Founded in 2012, Fullstack Academy is a tech bootcamp provider that offers immersive online programs for AI & machine learning, software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, DevOps, and product management. Many bootcamps offered by Fullstack Academy have flexible scheduling options to allow students to balance career development and other commitments. Fullstack Academy also offers the Grace Hopper Program, a software engineering bootcamp...
Founded in 2012, Fullstack Academy is a tech bootcamp provider that offers immersive online programs for AI & machine learning, software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, DevOps, and product management. Many bootcamps offered by Fullstack Academy have flexible scheduling options to allow students to balance career development and other commitments. Fullstack Academy also offers the Grace Hopper Program, a software engineering bootcamp for women and non-binary students, in addition to partnerships with leading universities nationwide.
In the AI & Machine Learning Bootcamp, students will explore practical and theoretical machine learning concepts using real-world tools and graduate with the specialized knowledge needed to apply AI fundamentals in a current role or pursue a new career in the data field.
As part of the Cloud Computing Bootcamp curriculum, students acquire the skills and knowledge to navigate cloud computing complexities, including learning about fundamental concepts and gaining experience with popular platforms like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The Fullstack Academy Software Engineering Immersive is JavaScript-based and covers coding basics, front-end development, back-end development, and more.
Throughout the Cybersecurity Bootcamp, students learn offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills, including Linux, automation, pen testing, bash scripting, Python for security, incident response, digital forensics, and NIST framework.
In the Data Analytics Bootcamp, students learn data visualizations, data-collection systems, Excel, Python, SQL, and more.
The Product Management Bootcamp curriculum combines hands-on lessons and interactive technology with foundational material, preparing students for every step of their product management career journey. Learn essential skills spanning the product development life cycle, from ideation to performance analysis.
All Fullstack Academy bootcamps include career and job search support to help students land jobs in some of the fast-growing fields. Graduates of Fullstack Academy have been hired by Google, Amazon, Facebook, Fortune 100 firms, startups, and more.
I don't regret going to FSA. I have an engineering job as a result of what I learned at the program, but a few things rubbed me the wrong way. I'm going to focus mostly on negatives because I haven't read some of my biggest concerns in other reviews. Also, apologies for the rambling and disorganization below, I acknowledge the structure of my review could be better.
Fullstack Academy is not equipped properly to handle everyone of all levels
I think they...
I don't regret going to FSA. I have an engineering job as a result of what I learned at the program, but a few things rubbed me the wrong way. I'm going to focus mostly on negatives because I haven't read some of my biggest concerns in other reviews. Also, apologies for the rambling and disorganization below, I acknowledge the structure of my review could be better.
Fullstack Academy is not equipped properly to handle everyone of all levels
I think they removed this from their website, but they use to state that everyone from all backgrounds would benefit from going to FSA, even seasoned programmers who want to brush up their skills. Some people with programming experience, especially seniors, would pull their teeth out with the amount of pair programming the bootcamp forces you to do. I personally wish they did less pair programming. They immediately alienate people with programming experience in the first week by doing a long workshop on why pair programming is the best way to learn. FSA tries to prove the point that pairing beginners with beginners leads to the most amount of growth, but they fail to discuss intermediate and expert level programmers paired with beginners. The beginners obviously learn a lot from people with more experience, but, ultimately, the people with the most experience get dragged down a little by less experienced partners. You're not supposed to finish every workshop, but some of the more knowledgeable people would benefit more from finishing the workshop all the way through, and doing the extra credit, instead of teaching their partner the workshop. FSA recommends finishing the workshops at home anyway, but it could feel like class time is wasted time. This applies to both experienced programmers and fast learners who end up becoming the top of the class.
I think FSA needs to work on a way to better balance the curriculum for beginners, those with a background in programming, and fast learners. The curriculum is great for computer science graduates because a lot of universities do not teach full stack technologies or web dev, however, workshops and especially group projects can be painful when you're not supposed to move on if your partner does not understand what's going on. I'm not saying person who is struggling should be left in the dust, I'm saying it's just not ideal scenario for both parties, and I do not believe that FSA handles the students who struggle the most appropriately, but I'll talk about that in a later section. FSA has to rely on pair programming due to not having enough resources (teachers and teaching assistants) to support every student during a workshop.
