Front-End Web Developer

Certificate Full-time School of Computing and Academic Studies

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Info sessions

Attend an upcoming information session for this program:

November 21st at 1:30pm

Explore all upcoming BCIT info sessions.

Program Overview

Credential: Certificate
Format: Full-time, 6 months
Intakes: Jan, May, and Sep
Next start date: January 6, 2025 | Online
Program delivery: in-person (Downtown, Vancouver) or online
Domestic tuition: $7.565*
International tuition: $9.455 *
*cost estimate

Testimonials

“This program provided me with all the tools necessary for front-end web development. During these past six months, I was taught the most relevant skills to prepare me for this ever changing industry, and to help kick start my new career. Despite an online classroom environment, the instructors were always there to provide guidance and encouraged teamwork between me and my classmates.”

Claire Koga, FWD grad

“Since my home is a 4-hour drive from Vancouver, attending classes in person was quite a challenge. So the switch to online learning was actually a huge relief. Yet online learning is quite different from classroom learning. As a student, you need to remain focused, take notes, and ensure you’re interacting and asking questions.”

Wei Liu, FWD grad

“I am so happy that I made the decision to enroll in this program. As someone who was jumping into the field of web design & development with no prior knowledge, I quickly gained the practical knowledge and technical skills that are sought after by employers. Not only are the instructors well-versed in their fields, but they also care profoundly for their students, and provided guidance and support every step of the way. If you are thinking about starting a career in front-end web development, I would highly recommend this program.”

Cassidy, FWD grad

Blogs

We love catching up with our alumni, to talk about life after BCIT, their careers, and what tips they have for prospective and current students. In this Q&A, meet Zerlene Fernandez, who graduated with a Certificate in 2016. Check out her technological odyssey: from self-taught designer to Industry strategist.

With strong connections to industry, BCIT programs are frequently reviewed and modified to ensure they stay relevant to sector needs. BCIT Computing’s fast-track six-month web development program, previously known as Technical Web Designer, has been updated and relaunched as Front-End Web Developer (FWD) to reflect the changes in this dynamic industry. Read the complete article

We followed up with Kelsey Grant, a Front-End Web Developer alumna, to learn more about where she is today – running her own business and choosing her projects – and how she’s impacting the world around her.

Jonathon Leathers is not only an instructor, but a business owner, mentor, and organizer of WordCamp Vancouver. He shares how completing the Front-End Web Developer program at BCIT has changed his career, and allowed him to create impactful opportunities for others.

Overview

Are you looking to upskill quickly for a career switch, re-enter the workforce, or work in web development? The BCIT Front-End Web Development certificate program offers job-ready skills in just six months. It is ideal for those with little to no knowledge of web development and you have the option to do the program online or in person.

BCIT Front End Web Developer FWD Info Session

The Front-End Web Development (FWD) hands-on program provides a solid foundation of web development skills needed for front-end web development and design positions today, preparing you to join the workforce immediately.

In addition to core web development and design training, you will also:

Gain industry-relevant job search skills such as creating an effective IT-focused resume and honing interview skills
Create a professional LinkedIn profile highlighting your new web development and design skills
Enhance competencies such as self-care, time management, communication, and teamwork
Be introduced to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and achieve AI literacy

About the program

Work through this intensive, hands-on, 6-month web development-focused, full-time program with your cohort, sharing your experience and expertise, and building a professional network that will last long after you graduate
3 intakes: offered online (January), in person (May), or in blended mode (September)
Full-time (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm) certificate program
Work on web development projects as part of a team
Excellent job placement rate upon graduation

See the Program Details to learn more about what to expect from FWD, and how to prepare for a career in web design.

Who should complete the FWD Certificate?

This program might be for you if you:

Already have a credential in a non-related or related field, and are ready to start a new career in web development
Are looking to quickly learn the skills needed to begin working in a web developer position
Have good communication skills – both written and oral
Are comfortable working on a Windows or macOS computer
Enjoy working with people, either in person in an office, or virtually, in a work-from-home arrangement
Are seeking a supportive, hands-on educational experience studying in Canada

If any of these sound like you, please check the Entrance Requirements to ensure you can apply and start your new web developer career path!

