A review of GW Bootcamps

Hi, I’m Polina! Formerly, I worked as a senior digital marketing manager and now I am the marketing mentor at Pathrise. I help job-seekers prepare for their future in digital marketing. Check out my review of GW Bootcamps.

What does GW Bootcamps do?
Who is GW Bootcamps for?
What does GW Bootcamps cost?
Ratings and reviews of GW Bootcamps
Alternatives to GW Bootcamps
How does GW Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?

What does GW Bootcamps do?

GW Bootcamps offers courses to help people launch new careers in digital marketing, UX/UI design, web development, data analysis, financial tech, and cybersecurity. Students don’t need any prior experience. But, the bootcamps do require self-paced pre-work so all students start at roughly the same level. In-person options are usually available at campuses in Arlington and Washington DC. However, the program is currently remote due to Covid-19.

Web dev

The coding bootcamp teaches students fundamental full-stack web dev skills to help them land an entry level developer job. Students in the 24-week part-time program meet two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, plus a Saturday class from 10am to 2pm. This part-time program still requires about 30 hours of work per week total. It includes a good bit of work outside of class as well. While not currently available, their full-time coding bootcamp runs for 12 weeks, with classes Monday-Friday from 10am to 2:30pm.

Coding students learn to build full-stack web apps. They participate in live lectures, hands-on assignments, workshops, and projects that they can add to their portfolios. The curriculum covers front-end and back-end development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Node.js, React.JS, and C#. Students also work with bootstrap, ASP, Heroku, MongoDB, and MySQL. In addition, they cover data structures and algorithms during the JavaScript unit. Grads can take an optional continuation course on Python, Java, and Amazon Web Services to build their tech skills and portfolios during the job search.

Digital marketing

Students in the 18-week part-time digital marketing bootcamp learn all the strategies and tools they need to become a digital marketer. Classes meet two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Students participate in live lectures, hands-on exercises, workshops, and group projects. Although the course only has about 10 hours of live instruction per week, students can expect to put in about 30 hours of work per week in total, including projects and self-study.

The curriculum teaches students to develop successful digital marketing campaigns, build a brand, craft brand strategies, generate leads, and create and maintain sales funnels. Students work hands-on with a website to improve SEO search ranking like they would on the job. Students also work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, and other in-demand marketing tools. Grads leave the program with polished digital marketing portfolios full of real campaigns that they can show potential employers.

UX/UI

The UX/UI bootcamp runs for 24 weeks with classes on two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, plus a class on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Students should expect to work about 30 hours per week total, including self-study and design project work outside of class. The curriculum teaches students the design theory and tools they need to become a UX designer from scratch through live lectures, assignments, workshops, and hands-on projects.

First, students learn design thinking, design research, interviewing, persona creation, prototyping, user testing, and other user-focused skills. Then, the curriculum covers interface design, enabling students to work hands-on with Atomic Design, Adobe XD, and other in-demand tools. After learning about visual design and web prototyping with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and bootstrap, students work in teams to build a final project that they can add to their portfolios.

Data science

Students in the part-time data science course meet for 24 weeks with classes on two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, plus one class on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Although the bootcamp is part-time, students can expect to work 30 hours a week between live classes, project work, and self-study. The curriculum teaches students to visualize and analyze data with Excel, Python, and JavaScript. Students work hands-on with SQL and MongoDB to organize data into easily retrievable formats as they familiarize themselves with databases.

The curriculum covers visualization through HTML and CSS as well as more advanced data tools like Tableau, Hadoop, and even machine learning. Students participate in live lectures, hands-on workshops, assignments, homework, and projects throughout the course. The bootcamp culminates in a group project where students build data visualization apps that they can add to their portfolios to help them get entry level data science jobs.

All students also have access to career services. Both a career director and a profile coach work 1-on-1 with students to prepare them for the job search. Career services also include portfolio reviews, mock interviews, technical interview training, resume workshops, and networking events. In addition to receiving a formal certificate and getting job leads by email, the bootcamps culminate in a demo day where students can show off their group projects to local employers.

Who is GW Bootcamps for?

People with little to no background in UX/UI design, digital marketing, web dev, or data analytics who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from a GW bootcamp. Their program is especially helpful for people based near Washington DC or Arlington where the George Washington University name may stand out, as well as students seeking a hands-on curriculum with portfolio projects. The fast pace could also be a good fit for students who want to learn lots of new technical skills in a relatively short period of time. Although all their bootcamps are currently part-time, their intensive workload may rule out students who are busy with a full-time job or other full-time commitments.

What does GW Bootcamps cost? How much work is involved?

Tuition for any part-time bootcamp is $10,995. Although not currently enrolling students, the full-time 12-week web dev course usually costs $11,995. Students can pay in interest-free monthly installments or pay upfront for a discount. Students who register early and George Washington University alumni both get a discount.

The application process begins with filling out a short form or calling the admissions office. An admissions advisor then calls candidates for a behavioral interview. Select candidates take a final critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. No tech experience or coding challenge is required.

Ratings and reviews

GW Bootcamps has received mostly positive reviews. They hold a 4.6/5 star rating on Course Report, where grads praised the practical curriculum and passionate instructor team. A recent grad benefitted from the bootcamp’s structure and hands-on experience, appreciating that the curriculum taught her “current tools in a structured manner.” Another grad described the instructors as “extremely knowledgeable” and willing to use “their real-world experience to help us navigate both theoretical and practical applications” for each tech topic.

But, the top reviewer was frustrated that students “need to spend 4+ hours daily after class to keep on pace” and felt the course moved too fast overall. The grad was also disappointed by the job support, telling students to “forget about it for career services, everyone that found employment in my class did so on their own.” While they were confident that “GW’s name carries weight on your resume in the Washington DC area,” they felt the course is only worth it for students who are “okay with paying $10k for a name.”

