UCF Coding Boot Camp Reviews: Is It the Right Choice for You?

Bootcamp courses can be a great, cost-effective option for those hoping to advance their careers, learn new skills, or jump into a new field altogether. The University of Central Florida (UCF), based out of Orlando, offers several boot camps focused on in-demand skills. Programs include data analytics, user experience (UX) design, coding, and digital marketing boot camps. These programs are offered through the UCF Division of Continuing Education in partnership with Trilogy Education Services.

This article delves into UCF's Coding Boot Camp, which helps participants become proficient in both front-end and back-end programming. But is it the right course for you? Let's explore the details.

Program Overview

The UCF Coding Boot Camp offers two tracks: full-time (12 weeks) and part-time (24 weeks). The online coding bootcamp simulates a professional work environment, requiring participants to do hands-on, collaborative work with their peers. During the program, participants work on immersive, real-world projects that they can use for job or GitHub portfolios.

The UCF Coding Boot Camp works closely with employers to ensure instructors are teaching the most in-demand technologies, including Javascript, Node.js, MySQL, and React.js. If you're completely new to coding, the program offers pre-course tutorials that will help prepare you for the bootcamp. For more experienced programmers, the bootcamp's curriculum may just come easier to you.

Career Services

Participants also receive access to a range of career services including resume support, technical interview preparation, portfolio reviews, coaching and more.

Read also: UCF Coding Boot Camp Costs

Enrollment Process

First, you'll have to fill out a contact form and select the program you're interested in to receive more information. From there, you'll interview with a program advisor who will discuss details about the program. After that, you'll fill out a short application and complete a multiple-choice critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. Don't worry though; no industry knowledge is required to complete the assessment.

Once you are successfully accepted into the program, you'll be asked to sign the enrollment agreement and pay a deposit. Once these steps are completed, you can begin officially enrolling in the bootcamp!

Reviews and Opinions

There have been mixed reactions online from past participants. One Reddit user praised the bootcamp, calling it the "greatest decision" of their life. However, they did note that it's up to the participants of the bootcamp to put in the work if they want to get the most of the experience.

"It's basically a full time job between class and homework. You will go to class for 13 hours a week and you should spend about 20 hours a week on homework. If you can put in the time, code every day, you'll be successful. If you can't put that much time in, it's gonna be harder." Other positive reviews talk about the fast paced, challenging nature of the program, and how much instructors care about the progress of participants.

On the other hand, some reviewers have less positive things to say. According to one Reddit user, the program is not worth its $10,000 cost. Additionally, they mentioned that every participant in the program received the final certificate, regardless of how well they performed and how much effort they put into the course.

Read also: College Recruitment Coding Prep

"I did it. Don't do it. Definitely not worth that money. I might recommend it if it was significantly cheaper but the value of that program is trash. I came out doing kinda well as I had existing HTML/CSS knowledge but a good 50% of my class that had minimal to no knowledge really struggled and honestly ended the program pretty clueless. And there really isn't much of a standard of who receives the certificate. Everyone got one regardless of their progress, which makes it meaningless. They market the program as a foundational course and it's up to you to build upon that knowledge but that really shouldn't cost 10 grand."

Tuition and Payment

UCF Boot Camps tuition ranges from $8,295 to $12,495. Depending on the course you choose to pursue, the UCF Boot Camps price will vary. This also varies between a part-time and full-time bootcamp. For example, the Digital Marketing UCF Boot Camp costs $8,295, and the UCF Boot Camps bootcamp cost for the full-time coding course is $12,495.

UCF Boot Camps are not free, but a free pre-course tutorial needs to be completed once you are admitted, and before you start your course. In addition, the price range is pretty affordable, and UFC Boot Camps offers a range of career services along with flexible payment options. Many positive reviews of the school show that both full-time students and part-time students had a positive learning experience at their UCF bootcamp.

You can pay for UCF Boot Camps tuition with two payment options, including financial assistance. However, there is no UCF Boot Camps deferred tuition option at the moment. You can discuss the payment possibilities with the UCF Boot Camps admissions officer. UCF Boot Camps payment options include:

Upfront Payments. This requires the total cost of your course to be paid before starting.
Loan Financing Interest-Free Payment Plan. This requires an initial deposit. Then the remaining outstanding value is split up into monthly installments that are interest-free.
Early Registration. Many academic institutions offer an “Early Registration Pricing” incentive. This means if you pay upfront and early, you may get a discounted fee and save some money.

