Hi, I’m Polina! Formerly, I worked as a senior digital marketing manager and now I am a marketing mentor at Pathrise. I help job-seekers prepare for their future in digital marketing. Check out my review of Rice University Bootcamps.
- What does Rice University Bootcamps do?
- Who is Rice University Bootcamps for?
- What does Rice University Bootcamps cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Rice University Bootcamps
- Alternatives to Rice University Bootcamps
- How does Rice University Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?
What does Rice University Bootcamps do?
Rice University Bootcamps offers full-time and part-time courses for aspiring digital marketers, UX/UI designers, web developers, data analysts, project managers, financial tech professionals, and cybersecurity specialists. No prior experience is necessary. However, students must complete self-paced pre-work before beginning a bootcamp. While classes usually meet live at their Texas campuses, all courses are currently operating remotely due to Covid-19.
Digital marketing
The 18-week part-time digital marketing bootcamp teaches students the skills they need to develop, launch, and optimize successful digital marketing campaigns. 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, team projects, and workshops. Classes only require about 10 hours of work per week. But, students should expect an additional 20 hours of project work and self-studying to keep up.
The curriculum teaches students to build a brand, craft brand strategies, and generate leads. In addition, they learn how to create and maintain funnels, utilize search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, and more. The program is extremely hands-on, with lots of assignments and projects to give students a taste of running campaigns for real clients. For example, students design, manage, and improve SEO ranking for a website. They also work hands-on with in-demand marketing tools like Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager to develop, launch, and optimize their own marketing campaigns. Grads leave the program with polished digital marketing portfolios that they can show recruiters to become a digital marketer.
Web dev
Rice University’s web development bootcamps teach people the skills needed for front-end and back-end development. The 12-week full-time course meets Monday-Friday from 10am to 2:30pm and requires 40-50+ hours of intense coding work per week. The 24-week part-time program only meets 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, including self-study time and project work outside of class.
Although the pace varies, both the full-time and part-time courses cover the same curriculum. All students take part in live lectures, team assignments, hands-on workshops, lots of projects, and even networking events. Students learn to build full stack web apps using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Node.js, React.JS, C#, and React.Js. The curriculum also covers bootstrap, ASP, Heroku, MongoDB, and MySQL. The JavaScript curriculum also touches on some computer science concepts like data structures and algorithms. Not only do all grads leave the program with polished portfolios, but they also get access to an optional continuation course to further advance their skills and grow as coders. This continuation program acts as an online crash-course for learning Python, Java, Amazon Web Services, and other advanced software skills.
UX/UI design
Students in the 24-week UX/UI course learn the design skills they need to become a UX designer. Although the course is part-time, students should still expect to work about 30 hours per week. Classes meet two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. The course teaches students design thinking skills, user research, UX interviewing, user testing, insight synthesis, persona creation, decision mapping, and prototyping. Students also master interface design and visual design theory as they work hands-on with their own design projects. The final phase of the curriculum covers web prototyping with HTML, CSS, basic JavaScript, Adobe, Sketch, Bootstrap, Git, and jQuery. The program culminates in a final group project that students can add to their design portfolios and show off to potential employers.
Data science
The part-time data science course lasts 24 weeks and meets two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, plus one class on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Students work about 30 hours per week as they learn to analyze and visualize data with Excel, Python, and JavaScript. The curriculum also takes a deep dive into databases as students work with SQL and MongoDB to organize data into easily retrievable formats. In addition to web visualization skills like HTML and CSS, students also develop more advanced, in-demand skills like how to work with Tableau, Hadoop, and even machine learning. The course features live lectures, hands-on workshops, assignments, homework, and group projects. For their final project, students work in teams to create a data visualization app. Students add this project to their data portfolios and even present it to employers to help them land entry level data science jobs.
All Rice University bootcamps include career services. Students participate in resume workshops, portfolio reviews, technical interview training, and networking events. Both a career director and an online profile coach meet 1-on-1 with students to prepare them for the job search. In addition to participating in networking opportunities, past cohorts have presented their final group portfolio projects to local employers on Demo Day.
Who is Rice University Bootcamps for?
People with little to no experience in digital marketing, UX/UI design, web dev, or data analytics who are looking to start a new career in these fields could benefit from Rice University Bootcamps. Their program is especially helpful for people based in Texas, students seeking a hands-on curriculum, and for people who want a fast-paced learning experience. People with full-time jobs who need to work while in a course might not be a good fit for the program.
What does Rice University Bootcamps cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition for the full-time 12-week web dev course is $12,995. All other programs cost $11,995. Students can pay in interest-free monthly installments or pay upfront for a discount. Rice University alumni and students who register early also get a discount.
The admissions process begins with a brief written form or a quick call to the admissions office. Candidates move on to a behavioral interview with an advisor over the phone. Then, select candidates take a final critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. No prior tech experience is necessary.
Ratings and reviews
Rice University Bootcamps has received largely positive reviews. They hold a 4.86/5 star rating on Course Report, where grads praised the hands-on curriculum and supportive staff. A recent student felt the personalized support from instructors allowed him to “hone in on my strengths as I am learning the content.” The grad also appreciated the hands-on learning experience. They were confident that the challenging and practical curriculum allows for “discovery and self-learning during every class and assignment.”
Another grad was impressed by the “prestigious” partner university, confident that the “Rice University platform offers resources” and a reputation that can open for students. The grad especially enjoyed the practical “activities done in class” which he used for self-study. While the grad was convinced the bootcamp’s training and reputation would help students land a job, they only rated their career services program 3/5 stars.