A student on Reddit struggled to “balance a full-time job” with the 30+ hour commitment, they were still impressed with the “competent and helpful” instructors. However, other students were critical of GW Bootcamps’ job support and their parent company, Trilogy. One Reddit user warned that “no one has had anything positive to say about Career Services.” Overall, students were impressed with the course’s supportive staff, practical curriculum, and the university’s reputation, although some grads would have preferred a more relaxed pace with more help getting a job.

Alternatives to GW Bootcamps

If you choose not to enroll in a GW University bootcamp, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and resources that can help you launch a career as a web developer, digital marketer, data analyst, or UX designer.

Vanderbilt Bootcamps, University of Denver Bootcamps, and UC Berkeley Bootcamp all teach digital marketing, web dev, and data courses with both full-time and part-time options available. These university bootcamps are all managed by Trilogy, the same parent company that manages GW University’s bootcamps, meaning they offer a similar curriculum design and career services.
Students seeking university courses can also look into Coursera. Their platform hosts thousands of low-cost courses taught by professors at accredited universities. Their program is flexible, remote, and self-paced.
Similarly, edX is a learning platform that offers self-paced university courses from top schools like Harvard and MIT, and even big tech companies like Microsoft. Students can choose to learn the fundamentals or take a deep dive into specific topics, like digital marketing or UX design. Read more about edX in our review.
BrainStation is a bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, web dev, product management, UX/UI design, and more. Their program is project-based, with networking opportunities and 1-on-1 feedback for students.
Another popular bootcamp with both online and on-campus options is Flatiron School. They have full-time and part-time tracks in data analysis, data science, cybersecurity, and software engineering.
The well-known bootcamp General Assembly offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on tech topics like UX/UI design, data science, software engineering, digital marketing, and more. Their program boasts over 19,000 hiring partners, a hands-on curriculum, and a 91.4% job placement. Find out if General Assembly is right for your goals in our review.

More alternatives

Another remote program with mentoring and a project-based curriculum is Springboard. They have tracks in software engineering, data science, data analytics, machine learning, UX/UI design, and more. If students don’t land a job within 6 months of graduating, they get a full refund. Read more about Springboard in our review.
Similarly, Thinkful is an online tech bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, digital marketing, software engineering, UX design, and more. Their program includes career coaching and group projects like GW Bootcamps.
Aspiring web developers can check out CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities. Read more about CodeX Academy in our program review.
Students seeking a flexible web dev program can check out Bloc. They host online courses in both web development and web design, with real-time instructor feedback, a project-based curriculum, and 1-on-1 mentorship meetings every week.
The online bootcamp DesignerUp offers instructor-led and self-guided courses for aspiring UX designers. You can read more about DesignerUp in our review.
Similarly, Designlab is a remote tech bootcamp that teaches students the skills they need to launch careers in UX design. Their hands-on program includes 1-on-1 mentoring. Read more about Designlab in our review.
Aspiring data scientists can consider DataCamp. This online tech resource hosts 300+ courses on data science subjects that only last about 4 hours each.
Although students should have some basic math skills before applying, Metis teaches introductory data analytics courses with a project-based curriculum. Students can learn online or in-person at one of their city campuses. Read more about Metis in our review.

Even more alternatives

A full-time bootcamp with the intensity of GW Bootcamps, Kenzie Academy offers in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design with front-end engineering. Like GW University Bootcamps, Kenzie Academy features a hands-on curriculum with industry mentoring and a demanding pace. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
Likewise, Design Sprint School has self-paced and live UX courses. On the other hand, Avocademy is an online design bootcamp that helps students build up their portfolios.
Aspiring digital marketers and designers can check out GrowthX Academy, a tech bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, UX design, sales, and business development. Kellogg Executive Education, Loyola University Digital Skills Bootcamp, Jelly Academy, and SDSU Bootcamp also offer part-time marketing courses.
The extremely popular Codecademy platform hosts hands-on courses on web development, dozens of programming languages, and even data science. They offer full courses completely free. However, $20-$40 monthly memberships are available for greater course options and support. Read more about Codeacademy in our review.
For people seeking self-paced courses on a budget, Udacity could be a good fit. They have tracks in marketing, UX design, software, web dev, and data science with both free and paid options. Students in their nanodegree programs build polished portfolio projects and work closely with both technical and career mentors. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
Similarly, 365 Data Science is a low-cost and low commitment option to learn data fundamentals. In the same vein, FourthBrain has part-time, online machine learning courses.
You can also check out Boise CodeWorks and DevPoint Labs, which are full-time, in-person coding bootcamps.

How does GW Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?

GW Bootcamps offers tech courses that help people start a new career in digital marketing, UX/UI design, web development, or data analytics. Their program is designed for complete beginners, with mandatory pre-work so students start the same page. Pathrise job-seekers should already have some background in their chosen field so they can fully benefit from the technical curriculum.

Pathrise is a career accelerator that has helped 800+ students and professionals land their dream job in tech. A full service organization, Pathrise works with program fellows on all phases of the job search, including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. Our curriculum is tailored to each individual fellow’s needs, focusing on whatever area they need to improve.

Bootcamps at GW University tend to be intense and fast-paced. Even though their current course offerings are all part-time, students still have to work 30+ hours each week. Our program is flexible, with only 2-4 hours of group sessions per week and 1-on-1 sessions fellows can schedule as needed. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) means that fellows don’t pay anything until they land a job they love and start working. We never require upfront payments or deposits.

Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentorship and personalized training. Fellows in our program see their interview scores double and their application responses triple. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to land your dream tech job, join Pathrise.