12-Week Certificate Program · Cohort 17
The Spring cohort opens
March 9, 2026.
Applications close February 14.
Eighty-four seats. One mentor per eight students. Twelve weeks from today to a portfolio you can defend in a Monday interview. The form below is the application — not a brochure request.
The Application
Four short steps. Under six minutes.
Tell us which program you want, which start date fits, a little about your background, and how to reach you. There is no essay prompt — we read every form by hand within five business days.
93% placement · 5,400+ graduates · 47 countries · NPS 71
380+ design studios and product teams interview our graduates first — through in-house partnerships maintained since 2020.
After You Submit
What the next fourteen days actually look like.
No black box. Here's exactly when you'll hear from us, who reads your form, and what each step requires from you.
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01
Within 5 business days
Application review
A senior admissions reviewer — never a bot — reads your form, your background, and your two-sentence "why now." You receive a written reply by email, even if the answer is no.
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02
Days 6–10
30-minute conversation
If it's a fit, we schedule a 30-minute call with a member of the founding team. No portfolio is required at this stage. We talk about your goals, your schedule, and whether the cohort is the right moment for you.
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03
Days 10–14
Decision and onboarding
You receive a decision with a written rationale. Admitted students are paired with their mentor and added to the cohort's private workspace two weeks before the start date — so you walk in already knowing your classmates.
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04
Week 1
First studio session
You meet your mentor and your cohort live, set your learning goals for the twelve weeks, and ship your first deliverable — a short design exercise — by Friday of the first week. From there, the work compounds.
Before You Submit
Questions before you apply.
The six things that most often keep someone from hitting Submit. If your question isn't here, write to [email protected] — we reply within two business days.
- What does tuition actually cover?
- The $7,400 tuition covers all twelve weeks of live instruction, your 1:8 mentor pairing, the published curriculum, all licensed software for the duration of the program, and your seat on the external hiring-panel portfolio review in Week 11. Hardware and living costs are not included.
- Are there payment plans or financial aid?
- Yes. We offer a four-installment plan at $2,150 per month, with no interest and no origination fee. We also hold twenty seats per cohort as needs-based scholarships, with awards up to full tuition. Scholarship applications open with the cohort and close three weeks before the start date.
- Do I need a portfolio, a degree, or design experience to apply?
- No to all three. Most admitted students are career changers with no formal design background. We evaluate curiosity, follow-through, and the clarity of your "why now" — not a CV. The program is designed to take you from where you are to job-ready in twelve weeks.
- Can I defer to a later cohort if my plans change?
- Yes, once. Admitted students may defer to the immediately following cohort without reapplying. A second deferral requires a short conversation with admissions and is granted case by case. Tuition already paid transfers to the new cohort start.
- What time zone are the live sessions in?
- All live sessions are scheduled in US Eastern time (ET). We hold the cohort in three regional pods — Americas, EMEA, and APAC — and pair students with mentors in compatible time zones. Roughly 85% of students never attend a session outside 7am–10pm in their local time.
- Is the certificate recognized by employers and industry bodies?
- The IWTD I certificate is recognized by the 380+ hiring partners in our network and by the Design Management Institute (DMI), which recommends our program credit toward the Certified Design Manager credential. We do not award academic degrees — but for working designers, the portfolio and the mentor reference carry the weight.
Not Ready to Apply?
That's a fair answer too.
The 12-week format, the fixed cohort dates, and the price point aren't right for everyone — and we'd rather you figure that out now than after a $7,400 commitment. Pick the path that matches where you are today.