If you’re a working adult looking to skill up, you might not have the bandwidth for a long-term educational commitment.
If that sounds like you, then we’ve got great news: 12 courses and specializations offered by UW Professional & Continuing Education (UWPCE) that allow you to acquire valuable job skills in about three months. Use these newfound skills to boost your current career or as a springboard to chart a new professional path.
Here are 12 things you can learn to do in 12 weeks or less! What are you waiting for?
1. Create visuals for a marketing campaign.
Do you want to make your designs pop? In our new Visual Design for Digital Media course, you’ll produce a “campaign in a box” that includes designs with graphic and animated elements. [9 weeks]
2. Develop a UX writing portfolio.
UX writers are the pros behind the words that make websites and apps easy to use and navigate. In the Foundations of UX Writing course, you’ll learn how to write copy that creates a great user experience. Walk away with a variety of samples—from design documents to wireframes—that you can use to build your own job-ready UX writing portfolio. [10 weeks]
3. Create a regulatory document.
Clinical trials and other regulatory processes in the medical field must be clearly documented, which has created a booming market for professionals with the skills to produce these deliverables. In the UW Specialization in Regulatory Medical Writing, you’ll develop a variety of different regulatory documents to add to your professional portfolio. [12 weeks]
4. Construct a database.
A relational database is a key tool in modern data management, allowing for a structured approach to organizing data. In the Foundations of Databases & SQL Programming course, you’ll build your own relational database using Structured Query Language (SQL) programming techniques. [9 weeks]
5. Design a UX research study.
If you’ve ever appreciated the intuitive design of a website or app, then you likely have user experience (UX) research—the backbone of UX design—to thank. In our new specialization in UX research, you’ll design and carry out your own research study using UX research methods to gain valuable user insights. [8 weeks]
6. Come up with a social media strategy.
Social media is a crucial component of any savvy marketing strategy today. In our new Specialization in Social Media Strategy, you’ll learn about the latest social media tools and technologies and discover how to engage with online communities. In the end, you’ll be able to craft a social media strategy that can be an asset to any comprehensive marketing plan. [11 weeks]
7. Manage a project.
Project management is a key element of many jobs in just about every company and organization hiring today. In the Foundations of Project Management course, you’ll learn project management fundamentals and then guide a sample project using best practices rooted in data and metrics. [4 weeks]
8. Generate a grant proposal.
Grant writing is a valuable skill—many nonprofits rely on grant funding to support their work. In our UW Specialization in Grant Writing, you’ll practice key techniques for successful grant writing and leave with a completed grant proposal. [11 weeks]
9. Craft a digital accessibility plan.
Is your organization’s website accessible? In the UW Specialization in Web & Digital Accessibility, you’ll create a real-world digital accessibility plan. Apply the latest knowledge, skills, and tools for making digital content usable by everyone—regardless of ability. [12 weeks]
10. Make a podcast.
Podcasts are exploding in popularity. Join the movement! In the UW Specialization in Podcasting & Audio Storytelling, you’ll work with professional scriptwriters to produce an original, eight-minute podcast episode from start to finish. [12 weeks]
11. Perform an SEO audit.
If your product, business, or organization doesn’t rank highly in search, you might as well be invisible. Learn to drive search engine optimization improvements in the UW Specialization in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You’ll conduct an SEO audit using various tools, then develop and present a strategy to maximize the reach of your web presence. [12 weeks]
12. Write an assessment of a business challenge.
Being a confident writer can pay dividends professionally, whether you’re crafting clear, effective emails to your team or producing engaging customer-facing content. In our course Business Writing Foundations, you’ll write an assessment of a real-world business challenge using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach. [9 weeks]