Graphic Design Professional Program

The Graphic Design Professional Program is a 6-month live online course from ALA Academy, followed by a 6-month remote internship with ALA Core on authorized real projects. You will learn to turn briefs into professional visual work across branding, editorial, print, packaging, digital campaigns, and motion, using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects.

Course Structure

- Duration: 6 months / 24 weeks

- Sessions: 72 live online sessions (3 per week, 2 hours each)

- Total hours: 144 contact hours

- Months 1-5: 60 technical sessions

- Month 6: 12 career-readiness sessions (CV, LinkedIn, portfolio, interviews, graduation presentation)

- Internship: 26 weeks, fully remote, with ALA Core

What You Will Learn

- Design foundations: composition, typography, color systems, grids, and hierarchy

- Photoshop: non-destructive editing, masks, retouching, compositing, and export

- Illustrator: vector construction, the Pen tool, icons, and illustration systems

- Brand identity: logo design, identity systems, guidelines, and applications

- InDesign: editorial layouts, styles, long documents, preflight, and PDF handoff

- Print production and packaging: dielines, color, bleed, and proofing

- Campaign and social design systems, and digital production

- Information design and data visualization

- Motion graphics basics with After Effects

- Accessibility and inclusive design

- Responsible use of AI tools, copyright, licensing, and provenance

- Client and project practice: scope, reviews, handoff, and file management

Projects and Assessment

- Project 1: Brand identity system

- Project 2: Editorial or print publication

- Project 3: Integrated multi-channel campaign system

- An integrated capstone project (25% of the grade)

- Career package and graduation presentation before an ALA Academy and ALA Core panel

Career Month

Build a one-page designer CV, a LinkedIn profile, and a portfolio with at least three case studies. Complete a portfolio mock interview and present your graduation project.

Real-World Internship

Work remotely with real ALA Core designers and cross-functional teams on authorized internal or client projects, with real briefs, reviews, revisions, and handoffs. You get supervised access only and do not publish or deliver client work independently.

Who Is This For?

Aspiring graphic designers, marketing and social media professionals, and creatives who want to build a professional, job-ready portfolio.