The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX Certification is the most prestigious and widely recognized UX training credential in the industry, offered by the company founded by Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman — two of the most influential figures in the history of user experience and human-computer interaction. Since 1998, NN/g has been the definitive authority on evidence-based UX research and design best practices. Their UX Certification program has certified over 13,000 UX professionals from more than 500 companies worldwide. Unlike academic degrees or exam-only certifications, NN/g certification is earned through completing live training courses taught by world-class UX practitioners and passing associated exams.

Certification Levels

UX Certification: Complete any 5 courses and pass 5 exams — 30+ hours of training. Starts at $6,350 USD
UX Master Certification: Complete any 15 courses and pass 15 exams — 100+ hours of training. Starts at $19,050 USD. The 5 UX Certification courses count toward the 15 total

Program Structure

Course format: Full-day (6-7 hours) live online courses taught by NN/g experts — interactive with exercises, real-world examples, and Q&A
Course selection: Choose from 50+ courses across UX design, research, AI, interaction design, information architecture, content strategy, and management
Scheduling: Attend individual courses on your own schedule, or attend intensive training weeks (5 courses in one week). No deadline to complete certification
Exams: Online exams taken within 35 days of attending each course. 3 attempts allowed per exam
Specialties: Optional — take 5 courses in one area to add a specialty to your certificate: Artificial Intelligence, Interaction Design, Research, or Management
Certificate: Digital certificate signed by NN/g CEO, listing courses completed, specialties earned, and verification ID. Listed on NN/g public directory
Expiration: Certification does not expire

Popular Course Categories

Artificial Intelligence: Accelerating Research with AI, AI for Design Workflows, AI Product Strategy — cutting-edge courses on integrating AI into UX practice
Interaction Design: Design patterns, mobile UX, complex applications, navigation, and visual design principles
UX Research: Usability testing, user interviews, surveys, analytics, journey mapping, personas, and field studies
Information Architecture: Site structure, content organization, taxonomy, labeling, and search
Content Strategy: Writing for the web, content audits, content design, and microcopy
UX Management: DesignOps, measuring UX impact, stakeholder management, and building UX teams

What Sets NN/g Apart

Research-backed: Every course is grounded in NN/g original research — they have conducted the most UX research studies in the world over 25+ years
Expert instructors: Courses are taught by NN/g staff — seasoned UX practitioners who conduct research, consult with Fortune 500 companies, and publish regularly
Practical, not theoretical: Every course includes hands-on exercises and real-world case studies — attendees report immediately applying what they learn
Customizable curriculum: You choose your 5 (or 15) courses based on your career goals and interests — no rigid curriculum
Industry credibility: NN/g is universally recognized in the UX community — their certification carries weight that no other UX credential matches

Preparation

No prerequisites: Courses range from foundational to advanced — suitable for beginners through senior practitioners
Pre-course reading: NN/g provides recommended articles from their extensive free article library (nngroup.com/articles/) before each course
Free resources: NN/g publishes hundreds of free articles, videos, and research reports — an excellent way to evaluate the content quality before investing
Exam preparation: Exams test material covered during the live course — no additional study beyond attending the course and reviewing notes is typically needed

Cost Breakdown

Individual course: $1,270 per full-day course
UX Certification (5 courses): Starting at $6,350
UX Master Certification (15 courses): Starting at $19,050
Training week (5 courses): Often bundled with slight discounts — check nngroup.com for current pricing
Group/corporate discounts: Available for 3+ attendees from the same organization
No renewal fees: Certification is permanent
Note: Many employers cover NN/g training as professional development — the courses qualify for corporate L&D budgets

Salary Impact

Junior UX Designer (no certification): $65,000-$85,000
UX Designer with NN/g Certification: $85,000-$115,000
Senior UX Designer/Researcher: $110,000-$145,000
UX Lead / Design Manager: $130,000-$170,000
Director of UX / Head of Design: $160,000-$220,000
VP of Design / Chief Design Officer: $200,000-$300,000
UX Consultant (independent): $150-$300/hour
Salary premium: NN/g-certified UX professionals command a 15-25% premium over non-certified peers — more significantly, the training itself demonstrably improves work quality

Why NN/g Certification Matters

The most respected name in UX: Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman literally defined the field — there is no more authoritative source for UX education
13,000+ certified professionals: Join a verified community of UX practitioners from companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and every major consultancy
500+ companies: Organizations worldwide fund employee NN/g certification — it is the de facto corporate UX training standard
Immediately applicable: Attendees consistently report applying techniques from NN/g courses the same week they return to work
No expiration: Unlike many certifications, your NN/g credential never expires — though continuing to attend courses keeps your skills current
AI integration: NN/g has rapidly expanded their AI-focused courses, ensuring certified practitioners are prepared for AI-augmented UX workflows
Career catalyst: Whether starting a UX career or advancing to leadership, NN/g certification signals serious commitment to evidence-based practice
Public verification: All certified practitioners are listed on NN/g website with verification IDs — employers can easily confirm credentials

Nielsen norman group ux certification — the gold standard in ux training

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