$270
Tuition Cost per Credit
< 1 year
Average Completion*
Bring Your Ideas to the Page—and the Screen
Great content deserves great presentation.
The Adobe InDesign for Print and Digital Media Production Micro-Credential at Athens State University gives you practical skills for creating polished, professional publications and digital layouts using Adobe InDesign.
Whether you’re interested in graphic design, marketing, communications, publishing, or media production—or simply want to add a valuable creative skill to your professional toolkit—this micro-credential helps you turn text, images, and ideas into compelling visual communications.
Program Overview
Adobe InDesign is a leading page-layout and publishing application used by designers, communications professionals, publishers, marketers, and organizations to produce everything from brochures and magazines to reports, books, presentations, and digital publications. The Adobe InDesign for Print and Digital Media Production Micro-Credential provides focused instruction in using InDesign to create professional print and digital media.
You’ll learn how to combine typography, images, graphics, and page elements into cohesive layouts while developing an understanding of the design principles that make information clear, engaging, and visually effective. The micro-credential emphasizes practical application, helping you build skills you can use in professional and personal creative projects.
The micro-credential can complement an existing degree or professional background and is particularly valuable for students and professionals in graphic design, marketing, communications, journalism, advertising, public relations, digital media, and related fields.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll develop practical skills for creating and formatting professional print and digital publications in Adobe InDesign. You’ll learn how to create and manage page layouts, work with typography and imagery, organize content, and prepare finished projects for publication.
You’ll also explore how design choices influence the way people navigate and understand information. Through hands-on projects, you’ll learn to create layouts that balance visual appeal with readability, consistency, hierarchy, and purpose.
Your experience will extend beyond individual design elements to the complete production process. You’ll learn how to organize a project, refine layouts, incorporate visual and written content, and prepare finished materials for their intended print or digital format.
Study at the Alabama Center for the Arts
Join an amazing, supportive, and uplifting community of creatives at the Alabama Center for the Arts. The campus, located in beautiful downtown Decatur, consists of state-of-the-art facilities where students can take a variety of courses in art, theatre, graphic design, visual communications, and music. Additionally, a modern three-story residence hall offers apartments in various configurations, so you can live close to where you study!
Your Career Advantage Starts Here
InDesign skills are valuable in careers that involve publishing, visual communication, marketing, branding, and media production. Organizations of all types need professionals who can transform information and content into polished materials that communicate effectively with their audiences.
The micro-credential can help strengthen your qualifications for roles such as graphic designer, production artist, publications designer, marketing specialist, communications specialist, editorial designer, content creator, or digital media professional. It can also complement an existing creative or business career by giving you greater control over the production of professional communications.
For professionals and organizations that regularly produce brochures, newsletters, reports, presentations, promotional materials, publications, or digital content, InDesign proficiency can be a particularly practical skill. You’ll be better equipped to contribute to the production process and communicate effectively with designers, editors, printers, and other creative professionals.
Explore your career pathways with the Adobe InDesign micro-credential program, including anticipated salaries, annual job growth, and even active job listings through the Career Concourse portal.
$65k
Art Director Estimated Entry Salary
$84k
Art Director Estimated Median Salary
Estimated salary and employment information based on labor market data provided by Career Concourse and is intended for informational purposes only. Actual salaries and employment outcomes vary based on factors such as experience, location, industry, and employer and are not guaranteed upon degree completion.
Admissions & Aid
Athens State University is proud to offer the lowest tuition of any public, four-year university in Alabama, making it possible to earn a certificate while keeping your education affordable. Combined with flexible online learning, scholarships, and financial aid opportunities, our degree programs in Art deliver exceptional value and a strong return on your investment.
Why Choose This Program at Athens State?
At Athens State, you’ll have the freedom to explore your creativity while building the skills and confidence to turn your passion for the arts into a meaningful career. With flexible degree options, personalized instruction, and opportunities to develop your craft through hands-on experiences, our Arts programs are designed to meet you where you are and help you move toward where you want to go.
Designed for Today’s Artists
Build the artistic, creative, and professional skills you need to pursue careers in the arts, education, design, and other creative fields. You shouldn’t have to choose between advancing your education and advancing your career. Athens State’s degree programs are designed to work alongside your lifestyle.
More Creativity. Less Student Debt.
Earn a high-quality arts degree in a supportive, innovative environment at the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur from Athens State University, one of Alabama’s most affordable public universities. A degree from Athens State gives you more value for your investment, setting you up for success from the very beginning.
Learn from Experienced, Supportive Faculty
Our faculty combine academic excellence with genuine care and concern. At Athens State, you will receive personalized guidance and mentorship from experience faculty who are invested in your creative development and success. You’re not facing the college journey alone — our dedicated, knowledgeable faculty and staff walk alongside you each step of the way.
Our Faculty
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*Average completion time varies by student and depends on prior credits
transferred to Athens State and the number of courses taken per semester.
Please consult with your Student Success Coach and faculty advisor for your personalized plan of study.