Located just outside of Chicago, Northwestern University is one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country. And now students across the country have the opportunity to experience Northwestern education, via their bootcamp programs in coding, data, cybersecurity, FinTech and UX/UI. The highly educated instructors at Northwestern prioritize the students’ experience, with a curriculum consisting of in-demand tech skills and real-world projects. Throughout the 12-24 week program and upon completion, students receive support from career coaches and benefit from the school’s industry partnerships. 

Northwestern bootcamps are currently being offered in a fully remote setting, allowing students from all over the country to participate in these programs. With full and part-time offerings, participants can expect to earn their certificate of completion within six months, dedicating at least 10 hours of in-class time and 20 hours of outside work per week. 

Who Should Take a Northwestern Bootcamp?

Northwestern University bootcamp programs are primarily designed for those looking to maintain their work or college schedule, while gaining skills towards a new career path. Program alumni have used their experience to make the move into technical positions like web developer, software engineer, fintech analyst and more. Regardless of past education or professional experience or age, Northwestern values hard work and ambition. Devoting hours to class on top of other obligations is no easy task, but it’s worth coming out the other side armed with all the skills needed to advance your career or enter a new field. The school puts it best:

“If you are eager to expand your knowledge and join the tech world, seeking to advance or change careers, and most importantly: ready to roll up your sleeves and work HARD…then this could be the life-changing move you’ve been looking for.”

Courses offered by Northwestern

Northwestern offers bootcamps in five different subject areas: Coding, Data Science and Visualization, Cybersecurity, FinTech and UX/UI design. All but the coding bootcamp are offered exclusively on a part-time basis, with full and part-time options available for coding students. Classes run on a quarterly basis for a period of 24 weeks (12 weeks for full-time coding). For all courses, classes are held Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. While bootcamps have previously been offered out of both a Chicago and Evanston, Illinois location, currently all instruction takes place virtually, with live remote instruction and office hours for all subjects. Below, we’ve broken down the types of skills you can expect to learn in each of Northwestern’s programs. 

Curriculum and Mentorship at Northwestern

Northwestern prides itself on providing an immersive and individualized learning experience for all students. All instructors come to their course with at least three years of industry experience, and programs employ a low student: teacher ratio. In order to meet the needs of all types of students, coursework is broken down into three types of experiences: live instructor-led discussion, timed in-class exercises in small groups and portfolio projects. According to Northwestern, the independent and team work split simulates a professional environment, mimicking the “day in the life” experience of a full stack web developer, cybersecurity professional or UX/UI designer.

With the end goal of employment in mind, the curricula of bootcamps at Northwestern is geared towards building a real world portfolio and completing a series of practical hands-on projects. Before beginning the program, pre-course material ensures all students are up to speed and courses are regularly audited to account for emerging trends in the sector and new technologies. Students have constant access to a full suite of support options, including TAs in every course, live office hours with instructors and virtual tutors. 

Student Life at Northwestern Bootcamps

Despite only offering remote courses at this time, Northwestern has gone to great lengths to foster student engagement and community within its bootcamp programs. The school states that, “when it comes to learning difficult subject matter, nothing beats face-to-face interaction,” which is why they’ve placed so much emphasis on live instruction, allowing students to ask questions and work with peers on projects. 

Another core value at Northwestern contributing to the student experience is two-way communication between students and instructors and among peers. In addition to email, phone and office hours, students are granted access to a dedicated Slack channel to stay in constant communication with one another and the instructional team. Additional services outside of the (virtual) classroom that enhance the learning experience include tech industry expert panels, weekly student feedback surveys, project demo days and attendance and homework tracking. 

Getting a Job with a Northwestern Bootcamp

A dedicated career services team is available to every participant in Northwestern University bootcamp programs. Through an empowerment model, the team guides and supports students in building the job-search skills they need to land that dream role. This process takes place in two stages. First, a career material team member provides individualized feedback on job search materials, which might include a resume, portfolio and/or LinkedIn account review. Then, the career director offers individualized one-on-one meetings to discuss career goals and prepare for the interview process. Along the way, students have access to additional resources such as technical interview training, social media support, soft skills training and mock interviews.

Northwestern operates on a model of creating employer competitive candidates, which is distinct from employer ready candidates. The competitive NW grad candidate will have “positioned themselves for success through networking, company research, excellent professional materials, and a strong demonstration of their commitment to ongoing learning. These candidates are proactively seeking and pursuing the jobs that they want with effective outreach and follow-up strategies.”

How to Pay for a Northwestern Bootcamp

Below is a listing of the current cost of tuition of each bootcamp program offered by Northwestern. The listed program tuition rates are valid through the 2020-21 academic year ending August 30, 2021, and tuition is subject to change.

Private student loans, early registration pricing and payment plan options are available and students should speak with an admissions advisor to learn more. Additionally, Northwestern alumni are eligible for a $500 scholarship towards tuition.