general-assembly
About
About
General Assembly offers short and long courses in web and mobile development, product management, data science and more, online and in-person, across 15 campuses in 4 continents. Focusing on the most relevant and in-demand skills across data, design, business, and technology, General Assembly is confronting a skills gap and providing access to opportunities in tech. General Assembly offers a breadth of different course offerings and classes range from full-time immersive courses for learners that want to switch to a new career, to part-time courses for learners that are looking to improve their career trajectory by acquiring a new skill set, and mentor-led online circuits for a more flexible way to acquire foundational skills.
To apply for an immersive bootcamp, applicants need to submit an online application, then connect with a General Assembly admissions representative who will evaluate whether the course is a fit for an applicant's experience and goals. Applicants then complete an admissions assessment to ensure they are prepared for the rigor of the curriculum. Once a student is accepted and has paid a down payment, their spot will be secured.
General Assembly career coaches work with students to create their career path, improve technical interview skills, and build a personal brand. Graduates can attend GA-hosted hiring events and meet hiring managers. The careers team partners with companies for course development and graduate placement and helps companies stay competitive in today's digital landscape. Additionally, General Assembly has made a commitment to affordable and accessible education combined with an education-to-employment approach that helps to create a diverse talent pipeline.
In addition to long-form course offerings, General Assembly courses are also available as short form bootcamps (1-2 day workshops) as well as evening and weekend classes.
Recent General Assembly Reviews: Rating 4.28
Recent General Assembly News
- Virtual Tour: General Assembly's Online Classroom
- Meet an Instructor: Terry Rice of General Assembly
- August 2020 Coding Bootcamp News
Courses
Courses
Data Analysis On-Demand
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $950 Class size N/A Location Online Get started with essential tools and strategies to make data-driven decisions. Enhance your job performance and work more effectively. Data Analysis On Demand is a flexible learning path that gives you a robust introduction to industry fundamentals. Skill up when you want, where you want on our dynamic online platform. Expert mentors keep you motivated with guidance and feedback in convenient 1:1 sessions. Build a strong foundation in Excel and SQL while honing techniques like cleaning data, framing questions, and data visualization. Apply new skills to work or passion projects as you go!Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans N/A Scholarship N/A Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Placement Test No Interview No
Data Analytics (Part-Time)
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Harness Excel, SQL, and Tableau to drive powerful analysis and insights. Build confidence and credibility to apply this versatile skill set to countless jobs. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Data Science Immersive
ApplyMySQL, Data Science, Git, Data Visualization, Hadoop, Spark, Data Analytics , Algorithms, Business Intelligence, SQL, Python, Machine Learning
In PersonFull Time40 Hours/week12 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $15,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Your best course for career transformation. This full-time data science bootcamp features expert instruction, one-on-one career coaching, and connections to top employers to get you hired. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit 250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize. Income Share Agreements are available through Vemo.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Basic SQL query knowledge/scripting and familiarity with Python required. Strong familiarity with math and descriptive statistics required. 2-5 years of experience as an analyst is ideal. Prep Work 40 Hours Placement Test Yes Interview Yes
Data Science (Part Time)
ApplyData Science, Git, Data Visualization, Data Analytics , Algorithms, Business Intelligence, Python
In PersonPart Time6 Hours/week10 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Familiarity with math and statistics and Python syntax/programming fundamentals is required. Prep Work 15 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Digital Marketing On-Demand
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $950 Class size N/A Location Online Get started launching multi-channel brand, acquisition, and retention campaigns. Enhance your job performance or indulge your creative curiosity. Digital Marketing On Demand is a fun, flexible learning path that gives you a robust introduction to digital marketing fundamentals. Skill up when you want, where you want on our dynamic online platform. Expert mentors keep you motivated with guidance and feedback in convenient 1:1 sessions. Hone techniques in segmentation, customer insight, CRM, analytics, automation, and more. Apply new skills to work or passion projects as you go!Financing
Deposit None Tuition Plans N/A Scholarship N/A Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Placement Test No Interview No
Digital Marketing (Part-time)
ApplyDigital Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Content Marketing
In PersonPart Time4 Hours/week10 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Build confidence and capability to apply modern marketing strategies on the job. Drive growth with multichannel campaigns powered by data and customer insight. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Front-End Web Development (Part-Time)
ApplyHTML, Git, JavaScript, Design, User Experience Design, CSS, Front End, GitHub
In PersonPart Time6 Hours/week10 WeeksStart Date None scheduled Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Learn to leverage HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through hands-on projects and real-world scenarios. Develop interactive, responsive websites to impress new clients and employers with your coding skills and get ahead on the job. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
HTML, CSS & Web Design - On Demand
