Frequently Asked Questions

The following is a list of the frequently asked questions about DesignMentor Training.

Q. How does it work?

At DesignMentor Training, students interact with their instructors and other DesignMentor Training students entirely online. Classes consist of lessons, exercises, quizzes, instructor critiques, and discussion boards. Students upload their assignments and receive personal instructor feedback and mentoring all in our online learning environment. Upon enrollment you'll have immediate access to a brief Orientation Class and to the classes for which you have registered. DesignMentor does not sell or provide the software needed for some classes. (i.e., Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc.)

Q. Do classes take place in real-time? Do I have to be online at specific times?

No. You work on your classes at times convenient for you.

Q. How long does it take to complete a class?

Each DesignMentor Training class is 3, 6, or 9 lessons in length. You can expect to spend approximately 5 hours on each lesson, including lectures, exercises, quizzes, and interaction with the instructor. You study at your own pace, but on average, students complete one lesson per week.

Q. How long may I have access to my class/es?

You'll receive 3 months of access to each class. Monthly extensions are available up to 6 months for students with busy schedules.

Q. How do I enroll?

To register for class/es, simply place the class/es of interest in the secure online shopping cart and complete the online registration form. Upon payment you will have immediate access to both a short Student Orientation Class (will take you about 20 minutes to get up to speed with the online learning environment) and to the classes for which you have registered. You will login to your classes from the DesignMentor Training homepage.

Q. After I've enrolled, how soon can I start?

Once you register and pay, you start immediately with a free Orientation Class in the DesignMentor Training online environment. You will have access to your design class/es within one business day. Your instructor will be awaiting your first question or submission of work, but there are not set deadlines for class assignments -- you work at your own pace.

Q. Are you accredited or licensed?

Yes and yes.

All DesignMentor Training classes are authored with the team of subject matter experts and design industry veterans at Sessions.edu, online school of design. Sessions.edu is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council and licensed by the New York State Education Department. Any class taken at DesignMentor may be applied towards the requirements of the Certificate programs of Sessions.edu.

Additionally, the DETC mandates student surveys to determine graduate satisfaction ratings. In a 2004 poll of alumni over 95% of our students stated that they met their learning objectives.

About Distance Education Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council has been the standard-setting agency for distance education institutions since it was established in 1926. Its purpose was, and still is today, "to foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions.

About New York State Education Department
DesignMentor Training is a division of Sessions, Inc., a New York based school of design. As a school licensed by the New York State Education Department, Sessions must submit for review and approval all new classes and programs prior to making them available for enrollment. All Sessions.edu classes and programs have been approved by NYSED.

Q. Who creates DesignMentor Training classes?

Classes are created by professionals carefully selected for their design skills, industry or teaching experience, or publishing track record, working in conjunction with our professional editors. Our class authors and instructors include accomplished artists and award-winning designers who have taught at prestigious art schools worldwide, worked at award-winning design firms and studios in New York, Milan, Oslo, Paris, or Turin, and authored books for leading design and technology publishers such as New Riders, Peachpit Press, Cybex, and Sam's. Each class goes through a multi-phase development process to ensure consistency and quality control.

Q. How will I interact with faculty?

All DesignMentor Training classes involve private faculty mentoring and critiques, with students receiving personal feedback on each assignment. Throughout your class experience, you will receive guidance, constructive criticism, and creative inspiration from instructors and classmates. Our class developers and instructors are design professionals who teach not only fundamental design principles but also impart practical tips and techniques that are important for the design professional.

Q. How will DesignMentor Training help me improve as a professional designer?

Classes are built around hands-on projects that simulate the challenge of a professional project. Design briefs establish the creative parameters of each exercise just as your client and employers do. You might find yourself designing a company logo, or building a Web site, or putting together a demo for a CD-ROM. Each project gives you the opportunity to learn and apply software and design skills "on the job." In addition, you will generate strong portfolio pieces for your design book.

