Certification Process

Program Overview | Courses | Certification Process

Before applying for the Florida State University Webmaster Certification, please complete the following requirements.

1. Complete the required Webmaster Certification courses including the homework for each course. We recommend that you plan to complete your coursework, project proposal, and project within one year of beginning the program. This ensures that the skills demonstrated in your project reflects current web standards and best practices.


2. Register for the Webmaster Certification Fee and submit payment ($75) online or mail to:
   Academic & Professional Program Services
   ATTN: Registration
   C3500 University Center
   Tallahassee, Florida 32301


3. Read the Certification Competencies Checklist as set forth by the Webmaster Review Committee.
   
   

   The Webmaster Certification project must be an individual effort. Therefore no portions of a department website are permitted; the final project must be a website in its entirety. The FSU Webmaster Core Competencies represent the skills that certification candidates are expected to demonstrate in their certification project. The Competencies evolve constantly as new technologies become popular and new best practices are discovered. Candidates should be sure to always work from the most recent document.

   Certification Competencies - PDF format (92kb)
   Certification Competencies - Word DOC format (132kb)

After satisfying the previous three steps you may then complete The Proposal, and upon approval, complete The Project phases of the Certification Process as described below.

The Proposal

Upon completing the Webmaster Certification courses and the homework for each, and registering for your Webmaster Certification Fee, you must propose a Certification Project. Submit the Certification Proposal Form located within the "Student Main Menu" including following information:

1. a link to your homework index page. This course index page should include a link to each course that leads to the homework index pages for each course.
2. a link to a Proposal that describes, in detail, the content and functionality that will make up all web pages once the site is built out in The Project phase. Sample Proposal
Additionally, you must include a section within this proposal labeled "Market Research". This section must include links to three websites of similar topic to your proposed site that you feel are modern and professional in their design and layout. For each, you must tell us what design elements (color scheme, layout, etc.) that you will use for inspiration for your own web page prototype.
3. a link to one XHTML, fully functional and complete, web prototype page. This page must be the completed XHTML home page for The Project (not a splash page), yet the navigational links do not have to connect to the other pages within the site because the remainder of the pages should only be built out upon approval of The Proposal.

In addition to the Certification Competencies, the Committee will also review the aesthetics and usability of your project site. A web site that is too basic, disregards usability analysis, or does not have a modern look and feel will not be certified. We urge students to research sites that are similar in audience, goal, and scope as applicable to their project site and create something that is as advanced, if not more so, than the results of their research.

The Webmaster Review Committee will conduct one review of The Proposal and one follow up review if necessary. The average turnaround time for a submission response is 1-2 weeks. Upon approval of The Proposal, you may proceed to The Project phase of the Certification Process.

The Project

Once your Proposal is approved, submit the Certification Project Form located within the "Student Main Menu" including the link to your completed Certification Project. The committee will conduct one review of The Project and one follow up review if necessary. The average turnaround time for a submission response is 1-2 weeks.