An expanded partnership for UC San Diego Extended Studies
Twenty accredited programs from VDCI across construction, design, video, technology, data, and applied AI, built from more than 130 stackable modules. Offer them as full certificates or as individual courses, all on one online platform that steps in for the InstructorLink system Extended Studies is retiring this fall.
The expanded partnership at a glance
Browse the catalog
Twenty programs across five tracks, each built from modules that also run as standalone courses. Jump to any program for what it covers, its full module list, software, and credential.
One platform, built to run every program
Every program on this page runs on the online learning platform VDCI already operates. It is the natural replacement for InstructorLink, which Extended Studies is retiring this fall, and it connects to your systems so the whole partnership catalog lives in one place rather than a course-by-course scramble.
A modern learning platform
Browser-based lessons combining video, reading, and hands-on software exercises, with knowledge checks, graded projects, and automatic progress tracking, on the student's own schedule with live expert support.
Full programs or single modules
Every program is built from stackable modules that also stand on their own, so Extended Studies can run the complete certificate or offer any single course a la carte.
Software provisioning built in
Students receive their Autodesk, Adobe, Bluebeam, and other licenses through the platform for the length of the program, so there is no separate software logistics for the Division to manage.
Integrates with your systems
Single sign-on, roster and enrollment sync, and grade and completion passback. We connect to the system replacing InstructorLink through standard LMS integration and our API, so data flows both ways.
Accredited and certification aligned
VDCI is nationally accredited by ACCET, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and an Autodesk Authorized Training Center. Programs prepare students for real industry credentials.
Mentoring, capstones, portfolios
Programs include one-on-one mentoring sessions, real project work, a capstone, a portfolio, and job-search support, so students finish with proof of skill.
Built for both audiences
The same platform serves working professionals in Extended Studies and the high-school Futures cohorts, so both tracks live in one place under one workflow.
Records and reporting
Progress, completion certificates, and CEUs are tracked in the platform and can be reported into your systems, supporting the Division's enrollment reporting and student records as it changes systems.
CAD, BIM, and AEC
6 programsVDCI already supplies AutoCAD I, II, and III and Revit I, II, and III to Extended Studies. The four programs below are the professional and certification stack above them, all Autodesk aligned and taught by Autodesk Certified instructors. Each is a full program and a set of modules Extended Studies can also offer on their own.
Construction Management
VDCI's longest construction program, end to end for someone entering or advancing in the industry, from how buildings go together through managing, scheduling, and pricing the work.
Modules 14 units, each available on its own
Software
Bluebeam Revu
Credential
Verified certificate of completion, 16 CEUs, under ACCET accreditation.
Included
1,159 videos, instructor support, one one-on-one session, up to two free electives.
Interior Design Professional
VDCI's largest single program, pairing design principles with BIM modeling, real-time rendering, and digital presentation, and ending in a residential and commercial portfolio.
Sample lessonModules 11 core units plus 4 electives, each on its own too
Software
Revit, Twinmotion, SketchUp, Photoshop, AutoCAD
Credential
Autodesk Certified User exam in Revit for Architectural Design, with one retake.
Included
808 videos, 10 month software access, four electives, portfolio capstone.
Revit MEP Certification
The MEP discipline Extended Studies does not currently teach at all: BIM fundamentals through HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems, coordinated in Navisworks.
Sample lessonModules offer the certification or any module on its own
Software
Revit, Navisworks, AutoCAD
Credential
Two proctored Autodesk exams: Certified Professional in Revit for Mechanical and for Electrical Design.
Included
373 videos, 7 month license, one one-on-one session.
SOLIDWORKS CSWP Certification
Introduction through advanced SOLIDWORKS, the longer professional track that prepares students for the SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) exam. Broadens the partnership beyond the AEC core into mechanical CAD.
Sample lessonModules each level is sold on its own too
Software
SOLIDWORKS
Credential
Prepares for the SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) exam.
Included
232 videos, software access, instructor support.