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $1,250 Class size N/A Location Online This course enables students to create a well-designed site with the user in mind, and master the technical vocabulary to communicate ideas to designers and engineers. Students will learn how to quickly translate their ideas into functional, stylized websites for personal or business purposes using HTML, CSS, responsive web design and design fundamentals. This course is offered on a flexible schedule to suit your time commitment. You'll receive useful feedback from a mentor who has extensive professional and academic knowledge of the field. By the end of the program students will have built a full functioning website to use as part of a portfolio.Financing
Deposit N/A Financing N/ATuition Plans N/A Scholarship N/A Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Placement Test No Interview No
JavaScript Development (Part-time)
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 6 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Product Management (Part-time)
ApplyDesign, Sales, Product Management, User Experience Design, Agile
In PersonPart Time4 Hours/week10 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Balance business viability, technical feasibility, and customer desire to lead products and features toward long-term success. Learn from a seasoned expert. This course is also offered in an online, virtual classroom setting. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Python Programming (Part-Time)
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 4 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
React Development Online (Part-Time)
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Online Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered only online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Prior experience with JavaScript. Prep Work 4 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Software Engineering Immersive
ApplyHTML, JavaScript, Django, Rails, CSS, React.js, Front End, Ruby, SQL, Python, GitHub
In PersonFull Time40 Hours/week12 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $15,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Your best course for career transformation. Our award-winning coding bootcamp, dedicated career coaches, 19K+ hiring partners, and global expert network get grads hired at A-list companies. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit 250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize. Income Share Agreements are available through Vemo.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 40 Hours Placement Test Yes Interview Yes
Software Engineering Immersive - Flex
ApplyHTML, JavaScript, Django, Rails, CSS, Express.js, React.js, Node.js, Ruby, SQL, GitHub
OnlinePart Time18 Hours/week24 WeeksStart Date None scheduled Cost $14,950 Class size 22 Location Online Have it all. Keep your daytime commitments while transforming your career with evening and weekend training. Our award-winning program, expert instructors, dedicated career coaches, and 19K+ hiring partners get grads hired at A-list companies. This course is offered only in an online, virtual classroom setting using Zoom, Slack, and other tools.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 40 Hours Placement Test Yes Interview Yes
User Experience Design Immersive
ApplyStart Date None scheduled Cost $14,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Your best course for career transformation in design. This full-time UX bootcamp features expert instruction, one-on-one career coaching, and connections to top employers to get you hired. This course is offered in person and online, in a virtual classroom setting.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize. Income Share Agreements are available through Vemo.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 12 Hours Placement Test Yes Interview Yes
User Experience Design On-Demand
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $950 Class size N/A Location Online Get started designing successful digital products that customers and audiences love. Enhance your job performance or indulge your creative curiosity. User Experience (UX) Design On Demand is a fun, flexible learning path that gives you a robust introduction to UX fundamentals. Skill up when you want, where you want on our dynamic online platform. Expert mentors keep you motivated with guidance and feedback in convenient 1:1 sessions. Hone techniques like prototyping, persona building, affinity mapping, wire-framing, and user research. Apply new skills to work or passion projects as you go!Financing
Deposit N/A Financing N/ATuition Plans N/A Scholarship N/A Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Placement Test No Interview No
User Experience Design (Part-Time)
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $3,950 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Translate user wants and needs into intuitive digital experiences that power revenue, loyalty, and product success. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex design problems on the job. This course is offered on campus and online, in a virtual classroom setting using Slack, Zoom, and other tools.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Visual Design (Part-time)
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $2,800 Class size 22 Location Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, London, Washington, Online, Atlanta, Singapore, Melbourne, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Austin, Sydney, San Francisco Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered on campus and online in a virtual classroom setting using Slack, Zoom, and other tools.Financing
Deposit $250 Financing Financing options are available through Climb Credit and Meritize.Tuition Plans Payment Plans are offered by General Assembly. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner Prep Work 3 Hours Placement Test No Interview Yes
Reviews
General Assembly Reviews
Shared Review
- Missing Something- 12/2/2019Cristen Johnson • Graduate • Course: User Experience Design (Part-Time) • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedIn
My experience with General Assembly started off very rocky. I'm not your traditional student just looking for another class they can take for the experience. I wanted to learn a new skill for a career change. I think that goal was met; however, I am still looking for employment in the field. I've joined a few Meetup groups and went to one conference, so I'm going to keep trying.