Those with a CS degree also want to do a bootcamp like FSA because they want help in building a portfolio for job hunting, so the second half of the program sounds incredibly appealing. FSA gives you a ton of code and knowledge of a stack that you can leverage to build your own projects, but it's difficult to produce a decently functional app in the short amount of time you're given if you have to code along with someone who is struggling. Yes, you can work on the app after you've graduated but some people want to immediately dive into the job hunt once the program ends. I witnessed a couple students do the entire project for the rest of their team, which really sucks for the people who didn't actually end up doing the project because they can't even explain the code. In this scenario, I think it would be better to match students of similar levels for projects so everyone will learn together (as FSA even stated at the beginning of the program).
Additionally, there's a little bit of a toxic culture towards individuals who have a computer science degree or had a programming job. This is not only specific to FSA, I have encountered other bootcampers who express the same sentiment. FSA's curriculum is great for CS degree graduates who were never taught full-stack technologies. Despite these graduates not knowing web dev, other students talked about the experienced people and asked "why are they even in this program?", or put down computer science majors for not knowing the same things bootcampers know. It was enough to make me feel uncomfortable and that reaction is unwelcoming to students who do have a CS degree. It's one thing to say you accomplished something without a four year degree, but it's another thing to put someone else down for it.
FSA does not provide enough support for the top strugglers
As mentioned earlier above. FSA should be more strict with who passes junior phase. The strugglers would really benefit from redoing the first phase (which is a possibility) instead of FSA expecting other students to educate the struggler during the final phase when these other students are already past that point and want to start developing applications. Someone from my cohort didn't finish and understand the last project before senior phase, had redo the project, and somehow "passed" even though they still did not understand React and Redux in senior phase. FSA threw them on a team for the first project, and expected the rest of the team to catch the person up with pair programming. This person ended up even more left behind because the team wanted to have a working app. It's not a great situation for everyone involved and is a great diservice to the person who's struggling.
There are not enough teaching assistants, not long enough office hours, and class sizes are way too big. My cohort size was around 40 students, which FSA mislead me about when I was applying. I asked several times how big classes are and they either gave me a non-answer (it fluctuates with the seasons) or told me about 20. I was not expecting that class size. Students do not get enough attention or resources amongst large class sizes. Increasing the class sizes also floods the market with even more junior dev job seekers, so it's even more difficult to get an engineering job.
FSA is misleading about their outcomes
I'm not a big fan of the fact that they showcase success stories and companies who have hired graduates from the first year or two of FSA, when bootcamps were probably at their peak. They also do not explicitly state how many people get non-software engineer jobs like product management, support engineer, or solution constultant. Not all graduates land programming jobs, quite a few end up in a form of a technical role that does not involve coding. FSA also links to out of date CIRR reports that have higher success rates.
FSA spends too much time on "sharing your feelings" and "bonding" events/workshops
Someone did mention this in another review, and I also felt the same way. You are forced to go to lunch with a group every week to share your highs and lows. There are retrospectives where you compliment other people in the class for something they did well. Sometimes FSA ends the day early for bonding activities with other classmates or fellows. It felt like wasted time when I paid so much, and FSA already moves too fast and doesn't spend enough time on certain topics. Also, somewhat related, everyone is an adult, but I felt like I was being treated as a child by how certain FSA staff talked to the class.
How much does Fullstack Academy cost?
Fullstack Academy costs around $19,910. On the lower end, some Fullstack Academy courses like Online Data Analyst Training Accelerator Program cost $0.
What courses does Fullstack Academy teach?
Fullstack Academy offers courses like Fullstack Academy AI & Machine Learning Bootcamp (Part-Time), Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Analytics Bootcamp (Full-Time), Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Analytics Bootcamp (Part-Time), Fullstack Academy Product Management Bootcamp (Part-Time) and 8 more.
Where does Fullstack Academy have campuses?
Fullstack Academy teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Fullstack Academy worth it?
Fullstack Academy hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 393 Fullstack Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Fullstack Academy on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Fullstack Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 393 Fullstack Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Fullstack Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.8 out of 5.
Does Fullstack Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Fullstack Academy offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Fullstack Academy reviews?
You can read 393 reviews of Fullstack Academy on Course Report! Fullstack Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Fullstack Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.8 out of 5.
Is Fullstack Academy accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Fullstack Academy doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.
Just tell us who you are and what you’re searching for, we’ll handle the rest.