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Overview
Are you passionate about blending creativity and design with technology to craft compelling digital experiences? The Interactive Design program with a Web Design and Development major is your gateway to a career as a web designer.
Our program empowers you with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to thrive, whether you’re focused on creative design or solving business challenges with technology.
In this program, you’ll:
- master the core principles of design, gaining an understanding of design aesthetics, layout, typography and colour theory, laying the foundation for your creative endeavours
- develop programming and web development fundamentals, including design languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript,
- explore principles of responsive design to ensure websites function on different devices
- dive into the world of digital design tools and techniques and learn how to use industry-standard software and best practices to transform your creative ideas into polished products that not only meet business needs but also solve complex challenges
- learn problem-solving approaches that emphasize innovation and user-centric solutions
- delve into data-driven design strategies and learn how to create designs that are not just visually appealing but also informed by data, ensuring your work has a meaningful impact
- collaborate with your peers to develop project plans, tackle complex design challenges, and enhance your teamwork and communication skills to prepare you for the collaborative nature of the industry
- focus on human-centric interactions, interactivity and user experience design and explore the art of crafting web experiences that engage and delight users
- gain hands-on experience in client interaction and presentation skills, learn how to effectively communicate your design concepts, gather feedback and iterate on your work to meet client expectations.
Throughout your journey, you’ll build a comprehensive portfolio of your work. This portfolio will showcase your applied design concepts, highlight your ability to meet specific client requirements and illustrate your growth as a web designer.
When you graduate, you’ll be proficient in front-end and back-end web development and be skilled at engaging with intuitive interfaces. Your expertise will open doors to diverse career opportunities, including web designer, front-end developer, web developer and more.
Push the boundaries of your creativity and tackle real-world challenges head-on. Our Web Design and Development major is your gateway to a fulfilling and innovative career in the interactive design field.
Web designers and developers are innovative, methodical and directive.
You need:
- logical/critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- the ability to focus on details for long periods
- the ability to organize information effectively
- attention to detail
- patience and persistence
- speaking and writing skills
- interpersonal skills
- numeracy skills
- the ability to work well on a team
- the ability to explain complex ideas in plain language
- the ability to convert abstract or high-level concepts into meaningful results
- confidence in your work.
You should enjoy organizing information, performing tasks with extreme precision and collaborating with others. You should also be committed to life-long learning.
The opportunity to advance your education by transferring into this program or gain credit for previous postsecondary courses may be available.
There may also be opportunities to further your education once you graduate.
Learn more about program and institution transfer options.
You’ll have the option to participate in a work term after your first year. This isn’t a requirement.
You’ll also participate in a capstone project in your second year, where you’ll investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge, connect them with community issues or problems, and create a solution.
Upon successful completion of this program, you’ll be awarded a SAIT Interactive Design diploma with a major in Web Design and Development.
Careers and opportunities
Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.
Associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 21233, 21234, 52120, 21232.
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Career counselling and support
Unsure which career path is for you? SAIT offers career planning services to help you decide your future.
You can also get started by taking our online career finder quiz, which can help you narrow down your search based on your current skills and interests.
Finally, you can also head to Alberta alis for various tools and resources, including additional quizzes and labour market information to help you narrow down a career path.
Courses
The Interactive Design – Web Design and Development diploma requires 60 credits (19 courses) to complete.
The program spans two years, with two semesters each year.
