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How a Coding Bootcamp Can Launch Your Software Engineering Career

Software engineers create the technology that drives modern society. They have the ability to develop apps, websites, APIs, and other digital technologies. Software engineering is a demanding yet gratifying profession with the potential to positively influence both companies and customers. There's a team of software engineers dedicated to improving any website, app, or product you've recently used.

Software engineers, as a result of this, have never been more in demand than they are now. Every company from small to multinational enterprises is developing software for its clients to use, and software engineers command high salaries, excellent job satisfaction, intellectually stimulating work, and the chance to utilize cutting-edge technologies.

The UMass Global Software Engineering Bootcamp will get you up to speed with the fundamentals of programming, the most popular tools and technologies, and the best practices you'll need to get a gig in software engineering. You'll master the MERN stack, which is the most popular among web developers, and consists of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.

You'll complete the bootcamp with a bespoke capstone project where you'll build a complete web application. Your portfolio will be professional grade, helping you stand out to hiring managers.

While the program is designed to be finished within nine months, the 100% online format allows you to learn on your own schedule, giving you the ability to complete the course faster if you would like to study more hours per week. During the course, you’ll have a 1:1 industry mentor who can provide feedback on your projects, answer questions, and share industry knowledge. 

Additionally, you’ll have access to nine optional career units to help prepare you for career success. Learn about networking fundamentals, researching job titles and companies, writing resumes and cover letters, and interviewing. Many hours of technical interview prep are also available, ensuring you are fully prepared for whiteboard and coding interviews. 

Read on to see how the UMass Global Software Engineering Bootcamp can help propel your career in software engineering. 

Software engineering careers

Within software engineering, there are several alternative career paths and specializations to consider. As you get more experienced with what it takes to create software, you'll be drawn to roles that utilize your skillset and interests. Following is a list of possible job titles, fields, and pay levels that you might pursue after graduation.

  • Web Developer: $70,000

  • Front-end Developer: $87,000 

  • Full-stack Developer: $106,000 

  • Software Engineer: $108,000 

  • Back-end Developer: $115,000 

Curriculum

In this bootcamp you'll complete projects similar to the work software engineers do daily. You’ll develop a strong portfolio that shows your ability to work end-to-end on a development project. Plus, you’ll learn to collaborate with generative AI and code smarter and faster with a new AI learning unit. Preview some of the curriculum units below:

Foundations Curriculum: Building Your Web Development Toolkit

Learners without previous coding experience will begin in this introductory curriculum, which equips you with the essential skills to embark on your web development journey.

  • Beginning with HTML, learn to structure web content and create a digital resume.

  • Style your creations with CSS, adding visual appeal and responsiveness.

  • JavaScript brings interactivity to your pages, and you'll apply these skills in a series of engaging exercises.

Introduction to web development

  • Explore the evolution of the web: From its humble beginnings to the dynamic, interconnected ecosystem of today.

  • Understand the underlying mechanics of the web: How data flows, servers communicate with clients, and the core principles driving modern web applications.

  • Get acquainted with the MERN stack: Learn the basics of MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js and understand their roles in building full-stack web applications.

  • Lay the foundation for future learning: Establish a solid understanding of web development concepts to prepare for the deeper dives into each MERN technology.

Development Environment Basics

  • Set up VS Code: Install, configure, and customize your code editor with extensions tailored for web development.

  • Master the command line: Learn essential commands for navigating directories, installing packages, and executing scripts.

  • Install MERN stack tools: Use the command line to prepare your environment for working with MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js.

  • Get started with Git and GitHub: Understand the basics of version control, collaborate with others, and manage your projects effectively.

JavaScript for Web Interactions

  • Master intermediate JavaScript: Error handling, algorithms, data structures, asynchronous programming, modules, OOP, and ES6+.

  • Interact with the web: Manipulate web page elements and handle user interactions.

  • Communicate with backend systems: Work with APIs, understand REST and GraphQL.

  • Structure your code: Learn the MVC design pattern.

  • Prepare for your capstone: Begin conceptualizing and planning your web application.

MVC with MERN

  • This module dives into the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, a blueprint for structuring modern web applications. Using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js), you'll build each core MVC component:

    • View (React.js): Craft interactive user interfaces with essential React concepts like state management, forms, and routing.

    • Model (MongoDB): Master database interaction, from traditional relational databases to the flexible NoSQL power of MongoDB.

    • Controller (Node.js and Express.js): Create APIs, handle requests, and secure your application's communication.

    • Integration (Next.js): Seamlessly unite your frontend and backend, optimize performance, and leverage TypeScript.

    By the module's end, you'll have the skills to build full-fledged MERN stack applications and be ready to tackle your capstone project.

The Path Forward: Building Your Portfolio

  • Harness the power of AI prompt engineering: Craft effective prompts, guide language model outputs, and understand real-world applications.

