Coding Boot Camp to debut at UNC-Chapel Hill

Part-time program will train students to become full-stack web developers

(Chapel Hill, N.C. – May 5, 2016) – North Carolina’s first university-based coding boot camp, where students train for careers as full-stack web developers in just 24 weeks, will open this summer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education.

The Coding Boot Camp at UNC-Chapel Hill is an intensive, part-time program structured around the schedules of working professionals and full-time students. Two three-hour evening classes will be held during the week with a four-hour class set for each Saturday. Coding Boot Camp will run from July 12, 2016, through Jan. 21, 2017. All instruction will take place at the Friday Center.

“The UNC Friday Center is proud to partner with Trilogy Education Services to bring this program to the Research Triangle,” said Friday Center Director Robert Bruce. “There is virtually no area of human activity that hasn’t been transformed by the Internet—and the pace of change and the need for technical expertise will only accelerate going forward.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks web development among the world’s fastest-growing professions, with the job market on track to expand at a 20 percent annual pace through 2022.

“Some 150,000 technology-centric job openings materialize each year across the U.S. but only 100,000 get filled” said Bruce. “By offering this program we hope to assist North Carolinians in their web development career pursuits.”

In addition to classroom study, students will also work on outside projects—typically on site with participating area businesses—and put together a professional project portfolio.

“When the students complete the program and enter the job market, the project portfolio makes a powerful statement to prospective employers,” said Annette Madden, director of professional development for the Friday Center.

While previous training or experience isn’t required, applicants should have some knowledge of coding principles.

The course covers coding, algorithm and data structure fundamentals, with a deep dive in Javascript, Node.js, HTML, CSS, jQuery and Python. A comprehensive array of career-planning services, including portfolio reviews, demo days, recruiting assistance and extensive staff support are also offered. Students graduate with the skills they need to develop dynamic end-to-end web applications, connections to a network of potential employers and a Certificate of Completion from UNC-Chapel Hill.

“A career in web development puts you on the front lines of the digital revolution,” said Bruce. “It can be an exciting and deeply rewarding field for people who thrive on tackling creative challenges—and the Coding Boot Camp at UNC-Chapel Hill can be the ideal way to get into it.”