Hello everyone,
Is it worth pursuing a professional certificate in product design? Will it put me on the same tier as someone with a degree in I.D. or product design?
I need some insight!
Employment opportunities in product design are unbelievably competitive. With that in mind… those who are getting the best education have, in my opinion, a distinct advantage.
To be honest, the designation after your name really doesn’t matter. But schools that offer degrees simply have better and more comprehensive programs that ultimately better prepare students. Many people what you put in to your time at school will reflect what you get out of it - and I agree with this. -However it sure helps if your school is highly connected with industry and able to provide quality internships, professional instructors, and facilities.
In short 
Degree.
This sucks. I’m currently an undergrad in a school that doesn’t offer industrial design or product design as a major. The only thing they offer is a certificate in the latter. Gah!
Thanks for your input.
Most jobs require a 4 year degree or equivalent. Also, a certificate most likely will not prepare you. As mentioned, this is a highly competitive field, to succeed you need to have a high level of skill, passion, thoughtfulness, and savvy.
Thank you. Perhaps I’ll go into a Master’s program…
The thing about masters is that they tend to be theory based, which is great if you are a practicing designer with a few years of experience looking to gain a particular knowledge set. It tends not to be the best for honing the skill set needed to get that first design job. I recommend you do a search on these boards on masters vs a second bachelors… It has been discussed and debated at great length. There might be some insightful advice you can pull from those past discussions… If nothing else they are pretty entertaining, a few of them got a little heated 
Thank you so much! 