Frequently asked questions
Who is this program for?
Our program is for people of all skill levels. Whether you’re a coding newbie or an industry professional. SoftStack Factory provides a hands-on learning environment and in-person support to help you achieve your goals.
Whether you are looking to start a new career, or want to add skills to your repertoire to give you an advantage in your career, SoftStack Factory caters to those who are eager to learn.
How does SoftStack Factory compare to other bootcamps?
Unlike most bootcamps, SoftStack Factory is a non-profit organization that is focused on breaking down barriers and making tech skills accessible to people of all backgrounds.
SoftStack Factory provides a support system that is crucial for learning new skills and staying on track. The courses are taught by a group of highly engaged professionals, and you will be working together with your peers to help each other along the way. By the end of the program, you will have built a network to support you on your journey.
Since you donate as you proceed through the program, you can try out coding with little risk.
Will I be able to attend if I work full time?
No need to quit your job to learn coding. Our part-time evening model lets you keep your job while you learn without breaking the bank.
The courses are in the evenings two days per week and we recommend spending at least 8 hours per week outside of class to further develop your skills.
Do you offer any online courses?
Our mission at SoftStack Factory is to support the San Diego community. Therefore, our courses are exclusively offered in-person at this time.
Benefits of in-person vs. Online
We believe in the value of shared experience at SoftStack Factory. We believe our students are most successful when they have the guidance and support of our instructors and the accountability of working together with their cohorts.
Students who attend our programs have the advantage of learning from our instructors, who act as mentors during the learning process. Our instructors provide much needed direction during your journey, which enables our students to make use of the numerous resources used in-class and online.
With online learning alone there is an average of 3.13 percent completion rate. Source. Working with others in-person can help to keep you accountable and motivated to reach your goals.
We take a hybrid approach. Each week we have in person lectures and allow time to start working with the material hands-on. Outside of class you will have homework assignments, and access to facilitators and other students through our program to ask questions anytime.
How much does the program cost? What are my options?
The Web Development and Data Sciences programs are pay as you go and each cost $750 in total donations.
The donation for each course is due on the first day of the course.
We also have options to pay course-by-course rather than upfront for the program and work with students on a case-by-case basis who might otherwise have difficulty financially.
I don’t have any programming experience. What if it’s not for me?
Don’t know any programming? Great! SoftStack Factory will teach you the fundamentals and build from there, all that’s needed is for you to take the leap!
Our programs offer a unique flexibility to fit your schedule. You can move at your own pace through the program, one course at a time. With courses starting almost every month, it’s easy to jump back in if you need to take time off.
If you need to spend more time on a topic, you can retake a course for no extra charge until you’re ready to progress to the next course. We’re here to support you on your journey.
What is the curriculum?
Our Web Development students will learn how to create full-stack web applications and hybrid mobile apps, and will work on a real world team project.
Our Data Science students will develop data cleaning, feature engineering, algorithm selection, and model training skills. At the end of the course students will work on a final project with a given a data set. They will go through each of the steps covered and build a model on their own.
Does SoftStack Factory provide job placement?
Following our program, we are confident that we give our students the skills and tools needed to succeed in the industry. Although SoftStack Factory does not guarantee job placement, our in-person class structure allows for unique opportunities to interact and network with other students and industry professionals, which can further success in the job market.
Once they have completed the program, students can continue to come in to work on projects and get feedback and direction during their job search. There are also opportunities for those who complete the program to mentor other students and help facilitate classes. 90% of our facilitators go on to find full time employment in the industry.
Does SSF provide VISA documentation?
We are not able to provide any kind of visa documentation or provide any type of visa.
I am not from the San Diego area, can I still apply?
SoftStack Factory is focused on serving the greater San Diego area. In-person learning is an important part of our programs and we do not recommend applying if you are not able to attend classes regularly.
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered here?
Feel free to contact us and ask!