Your input

[jmar...@interlog.com]

Hello all,

I am researching User Experience as a career and want your opinions
regarding training options in Toronto for skills/accreditation
essential for being employable in UX?

All suggestions and dialogue are appreciated - it's not as obvious as
it might seem to those working in the field!

Thanks and best wishes,

John

[Brad Einarsen]

John,

Wow, an Interlog account, I remember mine fondly...

The first one that comes to mind is a Masters of Information Science
from the FIS at UofT.

http://fis.utoronto.ca/

Disclaimer: I do not have a degree from the FIS, I went to Rotman
instead, but I researched them when choosing my masters.

However, there are good UX options in most computer science faculties
as well as industrial design in engineering schools. I have no direct
experience there though.

That said, this industry doesn't have an accreditation body to speak
of. Tech writers have the STC and Marcom writers have the IABC (I come
from a writing background) but IAs / UXers don't have a single,
powerful organization yet.

There are junior IA jobs around though, and you can always migrate in
from related disciplines (programming, business analysis, tech
writing, you name it) so I guess working your way into the job is the
normal career path.

I'm interested to see what others know, this is an interest of mine
too...

--Brad Einarsen