I also got a moment to speak with other designers and learning the process isn't enough. You need to learn code. I know that as a UX Designer/Researcher, you shouldn't have to learn code, but I've noticed that employers don't really understand what we do so if you don't fit the minimum application requirements you are out of luck. I really was hoping that there would be help getting your portfolio together, but there was nothing. To be quite frank, if you are looking for more case studies to put on your portfolio (btw, if you take the online cohort they will not help you with this) you will have to go with a longer class (i.e. DesignLab, Springboard, etc.). They give you more ways to present your work. We only had the option to work on a responsive site or a mobile application (10 weeks vs 9 months).
If you are committed to working on this class at least 20 hours a week...you'll pass. My TA took a while to get back to us with grades, but he makes himself available for you if you ask. The instructor will also. In my opinion, the instructors made the experience for me great. They will answer any questions you may have about being in the field. The class is very interactive and you are allowed to critique your peers.
Advice for GA would be to make the job assistance available for all students and add coding to your course. For those that come from a completely different industry, this would help tremendously.
- User Experience Design Immersive- 9/18/2020Zion Chang • Graduate • Course: User Experience Design Immersive • Campus: New York City • Verified via LinkedInThe course was very effective in practicing the skills of a UX designer. As one would expect, the course really depends on the instructors and the groupmates you are taking the course with, but I saw that General Assembly tries their best to keep that become a hindrance to the students by checking in with each student and group to support them with any issues, whether it be work-related or issues between group members. Overall, it's worth taking, if you can afford it and can handle fast-paced learning and some workload.
- Data Analytics- 9/9/2020Vivian • Course: Data Analytics (Part-Time) • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI enjoyed the online course at General Assembly. The instructor was fantastic! It was a wonderful learning experience, where I have learned a lot of data analytics skills. I feel this is a valuable course and allows me to grasp how data analytics can be. I certainly have much more to learn in this field and look forward to doing so.
We received a Certificate of Course Completion right one week after the course was complete, which is super efficient!
- Certificate of completion? Awol- 9/2/2020Mathew wong • Student • Course: Front-End Web Development (Part-Time) • Campus: Melbourne • Verified via LinkedInThe course was great overall, instructor was very good and helpful. Learned a lot. However it's been months now and no one in our bootcamp has received a certificate of completion even when we have asked several times. Beware, once the course is completed don't expect any evidence of actually completing it :(
- Love this bootcamp- 6/1/2020I attended this bootcamp as part of the Adobe Digital Academy program, and this bootcamp proved valuable. I came in with hopes on brushing up my react knowledge, since I was a very beginner. The instructor, Kareem, was superb, and I came out feeling a lot more confident. I am now doing an internship at Adobe using React, and the projects and the lessons I learned were all very applicable. I just wish we could have gone over more React concepts such as Redux or Hooks. I also would have preferred learning Python/Django as the back end over Ruby on rails.
- Michael Riccio • Student • Course: JavaScript Development (Part-time) • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedIn
IN SHORT: Don't take online javascript at General Assembly. You won't gain the skills needed to be competitive in the coding industry. As a middle school teacher I know what good learning looks like, and this online class is simply not doing enough.
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I was let go from my teaching job during the recession and was desperately looking to provide for my family. I've always dabbled in programming so I decided to go that direction. After researching for a course I could afford I signed up for general assembly javascript online (b/c coronavirus).
The first class was spent installing everything and getting github working. I was using windows and the teacher had never taught a student on windows before, so he couldn't help me get everything started and pointed me in the direction of articles that should help me. They didn't. I had to figure out how to emulate the unix termainal on my system all by meself, and then distribute the information to the other underserved windows users. Though this was just the first class, I didn't want to rush to conclusions. I mean, we were only installing stuff, it must get better.