Interactive design core
Course | Credits |
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This course is designed to develop technical writing and presentation skills to ensure workplace readiness. Students will learn how to evaluate communication situations, analyze documents, assess research sources and develop organizational skills to apply in their work. They will learn about and practice designing, formatting and writing a range of professional documents. Students will also develop confidence (through practice) in the development and delivery of effective and engaging presentations. |
3 |
Building on previous knowledge in web design and development, learners will apply design and development techniques to responsive designs enabling access for all devices. Advanced web development frameworks will be used along with advanced scripting patterns. Emphasis will be placed on debugging client-side code and incorporating backwards compatibility with considerations for accessible design. Pre-requisites:
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3 |
After completing this course, students will have the technical and design skills needed to develop a simple web page. Students will understand the basics of computer scripting, and how to use a web scripting language to add functionality to a web page. |
3 |
This course covers media production concepts that include the application of design theory and principles to intermediate projects. Traditional and digital drawing, typography, intermediate layout and intermediate photographic techniques will be explored. Digital production and design tools will be used. Pre-requisites:
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3 |
In this course, learners will develop the skills and understanding required to create user-centric designs. Learners will be able to identify good User Experience (UX) design in physical and digital mediums and its impact on users. Learners will also be able to describe how UI and UX design methods can be applied towards understanding the end user to create meaningful design solutions. |
3 |
This is an introductory course covering design theory, the production of media, and the use of production hardware and software tools. Learners will become familiar with bitmap and vector graphics, digital photography, typography and print media tools and techniques. |
3 |
In this course learners will explore basic animation theory, motion graphics, and audio and video concepts. Learners will use basic programming scripts to develop basic interactive presentations. |
3 |
This course will focus on media authoring, intermediate audio and video production, as well as motion graphics. Pre-requisites:
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3 |
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to fundamental skills in critical thinking. You will develop skills in identifying fallacies, evaluating formal arguments, and diagnosing the appropriate form of argumentation in a variety of areas, including science and morality. Your skills in argumentation will be honed both in evaluating others’ arguments and in making your own.p> Equivalents:
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3 |
This course will examine industry cases to illustrate how products are disrupting the market. Learners will explore the strategic and dynamic role a product manager plays in evolving a product over its lifecycle. Topics in logistics, planning, team formation, and product finding will also be explored. |
3 |
Web design and development core
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This course will build on existing User Experience Design understanding and will allow understanding of advanced topics of relevance to UI and UX. This course will examine the methods and processes for designing, implementing, and testing usable and functional interfaces, with an eye to migration and crisis management. The dominant premise of the course overviews interfaces as accessible, comprehensive, aesthetically uniform, accurate, and oriented toward tasks users tend to perform. |
3 |
Learners are exposed to a variety of the latest libraries and frameworks for designing and developing user-first web applications, as well as apply their own perspective through customization. Emphasis will be placed on the latest trends and industry standards and to applying knowledge of frameworks in a professional capacity. Pre-requisites:
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3 |
Learners will apply practical theory around design patterns and principles used in the industry to build robust web applications. They will learn to identify, assess, and solve recurring problems in web development, as well as gain a deep understanding around usability, testability, maintainability, and scalability when building applications. They will apply their knowledge to analyze existing application architectures and develop their own. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
The course provides an overview of the most common attacks, and illustrates fundamental countermeasures that every web application should implement. Learners will be introduced to the web security landscape and will gain insights into the threats that modern web applications face. Learners will build an understanding of common attacks and their countermeasures; not only in theory, but also in practice. An overview of current best practices to secure web applications will be covered. |
3 |
This course is the first of two studio courses that will prepare you to create solutions to real-world industry problems within a design firm context. This course explores the creative design process through a series of composition, abstraction, and design projects. You will be introduced to a design process based on original thinking, in which you will synthesize collected information and draw conclusions based on established premises. The course will also demonstrate how to generate a number of design alternatives, and evaluate and select the most appropriate one. Pre-requisites:
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3 |
This course is the second of two studio courses that will prepare you to create solutions to real-world industry problems within a design firm context. In the second part of Design Studio, students will explore more complex problems and create solutions and prototypes for presentation and iteration. Increasingly complex projects will provide a foundation for the development of a learner portfolio to support the transition into industry. Pre-requisites:
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6 |
In this course, learners develop the skills necessary for understanding, interpreting, and thinking about future designs. Learners will understand the theoretical perspectives of speculative design, methods for creating flexible and innovative designs of the future, and techniques for critiquing culture and design. Emphasis will be on creating conceptual design proposals and future design prototypes. |
3 |
This course will build on existing User Experience Design understanding and will allow understanding of advanced topics of relevance to UI and UX. This course will examine the methods and processes for designing, implementing, and testing usable and functional interfaces, with an eye to migration and crisis management. The dominant premise of the course overviews interfaces as accessible, comprehensive, aesthetically uniform, accurate, and oriented toward tasks users tend to perform. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
In this capstone course, you will investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge, may connect with community issues or problems, and create a solution. Your project should demonstrate the technical and professional skills learned in the program and beyond. You are expected to apply your creativity and problem-solving abilities to a real-world context. Pre-requisites:One of the following options:
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3 |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This cooperative work term course provides the opportunity to apply your classroom learning in a practical workplace setting, as well as gain valuable industry experience. This course is optional. Pre-requisites:
|
0 |
Progression
You must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better each semester and pass the prerequisite courses to progress through the program.