The program also holds a 9/10 rating on Bootcamp Rankings. One grad praised their instructor for “their obvious passion” and “impressive knowledge.” Although the grad warned that the bootcamp can be extremely intensive, he still felt “the amount of sleepless nights will definitely be worth it.” Another student agreed that the program can be “hard to keep up with” and recommended prospective students “make sure you can dedicate time out of class to studying and completing assignments.” Although generally described as fast-paced, other grads rave about the “amazing teaching staff” and “amazing curriculum” that made the pace more manageable.
Students on Reddit were also critical of Rice University Bootcamps’ parent company, Trilogy. One Reddit user commented, “no one has had anything positive to say about Career Services” and others felt they exaggerated their connection to their partner universities.
Alternatives to Rice University Bootcamp
If you decide not to enroll in Rice University Bootcamps, there are a number of alternative courses and resources that can help you launch a career as a digital marketer, web developer, UX/UI designer, or data analyst.
- Both the University of Richmond Bootcamp, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, Pepperdine Graziadio Bootcamps, and UC Berkeley Bootcamp teach digital marketing, web dev, and data courses with online and in-person options. These university bootcamps are also managed by Trilogy, the same company that manages Rice University’s bootcamps, meaning they offer a similar curriculum and career services program.
- The well-known bootcamp General Assembly teaches full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like UX/UI design, data science, software engineering, digital marketing, and more. Their program features 19,000+ hiring partners, a hands-on curriculum, and 91.4% job placement. Learn more about General Assembly in our review.
- Aspiring web developers can also check out CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities. Read more about CodeX Academy in our program review.
- Flatiron School is a popular bootcamp with tracks in data analysis, data science, cybersecurity, and software engineering.
- Similarly, BrainStation and allWomen Academy teach courses in data science, web dev, product management, UX/UI design, and more. Their programs are project-based.
- Students seeking a flexible remote program can check out Bloc, Avocademy, or Memorisely. They host online courses in web development and web design, with real-time feedback, a project-based curriculum, and weekly 1-on-1 mentorship meetings.
- Similarly, Designlab is a remote tech bootcamp that teaches students all the skills needed to launch a career as a UX designer. Their program is hands-on and includes 1-on-1 mentoring. Read more about Designlab in our review.
- Another online product design bootcamp is DesignerUp. They have both instructor-led and self guided options. You can read more about DesignerUp in our review.
More alternatives
- Aspiring data analysts can check out Data Science Dream Job, a self-paced data science program. Their program is also flexible and includes job support.
- Although some basic math skills are required, Metis offers introductory data analytics courses with a project-based curriculum. Students can learn online or in-person at one of their city campuses. Learn more about Metis in our review.
- Similarly, DataCamp is an online tech resource with 300+ courses on data science subjects. Courses only last about 4 hours.
- Likewise, 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.
- If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
- Students seeking an intense full-time bootcamp can check out Kenzie Academy. They offer in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design with front-end engineering. Read more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Aspiring digital marketers and designers can look into GrowthX Academy, a tech bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, UX design, sales, and business development.
- Students seeking 1-on-1 mentorship and ISA options can consider Thinkful, a tech bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, digital marketing, and more.
- Women, GNC people, and trans people can check out CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management.
- Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
Even more alternatives
- Students on a tighter budget can look into Codecademy. This popular learning platform hosts hands-on courses on web development, dozens of programming languages, and even data science. While they offer full courses for free, $20-$40 monthly memberships are available for increased course options and support. Read more about Codeacademy in our review.
- You can also check out Udacity and Springboard. These are online educational platforms that students can use to brush up on the basics or advance their current tech skills. Read more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
- Students on a budget can also check out the university-based platform Coursera. They offer thousands of low-cost courses taught by professors at accredited universities. Their program is flexible, self-paced, and remote.
- Similarly, edX hosts 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. Learn more about edX in our review.
- You can also consider Tech Talent South. They have online and onsite courses in data science, web dev, software engineering, and UX design.
- Similarly, Nashville Software School, Clarusway, GW Bootcamps, and UC San Diego Bootcamps have courses in full stack web dev and data science.
- Finally, you can check out Palm Beach Code School, which has courses in web development and digital marketing. Or consider Kellogg Executive Education, UC Davis Bootcamps, and SDSU Bootcamp, which have part-time marketing courses.
How does Rice University Bootcamps compare to Pathrise?
Rice University Bootcamps offers courses to help people launch a new career as a digital marketer, UX/UI designer, web developer, or data analyst. While an interest in tech is suggested, most Rice University Bootcamp students start from scratch. They rely on pre-work and introductory lessons to get students up to speed. Pathrise job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field to get the most out of the technical curriculum.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps students and professionals land their dream job in tech. Our mentors work 1-on-1 with fellows on their resumes & portfolios, reverse recruiting and cold emails, behavioral and technical interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more. 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 deposits or upfront payment.
Bootcamps at Rice tend to be fast-paced and intense. Even their part-time programs require 30+ hours of work outside of class each week. Pathrise is a flexible program with only 2-4 hours of group sessions per week and 1-on-1 sessions that can be scheduled as needed. The curriculum is tailored to the needs of each individual fellow. Our experienced mentors have already helped 1,000+ program fellows land great tech jobs by working closely with them on whatever job-search component they need the most help with.
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, landing jobs in only 3-5 months on average. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to land your dream tech job sooner, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
