This class will introduce you to the basic professional skills required to become a professional software engineer. After graduating, you will not be ready to get a job, however, you will know what it will take and you will be able to decide if you want to pursue it.
September 14-November 16
Each student will build a personal website and deploy it to a web server with a “.com” domain.
The Introduction to Professional Web Development class (a.k.a. Intro to Coding Class or Intro Class) is an intensive 10 week class that will introduce you to a broad range of professional skills. You will use code to build and deploy your own website to a domain.
This course is designed as a first step working towards a career as a Software Engineer. It does not focus only on the code or technical aspects of the career. Instead, it is a broad introduction to a wide range of professional skills, including non-technical skills, that are needed to succeed as a Software Engineer.
If you just want to learn to code, we have programs available for that (see the Refcode Lab). This course aims to accomplish far more than that.
Graduates who complete all requirements of the course will graduate with:
This program is competitive and selective. Only the most qualified candidates will be accepted. We will be evaluating you based on your skill level in the following areas:
Before doing the application assessment, we highly encourage you to spend time preparing for the assessment. We have set up Wednesdays of the month of June and July for you to come in to prepare for the assessment. We will tell you what will be in the assessment and help you build skills in those areas. We will give you individual training, exercises, and homework in order to build your skills and knowledge so that your application will be as strong as possible.
The assessment is due by July 31.
No.
The skills you learn in this class will help you in life and with any job you get in the future, but you will not be qualified to work as a Software Engineer yet. This is only a broad introduction. You will still need much more training and experience before you are able to get a full time job. It is a journey that can take years.
This course will help you decide if you want to begin that journey.
After graduating, if you decide you want to work towards becoming a Software Engineer, Refcode can help you move forward.
(3 months)
Graduates are eligible to apply for the Refcode Bootcamp, where you will learn additional coding skills. You can also apply to be a Refcode Bootcamp Resident. Residents are paid a stipend of $1,500 per month.
(6 months - 1 year)
After the bootcamp, participants can apply for a job as a Software Technician at the Refcode Agency. In this program, you will be paid to build sophisticated applications and to grow and develop your skills. Participants who do well will be promoted quickly to Technician II, and Technician III. Software Technicians are paid $11 - 13 per hour depending on level.
(6 months - 1 year)
Those who have been promoted to Software Technician III will be eligible to apply for a Software Engineer I role at the Refcode Software Agency . Engineers take on greater ownership of more complex tasks and will need to show higher creativity and independent problem solving skills. Engineers who do well will be quickly promoted to Software Engineer II and Software Engineer III. Software Engineers are paid $14 - 18 per hour, depending on level and experience.
Engineers who have reached the Engineer III level will be encouraged to look for roles outside of Refcode. Engineers should be eligible to get a job at a company with salaries in the range of $45,000/year to $80,000/year, depending on experience, motivation, and skill.
Sign up for the Fall 2022 cohort now!