$270
Tuition Cost per Credit
< 1 year
Average Completion*
Transform Images Into Impactful Visuals
A great image can capture attention, communicate an idea, and shape how people see a brand.
The Adobe Photoshop for Visual Design and Photography Micro-Credential at Athens State University gives you practical skills for editing, enhancing, and transforming digital images using one of the world’s most widely recognized creative software tools.
Whether you’re an aspiring designer or photographer, a marketing professional, content creator, entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to take your visual skills further, this micro-credential helps you turn ordinary images into polished, purposeful visual content.
Program Overview
Adobe Photoshop is a powerful image-editing and visual design application used by photographers, graphic designers, marketers, artists, publishers, and creative professionals across industries. The Adobe Photoshop for Visual Design and Photography Micro-Credential provides focused instruction in using Photoshop to edit photographs and create compelling visual designs for print and digital applications.
You’ll learn how to work with images, layers, selections, masks, typography, color, and other essential Photoshop tools while developing an understanding of the principles behind effective visual communication. The micro-credential emphasizes hands-on application, allowing you to build skills you can use in professional projects, creative work, and personal endeavors.
The micro-credential can complement an existing degree or professional background and is especially relevant for students and professionals in graphic design, photography, marketing, communications, advertising, digital media, public relations, and related fields.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll develop practical skills for editing and enhancing digital photographs and creating professional visual compositions in Adobe Photoshop. You’ll learn how to make adjustments to images, work with layers and selections, remove or modify elements, manage color, and combine visual components to create finished designs.
You’ll also learn how to approach image editing with purpose. Rather than simply applying effects, you’ll develop an understanding of how composition, color, contrast, typography, and other visual elements can work together to communicate a message or achieve a specific creative goal.
Through hands-on projects, you’ll gain experience preparing visual content for different applications and audiences. Your skills can be applied to photography, social media, advertising, branding, marketing materials, digital publications, websites, and other forms of visual communication.
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
Visual content plays an increasingly important role in how organizations communicate. Professionals who can edit, enhance, and produce high-quality imagery can bring valuable skills to marketing, communications, design, photography, advertising, publishing, and digital media environments.
The micro-credential can strengthen your qualifications for roles such as graphic designer, photographer, photo editor, visual designer, digital media specialist, marketing specialist, content creator, production artist, or communications professional. It can also complement an existing career by giving you the ability to create and manage professional-quality visual content.
For entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small-business owners, Photoshop skills can provide greater independence when creating promotional materials, social media content, product imagery, branded visuals, and other digital assets. Combined with another area of expertise, these skills can help you become a more versatile and valuable professional.
Explore your career pathways with the Adobe Photoshop 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
Related Articles
*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.