deepdive coding

A Review of Deep Dive Coding as a Tech Bootcamp

What does Deep Dive Coding do?

Deep Dive Coding offers part-time and full-time courses to aspiring software engineers, web developers, UX/UI designers, data analysts, IT professionals, and cybersecurity professionals. While the full-time course is usually taught at their Albuquerque campus, all courses are currently operating remotely due to Covid-19. No experience is necessary, but most courses require students to complete self-paced pre-work before beginning live classes. 

Students in the full-time 12-week software engineering bootcamp meet Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5:00pm and on Fridays from 8am to 3pm. The course focuses on Java, covering object-oriented programming (OOP), Java virtual machine (JVM) work, unit testing with JUnit, Javadoc for code documentation, version control, automation & dependency management with Maven, Gradle, and Ant, plus many other software skills. Students also work hands-on with databases and object-relational mapping via Hibernate & Room, plus SOAP and REST web services. The course also teaches students to code for Android through Android SDK, Agile methodologies, and app deployment with AWS and Docker. Students build individual projects and team projects throughout the program, including a capstone project they get to present to employers and staffing agencies at the end of the course.

Their web development course is full-time and lasts 10 weeks. Classes are small (around 14-16 students) and meet Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5pm, plus an extra class on Fridays from 8am to 3pm. Students learn to build websites, web apps, and software that runs on any browser. The curriculum focuses on foundational JavaScript stacks plus in-demand coding tools like React, HTML, CSS, Git, MySQL, and more. In addition to live class with lots of hands-on assignments, students participate in mock technical interviews and on-the-job style projects that they can add to their portfolios to help them stand out to employers.

The 12-week full-time data science program has classes Mondays to Thursdays from 8am to 5pm. They also feature small class sizes of about 14-16 students. While the 24-week part-time course has bigger class sizes, the program only meets on Fridays 8am to 5pm, plus about 8+ hours per week outside of live classes. Students learn to work with Python, open source libraries, and data visualization tools. In addition, the curriculum also teaches students to wrangle raw data sets, use SQL queries and proper syntax to access data, and master machine learning algorithms. Students work with cloud-based Jupyter notebooks, GitHub, Slack, and Agile development tools throughout the program. The curriculum is extremely hands-on and students build both group and individual projects that they can add to their portfolios to help them land entry level data science jobs.

Students in the 15-week part-time UX/UI design course meet for live classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-8:30pm and again on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. The curriculum covers design research, software development methodologies, design ideation, design exploration, user flow, layout design, and other key design fundamentals. Students also master iteration, learning all about wireframing, user testing, and prototyping. The program is extremely hands-on, allowing students to work with Figma, Marvel, and MiroAdobe Creative Suite (Acrobat, Illustrator, XD) as they build projects to add to their professional portfolios to help them become a UX designer.

The program also includes extensive career services. Students participate in mock interviews, portfolio reviews, resume workshops, Linkedin networking events, speaker events, soft skills workshops, and other key job-search training. Career coaches meet 1-on-1 with students to optimize their resumes and social media profiles. Students also get access to exclusive job postings and networking events like “employer interview day” where students get to meet with local employers and get their first taste of technical interviewing.

Photo of Deep Dive Coding

Who is Deep Dive Coding for?

People with little to no experience in web development, UX/UI design, software engineering, or data science who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from Deep Dive Coding’s bootcamp. The program is especially helpful for Albuquerque locals interested in small class sizes.

What does Deep Dive Coding cost? How much work is involved?

Tuition for the full-time software development course is $8,995. Students in the full-time web development program pay $7,495. Both the full-time and part-time data science programs cost $9,995. The part-time UX/UI course is only $2,995.

Albuquerque residents may be eligible for the “Job Training Albuquerque” workforce development program that offsets the cost of tuition for local workers. Unemployed students can look into The Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA), which can help fund the program. The GI Bill is also accepted.

The admissions process begins with an application form on their site where candidates explain their backgrounds and motivations. Candidates then move on to a behavioral interview to ensure they have basic computer skills and the drive to launch a new tech career. While no formal experience is required, candidates should have an interest in tech.

Ratings and reviews

Deep Dive Coding has received fairly positive reviews. The program is rated 4.38/5 stars on Course Report and holds a 4.67/5 star rating on SwitchUp. Graduates praise the program for its hands-on approach to learning and personalized career services, although some wished there were fewer lectures, a slower pace, and more comprehensive job support.

