Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my list of best coding bootcamps in Austin.
Also known as Silicon Hills, Austin is the home to a growing number of startups, as well as major tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM, Nvidia, and many others. More people are heading to Austin to launch their software engineering careers than ever before. And, many of them are enrolling in coding bootcamps in order to prepare.
With so many options, deciding which coding bootcamp best suits your learning and career goals can be quite challenging. Because we know that this process can be overwhelming, we have compiled a list of coding bootcamps in Austin to help you find the right one to launch your career as a software engineer.
Coding bootcamps in Austin
1. Codeworks
Codeworks offers courses in software engineering and web development in Austin, as well as a number of other cities. Before starting, students must complete 160 hours of pre-course work. This helps people develop an intermediate understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. In addition, they get a basic background of Git, important developer tools, and APIs. Those who enroll in Codeworks meet for 11 hours a day from Monday-Saturday. They participate in lectures (not recorded), hands-on projects, meetups with industry professionals, and more. Those in the software engineering track, which meets for 12 weeks, practice using tools such as React, GraphQL, Angular, node.JS, and Redux.
The 8-week web development teaches the same topics as the software engineering track, but in less depth. In the final weeks of the program, students meet with career coaches, who offer guidance on portfolio building, interview prep, and more. After graduation, students continue receiving 1-on-1 assistance from a career coach until they find a job.
2. Flatiron School
Flatiron School is a well known bootcamp with a strong alumni network in Austin, San Francisco, New York City, and other locations. Students can take their 15-week, full time software engineering bootcamp in Austin. This program meets Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm. Students participate in class discussions, lectures, pair-programming exercises, and labs. The curriculum focuses on object-oriented programming, SQL, Ruby, Sinatra, JavaScript, and front end with React & Redux. It is project-based and designed to help students build their portfolios. In the final weeks of the bootcamp, students work with career coaches on resume building, interview prep, and other components of the job search.
3. General Assembly
Another option for aspiring software engineers in Austin is the 12-week immersive program offered by General Assembly. This program meets from 7am-3pm or 9am-5pm from Monday-Friday. Before enrolling, students must complete the free General Assembly prep course, which covers web development basics. In addition to covering computer science fundamentals, the program teaches more advanced topics as well, including algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and APIs. Students practice using in-demand tools, such as Python and Django, and learn how to build their own interactive full stack apps using a number of different frameworks and stacks.
Before graduating, all students meet 1-on-1 with career coaches to discuss resumes, portfolios, and interview prep. After graduating, students have access to the active General Assembly alumni network as well. General Assembly also offers 10-week, part-time bootcamps in front end web development, JavaScript development, and React development. These programs, which do not provide in-depth career coaching, meet twice per week for 3 hours in the evening. Learn more about General Assembly in our review.
4. Nucamp
People who are interested in web development and software engineering can also check out Nucamp, a coding bootcamp with courses in Austin. Students choose from 3 bootcamp options: web development fundamentals (4 weeks), front end web & mobile development (17 weeks), and full stack web & mobile development (22 weeks). The self-paced fundamentals course teaches HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Those in the front end track complete 12 hands-on projects using tools such as bootstrap, React, React Native, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, and Git & GitHub.
The full stack program covers the same material as the front end track, as well as important concepts and tools in server-side development: back-end with NodeJS, Express, databases with MongoDb, and storage. Students complete 6-14 hours of self-paced work online per week, which includes recorded lectures and exercises. For the onsite component, students meet on Saturday from 9am-1pm to discuss projects with their classmates and instructor. After completing their coursework, front end and full stack students take a 6-week career development course, which focuses on resume building, LinkedIn optimization, and interview preparation.
5. Hack Reactor
Hack Reactor is a 12-week software engineering immersive bootcamp with courses in Austin that meet on Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm. Before classes start, students complete 80-120 hours of self-paced pre-work, which focuses on JavaScript fundamentals such as basic functions, conditionals, iteration, and nested data structures. Those who are interested in a more interactive option can enroll in the online Hack Reactor prep course, which is live but costs extra. Building on JavaScript fundamentals, the bootcamp teaches React, Block, and other in-demand JavaScript tools, as well as API and CSS frameworks. Students start building an application from scratch during the second half of the program. Towards the end of the bootcamp, students meet with career coaches and receive assistance with resumes, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more.
6. Galvanize
With programs in software engineering and data science, Galvanize is another tech bootcamp with offerings in Austin. Like Hack Reactor, Galvanize students must complete 80-120 hours of pre-work that focuses on JavaScript. They also have the option of taking the Galvanize 6-week prep course, which is part-time, paid, and offered online. Those in the full-time software engineering bootcamp meet Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm and on Saturdays from 9am-5:30pm for 12 weeks.
Students participate in lecture, labs, and Q&A sessions in order to learn about full stack JavaScript development and application design. In addition, they brush up on important computer fundamentals, such as inheritance patterns, algorithms, databases, frameworks (API, JavaScript, & CSS), and server side technologies. During the second half of the program, students develop front end applications in small groups, as well as meet with career coaches, who offer support on interview prep, salary negotiation, resume building, and more.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that provides 1-on-1 support to students and professionals on every component of the job search, including technical and behavioral interview prep, resume and portfolio building, salary negotiation, and more.
If you are looking to work with a mentor to optimize your job search and help you land a job in software engineering, join Pathrise.
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