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A review of University of Richmond Bootcamp as a tech bootcamp

Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have helped hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my review of University of Richmond Bootcamp.

What does University of Richmond Bootcamps do?

University of Richmond Bootcamp offers part-time courses to help people start a career as a web developer, data analyst, or cybersecurity analyst. Previous experience is not necessary. But, all students must complete self-paced pre-work before starting a course. Due to Covid-19, all courses are now offered remotely.

The part-time 24-week web dev program meets 10am to 2pm on Saturdays and 6:30pm to 9:30pm two weekdays per week. Students participate in live lectures, discussions, coding labs, and workshops. The program teaches students to build full stack web apps using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, jQuery, and Node.js. They also learn responsive design, Heroku, React.js, MySQL, MongoDB, Git, and more. Throughout the program, students build web dev projects that they can add to their portfolios. When the bootcamp ends, students get access to online continuation courses to help them build up their portfolio and practice their coding skills.

Students in the part-time data science program meet for 24 weeks two weekdays a week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. They participate in lectures, workshops, discussions, speaker events, and hands-on projects. Students learn to analyze and visualize data using Python, Excel, HTML, CSS, D3.js, Leaflet.js, NumPy, and Tableau. The curriculum also teaches APIs, SQL, fundamental statistics, big data, machine learning, and more. For their final project, students work in groups to build a data visualization application that they can add to their data science portfolios, helping them land a job as a data analyst.

All courses offer job support. Career services include portfolio reviews, resume workshops, and technical & behavioral interview training. Students also work 1-on-1 with a career coach to help them land a job in tech.

Who are University of Richmond Bootcamp for?

People with no experience in web development or data science who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from the bootcamps. The program is especially helpful for people who are based in Virginia.

What do University of Richmond Bootcamp cost? How much work is involved?

Tuition for any bootcamp is $10,495. University of Richmond alumni are eligible for a $500 discount. Early registration discounts and interest-free monthly payment plans are available. 

Students can also pay with Climb Credit or Meritize loans. Rates and repayment plans depend on an applicant’s credit history. 

The admissions process begins with a brief application form or a call to the admissions office. Next, candidates have a behavioral interview over the phone. Select candidates are given a final critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. No experience is necessary.

Ratings and reviews

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University of Richmond Bootcamp has mostly positive reviews. They hold 4.8/5 stars on Course Report and mixed to positive reviews on Reddit. University of Richmond Bootcamp students praise the course’s supportive instructors and hands-on learning. But, some graduates were disappointed by the pacing and career services.

The top review on Course Report appreciated that “the instructors and TAs are well versed in the material” and that the staff was “eager to help” students personally. However, the review was critical of the program’s job placement. They warned “Do NOT sign up if you are looking for a line item on your resume that will get you a job.” The grad was frustrated that “job assistance is a non-factor for most of the course” and only rated career services 2/5 stars. 

Another graduate, though, was impressed by the collaborative, hands-on curriculum. They raved, “the group projects allowed me to learn so much from other students.” The grad also valued the personalized support. They commented, “there are dedicated instructors willing to give 1 on 1 help.”  One student said the course was “fantastic.” But, he warned that students “put in a ton of hours outside of class time” and that “Career Services is the least integrated” part of the program.

On Reddit, students were critical of the bootcamp’s parent company, Trilogy. One user said that Trilogy “uses the university’s name and facilities, but aren’t really the university.” Another student on Reddit was not impressed by Trilogy’s job support. They said, “no one has had anything positive to say about Career Services.”

Alternatives to University of Richmond Bootcamp

If you decide not to enroll in the University of Richmond Bootcamp, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and courses for aspiring web developers and data analysts.

  • The popular tech bootcamp, General Assembly has full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on data science, software engineering, UX design, digital marketing, product management, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
  • Similarly, BrainStation is a bootcamp with programs in web development, web design, data science, marketing, and product management. In the same vein, Ironhack has courses in web dev, design, and data.
  • Aspiring web developers can also consider CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with mentorship opportunities. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
  • Students seeking on 1-on-1 mentorship can check out Thinkful, a bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, software engineering, and more. Like University of Richmond Bootcamps, their program includes personalized career coaching and projects students can feature in their tech portfolios.
  • Similarly, Nashville Software School, DevPoint Labs, Clarusway, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, allWomen Academy, UC San Diego Bootcamps, Rutgers Bootcamps, and Codeup have courses in full stack web dev and data science.
  • Women, GNC people, and trans people can check out CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management. Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
  • For those interested in self-paced data science learning, Data Science Dream Job offers remote, flexible courses for aspiring data analysts. Or you can consider Divergence Academy and K2 Data Science, which have part-time and full-time options.
  • Similarly, DataCamp is an online resource with over 300 courses on data science subjects. Courses last about 4 hours.
  • Metis has introductory data science courses with both onsite & remote bootcamp options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
More alternatives
  • If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
  • UC Berkeley Bootcamp, University of Denver Bootcamps, Rice University Bootcamps, GW Bootcamps, UC Davis Bootcamps, and UC Irvine Bootcamps have web dev, data, and digital marketing courses with both online and in-person options. Trilogy also manages these bootcamps. That means that they have similar curricula and job support.
  • edX is one of the most popular online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
  • Students on a budget can check out Udemy, an online program hosting thousands of affordable self-paced video courses on web dev, cybersecurity, data analysis, and much more. Classes cost about $10 each.
  • Similarly, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. They also offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
  • People seeking low-cost tech training can also check out Udacity. Their introductory courses are free, but students can upgrade to a paid “nanodegree” program for greater course options. Learn more about Udacity in our reviews.
  • Students interested in self-paced tech learning can also check out Springboard, an online educational resource that helps people launch a career in tech. If students don’t land a great job within 6 months of graduating, they get a full refund. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
  • Likewise, 365 Data Science is a low-cost and low commitment option to learn data fundamentals. In the same vein, FourthBrain has part-time, online machine learning courses.

How does University of Richmond Bootcamp compare to Pathrise?

University of Richmond Bootcamp is for people interested in launching a career as a web developer or data analyst. Most University of Richmond Bootcamps students start with no coding experience. Pathrise job-seekers should already have some background in their chosen field so they can fully benefit from our technical training. 

Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentorship. Our experienced mentors assist fellows with all phases of the job search including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. 

Our flexible program only requires 4 hours of group sessions per week. In addition, fellows can schedule 1-on-1s as needed. We offer an income share agreement (ISA) so our program is free until you land a great tech job.

Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech. With our training and guidance, fellows in our program see their interview scores double and their application response rate triple. If you are interested in working with one of our mentors to land your dream job faster, 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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