Do you need a Design Degree to be a UX Designer?

Are you an aspiring UX designer who is currently stuck in a wrong field? Each and every day you feel like you are wasting your time and UX design is the real job for you. This has happened to most of us. And this is where all the confusion begins. Should you get a design degree? Should you switch the job? What about the experience? And a lot more…In this article, we will discuss if a design degree is really a must to be a successful UX designer or not.

Benefits of getting a design degree

We cannot deny this. There certainly are benefits of getting a design degree if you want to become a UX designer. Any person who has denoted a few years of his life to learn a specific skill will be considered as valuable. You might straight away learn a lot of things which others learn after doing a lot of mistakes and wasting time. And you get that designer tag!

Even some companies mandatorily hire candidates with design qualifications. But if you just have a degree and don’t have quality knowledge, then its not going to be of any use to you. So, if you are planning to get a design degree and invest that much time, go for a good institute.

Is a design degree mandatory to become a UX designer?

Getting a degree is the most straight forward and easy way to enter the world of UX Design. But there might be several reasons why you don’t want to opt for a degree. Maybe you don’t want to go to college. Or stop working. Or spend huge amount of money on a degree. Don’t worry! You can become a good UX designer even without a degree. But, remember! There is no shortcut to success.

You cannot become a UX designer when you know absolutely nothing about the field. You are going to require some knowledge, training or experience for someone to hire you for the role. So, even if you choose an alternate path, you got to work hard. Let’s go through a few options you can opt for.

Alternate Options

• Opt for free or paid online courses. Even better if they are providing a qualifying certificate.
• Do some hobby projects and build a solid portfolio.
• After doing a few online courses and hobby projects, start taking freelance projects.
• Do short term regular courses which provide classes for a few weeks or months.
• Go for a correspondence degree.
• Convince your current employer to give you a chance at this field.
• Get an internship as a UX designer.
• Apply for UX job roles and prove them your worth with the help of your portfolio and knowledge.

Conclusion

There are so many alternate options to choose from if you don’t want to get a design degree. At last everything depends on your passion for the field and your hard work. Go through all the options thoroughly and make a wise choice. All the best!