Next class we took an hour to learn js arithmatic commands. An hour. I had already taught myself a decent amount of javascript and I knew it didn't take that long to learn a simple skill like this. When I talked to my advisor they said that this course was for absolute beginners and was going to move extremely slow. Unfortuneately they didn't mention this before the class started. Because of this and the underwhelming teaching of the second lesson I decided to withdrawl. Little did I know that because I had participated in the first class (the one that was just installing everything) I had forfieted the right to a full refund and General Assembly was going to walk away with a cool $400 of my money. My family's money. In the middle of a recession. For teaching me literally nothing.
This is a company like any other and they will take your money if they can sell you the product. If you are able to learn on your own, do it. If you can afford to do a in-person intensive $16k class, do it. Though don't do this middling bs online course. You will regret it.
- Switching to a Career in Data- 5/7/2020Lauren • Data Engineer • Student • Course: Data Science Immersive • Campus: Sydney • Verified via LinkedInI did the GA Data Science Immersive course in September 2019.
It was a complete career change, having spent 7 years in payroll and accounts payable, I was able to switch to a career in data. I am now a Data Engineer so I got the best outcome I could have wished for.
The facilities at GA Sydney are great, so many new people to meet with regular social events. There is a sparkling shared kitchen and work space areas. The staff are great.
I think the curriculum needs to include more SQL as there is such a high demand for it in the market at the moment.
The job assistance program is also awesome and tailored individually.
If you do an immersive course I would recommend committing 100% to it, study hard, go to lots of meet ups and do lots of pre-work and you are on to a winner!
- GA's UXDI Bootcamp was definitely worth it!- 5/1/2020Miykaelah Sinclair • UX Designer • Graduate • Course: User Experience Design Immersive • Campus: New York City • Verified via LinkedInFor the 3 years leading up to taking General Assembly's UX Design Immersive, I had been struggling to find the right career path for me, and I was searching for something that would help me upskill and make myself marketable as a job applicant. Prior to this program I had paid $1000s to career coaches, trying to get help with my resume and applying to jobs as project managers, but the results were lack-luster.
Then in October 2019, I looked at GA's UX program again, I compared it with other competitive programs in NYC for UX, and ultimately, I went with GA because of how long they've been doing this program, the price, the length of the program, and the career support. I'm 1 month out of the program, and as I am hustling in my career search at the moment, made extra difficult thanks to COVID, I have to say that GA prepared me so well for this hustle and for being a competitive candidate in the field. My resume, LinkedIn, and Portfolio site are all high quality and hit all the points that I've heard Recruiters and Hiring Managers talk about looking for in several career search panels I've visited since.
Our instructors were so knowledgeable, very approachable, and they created one of the best learning environments I've ever been in. If only college had been this fun. Also, GA creates a very high standard for creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, which I really appreciated.
I'd highly recommend this course to anyone considering making a career switch into UX.
- Great Value, Loved it!- 4/13/2020Brianna Jones • Freelance UX/UI Designer • Graduate • Course: User Experience Design Immersive • Campus: Los Angeles • Verified via LinkedInI really enjoyed the experience of completing the UXD Immersive at General Assembly in downtown LA. I truly believe that the education I received there and the experience that I gained is worth every penny spent to make it happen. A month and some change later, I'm still job hunting (amidst a global pandemic) and I'm very well supported by the Outcomes team in staying focused and continuing to apply for jobs-- it's just not a great time to be out of work and seeking. I am glad that I took this course and will use the tools and methods I learned there throughout my career.
- Great Content Poor Execution- 2/27/2020Karadi • Cloud Securtiy Architect • Student • Course: Software Engineering Immersive • Campus: Washington • Verified via LinkedInFebruary 6, 2020I quit the program in the last two weeks due to finding a job and poor execution by Management. Our instructor changed three times and we had not one class on algorithms or Big-O notation, reasons I took the course. They did not respond to my letter until after three emails.