Admission Process & Acceptance Rate

The UCF Boot Camps acceptance rate is not public. Though UCF Boot Camps does not accept everyone, the application process is not terribly difficult to get through. Applying early and preparing for the interview may help you gain entry.

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The steps of the UCF Boot Camps application process are as follows:

Complete the contact form online.
Accept an invitation for an interview.
Attend the interview and talk with the admissions officer about why you want to attend a bootcamp.
Complete the multiple-choice and critical thinking assessment.
Await acceptance to the bootcamp and sign the enrollment agreement.

Getting into UCF Boot Camps is a straightforward process. While you do not need any real-world experience to apply, you do need to get through the interview and multiple-choice and critical thinking assessment to stand a chance at getting into UCF Boot Camps. As such, make sure your logic and reasoning skills are sound before taking the UCF Boot Camps admissions assessment.

When it comes to UCF Boot Camps bootcamp prep, prospective students do not need to worry. UCF Boot Camps programs are designed for beginners or those with minimal experience. In addition, there is a UCF Boot Camps prep course that all admitted students will complete before the in-person or online training for the digital marketing bootcamp officially begins. In other programs, students will learn foundational concepts in the first weeks of the official program.

Interview Questions

The UCF Boot Camp interview is more of an informal discussion, and you can prepare by researching typical bootcamp interview questions you may be asked and conducting mock interviews with someone who has experience in interviews.

You will want to do well in the UCF Boot Camps interview phase to get into coding programs. Here are some examples of UCF Boot Camps interview questions you may encounter:

Why have you chosen UCF Boot Camps?
What is your educational background?
Why are you interested in making a career switch into tech?
What are your academic goals?
What are your career goals?

It is not too difficult to get into UCF Boot Camps. The most important factor for getting into UCF Boot Camps is showing your interviewer that you are committed to learning valuable skills through one of the intensive bootcamp programs. Whether you want to follow a course on digital marketing or UI/UX design, you will also need to show that you are passionate about the subject.

Additional Program Information

Prep Courses & Workshops

Yes, UCF Boot Camps does offer a prep course for the digital marketing program. UCF Boot Camps prep courses come in the form of an optional pre-course that students can engage in before the official digital marketing bootcamp begins.

Students do not need to worry that there is no prep program for UCF Boot Camps’ other offerings because they are meant for beginners. As such, students will learn all of the necessary foundational knowledge within the first few weeks of the program.

No, UCF Boot Camps does not offer workshops. However, in the absence of UCF Boot Camps workshops, students can visit the organization’s blog for additional resources. Through the blog, you can learn about the complex projects past students have developed and access career guidance information.

Scholarships & Refund Policy

Yes, you can apply for a UCF Boot Camp scholarship if you are a UCF alumni. Right now, people who graduated with academic degrees from UCF can receive a $500 scholarship. Unfortunately, this is the only scholarship opportunity available.

For those who need help with tuition fees, UCF Boot Camps does offer flexible payment options in the form of an interest-free payment plan and an early registration discount incentive. To access these options, you can reach out to a UCF Boot Caps admissions advisor.

Yes, there is a UCF Boot Camps refund policy for deposits and tuition. Under the UCF Boot Camps refund policy, refunds are only available in the first calendar week of a course. After that time, no refunds are granted. In addition, initial deposits are non-refundable at UCF Boot Camps.

Graduate Earnings & Job Guarantee

The average UCF Boot Camps graduate salary is not reported by the organization. However, there are many UCF Boot Camps reviews in which students report being pleasantly surprised by their new salaries. As such, UCF Boot Camps graduates are likely enjoying the lucrative salaries that the tech industry offers. If you are looking for a well-paying career, you may find the programs at UCF Boot Camps worth it.

No, UCF Boot Camps doesn’t offer a job guarantee. However, the career services and support services provided greatly help the UCF Boot Camps job placement rate. One is Deloitte, which has hired two UCF Boot Camp Alumni in the past. The second is Capco, which has a handful of UCF Boot Camps hires. Overall, UCF Boot Camps proudly connects over 260 hiring partners to its bootcamp graduates.

