Some programs focus more on operating basic software such as Microsoft Office while others focus on more intermediate and advanced topics such as using HyperText Markup Language (HTML), graphics design software such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe’s photo-editing application Photoshop.

Students taking this intermediate-level course learn how to create, format and edit images using Adobe Photoshop. Students also edit photos and modify them by adding or removing colors, lightening, darkening and making photos presentable for print or Web publication. They also optimize images and layer them to create fuller, richer designs. Photoshop is an advanced-level application and so courses for it are typically taken late in the certificate or degree program.