LETTER BELOWPlusesFirst we’ll start with the positives from the physical to the logical and qualitative.LocationThe GA campus in DC is clean, serviceable and well stocked with excellent Frontlines support. I would give it as near as 100% as possible. Classrooms always have working projectors, enough seats and whiteboards. Coffee, Peanut Butter and Jelly and tea bags are always plentiful.OutcomesThe outcomes team gives the students most of the skills I learned in this industry at dozens of customers and clients over 20 plus years. As much as the students complained about the long sessions to me, those that follow its rigors will secure a position quickly.CurriculaThe curricula as defined in the GA SEI Syllabus compares well with Flatiron, CodingDojo, Trilogy and others.InstructionAll lead instructors seemed knowledgeable of the material covered. All instructors were approachable and inviting of the material.DeliveryThe Google calendar was updated weekly with relatively accurate material to be presented and learned. Labs and software functioned as expected. Installfest saved the students trouble that they will quickly learn in the field. Compatibility and libraries are key from development to deployment.MinusesNow, some constructive guidanceLocationThose stairs are extremely steep and elevator access restricted. Heat in these historical buildings often has trouble on those frosty days. This one is no different, a space heater or two might help if compliant ones are available.OutcomesOnly one thing I might recommend here are interview dry runs. We had one or two examples of interviews, and I imagine hiring panel next week will be equally excellent. But as mentioned below, practice, practice practice! All candidates I have ever met benefit from practicing the interview questions and the discomfort. I mentor all of my charges in this area. We even do professional development sessions on it.CurriculaThe curricula was not taught completely. For example, one of the reasons, that I, an experienced Engineer chose GA were the Algorithms and Data Structures courses as shown in the screenshots below.These courses were not available until after the course opened and even worse were never addressed. This pattern of missing core material as we moved forward forms part of the basis for my letter and departure.InstructionOur lead instructor changed three times. None of them covered all of the material separately or together. For new students this gap will carry over into their new careers. Although I mentioned this before and in tickets, it has not been addressed adequately. It cannot be rectified at this late stage.DeliveryFurthermore there was often a lack of respect for the difficulties that the students faced. Comments such as the students are “lazy,” “do not want to work,” or “do not like to read have been heard.” While I encourage constructive criticism it must be backed by instructional excellence.Instructional ExcellenceAlthough very personable as a whole the instructional style was far too loose to give new students the comfort they need in this difficult, challenging and dynamic field. Like sport and music, training for novices is about learning patterns and executing them repeatedly and in combination. As the student grows, these patterns or katas inspire the artists to create their own symphonies.Not enough structure was provided for training the students muscle or neurological pathways to allow for confident improvisation. This is my number one guidance. When teaching new material it is vital that it is taught, demonstrated, practiced and reviewed. Although much of the material had this character, it has not been consistent enough to train the students.
On my final day I was directly criticized for the instructional failures of this cohort. I was told that I was pushing and telling the students what to do when in reality all that I did was:- Describe the concept.
- Demonstrate the concept.
- Allow the students to choose issues to tackle.
- Reviewed them as a whole.
The instructor who arrived later to try to guide us was disrespectful to me and to the classroom in his behavior.Summary
I chose GA over the alternatives for several reasons. First, the curriculum met most of the baselines of each of the other bootcamps in the area, although it was slightly pricier, the vibe and location seemed worth it. I was 100% accurate on the location and vibe, you are a warm and welcoming team that open your hearts to all students.Please structure the courses more. I mentioned this in my ongoing tickets and this letter. One of the lead instructors offers great answer and respond format. He sometimes made the students uncomfortable, yet it was the type of discomfort of growth rather than pain. Consistent training of your junior and lead instructors will ensure that the student learn the patterns better and all material is covered.Overall I have learned much from this program. I attended to have a structure and milestones to meet in an immersive format. This need was met. I am glad that I took this program, but I wonder if the Trilogy program might be more structured. Regardless, I thank you for this opportunity and look forward to seeing any of you in the field.Sincerely,Gouthum Karadi
- The Honest Truth- 2/17/2020Jason Moon • Web Developer • Graduate • Course: Software Engineering Immersive • Campus: Los Angeles • Verified via LinkedInI took General Assembly with the intent to make a career pivot into the tech industry by thinking I was going to learn the tools to become a software engineer. I ended up getting a role in Web Development. However, it was me, and mostly me, that set my path for this role. General Assembly just provided a base.
I had learned a whole lot throughout this boot camp, that is for sure. But, we have to understand that people are paying up to 22K (through the catalyst program) to take this course for their life objectives. Not only is this is a massive financial commitment, it is a time commitment, and most importantly it is an emotional commitment. As the aspects of money and time are self explanatory, the emotional commitment might be the biggest one as the job search afterwards is by far the toughest task.
Let's really take a step back here and think. Please understand this before you take ANY coding bootcamp.
