Your Definitive Guide To DC’s Tech Bootcamps

D.C.’s tech bootcamps might be the jump-start people need when they’re looking to enter the tech industry partway through their career. Rather than invest the time and money into a Master’s program, students can take a 10-13 week course to prep for an entry-level developer position or develop other technical skills.

At places like The Iron Yard and General Assembly, student interest in these immersive programs is only growing.

“We’ve seen enrollment grow since we’ve been in D.C.,” said Shanaz Chowdhery, General Assembly D.C.’s regional director. “They look to us to make a new transition.”

General Assembly offers training in design, technology, marketing and data, including 10-13 week full-time bootcamps in data science, user experience and web development at its D.C. location. Most of their students come in knowing a bit about the subject they’re learning.

“We see students who are just trying to get their toes in the water and think ‘How do I even try to get into design,’” Chowdhery said. “(And) we might see students who have a little bit of experience.”

Over at The Iron Yard, D.C. campus director Brian LeDuc says their 12-week immersive courses are designed with career transitioners in mind.

“Folks are going through that 12-week course with the idea that on the other side they will be a junior developer,” he said.

What’s interesting about the D.C. market there are some companies that need software engineers, but they’re not what you would consider your typical tech companies.

LeDuc also said that The Iron Yard works hard to help its students find jobs after they “graduate”  — whether those jobs are with a more traditional software company or startup, or with a non-tech company, like a political group or nonprofit, working as developer.

"What’s interesting about the D.C. market there are some companies that need software engineers, but they’re not what you would consider your typical tech companies," he said.

D.C. tech recruiter Jay Perreault, who has worked with D.C. companies since 2000, cautions that the immersive programs are not a replacement for master’s programs.

“I would vote for the master’s,” he said. “Those have a bit more weight, but the six-to-eight week bootcamps, they’re marginally producing good folks.”

Perreault even said when he sees someone with computer science bachelor’s degree, he recruits them for positions with salaries in the $70,000-$80,000 bracket. However, when he sees someone with a non-technical degree and only an immersive program, he positions them for $60,000-$65,000 salary positions.

“I’m not necessarily negative about it,” he said. “It's just a prerequisite (course). It doesn't have the vast knowledge.”

Sophia Peaslee, a former student at The Iron Yard who now works as a junior developer for the Democratic National Convention, saw her Ruby on Rails immersive course as a way of giving her a leg up in the job market.

"When I moved to D.C., I thought I was going to get into political stuff," she said. "But I wasn't able to get a job because everyone comes to D.C. with the same qualifications."

I would vote for the master’s. Those have a bit more weight.

Peaslee knew she worked best in immersive environments, which is why she opted for The Iron Yard over graduate school. In her work for the DNC, she has worked on the popular voter registration tool IWillVote.com.

Now for those of you thinking “Excuse me, where do I find out more about these bootcamps,” here you go….

Some of the most well-known D.C. tech bootcamps:

General Assembly DC

The Iron Yard

Coding Dojo

Code Ninja

New York Code + Design Academy 

*Writer's Note: This list is not a comprehensive list of all organizations offering some form of tech bootcamp in the D.C. area.