To qualify for graduation, you must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.
Admission requirements
Applicants educated in Canada
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and meet the following requirements or equivalents.
- at least 50% in Math 30-1 or 60% in Math 30-2, and
- at least 55% in English Language Arts 30-1 or 60% in English Language Arts 30-2.
SAIT accepts high school course equivalents for admission for applicants educated outside Alberta.
All applicants who were educated outside of Canada must demonstrate English Language proficiency and provide proof they meet the program admission requirements with an international document assessment. Find out what educational documents are accepted and assessment options.
SAIT may also accept courses completed at certain international post-secondary institutions.
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Academic Upgrading
Missing an admission requirement for this program? Upgrade your prior education to help you receive admission into one of SAIT's career programs.
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English language proficiency
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada.
Transfer agreements
At SAIT, we evaluate post-secondary credit you have previously earned and apply it to your SAIT credential. Explore our formal transfer agreements available for this program.
We can evaluate your prior education, even if we don't have a formal agreement in place.
Submit a transfer credit application
There are no formal transfer agreements currently in place for this program.
Transfer options for graduates
Build on the knowledge you’ve learned at SAIT. The opportunity to advance your education at an accredited post-secondary institution may be available.
🔗 Visit Transfer Alberta search tool for a full list of transfer opportunities within the province.
Available intakes
Fall 2024
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Closed
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Application deadline: Extended
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- International students: Closed
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Application deadline: May 29, 2024
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Winter 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: Oct. 25, 2024
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: Sept. 30, 2024
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Spring 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: April 30, 2025
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: March 28, 2025
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Costs
2024/25 tuition and fees
The following costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.
Domestic students
Books and supplies are approximately $2,000 per full-time year.
Find your booklist on the SAIT Bookstore's website. The booklist will be available closer to the program start date.
Can’t find your program or course? The bookstore didn't receive a textbook list. Contact your program directly to determine if they’re still refining course details or if you're in luck; no textbook purchase is required this term.
Computers and laptops
This is a bring-your-own-device program with a custom hardware and software requirement.
For this program, you will need the following:
- a laptop with an integrated webcam
- a smartphone with the ability to record audio and video
- headphones with an integrated microphone.
All computers must meet the following minimum specifications.
Laptop
- Required
- MacBook Air with M2 chip
- 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU
- 8GB Unified Memory
- 512GB SSD Storage
- Preferred
- 14"Apple MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip.
- Students with PC laptops must have the minimum power user hardware and software requirements for this program.
Note: Some UX designers use software that is only for Mac.
Software
- Adobe CC Student Subscription
- Figma (free for education)
- FileZilla Client
- Chrome
- Visual Studio Code
- MS Office (included in your program)
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Financial aid
Paying for your education may feel overwhelming, but we have resources and programs that can help, including information about payment options, student loans, grants and scholarships.
Application process
When applying in the application portal, select Interactive Design. You will be able to select Web Design and Development as your major during the application process.
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Begin your application
Apply now using the online application portal.
Ensure you have a valid Visa or Mastercard to pay the non-refundable application fee of $120 for domestic applicants or $150 for international applicants.
Ready to apply?
Follow our step-by-step guide to submitting a successful application.
Communication during admission
Email is the primary source of communication during the selection process. Ensure your personal email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications. We recommend you add the sadt.advising@sait.ca domain to your safe senders' list or you risk missing critical email messages.
Information sessions
Prepare for a strong start in your chosen program or get the details you need to decide your future path.
Our expert staff and faculty are ready to answer your questions and provide information about the following:
- What sets SAIT apart
- An introduction to the program and area of study
- Admission requirements
- Future career paths
- Information on the earning potential and graduate employment rates.
Contact us
School for Advanced Digital Technology Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8543
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Email - sadt.advising@sait.ca
International Student Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8852
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Email - international@sait.ca
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Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.