Accreditation & Legitimacy

No, UCF Boot Camps is not directly accredited. However, it is offered through UCF’s Division for Continuing Education, which is an accredited university. This status is provided by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In addition, UCF Boot Camps is offered in collaboration with Trilogy Education Services.

Yes, UCF Boot Camps is legit. The fact that UFC Boot Camps is linked to the University of Central Florida, which graduated over 18,000 students in 2021, should overcome concerns about whether the programs are legit. With an established record for providing students with real-world skills and knowledge, UCF Boot Camps looks great on a resume.

UCF Boot Camps provides courses in partnership with Trilogy Education, a company specialized in educational services. In addition, UCF Boot Camps reviews by students are very positive, most having allocated five out of five stars. One UCF Boot Camps Coding Program review mentions the organization’s career services and says, “They assist in preparation for interviews and provide resources for finding employment.”

No, UCF Boot Camps is absolutely not a scam. UCF Boot Camps is a preferred partner at Career Karma and has been vetted accordingly. Another way to know that UCF Boot Camps is not a scam is the sheer number of graduates and students who flow through its academic system and then proceed to write glowing reviews.

As such, UCF Boot Camps is a safe option if you are interested in learning more about coding, digital marketing, data analysis, or UX/UI design.

Student Testimonials

Here are some reviews from former students of UCF Boot Camps:

