UNC Charlotte Coding Bootcamp: Reviews, Cost, and Guide

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a short and fascinating history. Unlike most east coast universities bearing state names, UNC Charlotte is actually quite new. The university was founded in 1946 to help meet the educational needs of veterans returning from World War II. These veterans, graced with the G.I. Bill, seized upon the new opportunities they had and got an education. The university hasn’t forgotten its roots, and now this generation has an opportunity to do the same with a more modern education program. UNC Charlotte now offers a university coding bootcamp, backed by Trilogy Education Services and hosted by the Charlotte campus. Classes take place at the Center City campus and feature several high-tech career education courses that both students and non-students can access. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about the coding bootcamp at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, along with resources you can use to prepare for enrollment. 

UNC Charlotte Bootcamp Reviews

Due to the relative newness of coding bootcamps, there aren’t that many options for students looking to review their program. Nonetheless, Trilogy’s coding bootcamp model covers the essentials and earns a review of 4 out of 5. Students are ultimately responsible for how well they do in the course, but the curriculum provides the resources necessary to develop strong and competitive technology skills.

UNC Charlotte Bootcamp Cost

Coding bootcamps, like any worthwhile education, cost a relatively large sum of money. Full-curriculum coding bootcamps generally cost between $6,000 and $20,000 in the United States, but sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Coding bootcamp, unlike many college programs, doesn’t require you to purchase expensive textbooks or equipment. Comparatively, these programs can save you an enormous amount of money, while simultaneously giving you the skills to land a high-paying job and increase your salary. At UNC Charlotte, all programs (full and part-time) cost $10,995—which is on the low end of the price scale. Overall, this coding bootcamp offers an excellent value to anybody in the area who wants to learn full stack web development, data science, or cybersecurity without breaking the bank. Also, this university coding bootcamp offers several scholarships that can greatly reduce the cost burden to students. You can also finance this program if you don’t wish to pay upfront, and many students take advantage of low-interest loans to cover other expenses while attending coding bootcamp. 

Instructors

The instructors at this coding bootcamp are well-trained and devoted to helping students learn to code. While it’s impossible to measure the effectiveness of a program’s instructors definitively, we can look at reviews around the internet to get an idea of what they’re like. Some former students believe that the instructors and T.A.s at this University of North Carolina coding bootcamp are well worth the expense. Overall, students seem to be very satisfied with the quality of education presented by UNC Charlotte’s Trilogy coding bootcamp, which falls in line with reviews we read about similar programs around the country. 

Schedule

The coding bootcamp at the University of North Carolina follows the typical Trilogy schedule. Classes are held from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM on two nights per week, and another class from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturdays. It’s structured this way for a reason—this part-time schedule allows students to maintain college courses or a job while attending the program. Keep in mind, the part-time program takes twenty-four weeks to complete (or six months), so it’s not a quick commitment. For those with the focus or time to complete the program sooner, UNC Charlotte also offers a full-time full stack web development course. This program takes place between 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM Monday through Friday, with weekends off. The full-time program takes only twelve weeks (three months) to complete. Classes are information-dense, so it’s important to attend as many as you can. Students who miss class are liable to miss enormous chunks of information, and it can be tough to catch up once you fall behind. So, clear your schedule and make sure you have sufficient time for class and take-home assignments.

Curriculum

The curriculum at UNC Charlotte’s coding bootcamp is intense—it needs to be, or there would be no way to cram so much course material into such short a time. If you study hard and put in the effort, you’ll be able to manage it. UNC Charlotte’s coding bootcamp offers full stack web development, data analytics and visualization, and cybersecurity programs. The full stack web development course, usually the most popular, covers a wide range of coding languages. These include HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, Bootstrap, and jQuery, along with Express.js, Node.js, Database Theory, and React.js. That’s not all, as students also have time to practice MongoDB, Command Line, MySQL, and Git, which leaves them with a very strong base to build on. Data analytics and visualization students learn a different curriculum, featuring advanced Excel, statistics, Python programming, Tableau, and more business-related systems. Cybersecurity curriculum includes Wireshark, Kali Linux, Metasploit, Nessus, along with certification-related skills in CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+, and more.  WIth the right preparation, anyone can manage the curriculum here.

UNC Charlotte Coding Bootcamp on Reddit 

Reddit is a time-tested resource for the internet’s most… honest opinions.  Regardless of how you view the community on Reddit, these individuals know a thing or two about coding bootcamp. Reddit is an excellent resource for finding out what real students think about the programs, as long as you take it with a grain of salt. Redditor opinions on coding bootcamp vary, but there’s quite a bit of good information on the forum about Trilogy coding bootcamp programs. If you get a chance, do a little research on the site to see where everybody stands on the program. Most of the time, Redditors seem more curious than anything about coding bootcamp, with many people chiming in to share their opinions on the programs. From what we can tell, the primary sentiment about these programs is, ‘they are what you make of them.’ In a sense, coding bootcamp isn’t a free ride into a six-figure tech career—but it does equip you with the tools you need to start forming your career. 

UNC Charlotte Bootcamp Job Placement

As we mentioned earlier, simply completing a coding bootcamp isn’t usually enough to guarantee a job in the industry. However, if you apply the same effort you used to graduate to your job search, you’ll likely see success in the industry. UNC Charlotte’s coding bootcamp offers job and career counseling to graduates, which many students say was extremely helpful. The program doesn’t offer a job guarantee, though it offers the training necessary to begin your journey into a tech career. Online reviews can provide insight into what students can expect after graduation. It takes work to get a great job, especially in tech—but coding bootcamps like UNC Charlotte offer you the skills you need to get there.