Deep Dive: How Code Fellows Is a Leader in Tech Education

For those looking to pursue a career in tech, the world has opened up. There are more paths than ever before that can usher a prospective tech employee into the industry. When sorting through options in the form of coding bootcamps, online programs, or in-person courses, it’s important to identify what is important to you in your education. What are the barriers to entry? What do you value as a learner? What sort of connection, mentorship, and environment are you looking to learn in?

Studies show that for those working in the tech sector, in addition to technical knowledge, the need for soft skills is on the rise. Creativity, collaboration, presentation skills, and connection with peers are all essential fires to fuel an exciting career in tech. As someone going into the industry, you have the option to choose a program that teaches these skills not only in their curriculum but incorporates them into the very mission of their initiative, itself.

Code Fellows sees education as a portal; an opportunity for transformation. Its mission is to provide a platform from which to launch your career. And Code Fellows knows that in order to launch a career that is long-lasting, exciting, and fulfilling, prioritizing person-to-person connection is essential every step of the way.

Code Fellows Core Values

Code Fellows started in 2013 as Seattle and the Pacific Northwest’s first coding school. While they started out with a class of 20 scrappy, hungry, aspiring software developers, they have grown to a vibrant community that still maintains that intimate and passionate dynamic. Now, over 1,500 students have graduated from Code Fellows and gone on to have exciting careers at over 800 companies internationally.

Code Fellows believes everyone should have an opportunity to succeed, which is why their mission is to guide people from all backgrounds, through fast-paced, career-focused education. They work with people to give them technology skills that will lead to a better life, and a better world.

Code Fellows is growth-minded, inclusive, passionate, empowering, and transformative. These are the values that Code Fellows staff lives by and channels in their instruction and collaboration every day. Their vision: technology skills for a better life, for a better community, and for a better world.

The Code Fellows community has been described as a home away from home.  Whether you are learning in person or virtually, they strive to create a learning environment where collaboration and support are fostered and encouraged. A judgment-free space where real questions get real answers, and you are only limited by your own curiosity. As students work closely with others in the program, it not only provides them with the valuable skill of collaboration but also leads to relationships. Peers become more than peers—they become friends, and those relationships can bloom into future opportunities.

Code Fellows strives to be a place where strong, positive, and healthy mindsets are built to conquer obstacles that stand in your way. It’s a place filled with passion and motivation to help people succeed.

Their community is open to anybody and everybody who shares a passion for pursuing a career in tech. Students from all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders with different stories to tell is what makes Code Fellows an exciting, diverse and welcoming place. Their community will open your mind and eyes to a broader perspective on the world, making you stand out even more.

So how does Code Fellows do it? 

Ahead of the Curve

Code Fellows believes that a revolution is happening at the intersection of technology, community, and meaningful careers. This is why Code Fellows has developed a cutting-edge curriculum that is used by other bootcamps—they’re the experts that other experts turn to for guidance.

Since 2013, they have also been focused on improving diversity and inclusion in tech, leading the industry when it comes to accessibility. Through their scholarships and funding programs, Code Fellows is opening doors for meaningful careers no matter your background or current socio-economic status. 

Code Fellows Personalized Curriculum

Code Fellows is dedicated to empowering their students. One way they show that is by allowing students to onramp and offramp between their courses.

The typical model for most bootcamps is monolithic. Everyone starts at the same place regardless of their skill level, and no matter what your desired end goal is you must stay for the duration of these programs in order to obtain marketable skills. Code Fellows doesn’t operate like that. Instead, they have crafted a modular curriculum that allows you to test in at your current skill level and exit when you have obtained the skills you desire.

What that means is that their courses are divided up into four segments, from beginner to advanced. This means that if you already have base-level knowledge, you can test into a higher level course, saving yourself both the time and money of being stuck in a class with students of varying skills and knowledge. And if you are looking for a position where you don’t need the most advanced skills, you can offramp when you’ve gained the skills you need. 

Code Fellows Courses

Code Fellows offers two different tracks. One that focuses on industry leading curriculum in software development, and the other track that teaches advanced level skills in ops and cybersecurity. Each of these tracks offer courses that progress from 100 to 400 level, which will take students from no experience to becoming a professional in their respective fields. You can on/off ramp at any time in between depending on your needs, skill-level, and desired outcomes from their courses. 

Software Engineering

Code 101: This is a one-day beginner workshop where you’ll learn what it’s like to be a software developer. The course focuses on front-end web development. 

Code 102: The real beginning of the journey, this 30-hour instruction-based course is pre-work for the Code 201 course, and students will get a tour of tools and techniques modern developers use.

Code 201: This is where you’ll really get into learning to code, writing syntax and pushing code, learning the basics of web development through HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other tools and best practices software developers use.

Code 301: In this next level up, you’ll go beyond code writing and learn how to launch a web app, collaborate on projects, and use advanced frameworks and libraries as well as learn to work with data structures, giving you the skills you need to become a full-stack web developer.

Code 401: After this advanced software development course, students will leave with the skills they need to pursue exciting careers as professional software developers. This course offers four coding language options that students can choose from: JavaScript, Python, ASP.NET Core or Java with SpringMVC and mobile apps with Android. This is the most intensive course offered by Code Fellows, and upon graduation, students will be ready to be ushered into the professional world of software engineering. 

Ops and Cyber Security

Ops 101: This is a one-day workshop that will introduce students to the tools and techniques of penetration testers and ethical hackers. This will give students a taste of the Code Fellows cyber security program and help them determine whether this is a path they want to follow.

