Front end web development is all about producing data in a consumable format so that the user can view and interact with it. The tricky part with front end web development is that tools and techniques used to create front end of websites are always changing. Besides plethora of device screen sizes makes it even more challenging. Therefore when one is looking out for the best online front end web development certification program or courses, one needs to carefully look whether the course is in sync with the times or not and yet teach the fundamentals well.
At TrumpLearning, 25+ front end web developers have put together a list of the 7 best online front end web development certifications & courses that can be taken online.
7 Best Front End Web Development Certifications & Courses
- Professional Certificate in Front End Web Development by W3C
- Front End Web Development with React
- Front End Web Development Nanodegree by Udacity
- Web Developer Bootcamp on Udemy
- Front End Web Developer Learning Path on LinkedIn
- Web Design for Everybody Specialization by University of Michigan
- Front End with React by Codecademy
So the first thing about this online front end web development certification is that it comes from W3C, the creator of web standards. This is akin to studying product design from Steve Jobs academy. Hence one can be rest assured that whatever one would learn during this certification would be the best.
The certification consists of 5 skill building courses that takes learners from basics to mastery level for 3 foundational languages on which the front end is built i.e. HTML5, CSS and Javascript. Step by step client side techniques will be used to create on the web.
5 skill building courses that get covered under the certification are -
- CSS Basics
- Topics Covered: Fundamental CSS selectors, relative positioning through CSS, best practices in web design
- Duration: 5 Weeks with 5-7 hours of effort per week
- HTML5 & CSS Fundamentals
- Topics Covered: HTML5, Page Layout, Flexbox
- Duration: 6 Weeks with 4-6 hours of effort per week
- Javascript Introduction
- Topics Covered: Add interactivity to pages by adding Javascript to page, DOM API, change CSS style of HTML5, HTML5 forms, HTML5 canvas
- Duration: 5 Weeks with 6-8 hours of effort per week
- HTML5 Coding Essentials & Best Practices
- Topics Covered: Basic HTML5 tags, animate graphics, test basic API like web storage.
- Key Highlight: Lots of coding practice through interactive examples
- Duration: 6 Weeks with 6-8 hours of effort per week
- HTML5 Apps & Games
- Topics Covered: HTML5 game techniques, APIs like service workers, persistent techniques for data storage
- Duration: 4 Weeks with 6-8 hours of effort per week
As one can see, this front end web development certification leads the learner slowly into the curriculum.
Key USPs -
- 2-4 Months with 140-190 hours of effort
- 5 skill building courses
- Self paced
- Instructors from Microsoft & Intel
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These days React is all the rage. Developed by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook, React powers major some of the major websites on the internet. It is no wonder that Facebook uses it extensively. Netflix too used to use React to a great extent till sometime back. Therefore it is needless to say that React has become an important part for any front end web developer armoury.
Developed by The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, this online front end web development course is a part of
Full Stack Web Development with React Specialization. Learners will be able to create single page applications using React, use various components like forms and components, design responsive applications using Reactstrap and to design React-Redux architecture.
Split across 4 modules, the course takes around 4 weeks to complete with 6-8 hours of effort on a weekly basis.
Key USPs -
- This course is for intermediate level learners
- 100% online with flexible learning schedule
- Lots of readings and quizzes at the end of each module
- One of the highest rated courses on React
Reviews by student:
“
This was just the right amount of "taking me by the hand" for my level. The emphasis on building a site and hands-on experience is how I prefer to learn. Thanks!
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We’ve said it before and we will say it again; if you are building a list of the best technological courses, then there is no way one can keep Udacity out. Their courses are so detailed and full of practical exercises and projects that there is no way that one wouldn’t learn. And front end web development nanodegree is no different.
Udacity does an amazing job at crafting the curriculum for this nanodegree. During 4 months for which the course runs, learners will start from web foundations, then move to Javascript & Dom and detailed working of Javascript and then finally ends at advanced concepts like Bootstrap, Angular, Ember. Here is the detailed curriculum for the nanodegree.
