Digital Design is a Career Certificate program offered by Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, FL. Tuition is $2,928 total.
Program Overview
Get your career started in the graphic design and marketing industry! Gain the skills necessary to work as a freelance graphic designer, join a brand or marketing firm, or land a corporate design position!
The Digital Design Program provides a strong foundation in the diverse field of graphic design. You will learn both theory and hands-on application in producing computer generated media and art that can be used in print, websites, and digitally.
You will learn how to master industry-standard programs and create compelling and creative designs through this career program. Digital Design graduates work as Graphic Designers, Desktop Publishers, Social Media, and more.
What sets this Program apart
- This program prepares you to enter the workforce skilled and qualified to work in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world.
- You will develop your conceptual and verbal communication skills, creative design solutions, and build a professional portfolio.
- You will gain skills through real-world design projects, planning and time management, leadership, finance, technology, labor and safety concerns.
- You will earn Adobe Certifications–Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
- Students can participate in SkillsUSA, the program's career and technical student service organization.
- Students who complete this program are eligible to articulate to State College of Florida and receive credit for work they completed in their STC Program.
Admission Requirements and Process
Entry is governed by the 2025–2026 Suncoast Technical College academic catalog. The requirements and the application steps are listed below.
General Requirements
- A completed STC application, submitted online through the college’s application portal.
- Language, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed; speak to a school counsellor about basic-skills assessment and exemptions.
- Proof of Florida residency where the Florida-resident tuition rate is claimed; non-residents pay an additional out-of-state fee per clock hour.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: Suncoast Technical College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE).
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Recognised by employers across Florida
- Credits toward a state licence or industry certification
Accreditations
Application Process
- 1
- 2Basic skills assessmentLanguage, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed. A school counsellor can explain the assessment and the exemptions that apply to it.
- 3Meet with Student ServicesContact the campus you plan to attend to arrange the next step. Health Science programmes additionally require attendance at a Health Information Session before registration.
- 4Register and payRegister for your programme and settle fees. Suncoast charges by the clock hour at the published Florida-resident rate, so the cost is set by the length of the programme.
Program Schedule
The programme is 1200 clock hours. The 2025–2026 catalog describes it as approximately 12 months (1,200 hours). Start dates are published on the college’s Start Dates page and vary by programme and campus.
Curriculum
The Occupational Completion Point sequence below is the course list Suncoast publishes on this programme’s own page. Its hours sum to exactly 1200 — the programme’s full clock-hour requirement.
Required Courses
| Subject # | Name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| OTA0040 | Information Technology Assistant | 150 |
| Subtotal | 150 | |
| B | ||
| GRA0024 | Production Assistant | 150 |
| Subtotal | 150 | |
| C | ||
| GRA0025 | Digital Assistant Designer | 300 |
| Subtotal | 300 | |
| D | ||
| GRA0026 | Graphic Design | 300 |
| Subtotal | 300 | |
| E | ||
| GRA0027 | Media Designer | 300 |
| Subtotal | 300 | |
| Program Total | 1,200 | |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
Suncoast charges by the clock hour rather than by the term. At the catalog’s Florida-resident rate of $2.44 per clock hour, plus the financial-aid fee of $0.24 and the capital-improvement fee — $2.92 per clock hour all in — this 1200-hour programme comes to about $2,928.00 in tuition and $3,504.00 all in.
Lab and programme-specific fees vary and are not included in that figure; fee sheets are provided to each applicant during admissions. Florida non-residents additionally pay a $7.34 out-of-state fee per clock hour and higher per-hour fees. Federal financial aid is available to those who qualify — Suncoast is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE), which is what makes its programmes Title IV eligible.
Tuition about $2,928.00; about $3,504.00 all in, at $2.44 per clock hour for Florida residents ($2.92 all in).
Career Outcomes
Suncoast publishes the industry certifications and state credentials attached to each programme on its own Industry Certifications page, and links career information for every programme to O*NET. Talk to a school counsellor about which credentials this programme carries and when they are earned — for some programmes they are earned within the programme’s own time frame, for others within a year of completion.
What to expect as a Suncoast Technical College student
Suncoast is a public technical college run by Sarasota County Schools, and its career and technical programmes are measured in clock hours against Florida’s Occupational Completion Point framework: you earn a documented OCP at each stage of the sequence rather than only at the end. That is why cost, length and progress are all quoted in hours here rather than credits or semesters.
Expect the work to be hands-on and the schedule to be set by the programme rather than chosen course by course. Language, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed before or during the programme, and a school counsellor can explain the exemptions. Uniforms are required for several programmes and are ordered separately — the college asks for them at least seven days before your start date.
Frequently Asked Questions
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: Suncoast Technical College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE).
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Recognised by employers across Florida
- Credits toward a state licence or industry certification