks for sharing Nataliia Myrgorodska! You're spot on! You definitely won't become a total expert after finishing a bootcamp, specially if you don't have a design background. It depends on how much learning and practicing you're doing on the side and after finishing the course. Cheers!

tell me more pls

Yes, pls tell more!

Thanks for sharing your experience Adhish Shrivastava! Nice to hear that you could land a job after you finished your bootcamp. And you're spot on, in a lot of cases bootcamps lack depth in theoretical knowledge and if you want to go deeper into this field you'll have to learn a lot by yourself or opt for a masters degree. Best of luck with your preparation!

@@AJSmart Wow thank you so much for your comments. I have been following AJ&Smart since the start of my Design Journey. And you have been the source of inspiration in the field of UX. You guys are doing great work. Keep creating ❤️

@@adhishshrivastava491 Thank you for the nice comment! We appreciate that a lot! Cheers

Hey! I'm curious which Uni are you looking into especially now during COVID.

@@_sp_sp Hi, actually I am targeting IIT Bombay. It is absolutely the best college for pursuing Masters alongside NID (National Institute of Design). IIT Bombay has an Industrial Design Centre, which offers Masters in Interaction Design. Which is perfect for UI UX Designers. But being an IIT it is really tough to get into it. But still I am trying to get in.

Thanks for pointing that out. Captions are available now.

@@AJSmart Thanks a lot

Thanks for the suggestion Ahmed Tabish! At the moment we're concentrated in creating a new course that is more focused on facilitating workshops. We also have currently a free 7-day e-mail course to help you boost your UX career. Check it out here 👉 lp.workshopper.com/free-ux-course Cheers

@@AJSmart Well I did opt for it but for some reason i didn't got email for day 1st and 4th, hope u can help me with it and thanks for providing such great content.

@@ahmedtabish8597 Sorry to hear that! We've fixed that problem. If you're still missing those e-mails, please check your spam folder. If they are not there, then you can contact us directly at newsletter@ajsmart.com and we'll help you with this issue. Thank you

Great research Bogdan Iordache! We see your point, and would like to reinforce, that our designers do come from alllll walks of life. While most of the designers on our current team have a uni degree, we do, in fact, have a team member who switched from an adjacent field into UX by taking a bootcamp. Most of the designers on our current team also took a bootcamp in addition to the degrees at some point in their careers, so it’s really all a big mix. Plus, our design team has been changing and evolving over the last years, with people coming and going, but a healthy mix of all educational backgrounds was always there 😀. Hope the video was helpful!

​@@AJSmart I think it's really REALLY great that you took the time to mention this. I guess I am not the only one who considers AJ&Smart as one of the most important Design agencies out there and it's great to know that you indeed hire people from all walks of life :) you are like a trend setter and I think it's important for people to know that you are really open to both bootcamp and uni graduates. Thanks a lot for the clarification and I look forward to your next videos !!! :)

Bogdan Iordache in short, yes all their employees have degrees. Yes they’ve done boot camps but they also had a degree. And the team member who switched to UX from another field through a boot camp most likely already had a degree from their previous studies. So yeahhh I guess you gotta go into debt for some companies to hire you or just have a kick ass portfolio

It definitely isn’t , I’m 32 🤍

Thanks for the suggestion Leonardo! At the moment that is not part of our process but we'll keep that in mind for future videos and we'll come back to this one too! Cheers

@@AJSmart Thanks!

You can click on the vertical three dots and chose “captions” or click on the cc box. It’s working for me. Cheers.

Thanks for your quesiton Gordana Rauski! The UX bootcamps mentioned in the video ( 06:13 ) are Careerfoundry, Tradecraft, Bloc.io, General Assambly, Flatiron School. But those are some examples. We recommend you to research which option might be the best for you and your circumstances. Hope this was helpful. Best of luck!

Hey Tricky! Why wouldn't you recommend neither? What would you recommend instead? Cheers

AJ&Smart ah sorry man it was just a silly joke! I’d recommend a degree personally, but that’s because I didn’t come from a design background and so had a lot of different fundamentals I needed to learn such as principles of graphic design etc. I guess it depends on your background and whether you have cross-transferable skills for UX or not. 👍

@@_Tricky_ Thanks for sharing! That's a great point. It really depends on your background and experience. A degree can help you a lot to get strong and solid fundamentals. Cheers!

Self teaching is a good option too! As long as you're disciplined and have a timeline for when you want to reach different goals on your UX career, then it's an option for many people. Also, in general you have to be always learning new stuff about your field, to stay up to date and advance in your career. Are you a self taught UX designer? Thanks for your comment.

@@AJSmart yep, I started out with understanding what product design is by reading Airbnb and Facebook Design blogs, then moved to daily UI for practice, then I came across aj & smart channel and understood the difference between UI&UX and decided to go UX path. Audited Coursera courses, read design related books, built Portfolio. Even with all these I am having a bit of difficulty since recruiters prefer bootcamp / uni students over self studied. But I haven't lost my hope since I really love UX design and understanding how human mind works. Right now going through IDF for certification so that recruiters could atleast interview me and reading about face book ✌️. Loving every moment of this process and with each rejection I am motivated even further to learn more. :)

I am! I self studied, networked with the internal UX department at my current company, and transferred into UX internally. I've been learning on the job for the most part and the company sent me to the Bentley UX Bootcamp before Covid 19. I'm relieved I didn't take on more student loans. I paid off all my student debt this year actually!

@@HumanityUnleashedConversations your company is really awesome ! I wanted to do the same but the company didn't allow me to transfer internally.

@@AKHILPOKLE I ran into this before my current company, and knew I couldn't stay there. When I started interviewing with other companies, I'd mention my longterm career goal to transfer into UX. I got into a massive company that encourages growth and internal transfers, with my end goals quite transparent. I did a series of learning events, studied on my own, networked/interviewed different UX designers, helped take notes during their internal user interviews, and was encouraged to apply for an opening on their team. I got the job.

Thanks for asking Chronos! Check out this video (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5C_Bw_JpxHw.html ), where our CEO explains his view on that exact topic. Hope this is helpful!

@@AJSmart link is 404 not found.. please edit it. I'm interested in this as well

@@naumankhokhar6471 Thanks for pointing that out. Now it's fixed.

Are you thinking about taking UX design bootcamp? Let us know how you get on 🤗

Thanks for your recommendation chinar jadhav! You're right, the life and study experience from a design degree cannot be replicated by a bootcamp. That's a great option for people who can attend a university/college. Cheers!