Ops 102: An introduction to computer operations, this course will teach students system interfaces, how to identify hardware components, and generally build the foundational skills for a career in technical operations. 

Ops 201: Whether you took the entry-level courses, or are coming in with a base level of knowledge, this course is where learning cyber ops really begins. This course is hands-on and covers the foundations of computer operations. This will train students to land an entry-level IT Support Technician position, or prepare them for the Ops 301.

Ops 301: This networking and systems administration course will train students to land an entry-level network operations specialist or systems administration job. Or, you can continue on to the 401 course. 

Ops 401: An advanced course in cybersecurity engineering, this intensive course will lead students to graduate prepared for a high-paying job as a cybersecurity professional.

The Experts That The Experts Use

As mentioned before, Code Fellows has a top-tier premium curriculum that it licenses out to other coding boot camps. Their curriculum never sits on a shelf; Code Fellows believes in continuous iteration which is why they are constantly updating their curriculum to stay ahead of the curve and teach students what they’ll need to know to be up to date with the industry when they graduate. Their material is the industry standard. When you take a course from Code Fellows, you’re taking a course from the people who write the curriculums other boot camps use.

Code Fellows Financing Opportunities

Beyond their top-tier curriculum, what really sets Code Fellows apart is their commitment to diversity and inclusion. They are on a mission to change the industry, making careers in tech more accessible, and therefore more inclusive and diverse. 

Scholarships

Code Fellows and their partners really put their money where their mouth is. Through their scholarship fund, students can receive scholarships that cover up to 70 percent of tuition. To date, they have awarded over $3.5 million in scholarships to more than 700 students helping them remove the financial barrier to gain the skills that they need to start a career in the tech industry. 

Prospective students that come from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds are eligible to apply for the Diversity Scholarship. In addition to this, one full-ride scholarship is offered to a Black American in every cohort.

Other need-based scholarships they offer include: the COVID-19 scholarship, Career Changer Scholarship, Underemployed Scholarship, Recent Graduate Scholarship, Pay it Forward Scholarship, and the Transfer Student Scholarship.

Financing Options

Code Fellows also offers a variety of financing options to help lower financial barriers.

They offer a variety of financing options including an Income Share Agreement (ISA) loan which is an innovative alternative to traditional student loans, where students do not have to repay the amount given to them until they secure a job with a minimum income level.

In addition to this Code Fellows has also partnered with Climb Credit and Ascent to provide a variety of loan options, from smaller payments over time, a payment plan which allows students to pay weekly or monthly over the duration of the course instead of upfront, to deferred payments, and other options you can read about here. Lastly, they offer several discounts including Early Bird and Course Bundle discounts.

Remarkable Staff and Instructor Attention

A school that is committed to growth, inclusion, community, and quality of education would be nothing without a remarkable staff to back these ideas up and put them into action. 

The staff at Code Fellows are all experts in their fields, who have come to work at Code Fellows because of their belief in the vision and mission of the school. All the instructors are dedicated to cutting-edge education, as well as community building and diversity. 

Code Fellows has a high 6:1 student-to-staff ratio. Code Fellows employs both instructors and TA staff, which in itself is unusual. Many technical schools do not have both available to students with an equal ratio. All 401 instructors must also have proven industry experience. In addition to all of this, students who need extra help have access to tutors if they need additional support.

Having in-field experts as instructors means that students can ask questions and receive advice from people who are speaking directly from the world they are looking to enter. The instructors are able to give a lot of attention to students, and both of these are reasons why Code Fellows has such a high employment rate for graduates: 93 percent in-field employment rate..

Career Transition Services

Code Fellows’ ultimate goal, beyond providing top-tier instruction without a barrier to entry, is to launch your career. This means landing you a meaningful, fulfilling job. To help with this, they offer Career Transition Services, a program in-curriculum and after the courses are over, designed to land you the job you want.

Students enrolled in 201 to 401 classes, receive 40 hours of instruction, coaching, and assignments to help build their brand, portfolio, network, and interpersonal skills. Students will also go through the seven pillars of Code Fellows Career Coaching, which include: professional etiquette; professional pitch; creating a network; job search readiness; targeted job search; professional materials; and behavioral interview questions. 

Once students emerge from this, they will complete a Qualifying Interview to ensure they are prepared to highlight their unique skills and strengths and land their dream job.

Graduates

After graduation, Code Fellows graduates have access to the Career Accelerator Program, which is an opportunity to meet employers and network after completing their 401 course. From connecting through Code Fellows Power Partner Hours, meeting guest speakers, receiving invitations to industry events, and getting access to the Talent Portal, Code Fellows offers many ways for students to launch their career.

Is Code Fellows the Right Fit for You?

Now that you’re briefed on Code Fellows, you might be able to determine whether it’s the right school for you. But are you the right kind of student for Code Fellows? 

Code Fellows is looking for students that have grit and determination to put in the work it takes to become a professional in tech. Someone that isn’t going to give up, but rather persevere and put in the work to pursue their dreams. They are looking for students with a growth mindset, who aren’t just looking to learn technology but are also looking to become better people. Acknowledging your own biases so you can work better with others, showing respect to all is a crucial part of being a part of the Code Fellows community. Diversity and inclusion must be a priority. 
If these are ideas that you’re passionate about, if you’re ready to grow and be challenged to achieve your goals and your dreams, then Code Fellows just might be the school for you. Apply for an upcoming course here.