Blueprint Reading Course Online
A discipline in its own right and a natural entry point for trades and career-changers, reading residential and commercial construction documents with no software required. MEP and Spanish-language editions are available as separate courses.
Sample lessonModules each unit is sold on its own too
Software
None required
Credential
Verified certificate of completion, 3 CEUs.
Included
154 videos, one one-on-one session.
Construction Estimating Certification
Practical estimating for residential and commercial work: quantity takeoffs and cost analysis in Bluebeam Revu, construction materials, and a bonus AI estimating module. Prepares students for the Bluebeam Certified Professional exam.
Sample lessonModules each course is sold on its own too
Software
Bluebeam Revu, Togal.AI
Credential
Includes the Bluebeam Certified Professional exam.
Included
3 month Bluebeam access, one one-on-one session.
Complete the design and video departments
2 programsThe Division already runs Design, UX, Photography, Video, and Instructional Design. Two of those have only introductory content today, and VDCI delivers full career certificates in exactly these subjects. We would leave UX (their full Figma certificate), Photography, and Instructional Design alone, since they are already strong there.
Graphic Design Certificate
Extended Studies teaches Photoshop, Figma, and Canva, but not Illustrator or InDesign as courses. This delivers the two missing Adobe pillars and a full portfolio.
Sample lessonModules each Adobe bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Creative Cloud
Credential
Verified certificate, and the Adobe Certified Professional exam in Photoshop.
Included
Eight mentoring sessions, capstone, portfolio, free retake, 4 months Creative Cloud.
Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate
Their Video department has one intro After Effects course plus Premiere and Final Cut, at program level, with no career certificate. This is the full career track, ending in a professional demo reel.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, Cinema 4D
Credential
Verified certificate and a professional demo reel.
Included
Ten mentoring sessions, capstone, free retake, 4 months Creative Cloud.
Technology and finance
4 programsExtended Studies teaches many individual technology courses, but not these packaged, outcome-oriented career programs in software engineering, web design, finance, and project management. Each pairs a full curriculum with mentoring, a capstone, a portfolio, and job support, and each module also runs on its own.
Software Engineering Certificate
Our most comprehensive coding program. It contains the full JavaScript full-stack track and adds a Python and Django back-end, so it covers everything the shorter Full-Stack certificate does and more.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
JavaScript, React, Node, Express, MongoDB, Python, Django, Git, AWS
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio, interview prep.
Included
Twelve mentoring sessions, two electives, career coaching, free retake.
Web Design Certificate
Design responsive sites in Figma and build them with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, plus WordPress and HTML email. It includes the WordPress that Extended Studies has nowhere in its catalog.
Modules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Figma, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, WordPress, Git
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio.
Included
Ten mentoring sessions, free retake, workbooks.
FinTech Bootcamp
Python, SQL, machine learning, and data visualization applied to financial analysis, for entry-level Data Scientist and analytics roles in fintech. No prior programming required.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Python, SQL, Pandas, scikit-learn, Plotly, Dash, Jupyter
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio projects.
Included
Ten mentoring sessions, three capstones, free retake.
Project Management Bootcamp
Their Project Management certificate has no Agile. The full lifecycle from initiation to closing, then budgeting, risk and change management, and the Agile frameworks Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming. Led by a PMP-certified project manager.
Sample lessonModules each level is sold on its own too
Covers
Waterfall, Critical Path, and Agile frameworks
Credential
Verified certificate of completion.
Included
No prerequisites, free retake, class recordings.
Data and AI
2 programsExtended Studies already teaches Excel, SQL, Python, and Tableau as courses, so on data we lead with the combined Data Analytics and AI certificate, the applied counterpart to their technical data-science bench, and with Power BI, the one analytics tool they do not currently teach. Both are certificates and modules that also run on their own.
Data Analytics and AI Certificate
Analysis with Excel, SQL, Python, and Tableau, then machine learning, then building real AI apps. The applied, job-oriented data credential, and the counterpart to the technical data science UCSD already teaches.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Excel, Python, SQL, Tableau, scikit-learn, PyTorch, Flask, OpenAI API
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio with three capstones.