12 weeks does not make a software engineer. I repeat. 12 weeks does not make a software engineer or a web developer or even a junior level developer. The reality is, General Assembly is a for profit school and they'll do everything in their power to get students to pay money and take their courses.
I want to reiterate that I learned a lot. But, I quickly realized that this program is more worth it for people who have coding experience already and want to expand their skills and not for someone who wants to make a career transition into programming. I say this despite the program being advertised as this one way ticket to becoming a software engineer who will make six figures right off the bat.
The fact is: the curriculum brushes over fundamental computer science concepts that normally go a long way in the coding interviews and only touch base on several technologies rather than going in depth with them. This makes sense because you really only have 12 weeks to "become as software engineer" yet, I thought that some things could have been excluded from the curriculum so us students could be further educated on important topics.
As for the instructors. Oh geez. They were great people but, dang do I felt like I really got ripped off on this aspect of the bootcamp. My cohort had two assistant teachers who took the course previously but have never had any professional development experience. But what was even more frustrating was that our global instructor, who was on a screen teaching multiple courses as at time, did not have any professional experience either! I would also ask him about certain advanced topics but he failed to guide me in them and ultimately was discouraging! It was such a joke that these instructors were so unqualified for their positions when students are putting in their souls into creating this professional transition. I almost felt cheated. Remember, as a student it's easy for someone to look good compared to you but in the end, it'll all unfold.
Lastly, General Assembly is praised for their outcomes/job assistance. But to be straight up, our career coaches did not help much. I even heard of other students from the other programs complaining about their career coach not being responsive until a student got a job! Blasphemous. For all of you out there drooling at the fact that these bootcamps have "outcomes or job assistance", it really isn't too much help. A quick google search or a phone call from a friend will be a better choice for advice.
Ultimately, General Assembly provided me a launch pad to boost my skills in development. However, I cannot recommend this to anyone with the price that they are asking of their students.
I want everyone to understand this.
You get yourself a job. Not a coding bootcamp.
Good luck!
- Career change via Software Engineering Immersive- 1/30/2020Kimberly Wilkes • Graduate • Course: Software Engineering Immersive • Campus: Boston • Verified via LinkedIn
Prior to participating in this bootcamp I had just made a complex decision to career change from elementary teaching to software engineering. I had somehow made a large friend circle of software engineers who offered their support and advice as well as two career changing friends who had just completed the General Assembly Software Engineering Immersive. I had tried to teach myself coding multiple times over my teaching career and decided a bootcamp would be the best kick to really help me move forward.
GA Boston has some of the best folks ready to support and guide people. It was intense, and it pushed me in ways I hadn't been pushed in a while. We learned JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, front-end to back-end development, and the Outcomes team (career coaching/job assistance) are incredibly supportive and knowledgable. I appreciated being able to schedule one on one time with the coaches and I felt like all the staff were really accessible and ready to help.
I was in a class of 18 people and felt very close with everyone. Even outside of the cohort I've connected with so many people throughout the alumni network. Overall I am glad for the experience and the network.
- Best Decision I've Ever Made- 1/24/2020Adam Cote • Full Stack Developer • Graduate • Verified via LinkedIn
Enrolling in the SEI program at GA was the best decision I've ever made. The staff at GA are wonderful, and the instructors are super knowledgeable, and more importantly happy to help you with anything. I think anyone with a poor review of GA wasnt there for the right reasons, it's not high school or university, you dont have to be there, you chose to go. Those that make the most of the resources there are the ones that will be successful. There's a lot of course content and it moves very fast so dig in and get ready to learn.
Outcomes
General Assembly Outcomes
* These outcomes are not audited by Course Report. In some cases, data is audited by a third party.
86%
Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate
100%
Employed
Employed
$N/A
Median Salary
Median Salary
Of the students who enroll at General Assembly, 86% graduated. 72% of graduates were job-seeking and 100% of job-seeking graduates found in-field employment after 180 days and report a median income of . Below is the 180 Day Employment Breakdown for 2653 graduates included in this report:
180 Day Employment Breakdown:
Full Time, In-Field Employee
97.6%
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position
0.0%
Short-term contract, part-time position, freelance
2.3%
Employed out-of-field
0.0%
Notes & Caveats:
To review General Assembly's full 2019 Outcomes Report, please click here.