A top Course Report review raves that “The instructors are wonderful people… really good teachers” and that “coding assignments, the work-along demos, and the team-based capstone projects were extremely good” for the learning experience.  However, the grad was disappointed that in the first 3 weeks “there were way too many lectures, and students spent way too little time coding. On several days, lectures took the entire 8 hours! All-day lectures are not an effective way to teach.” The student also warned “the course is very intense” with an extremely fast pace. While many grads were impressed with the career services, one student felt that their “job support bootcamp lacked preparation for freelancing, which is a likely outcome for a student new to programming.” Some also felt that the career services were too informal. Although one grad felt the course was “a great experience” overall, they described the program as “challenging but not impossible.”

The program holds a perfect 5/5 star rating on Facebook, where grads describe the program as “simply amazing” but requiring lots of “drive and grit” for the fast-paced learning. They also hold a 5-star rating on Indeed, where grads praised the instructors and project-based learning. However, some students wished the program was longer, with a slower pace. Reviewers on Switchup also described the course as “challenging” and “intense” but were confident the dedicated instructor team and small class sizes helped students with the fast pace. Overall, students seem satisfied with the hands-on projects, small class sizes, and career services, though some would have liked a more relaxed pace with less front-loaded lectures.

Alternatives to Deep Dive Coding

If you decide not to enroll in Deep Dive Coding, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and resources that can help aspiring web developers, data analysts, and data scientists.

  • The full-time tech bootcamp Kenzie Academy offers in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design with front-end engineering. Like Deep Dive Coding’s bootcamp, Kenzie Academy features a hands-on curriculum with mentoring. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
  • One of the most well known bootcamps is General Assembly. They offer full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like UX/UI design, data science, software engineering, digital marketing, product management, and more. Their program boasts 19k+ hiring partners with lots of opportunities for students to build polished portfolio projects. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
  • The popular bootcamp BrainStation offers programs in UX/UI design, web development, data science, marketing, product management, and more. Like Deep Dive Coding, BrainStation focuses on project-based learning and hosts guest speakers.
  • Flatiron School teaches courses on UX design, data analysis, software engineering, data science, and cybersecurity. Like Deep Dive Coding, students can choose part-time or full-time options, both on-campus or online.
  • Some other popular software engineering bootcamps include Rithm School, Codesmith, The Software Guild, Lambda School and Thinkful. Like Deep Dive Coding, these courses can be very intense with a good bit of project learning.
  • The online learning program Data Science Dream Job is a self-paced data science program to help aspiring data analysts land a job. Like Deep Dive Coding, the program includes portfolio building and career assistance.
  • Metis is a bootcamp with introductory data analytics courses. Like Deep Dive Coding, they feature a project-based curriculum with both on-site and remote options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
  • Aspiring data analysts can also check out DataCamp, which is an online resource offering over 300 courses. Courses last about 4 hours.
  • Aspiring designers can consider Designlab, a bootcamp that teaches students all the skills needed to launch a career as a UX designer. Read more about Designlab in our review.
  • If you’re interested in taking an online product design bootcamp that is self-guided or instructor led, take a look at DesignerUp. Read about DesignerUp in our program review.
  • Similarly, Bloc is an online program that offers courses in both UX design and web development.
  • For students seeking lower-cost web development and UX/UI courses, Simplilearn, Learn UX, Treehouse, and Pluralsight could be good options. While these programs may not have as much support as intensive bootcamps like Deep Dive Coding, they offer thousands of courses to help students launch a career in tech.
  • Students on a budget may also consider Udemy, which has thousands of affordable self-paced video courses on web dev, cybersecurity, data analysis, and much more. Classes cost about $10 each.
  • Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They offer free courses on dozens of programming languages and even data science. They have membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for greater course options and more support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
  • The online educational resources Udacity and Springboard offer courses in software engineering, UX design, data analytics, and many other technical subjects. Learn more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews..

How does Deep Dive Coding compare to Pathrise?

Deep Dive Coding offers courses for people interested in starting a career as a web developer, UX/UI designer, software engineer, data scientist, or data analyst. While an interest in tech is recommended, most Deep Dive Coding students start with no experience. Pathrise job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field to get the most out of the technical curriculum. 

Pathrise is a career accelerator that has already helped 700+ students and professionals land their dream job. A full service organization, Pathrise works with program fellows on all phases of the job search, including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. Our curriculum is tailored to each individual fellow’s needs.

In addition, our program is flexible. There are only 4 hours of group sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions when they need support. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) is 9% of their first year’s salary so fellows don’t pay anything until they land a great tech job. We never require upfront payments or deposits.

Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentorship. With our guidance, fellows in our program have seen their interview scores double and application response triple. If you are interested in working with one of our mentors to ace your interviews and land your dream job, join Pathrise.

Apply today.

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Brian Wong

Brian Wong is an experienced senior software engineer and has worked at top bay area startups and organizations. In his free time, Brian works with Pathrise SWE fellows to help them land their dream job and learn insider tips on how to ace technical interviews.

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