Included
Twelve mentoring sessions, free retake within a year.
Power BI Bootcamp
The one analytics tool Extended Studies does not teach. Build interactive reports and dashboards in Power BI, from importing and shaping data to DAX measures, drill-down, and publishing. Available on its own or as an upgrade path to Microsoft PL-300 exam prep.
Sample lessonModules a focused project sequence
Tools
Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, Power Query, DAX
Credential
Verified certificate; optional Microsoft PL-300 exam-prep upgrade.
Included
Free retake within a year, class recordings, workbook.
Applied AI, the half of the market they do not cover
6 programsExtended Studies teaches AI from the build side, for engineers and data scientists. VDCI teaches it from the use side, for every professional and career-changer. Different audience, different toolset, and almost none of it is on their shelf today. Much of it lands directly in the Design, Video, and UX departments the partnership already touches.
AI Design Bootcamp
VDCI's flagship AI program and its most comprehensive design offering. It combines the full graphic design and UX/UI curricula with AI image generation and AI-assisted app building.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, Firefly, Midjourney, DALL-E, Claude Code
Credential
Verified certificate, design portfolio, UX case study, deployed apps.
Included
Twelve mentoring sessions, capstone, free retake, 4 months Creative Cloud.
AI UX and UI Design Bootcamp
The full UX and UI career program with AI woven through the process, from research and prototyping to a design system and deployed applications. The AI-integrated UX program Extended Studies does not offer, and the counterpart to their non-AI Figma UX certificate.
Sample lessonModules each bootcamp is sold on its own too
Tools
Figma, Claude Code, Next.js, Supabase, GitHub
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio with a design system and deployed apps.
Included
Ten mentoring sessions, free retake within a year.
AI Coding Bootcamp with Claude Code
A hands-on standalone bootcamp that takes complete beginners to launching real web apps with Claude Code, the AI coding tool built by the makers of Claude. No prior coding experience needed, and students deploy a landing page and a full-stack notes app with authentication to a live URL.
Sample lessonModules a guided project sequence
Tools
Claude Code, VS Code, Git, GitHub, Next.js, databases, live deployment
Credential
Verified certificate, 3 CEUs, accredited.
Included
Proprietary workbook, free retake, computer and software provided in person.
Generative AI Certificate
The applied-AI program for non-programmers: AI across business, marketing, design, video, and data insights using the leading generative platforms.
Sample lessonModules each course is sold on its own too
Tools
ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Gemini, Firefly, Midjourney, DALL-E 3
Credential
Verified certificate of completion.
Included
Capstone projects embedded across courses, free retake.
AI Software Engineering Bootcamp
Modern software engineering with AI as a core tool, from AI-assisted coding through product, security, and systems architecture. Distinct from their build-the-models AI courses.
Sample lessonModules each 60 hour course is sold on its own too
Tools
Claude Code, Next.js, Python, Git, GitHub, APIs, databases
Credential
Verified certificate, portfolio-ready capstone.
Included
Additional one-on-one mentoring, capstone, free retake.
Applied AI for specific roles
Short, tool-specific courses that drop straight into departments Extended Studies already has. Each is sold on its own.
Sample lessonCourses in this set each sold individually
Two ways to begin
Both build on the relationship that already exists, and both can start this fall.
Move the partnership onto our platform
Extended Studies is retiring InstructorLink this fall and needs a new way to run the VDCI partnership courses. VDCI hosts and delivers the catalog on our platform, integrates it with your systems through single sign-on, roster sync, and grade passback, and gives every program one home, whole or by the module.
Formalize and expand the agreement
The professional CAD and BIM track runs today without a signed content license. We can paper the existing AutoCAD and Revit arrangement and fold the expanded catalog into the same agreement, so the conversation is additive rather than a renegotiation.
A good first step is a working session to pick the two or three programs with the strongest demand at Extended Studies, connect the platform to your systems, and stand them up before the fall term, then grow from there.