Q. How will I interact with other students?

Interacting with other DesignMentor Training students is one of the greatest benefits of enrollment. Students have enrolled from over 100 countries. The chance to exchange thoughts and ideas is invaluable in the design world and DesignMentor Training provides you with the opportunity to do just that. Student interaction takes place via email, chat rooms, a virtual bulletin board for student comments, and a place for bios and pictures. In addition, students have the opportunity to review and critique each others work in Peer view in each class thus adding to the learning experience.

The DesignMentor Training learning environment is also the perfect opportunity to network as DesignMentor Training immerses you into an international community of designers. DesignMentor Training also offers Design Competitions for students to compete to produce work for New York based non-profit organizations, interact with a real client, and gain a valuable piece for your portfolio.

Q. What hardware do I need?

DesignMentor Training classes can be taken with either a Mac or PC.
Hardware requirements vary with the required software in each program, but this list of specifications is a good starting point.

For PC:
1. Intel® Pentium® III or greater
2. Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 4, or Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or 2 3. 512MB to 1GB of RAM recommended 4. Internet Explorer 6.0 and above, Netscape Navigator 7.0 and above.

For Mac:
1. PowerPC® G4 or G5 processor or greater
2. Mac OS X v.10.2.8 through v.10.3.8 (10.3.4 through 10.3.8 recommended; G5 requires v.10.3 or later), Java™ Runtime Environment 1.4.1 3. 512MB to 1GB of RAM recommended 4. Mozilla 1.0 and above (which uses the same engine as Netscape)

When purchasing new software, check for the software title's specific requirements.

Q. Do I need a lot of plug-ins or broadband access to take classes with DesignMentor Training?

All you need is basic Internet access.

Q. What software programs will I need for my classes?

Check the syllabus page for each individual DesignMentor Training class you intend to take to find out what software is required. Major applications include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, and Quark.

Q. What kind of software discounts are DesignMentor students eligible for?

DesignMentor does not sell or distribute software. However, for many software titles, enrolled status as a DesignMentor student results in deep educational discounts. If the course/s in which you enroll at DesignMentor require software that you do not own, we will issue you a letter of enrollment that you may use for discounts offered at any number of online software vendors that honor education discounts. We will also provide a short list of vendors for you to use.

Q. Do I need to buy textbooks in addition to your classes?

DesignMentor Training classes do not require you to buy any textbooks. Our classes are designed to be completed without supplementary texts.

Q. I don't have a credit card; how do I pay by check, money order or bank wire?

Yes, you may mail a check or money order to:

Sessions.edu, Inc / DesignMentor Training
350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1203
New York, NY 10001
USA

(make checks payable to: Sessions.edu, Inc. / DesignMentor Training)

Q. My employer would like to pay for my education at DesignMentor Training. What do I do?

DesignMentor Training accepts payments directly from most companies or corporations. To have your tuition invoiced to your employer, please fax the company voucher or purchase order to us: 212.258.3084.

If you do not have a company voucher, we can also invoice your company if you are able to provide the following info:

1. Authorizing manager
2. Purchase Order number
3. Billing contact

Please have your company mail the check to:

Sessions.edu, Inc / DesignMentor Training
350 Seventh Avenue, Ste 1203
New York, NY 10001
USA

(make checks payable to: Sessions.edu, Inc. / DesignMentor Training)

Q. How do I contact you?

You may reach us by phone, fax, email, or mail.

Phone: 800-258-4115
Fax: 212-239-3084
Email: training@sessions.edu

Mail:

Sessions.edu, Inc / DesignMentor Training
350 Seventh Avenue, Ste 1203
New York, NY 10001
USA

Q. Do you have a refund policy?

DesignMentor Training has an equitable refund policy that allows students to withdraw or switch from classes if they are not fully satisfied. Full or partial refunds may be assessed, depending on duration of time in class.

Q. Can I pay in my own currency?

We only accept payment in U.S. currency. Normally, if you pay by credit card online, or if you write a check in US dollars, the bank will automatically make the currency conversion for you.