Choosing schools for web design

[sonofdawz]

Hello all!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post as well as offering any advice and input that you wish to. I realize that the subject of "whether a degree is necessary to get a job in the field of web design" has already been addressed on this forum in the past, so I'll try to be more specific.

I have a B.A. in music from University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and am currently seeking to pursue a career in web design. I've been teaching myself web design graphics design off and on for about 13 years but am really an advanced amateur.

I want to be more formally trained in Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop especially. I absolutely LOVE these programs! I also want to learn more about HTML, CSS, and Javascript programming. I understand that it's not necessary to have "B.S. in Web Design" in order to succeed in the field of web design IF one is very good at what he does and has an excellent portfolio.

Without going the expensive route of the Art Institute for a BS in Web Design, what are good alternatives for me to consider in my pursuit of training in web design (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, CSS, HTML, Javascript, etc)?

What are some tips/guidelines/rules of thumb/general advice that anyone can offer when I'm considering schools like ITT Technical Institute, Western Career College, University of Pheonix, DeVry University, and junior colleges in search of quality education in the software and programming skills relevant to web design?

Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate your help, and sorry for a lengthy post.

- Dawson, 25 in CA