Company-sponsored JavaScript Education

[becky]

Hi All-Hoping you can help me with a serious decision. I'm a graphic designer who knows HTML and CSS and needs to learn JavaScript. Later I'll probably learn PHP or ASP.NET. I know the W3School tutorials are great, but I'm looking for a program offered by a college or university that I can complete with online classes. My company's paying, so I just need to decide what program to enroll in. These classes or certificate should not only add value to my skills, but also increase my marketability to future employers. Any suggestions?BTW: SCAD's Graduate Certificate in Interactive Design looks good, but it may be too expensive at $2,600/class... and I have to present my decision today.

[jesh]

Quite honestly, in my experience, certificates are not worth as much as experience. If you are strapped for time and need to make a decision today, I would recommend having your company simply pay for you to take a javascript class at either the local university or a local community college. While you will not get a certificate for completing a course there, you would, at least, get educated and gain some experience which you could then go out and design/build more sites for a portfolio.For example, I have a degree in Comparative Religion (not Computer Science) and I don't have a single certificate to my name, but what I lack in pieces of paper, I have in my 10 years of experience writing code. And I guarantee that an employer would rather see 10 years experience (or at least see some samples of work that has been done) than see a number of certificates.Just my opinion.

[becky]

Thanks for the input, Jesh. I totally agree with you. I do not really need a certificate--I just need a course in which I can learn JavaScript. It would, however, be nice if that course could be lumped with a few others to earn a web development certificate.UPDATE: I just researched SCAD's classes further and they do not offer a class that teaches JavaScript. So much for my leading pick!

Quite honestly, in my experience, certificates are not worth as much as experience. If you are strapped for time and need to make a decision today, I would recommend having your company simply pay for you to take a javascript class at either the local university or a local community college. While you will not get a certificate for completing a course there, you would, at least, get educated and gain some experience which you could then go out and design/build more sites for a portfolio.For example, I have a degree in Comparative Religion (not Computer Science) and I don't have a single certificate to my name, but what I lack in pieces of paper, I have in my 10 years of experience writing code. And I guarantee that an employer would rather see 10 years experience (or at least see some samples of work that has been done) than see a number of certificates.Just my opinion.

[aspnetguy]

try looking here http://www.computertrainingschools.com/?go...CFSalQAodmEYr5g

[becky]

In case anyone else is in my situation and is interested in the conclusion of my extensive research... I'm choosing to earn a Client-Side Web Programming Certificate from the University of Illinois, who is teamed up with O'Reilly Learning. It's only three classes: HTML & CSS, Intro to JavaScript, and JavaScript AJAX, which is just what I need.They offer 16 classes on other programming/code, too.

[aspnetguy]

great, good luck