UC Berkeley Bootcamp: Reviews, Cost, and Guide

To get ahead in the modern business world, you’ve gotta hustle. When you’re looking to strike out on a career path as a developer, for instance, it isn’t enough to be familiar with coding. Developer jobs today are going to those folks who know their craft inside and out, so you’ve got to be at the top of your game and stuffed to the gills with knowledge to compete for the best coding gigs. Attending one of the top university coding bootcamps is a fantastic way to get a solid programming foundation upon which you can build a great career. But how do you know you’ve chosen the right one? Fortunately, this UC Berkeley bootcamp offers the fast pace and intensity of a coding bootcamp alongside the prestige and scholarship that only a respected institution like Berkeley can provide.

UC Berkeley is one of the United States’ premier higher learning institutions and is a leader in cutting-edge research and next-level technological design. Having a degree from Berkeley is the mark of a dedicated and serious person and opens a lot of doors for you in life. With that sort of pedigree, you know that their coding bootcamp must be something special and, in this article, we’ll take a look at it and find out what makes UC Berkeley Coding Bootcamp stand out amongst the competition. We take a deep dive into the program’s particulars, examining the coursework you can expect to see, the instructors who teach it, school locations, and the interview process. We’ll also get down and dirty into the bootcamp’s dollar details (alliteration!) and show you what your costs will be and the different financial arrangements you can make to cover them. By the time we’re done, you’ll be fully briefed and ready to make a move toward a better and more fulfilling career.

UC Berkeley Bootcamp Locations

As a Berkeley bootcamp student, you’ll attend classes at one of three brick and mortar locations. All three locations are in the greater San Francisco Bay area, and you can take courses at Berkeley’s Belmont Center campus, the downtown San Francisco campus, or the main campus location in downtown Berkeley. All of the sites are easily accessible and offer nearby parking.

UC Berkeley Bootcamp Review

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Maybe you don’t live close to San Francisco Bay but still want to attend coding bootcamp, or perhaps you live nearby but have real-life obligations that would prevent full-time attendance, such as work and family. Don’t fret—you’re still covered. Berkeley offers a self-paced online course that you can take anywhere and at any time and, because you go at your own speed, you can tailor the coursework around your schedule.

Berkeley’s coding bootcamp gets top marks from former students who regard the program as tough and challenging, but of huge benefit to their personal and professional development. In their reviews, the students highlight specific aspects of UC Berkeley’s bootcamp that pushed them and made them better developers. On average, students gave Berkeley’s bootcamp top ratings across the board.

UC Berkeley Extension Bootcamp Cost

Programming is a valuable skill that attracts fat, tasty paychecks, which means that coding bootcamp ain’t free. You’re in luck, though; compared to many other programming bootcamps, UC Berkeley bootcamp is a steal at $11,995 for a full course. That’s half of what some other programs make you pay. And, the price doesn’t go up depending on your curriculum, so a full-stack developer course costs you the same as a cybersecurity course.

Berkeley offers many financing options and will work with the student to help them pay for coding bootcamp. The school also accepts the GI Bill and other government educational assistance programs. Berkeley has scholarship offers to help defray costs, as well, and a new government program called EQUIP is being rolled out to provide financial assistance to low-income students attending training bootcamps that partner with colleges and universities. With so many choices, there’s sure to be an option that works for your situation.

Bootcamp Instructors

One of the reasons to select an elite university is their instructors’ quality. UC Berkeley has some of the finest and most respected instructors on the planet– and that includes their coding bootcamp staff. You’ll be taught by some of the best programming minds around and will get to experience life alongside true professional coders who want you to grow and flourish in your professional career.

At Berkeley’s bootcamp, you’ll find dedicated and knowledgeable instructors who come directly from the business world and know how to get you ready for the job market. Berkeley makes sure that their classes have limited enrollment to ensure that the instructor-to-student ratio is low. You’ll work with leaders in the field and benefit from their life lessons. The bootcamp instructors are responsive and flexible, as well—you’ll often find them in one-on-one conversations with students to help them grasp a concept or complete a difficult task.

Berkeley Bootcamp Schedule

Your schedule at UC Berkeley coding bootcamp will vary depending on your course and location. Full-time students will have twenty hours of weekly class time for twelve weeks– and lots of projects and homework time to go along with it. The instructors are available for at least thirty minutes before and after class to assist you and answer questions. You’ll meet your instructors during the application and interview process; if you’re curious about what to expect in your interviews, check out our guide to coding bootcamp interviews.

If you opt for a part-time course, you’ll cut your weekly attendance time in half to ten hours and double your course length to twenty-four weeks. Those folks who take a self-paced online course don’t have set schedules for their studies, but the course itself lasts twenty-five weeks. There’s sure to be a program that works for your lifestyle with so many options.

Berkeley Bootcamp Reddit Discussions

UC Berkeley’s bootcamp developed in association with Trilogy Education Services, an innovative startup that has begun working with many prestigious universities across the country to offer training bootcamps. We love this concept and had a great discussion about it with Dan Somer, Trilogy’s founder and CEO, that you can find here. We’re not the only ones who love it, either—you can find all kinds of Reddit chatter about Trilogy’s program, in general, and Berkeley’s coding bootcamp in particular.

Much of the Reddit conversation centers around the new model that Trilogy is developing and that Berkeley is following. For instance, a Redditor asking for program information got an ecstatic review from one poster who loved the mix of value and flexible schedules that Berkeley offers. They couldn’t get over how good the instructors are, and they were especially happy that they were able to attend bootcamp and still keep working.

Berkeley Bootcamp Curriculum

“Okay,” I hear you say, “the instructors are great, the school is amazing, and the cost is reasonable. Also, you’re extremely good looking and quite intelligent. But what subjects will I learn in coding bootcamp?” First of all, I appreciate the compliments, but I’m a little creeped out and curious as to how you can see me. Secondly, we’ve got your curricula right here, pal. Berkeley’s curricula for their coding bootcamp, as well as their other bootcamps, are packed to the gills with great topics.

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When you enroll in UC Berkeley’s bootcamps, you can expect to get loaded down with topics, no matter which course you’re taking. Full-stack developer students will take classes in mySQL, GIT, MongoDB, jQuery, JavaScript, React.js, CSS, and Node.js. Cybersecurity students, by contrast, will learn Python, penetration testing, Linux, ethical hacking, mobile security, network security, and cryptography. And, UX/UI students can expect a challenge as well; they can look forward to learning HTML, JavaScript, GIT, CSS, and user experience design.

UC Berkeley Bootcamp Job Placement

Not only will you get a top-notch coding education, but Berkeley will use their muscle to find you a great job once you’ve graduated. Having an institution as respected as Berkeley advocating for you is powerful stuff—you’d be astonished at the doors they can open. Finding your first developer gig will be a whole lot simpler when Berkeley has your back.

There are plenty of people who will testify to how their bootcamp helped them find work, too. One Redditor, a long-time manager, explains how bootcamps make people more attractive as job prospects because of the habits and skills they’ve learned. Another Redditor testifies that they received several immediate job offers after bootcamp and were even able to hold out for better pay.

And that’s the whole deal, boys and girls. Coding bootcamp is a terrific option when you want to change course in your career or set out to learn a trade and, when you’re looking for a high-quality education option, there’s no better place to go than UC Berkeley. We hope this guide has been helpful in your search for the right coding bootcamp—whether you opt for Berkeley or another of Trilogy’s affiliated schools, you can rest easy knowing that your future is in good hands.