  • Build a robust portfolio: Complete five projects, including a capstone, showcasing your ability to build full-stack web applications.

  • Demonstrate your expertise: Pass assessments that evaluate your knowledge and skills in various aspects of web development.

  • Launch your career in tech: Graduate with a strong portfolio and the skills to succeed in the ever-evolving world of web development.

Custom capstone and hands-on projects

Demonstrate your skills through hands-on projects, and graduate with a professional-grade capstone, where you'll build a complete web application, which will be the centerpiece of your portfolio. View a description of the portfolio projects below:

Capstone project

In this project, whose steps are distributed across the course, you will build a complete web application using MongoDB as the database, Node.js and Express.js for creating the API layer and React.js for building the frontend.

Jeopardy

Build an app to recreate the jeopardy game.

Pokedex

Create a pokemon application with a custom user interface, which is an encyclopedia of various information on Pokémon (a Pokedex).

Space Travel

Build a futuristic app to plan space travels by maintaining and tracking the details of all our spacecrafts.

Dog Adoption Platform API

Design and build RESTful APIs for a Dog Adoption Agency. 

Personalized student support

During the bootcamp, you’ll have a whole team of human support with you. This includes:

Student advisor: Your advisor will be with you throughout the bootcamp, and can help address any questions you have. They’ll also match you with a mentor that aligns with your needs and interests. 

Personal mentor with regular 1:1 video calls: Receive industry insight and career advice, as well as feedback on your assignments and projects. 

Online community: Connect with your fellow peers, and share feedback and ideas as you progress throughout the bootcamp.

1:1 career coaching sessions: Navigate your career search with these optional career units and support from a 1-on-1 career coach. 

UMass Global
peter-nsaka
Peter Nsaka
Software Engineer
skye-nguyen
Skye Nguyen
Sr Software Engineer
john-newton
John Newton
Sr Controls Software Engineer
sonia-rm-karungi
Sonia RM Karungi
Web Developer

Is this coding bootcamp right for you?

Knowledge of programming is not required for acceptance into the Software Engineering Bootcamp. 

  • If you are new to coding, you can enroll in the Foundations+Core version of the program, where you’ll learn what you need to succeed. 

  • If you already have basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills, you can test directly into the more advanced Core version of the curriculum.

FAQ

What is software engineering?

Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software; that is the application of engineering to software. Software engineers created every website or app that you have ever used. Software engineers can also create more complex software, like operating systems, but this bootcamp mostly covers the development of websites and applications.

What does a software engineer do?

Software engineers design and test the code that makes up our digital world. Applications may have hundreds of files, and software engineers are in charge of creating them and ensuring they function properly. Engineers may be in charge of deploying code to a server and debugging, maintaining, and upgrading live apps.

Is software engineering hard?

Anyone with determination can learn software engineering.  The complexity of software engineering can sometimes seem daunting, but many software engineers enjoy problem solving. Creating programs is usually simpler than debugging programs. Software engineering can be viewed as a lifelong learning journey, as even professional developers are always learning something new or overcoming a new obstacle.

Is software engineering in high demand?

There is a greater need for software development than ever before. The rate at which technology advances outpaces the number of qualified engineers, and technology is only going to continue to advance. Once you can secure your place in the software engineering industry, you can expect a lucrative career with great job security.

What is the salary of a software engineer?

Software engineers are some of the highest paid professionals in the world. Entry-level software engineers can expect to make right around $100K, with skilled engineers earning very high annual salaries, especially in geographies where competition for software engineers is high, like New York or San Francisco.

How quickly can I become a software engineer?

There are many paths to becoming a software engineer, but through this bootcamp, most students land jobs within 13 months of starting the course. The bootcamp itself typically takes about nine months to complete, and then students complete a few months of job searching and interviewing before landing their job.

How to become a software engineer?

You don’t actually need a computer science degree to become a software engineer. Instead, you need to build programming skills in an in-demand language. You need to build a strong portfolio of real work that will show hiring managers your skillset.

What type of jobs can you do after a software engineering bootcamp?

As a UMass Global Software Engineering Bootcamp graduate, you’ll have built the skills necessary to land positions like:

  • Web developer

  • Software engineer

  • Full-stack developer

  • Front-end developer

  • Back-end developer

Is Software Engineering a good career in Massachusetts?

Absolutely, software engineering is a highly rewarding career choice in Massachusetts. The region, especially around Boston and Cambridge, is known as a tech and innovation hub hosting numerous world-class tech companies, start-ups, and other reputable institutions. These organizations frequently seek skilled software engineers for a variety of roles. The state also boasts competitive salaries that often surpass the national average for software engineers, making it an attractive location for professionals in this field. Moreover, Massachusetts has a robust tech community that fosters continuous learning and networking opportunities.

More questions about the program?

Speak to our enrollment advisor by completing an application, email Carolina from our enrollment team, or explore more frequently asked questions.

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