Peter Smith (Full Stack Web Development): "My experience with UCF Boot Camps - Full Stack Web Development has been nothing short of fantastic! This course built on my fundamental understandings and supplied critical information that has significantly supplemented my frontend, backend and database skills. The course specifically provides real world challenges to complete that greatly assist in the learners journey to becoming an effective problem solver with the MERN technology stack."
Lois Stetson (Data Analytics and Visualization): "Completing the Data Analytics and Visualization Bootcamp was truly transformative, exceeding my expectations. The well-structured curriculum, led by knowledgeable instructors, simplified complex concepts with real-world examples. The emphasis on industry-standard tools allowed me to a…"
Mary Elenius (Full Stack Web Development): "This review will be long and easy to dismiss after the first couple of sentences for lack of time, but I promise that this will be the rawest and most truthful review you will read on this page…After a lifetime of trauma, pain, and abusing alcohol I went into rehab in South Dakota to treat my alcoholism and start a new life. Upon graduating from the rehabilitation program I pursued my lifelong dream of moving to Florida. There, I met my husband, and together we brought my beautif…"
Casey Rowlands (Full Stack Flex): "Originally, I was a little skeptical when i signed up for this bootcamp. I'd been reading reviews and researching online to find out what exactly I would gain from this program, and there seemed to be a 50/50 split between those who said it help and those who felt it was a waste. People told me that I would be about to teach myself everything that i would learn in the program, and at little to no cost when compared to the tuition that I would have to pay to attend (I can promise …"
Amie Moreno (UX/UI Boot Camp): "I went into this bootcamp with little to zero prior knowledge on UX/UI design. This bootcamp gave me the tools, resources, and support to be career ready as a professional UX/UI designer. The teachers were incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and compelling! This course was worth every penny and I cannot recommend it enough."
Sara Layton (Digital Marketing): "We run a multi-million dollar business and struggle with social media marketing. We were considering hiring a social media manager but came across an ad for the Digital Marketing Boot Camp and jumped on it. We are at the halfway point of the class and haven't even begun the Social Media unit, but I have already learned so much and have applied what I have learned. My favorite aspect so far has been learning how SEO works and Google Analytics. It really helped me understand the improvemen…"
Alison Kelly (Full Stack Flex): "It's a hard 6 months, but I would have regretted staying where I had been before I took this course. As a mother of a 4 1/2 year old and a wife I didn't think I could balance taking this class and my other obligations. However, I'm proud to have done this program for myself and for my family's future!"
Kunal (Data Science and Visualization): "I signed up for the first part-time Data bootcamp in September 2018. I think this was the best opportunity for me, as I prefer in-class to online learning. It was a great learning experience and we had a good group of students for group project. Sondra as an instructor was engaging and friendly and helpful. The skills learnt eventually helped me to make the career switch I wanted. It was hard work as I stayed up for la…"
Mateo Wallace (Full Stack Web Development): "There isn't much more to say. My experience has been amazing and this bootcamp gave me every facility and opportunity to succeed. I currently have a 100% in the class and I can only thank my instructors, ta's, fellow students, and the course materials for that achievement. It isn't easy nor is it anything I would take lightly but if you are willing to put in the 15 to 20 hours of studying a week I promise you anyone can do it."
Olha Brailovska (Full Stack Web Development): "I had just graduated from a part time full stack web development bootcamp on June 2nd . I’d like to start with saying how amazing the academic team was . Our instructor, Michael , and TAs went above and beyond to make sure we not just completed the course, but actually understood the material. Here’s some pieces of advice from me , a 24yo who does not have a full time job, kids , or family. (It is important as I had a privilege of working 2-3 days a week and had freedom to study) - t…"
Matt Hutson (Digital Marketing): "I have been apart of a few boot camps but this one has been by far the most enjoyable, professional, educational and well rounded learning experience of them all. I highly enjoyed the platform, ease of use and direct learning environment. The educators are phenomenal, calling out Naz, Kayla and Chad."
Alex Widener (Full Stack Flex): "I was originally a middle school band teacher that left during COVID to make a career change based on poor work conditions and pay. I started out self-taught using freeCodeCamp and The Odin Project, but decided I needed more structure in my learning process and chose the UCF Full-Stack Flex Coding Bootcamp based on the reviews and feedback I had found online. The camp was 100% remote on Zoom due to the COVID pandemic…Note: My self taught experience helped tremendously with th…"
Rachel LaQuea (Full Stack Flex Web Development): "This was a full stack web development track with an emphasis on front end Javascript. The course included several technologies & concepts such as HTML/CSS, JQuery, MERN, GraphQL, SQL, Object oriented programming, model view controller, progressive web applications, Object-relational mapping & React. Since recently graduating, I've begun the process of reviewing all of the information covered in the last 3 months and I am in awe of just how much there was and still is to learn!"
Curtis (Full Stack Flex): "This course has been one of the most challenging and life changing experiences I've had. The challenge: in order to get the most out of this boot camp, you must be willing to put in an immense amount of time and effort. Learning these new concepts requires that you push through frustration, distraction, and doubt while continuing to make tiny improvements that add up over time. The reward: when you finally start to understand a concept, there is no better feeling in the world. Once you write a bit of code using logic you didn't understand a week ago and it works, there is a flood of blissful elation that washes over you. Not to mention the possibility of gaining a lifelong career with endless growth potential and the ability to work remotely."
Wadih Ojeil: "When I joined the boot camp I had no background in coding What So Ever ! I decided it was time for a career change. My brother kept pushing me to look into coding boot camps. While I was researching, I saw UCF had their own boot camp partnered with Trilogy. I then got this gut feeling that this is the one for me. I put my trust in UCF in the past for my Bachelor's Degree and it paid off pretty well. Day 1, I started class with minor knowledge due to the 40/hr pre-work that I had to …"
Samantha Denis (Full Stack Flex): "I came into this coding boot camp with no prior tech experience but some freeCodeCamp I did prior to registering for the course. It is a very fast-paced, rigorous course and something I will definitely say is, have a solid foundation in vanilla JavaScript before even stepping foot in this program. Seriously, if you don’t know JavaScript then you will struggle the entire course. I recommend going through the freeCodeCamp JavaScript modules, as well as the paid course by Wes Bos that focuses on JavaScript fundamentals. Every other language you learn after JavaScript will be building upon/very similar in concept to it. If you do that, you’re good to go. It’s also extremely easy to fall behind in the course if you have a lot going on outside of class- me personally, I was dealing with a lot of things in my personal life that hindered my ability to focus during class…"

Is UCF Boot Camps Still Open?

UCF Boot Camps is closed. Although UCF Boot Camps is no longer accepting students or running its program, you can still see historical information and UCF Boot Camps alumni reviews on the school page.

tags: #ucf #coding #boot #camp #reviews