University of Wisconsin Adds Tech Bootcamp as Continuing Ed

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/18/19
closeup of coding on laptop

A Wisconsin university has signed on with an online bootcamp to provide crash courses in in-demand tech skills to address the state's job training needs. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's (UWM) School of Continuing Education is working with coding school Thinkful on the initiative.

The Thinkful program delivered through the university promises to convert beginners to "job-ready" in six months. Topics will cover web development fundamentals, web apps, server-side programming with Node.js, React development, and data structures and algorithms. It costs $10,500.

The average yearly salary increase for students who complete the program is just over $19,000, according to the company. Thinkful said 84 percent of its students get hired within six months. It offers a job guarantee: Those who aren't offered a qualifying position within six months of graduation are eligible for a 100 percent tuition refund. The service also includes six months of career coaching.

A unique aspect of the bootcamp's approach is the use of mentoring. Each week, students meet via Slack or e-mail with an "industry veteran" for "pair programming," where they write and review their software code and talk about course topics and projects in progress.

"This partnership is well suited with the school's goal of meeting regional workforce needs," said Nancy Nelson, provost's deputy for continuing education at UWM, in a statement. "This course provides participants with the skills necessary for high-growth careers in web development while also meeting the rapidly changing technology needs of industry."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • glowing digital brain made of blue circuitry hovers above multiple stylized clouds of interconnected network nodes against a dark, futuristic background

    Report: 85% of Organizations Are Using Some Form of AI

    Eighty-five percent of organizations today are leveraging some form of AI, according to the latest State of AI in the Cloud 2025 report from Wiz. While AI's role in innovation and disruption continues to expand, security vulnerabilities and governance challenges remain pressing concerns.

  • glowing digital shield with a checkmark in the center, surrounded by interconnected lines and nodes on a dark blue background with subtle circuit patterns

    Navigating CMMC 2.0: New Cybersecurity Standards Impact Higher Education

    In October 2024, the Department of Defense published a new update to its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification enforcing new cybersecurity standards on universities and colleges. With Phase 1 beginning this year, here's what the new requirements mean for higher ed.  

  • collection of glowing digital documents and seals

    1EdTech: 6 Key Steps for a Successful Credentialing Program

    A new report from 1EdTech Consortium outlines recommendations for creating microcredential programs in schools, colleges, and universities.

  • Two figures, one male and one female, stand beside a transparent digital interface displaying AI symbols like neural networks, code, and a shield, against a clean blue gradient background.

    Report Makes Business Case for Responsible AI

    A new report commissioned by Microsoft and published last month by research firm IDC notes that 91% of organizations use AI tech and expect more than a 24% improvement in customer experience, business resilience, sustainability, and operational efficiency due to AI in 2024.