The University of North Florida is rolling out a new coding certificate program in its Division of Continuing Education.
The dean of the department, Edythe Abdullah, said trends in Northeast Florida’s workforce make the program timely.
"One of the things that we discovered in watching job growth is that coding is a very important skill set for new employees to have. In fact, about 50% of jobs require some kind of coding skill," said Abdullah.
The university has partnered with Fullstack Academy to offer the UNF Coding Boot Camp. It marks just the second university partnership of its kind in the nation, according to the university and Fullstack, a technology school with campuses in Chicago and New York.
The boot camp certificate program costs $12,000 and includes coursework in backend and frontend web development, Java Script, software applications and more.
"There’s database, there's SQL, everything that you need to be a great programmer. This program is over 500 hours of instruction," said Abdullah.
She said it includes hands-on practice.
"When you leave this course, you don't only know the theory, you also know how to do it. And at the end, you produce documents that show you are an expert in these applications," she said.
Because this is a continuing education certificate program, the boot camp will not count toward UNF degree credit hours and does not require UNF enrollment.
Instead, it's aimed at teaching practical workplace skills, especially for those who need to brush up on their craft to keep up with an ever changing employment environment.
But traditional college students can also benefit.
"If you’re leaving a degree program without enough time to have hands-on practice, this particular certificate will give you that hands-on practice and the opportunity to master them," Abdullah said.
The boot camps will be taught by adjuncts selected by Fullstack Academy and approved by UNF.
The boot camp will be taught at the Adam W. Herbert University Center on the UNF campus.
UNF is holding two information sessions, one by webinar, about the coding program this week:
- Wednesday, August 28: 6:30-7:30 p.m. (online)
- Tuesday, September 3: 6:30-7:30 p.m. (in person), 12000 Alumni Dr., Room #2136, Jacksonville, FL, 32224
The first students will start the program in October.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