What Front-End Web Developer grads can do

By earning your BCIT Certificate, you’ll be honing your web development skills to prepare for various positions in web development.

Upon graduation, you will have a publicly accessible web portfolio showcasing your work created throughout the program along with your capstone project, giving you an edge during your job search.

Find out more about the program by checking out how Kelsey Grant looks back on her FWD experience.

Or read the interview with Program Head Michael Whyte and his efforts to keep FWD current with the changes in the dynamic web industry.

Learn more about future opportunities on the Graduating and Jobs page.

Students and industry connect in BCIT Tech Collider

Entrance Requirements

Application processing

This program is open to applications:

Intake	Applications open	Intake delivery mode
January	September 1*	Online
May	January 2*	In-person
September	May 1*	Blended

*or next business day

Applications are considered for a specific intake.

Entrance requirements

Applicants must meet the following entrance requirement and will be accepted on a first-qualified basis as long as space remains:

English language proficiency: Category 3 – English Studies 12 (50%) or equivalent

International applicants

The in-person and blended delivery options are available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.

The online delivery option is available to international applicants who will complete the program from outside Canada or who currently have a valid status in Canada other than study permit. International applicants accepted into the online delivery option are not eligible for a study permit.

Apply to program

To submit your application:

Include proof of meeting all entrance requirements.
Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files.
Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.

Apply Now

Learn more about how to apply

Scheduled Intakes

Online intake is offered in January each year.
In-person intake is offered in May each year.
Blended intake is offered in September each year.

Please see the program overview for precise dates.

Costs & Supplies

Learn about BCIT entrance awards, including support for Indigenous students entering computing programs.

Tuition fees

Use our tuition estimator to find tuition and fees for this program.

For more information on full-time tuition and fees, visit:

Books & supplies

Tuition fees include classroom materials and all required software.

Students are required to bring in their own laptop to class each day. Please refer to the Laptop Specifications [PDF] for requirements.

The instructions on installing the software on your computer will be provided on the first day of class.

Laptop costs vary depending on the configuration chosen but will likely range from approximately $1000 to $2000.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.

Refund policy

If notice is submitted in writing and received by the Program Coordinator at least 12 working days prior to the first day of classes, all tuition fees paid (less the commitment fee) will be refunded to the student.
If notice is submitted in writing and received by the Program Coordinator by 4:00 pm on the second day of class, all fees paid (less the commitment and penalty fee) will be refunded to the student.
There will be no refund of fees issued after the second day of class.
Withdrawal for medical reasons, possible partial refund with doctor's medical note.

Courses

Class hours

9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday (excluding statutory holidays)