Key USPs -
- The nanodegree has been created in collaboration with esteemed companies like Google, Github and AT&T
- Learners will complete 5 projects along the journey and hence will build a resume worthy portfolio
- 1-on-1 technical mentor to help you unstuck at difficult times
- Access to career coaching services
- Resume is shared with 500 employers to increase your chances of a job
- Student community to engage with fellow learners
- Eclectic panel of instructors
Reviews by student:
“
I think it goes to good depth and is quite comprehensive, especially when compared to the Full Stack program, which may seem to be less deep or comprehensive because of the greater material it has to cover. Great instructors, great reviews -- five stars!
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Developed by
Colt Steele who has years of teaching, Web Developer Bootcamp is enrolled by whopping 450,000+ learners so far and carries an impressive rating of 4.6. Therefore it should not come as a surprise that it is the bestseller on Udemy.
Learners will start off with creating static web pages using HTML and CSS and then move on to learning Javascript and how to manipulate DOM using vanilla JS as well as JQuery. The course also teaches how to use Node Js to write server side Javascript. Incidentally Node Js is also in much demand these days.
Besides all this, one would also learn how to use Express and MongoDB to create full stack Javascript applications. Creating responsive pages are also part of this bootcamp.
Key USPs -
- 5 Hours of On-Demand Video lectures
- Real life project - Yelp like application
- 85 downloadable resources
- Full time access to all the material
- Certificate of completion
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Reviews by student:
“
It was good. I would've liked to also build a real example of something that we would use at work or how to approach a codebase (from a web app that has already been finished at a company) that needs to be debugged. Also, it would've been nice to use AngularJS and see how to include Bootstrap as part of package.json or included in the header of the code
In general, though, it was good.
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So the first thing one would notice with Front End Web Developer learning path is that it consists of lots of small courses that take a learner from scratch to finish. Along the journey, learners will develop competency in HTML, CSS, Javascript and JQuery and master version control on Github.
Key USPs -
- Learners get their own sweet time to understand each concept like there are 3 courses on CSS itself, course on bootstrap and Github
- Small course on React that will help learners know more about the library
- 42 hours of learning content
- Great list of instructors
- Earn a badge of completion once all the courses are done
- Self paced therefore internally motivated people can finish it off within a month and save on the cost.
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Though the name of the specialization can come across as a misnomer, but it does exactly what this list is made for; make you a front end web developer. Developed by The University of Michigan and spread over 5 courses, this front end web development certification will teach learners how to code in HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript.
The certification can be taken up by beginners and will take around 3 months to complete. 5 Courses covered in this are -
- Introduction to HTML5
- Introduces the learners to basics of HTML5 including the theory and practical
- Duration: 10 Hours
- Introduction to CSS3
- Introduces CSS3 and how to write neat code along with testing
- Duration: 18 Hours
- Interactivity with Javascript
- Learners will become comfortable with Javascript and how to use Javascript to manipulate DOM
- Duration: 12 Hours
- Advanced Styling with Responsive Design
- This course teaches how to make designs that are device agnostic; put another way how to make them responsive according to different screen sizes. Frameworks like bootstrap are also introduced.
- Duration: 10 Hours
- Web Design for Everybody Capstone
- Everything comes together in this capstone course where learners will create professional looking portfolio
- Duration: 11 Hours
Key USPs -
- Beginners can easily take this specialization as it starts grounds up
- 100% Online and self paced
- Certificate of completion
- Lots of quizzes and exercises
- Capstone Project at the end of learning phase
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Codecademy is one of the few independent course publishers that is doing a great job by bringing awesome courses with very relevant curriculum. This offering from them bends heavily on React, which is what differentiates it. While all other names on the list feature React as just another concept, Codecademy has built the entire course around it.
Another thing that’s quite visible is that this front end development course doesn’t include HTML and CSS the way others do. This one starts from Javascript and then quickly moves to React. Therefore one might need to have some basic knowledge about HTML and CSS before taking a plunge into this one.
Spread over 9 modules (out of which 4 are on React) and 8 weeks, it will make you a working professional in Javascript and React.
Key USPs -
- One of the most exhaustive courses on React
- For those who know basic HTML and CSS and are keen to start directly with Javascript, this would be the best bet
- Lots of projects like Jamming (create own playlist) and interacting with Yelp API
That completes our list of the best front end web development certifications and courses. As mentioned earlier also, this list has been compiled by 25+ front end web developers keeping in mind the changing landscape and the depth of the curriculum. Hope to see you progress!
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