Hi, I’m Polina! Formerly, I worked as a senior digital marketing manager and now I am the marketing mentor at Pathrise. Now, I help job-seekers prepare for their future in digital marketing. Check out my review of KU Bootcamps.
- What does KU Bootcamps do?
- Who is KU Bootcamps for?
- What does KU Bootcamps cost?
- Ratings and reviews of KU Bootcamps
- Alternatives to KU Bootcamps
- How does KU Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?
What does KU Bootcamps do?
KU Bootcamps offers courses to aspiring digital marketers, web developers, data analysts, and cybersecurity professionals. They teach part-time courses with both in-person and online options. No prior experience is required, but all students complete self-paced pre-work before starting a bootcamp. All courses are now offered remotely due to Covid-19.
Digital marketing
The 18-week part-time digital marketing course teaches students the skills they need to become a digital marketer. Students in the program meet two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. The course features live lectures, office hours, hands-on assignments, workshops, and team projects. Students learn brand strategy, brand building, lead generation, funnels, SEO, and more. In addition, the course also teaches in-demand marketing technologies like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Customer Relationship Management software (CRMs), MailChimp, HTML, and CSS. Finally, students build polished portfolio projects showcasing a range of experiences from full-blown company marketing strategies to marketing campaign analysis.
Web dev
The web development program teaches people the skills they need to launch a full stack web development career. Students in the 24-week part-time program meet two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. The curriculum includes live lectures, team assignments, hands-on workshops, projects, and networking opportunities. Students learn to build full stack web apps using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Node.js, C#, and React.Js. Moreover, the curriculum also includes bootstrap, ASP, Heroku, MySQL, MongoDB, and more. Graduates leave the program with polished web dev projects to impress employers.
Data science
Students in the part-time data science course meet for 24 weeks two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm plus Saturday classes from 10am to 2pm. Students learn to analyze and visualize data using Excel, Python, JavaScript, Tableau, SQL databases, and more. Plus, they participate in live lectures, 1-on-1 coaching sessions, hands-on workshops, and team projects. For their final project, students work in teams to build a data visualization application that can be added to their portfolios and help them land entry level data science jobs.
KU Bootcamps include career services. Students participate in portfolio reviews, resume workshops, mock interviews, networking events, and more. Career coaches also work 1-on-1 with students to get them ready for the job search and students get job opportunities sent to them after graduating.
Who is KU Bootcamps for?
People with little to no experience in digital marketing, web development, or data analytics who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from a KU bootcamp. Similarly, the program is especially helpful for people based in Kansas and for those interested in flexible, hands-on courses.
What does KU Bootcamps cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition for any bootcamp course is $9,995. Interest-free monthly payment plans are available. In addition, KU alumni get a $500 discount. Plus, students who pay upfront or register early can also get a discount.
The admissions process begins with a brief application form or a call to the admissions office. Then, candidates have a behavioral interview over the phone. Finally, select candidates move on to a final critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. No prior experience is required.
Ratings and reviews
KU Bootcamps has received fairly positive reviews. They hold a 4.92/5 star rating on Course Report. Grads praise the course’s support and hands-on curriculum, but some would have liked greater job support and less intense coursework.
A top review on Course Report describes the program as “fast paced” and “intense”, but “very fun” and “worth it.” Another grad praised the curriculum, raving that “the material covered is extremely current”. But, they warned about “the time commitment”, explaining that the fast-paced classes often “need to be supplemented with up to twenty hours of outside study per week.” Though they acknowledged that the course provided good support for the curriculum, they were less impressed by the job support. Another grad also warned “huge time commitment” and only rated job support 3/5 stars.
A reviewer on Reddit “learned a lot” but felt there was a little too much coursework and “homework” outside of class. Students were critical of KU Bootcamps’ parent company, Trilogy, commenting that Trilogy “basically rents the university’s name to brand their own instruction.” Another Reddit user commented, “no one has had anything positive to say about Career Services.” A blog post on Switchup rates KU’s gave 8/10, praising their “proven curriculum” and “superb instructors” but warns of a “sub-par job support.” Overall, students seem satisfied with the course’s instructors and hands-on curriculum, though some would have liked less coursework and more help finding a job.
Alternatives to KU Bootcamps
If you decide not to enroll in a KU bootcamp course, there are a number of alternative courses and resources that can help you start a career as a digital marketer, web developer, or data analyst.
- The popular bootcamp General Assembly offers in-person and online options for students interested in digital marketing and data science, as well as software engineering, UX design, and other tech subjects. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- Aspiring web developers can look into CodeX Academy, a self-paced bootcamp with 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- Similarly, Kenzie Academy has in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design with front-end engineering. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Aspiring digital marketers also can look into GrowthX Academy, a tech bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, sales, and business development. Similarly, SDSU Bootcamp, Jelly Academy, and Loyola University Digital Skills Bootcamp have digital marketing courses.
- Vanderbilt Bootcamps, UC Berkeley Bootcamp, UC Irvine Bootcamps, Rice University Bootcamps, UC Davis Bootcamps, and University of Denver Bootcamps have digital marketing, web dev, and data courses with both online and in-person options. They are also managed by the Trilogy, the same company that manages KU’s bootcamp.
- The popular bootcamps BrainStation, Nashville Software School, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, Codeup, allWomen Academy, and Tech Talent South have tracks in data science, web dev, and more.
- Women, GNC people, and trans people can check out CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management.
- Similarly, NJIT Digital Skills Bootcamp, Pepperdine Graziadio Bootcamps, Palm Beach Code School, One Month, GW Bootcamps, Kellogg Executive Education, and DeltaV Code School have online courses in digital marketing and other topics.
More alternatives
- Aspiring data analysts can check out DataCamp or 365 Data Science, which are online resources with short courses.
- Similarly, Metis is a bootcamp with introductory data analytics courses. They feature a project-based curriculum with both on-campus and remote options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
- Or, you can consider K2 Data Science, which is a part-time, online program. Similarly, QuickStart, Clarusway, Rutgers Bootcamps, Kal Academy, DevPoint Labs, and UC San Diego Bootcamps have courses in web dev and data.
- If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
- In the same vein, FourthBrain has part-time, online machine learning courses.
- Students seeking 1-on-1 mentorship and ISA options may consider Thinkful, a bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, digital marketing, and more.
- Springboard is an educational resource with tracks in data science, software engineering, and more. If students don’t land a great data science job within 6 months of graduating, they get a full refund. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
- Similarly, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- edX is another popular online learning platform with university courses. Their self-paced courses come from top schools like Harvard and MIT, and even tech companies like Microsoft. Students can choose to learn the fundamentals or focus on specific topics, like digital marketing. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Students can also check out Udacity. They offer self-paced courses on marketing, data science, web dev, and more. Students get to build polished portfolio projects and work with both a technical and career mentor. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
How does KU Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?
KU Bootcamps offers courses to help people launch a career as a digital marketer, web developer, cybersecurity professional, or data analyst. While an interest in tech is recommended, most KU Bootcamp students start with no prior experience. Pathrise job-seekers should already have some background in their chosen field so they can fully benefit from our technical training.
Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentorship. Our experienced mentors have helped over 1,000 people find great tech jobs. In addition, we assist with all phases of the job search including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation.
Our flexible program only requires 2-4 hours of group sessions per week. Plus, fellows can schedule 1-on-1s as needed. The curriculum is tailored to fit the unique needs of each fellow. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) means that fellows don’t pay anything until they land a job they love and start working.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech. Fellows in our program see their interview scores double and their application response rate triple, landing jobs in only 3-5 months on average. If you want to work with our mentors to land your dream job, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