Program matrix

Required Courses:			Credits
	FWDP 1000	Web Development 1 This course introduces the BCIT resources and systems used in the program, including the lab environment, policies, and file storage/retrieval. Students will learn the basics of front-end web development, code management, and the tools of web design. Course topics and activities include a review of the web in general, how it works from the internet layer to the application layer, and how to create basic multi-page websites. Students will register a domain name, secure their own commercial web space and learn to operate basic web services including content transfer and admin features. Students will also review the latest versions of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and CSS (Cascading Styles Sheets). Learning will focus on web standards as outlined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), hand coding HTML, and use of CSS to control overall hierarchy structure, functionality, layout, and appearance of websites while creating modern, standards-compliant, semantic and accessible markup for a website. Evaluation will include assignments. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	4.0
	FWDP 1100	Web Design Fundamentals This course covers the theory and best practices of web design fundamentals. Topics include screen-design principles; web layout and design; digital colour theory; typography fundamentals; image and web graphics sourcing, handling and copyright. Students will learn the best practices in creating designs for responsive web sites that adapt to different screen sizes using the fundamental design and usability principles for layout, such as visual hierarchy, colours, fonts, readability, proportions, alignments, and white space. In this class, students will explore in detail the differences between raster and vector graphics and basic techniques suitable for digital image creation, manipulation, and management. Students will develop practical skills will be developed in how to colour correct, resize, and resample images as well as how to use transparency settings and automate the resizing and saving of large numbers of images for the web. Evaluation will include lab assignments. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	2.0
	FWDP 1200	UX Fundamentals User Experience (UX) plays a critical role in the success of products and services. This course will focus on the theory of website UX planning, the design process, and the integration of UX into the web design and development process. Students will learn the fundamentals of defining requirements, creating information architecture, and evaluating solutions using usability testing techniques. This course will use a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, hands-on exercises, group work, and tool demonstrations. Evaluation will include a combination of group and individual assignments. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	2.0
	FWDP 1400	Web Scripting 1 Modern websites and applications demand dynamically and constantly updated content and interactive user interfaces. This course introduces the JavaScript programming language as well as foundational programming concepts to provide the services and features that industry demands. Students will be introduced to general computer programming concepts such as variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, objects and classes. By applying these basic programming concepts students will explore the development of interactive web experiences such as slide shows, animated navigation systems, tabs, accordions, lightboxes, and other common web widgets. Manipulating and traversing an HTML document with JavaScript using the browser's DOM API and by utilizing using modern JavaScript libraries will also be discussed. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	5.0
	FWDP 2000	Web Development 2 This course explores advanced mobile-first responsive layout techniques and team-based web development process techniques. Students will develop an understanding of web development processes as part of a team of developers and project stake holders and will review modern CSS which provides a multitude of tools for creating advanced mobile-first responsive layouts. Practical applications will be demonstrated and reviewed including creating animated user interfaces using standards compliant HTML and CSS. Sharing and version controlling code, automating tasks using task runners and improving CSS development using the latest CSS pre-processors will be discussed and practiced. The web development process will include publishing a finished website for public consumption as a major step. Evaluation will include lab assignments and projects. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1000 course outline	4.0
	FWDP 2200	Web Design Process Web design is, at its essence, creating information user experiences to communicate a message to an online audience. This course focuses on a critical step for designers and developers when they make decisions related to creating and developing a website: considering the people who use the website. In preparation for the Web Portfolio and the Capstone Project courses, students will integrate the learned web design and user experience (UX) fundamentals from previous courses to develop the mindset of considering the end user in the web design process. Evaluation will include team and individual assignments. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1100 course outline	3.0
	FWDP 2300	Managing Web Projects This course is an overview of common project management concepts which will be applied to the collaborative projects in the later courses. The course includes the basic concepts of web project management, teamwork, and an introduction to popular project management software applications used in the web development field. Students will apply their knowledge and skills as well as appropriate tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements in later courses. Students will engage in project planning, identify project stakeholders, define the roles and responsibilities of the team, define project scope, devise risk and quality plans, map out schedules, and learn about time tracking and documentation. Evaluation will include in-class assignments. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1000 course outline	1.0
	FWDP 2400	Web Scripting 2 This course shifts the focus from client-side to server-side programming utilizing PHP and MySQL. An introduction to PHP fundamentals and the role it plays in generating dynamic websites will be covered. Students will review the differences between client-side scripting and server-side scripting and learn how to recognize where scripting solutions are necessary or useful. Students will also use basic scripting techniques, write and use functions, perform HTML form validation and process, and use regular expressions for string pattern matching. In addition, students will learn to manage cookies and session handling, construct basic SQL statements, use and manipulate databases, store and retrieve content, and work with open source scripts. Evaluation will include in-class participation and assignments. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1000 course outline	5.0
	FWDP 3400	Web Scripting 3 The Web Scripting 3 course introduces students to JavaScript-based web application development. The course explores setting up and developing a web application using modern JavaScript build systems. Students will learn how to implement modern coding methodologies available in JavaScript such as modules and classes. Students will explore in detail application state management as well as routing, validating, and styling modules. Utilizing foundational JavaScript skills and modern JavaScript coding and build system techniques, students will explore developing and deploying practical interactive web modules and full-featured stand-alone web applications. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1000 and FWDP 1400 course outline	4.0
	FWDP 3600	Content Management Systems This course covers the fundamental features of dynamic websites and the creation of custom-coded websites built with a Content Management System (CMS). Students will learn the basics of dynamic websites, how they are used to create a CMS, and how to work with a CMS to build websites. Students will create, configure, and migrate websites built using a CMS. Once they understand the basic features, students will create custom code to extend functionality, edit and create templates, and build a basic web app or website on a CMS. To prepare them for their Capstone Project, students will also create a development plan for a mock client website. Evaluation will include lab assignments and projects. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 2000 and FWDP 1400 and FWDP 2400 course outline	5.0
	FWDP 3700	Online Stores This course focuses on the multiple platforms and solutions that can be used to create and launch an online store. These include open source and Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms to provide a foundation for work with e-commerce solutions Course topics include all stages of the preparation, configuration, and setup of a secure online store. Students will determine the appropriate tools necessary to configure and securely operate an online store for various products and services. Learners will then review tool features, configure settings for product samples, price options, and manage shipping options. Students will also learn and use the relevant templating or theming languages and methods to customize the design, layout, and functionality of their online store and further customize functionality using extensions. Once the store is set up, students will use best practices to secure the store, connect payment gateways, and test the payment process to complete the entire e-commerce purchasing process. Evaluation will include assignments. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 3600 course outline	2.0
	FWDP 4000	Web Portfolio Project The focus of this course is to plan a front-end web development-related career, and at the same time, prepare to showcase a body of digital work created in and outside the program. This includes personal and professional development designed to support career success. Students will research trends, employment, and entrepreneurship to create a career plan. They will also create a fully functional, publicly accessible, professional-level portfolio website based on after-program career goals and industry expectations. At the end of the course project, students will have a portfolio website that demonstrates their skills using HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, JavaScript frameworks, and optionally server-side programming and/or content management systems. Students will also develop their personal brand, create a competitive resume and cover letter and learn advanced interview skills. Evaluation will include the project and workshop participation. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 1000 and FWDP 2200 course outline	4.0
	FWDP 4500	Capstone Project This course is the culmination of the knowledge and learning in the Front-End Web Development program and the practical application and development of skills gained in earlier courses. This course will introduce students to the professional practice of working on a small web development team to build a mid-sized custom dynamic website. Throughout the supervised project, students will use industry best practices to develop a website based on specific business and functional requirements. To manage their tasks and meet deadlines, students will work collaboratively using communication and management tools common in the industry. All teams will have scheduled meetings with the instructor to track their progress and will present tutorials to the class on topics they research during their projects. Evaluation will be based on the project. Evaluation will be based on the project. Prerequisite(s): FWDP 2000 and FWDP 2200 and FWDP 2400 and FWDP 3600 and FWDP 3700 course outline	9.0

Total Credits:			50.0

Transfer credit

Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.

Program Details

The program covers the following key areas:

web development tools
information architecture and user experience
front-end web development
web application development

Program length

28 weeks, full-time.

Grading

Students must obtain a minimum of 65% in each course in order to proceed to the next course. All courses must be passed in order to qualify for the final capstone project.

Program delivery

This program offers intakes in the following delivery modes:

Online: The intake is delivered fully online.
In-person: The intake is delivered on campus.
Blended: The intake is delivered partly on campus and partly online..

This program is run as a cohort model with instruction in the morning and mandatory labs in the afternoon. All classes are held in a computer lab.

Program location

Downtown Campus
555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC

Distance and online learning

Graduating & Jobs

Sector snapshot

Job Opportunities

Graduates will find careers in a variety of industries including business, finance, government, health, information technology, telecommunications and independent consulting. Depending on previous academic and work experience, career paths for graduates may include but are not limited to:

Front-end web developer
Web application developer
Web developer
UX/UI Designer

Graduate employment outcomes

The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2021-2023 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2020-2022 graduates and for Degree 2019-2021 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.

To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.

Front-End Web Developer

Faculty, Advisors & Staff

Faculty

Michael Whyte, FWD Program Head

Beata Kozma, FWD Faculty

Jonathon Leathers, FWD Faculty

Staff

Bal Lidhar, Program Coordinator

Advisory committee

BCIT is well-respected by employers for its ties to industry. In Computing, this connection is formalized through a Program Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of experts in a range of roles from a cross-section of companies. The department consults regularly to ensure program currency and relevance.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this program, please send us an email.

You can also use the form below to make contact with our department, or other applicable departments at BCIT.

Campus info, map, and directions

Questions or comments?

Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.