How do you pronounce "Epicodus"?

epi-CO-dus

can I call you or drop by to talk?

Since we are a small staff and are usually busy with the current students during the day, we ask you to start by emailing us. Additionally, we offer a 30-minute info session at the beginning of our free Saturday workshops for potential students to meet with a member of the staff and ask questions. You can sign up for our next workshop here. Potential students who cannot come to an info session and have questions not answered on our website should email us at hi@epicodus, and we can find a time to talk.

can i work while taking full-time classes at epicodus?

Many of our students hold part-time jobs while at Epicodus. They tell us that it's not too bad if your work is on the weekend, but working more than one night per week is really tough when enrolled in our full-time classes. For prospective students who intend to keep working full-time while taking classes, we encourage you to check out our part-time classes.

what is the background of a typical Epicodus student?

There isn't really a typical student at Epicodus. Most have not taken computer science classes in college, although some have. Some have not gone to college at all. Past graduates have been call center staff, sales representatives, security guards, insurance claims processors, and just about anything else you can think of. Very few have worked in tech before.

I have coding experience. can i test out of the Intro class?

We’ve tried this before, but given the near-universal failure rate and the high burden it puts on our staff to assess, we just can't offer this option. Our Intro class goes into far more detail about basic coding concepts and tools than most students have coming in, especially around use of Git.

Can minors attend Epicodus?

Anybody can attend our evening classes. Minors may only attend our full-time classes if they have a high school diploma or GED, or are emancipated.

What kind of computer should I have?

In-person students have access to the Epicodus classroom and computers from 7am - 11pm every day. Even if you don't have a computer now, you can always use ours.

Online students need a computer with at least a 1.6 GHz processor and 1 GB or RAM, running Windows 10, macOS 10.13, or 64-bit Linux; a headset or earbuds with a microphone; and a stable internet connection.

how many students are in your Courses?

Each course has around 30 students and one primary teacher.

By the end of class, will i be able to build my own apps?

Absolutely. That's the whole point of Epicodus - for you to be able to build things!

how do you handle differences in coding skills?

Students come to Epicodus with a wide range of coding experience, on top of which, everybody learns at a different pace. As a student, you will have the ability to pair with classmates of varying backgrounds, skill levels, and experience, and we have found that all of those combinations give our students many worthwhile opportunities to both learn from and mentor their classmates throughout the program.

Why don't you teach Python/Node.js/MongoDB/something else?

Our goal is to teach good programming fundamentals, problem-solving, and teamwork. The choice of languages and tools is secondary, and designed to align with the needs of the technology marketplace. Many of our graduates have gone on to work in other languages and with other tools - the important thing is that they left Epicodus with good fundamentals.

How do you choose pairs?

We assign groups of several students who work together for the length of a course section. For full-time students, a course section is a week, and for part-time students, a course section is generally two weeks. Within that group, students decide pairs among themselves and work with a different person each day. At times, there will be a longer project and you'll work with the same person(s) over several days. At the start of each course section, students are shuffled into new groups.

Do you teach Android/iOS development?

Mobile websites and apps have two parts, a back-end server and a front-end user interface (UI). Web and mobile apps use the same back-end servers, and you'll learn how to build for both of them. Mobile website UIs are built with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as JavaScript frameworks like React. "Native" mobile apps are built with special tools for Android and iOS, but increasingly, mobile apps are built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - React even has a set of tools called React Native that Facebook and many other companies use to build native mobile apps with web technologies. While Epicodus doesn't teach Android- and iOS-specific tools, many of our students choose to learn them to round out their
mobile development skill set.

I'm moving from out of town. Where should I live?

We try to choose office space near major transit lines, so that students can easily find housing in many areas. We've partnered with Bungalow to offer students short-term, furnished rentals; Epicodus students receive a $300 rent credit. You can also look for housing on Craigslist, Padmapper, or Airbnb.

Can you help me get a visa?

We welcome students from anywhere in the world and would love to have you attend our courses. Unfortunately, we just don't have the resources to help anyone with visas or other immigration issues. Epicodus is not accredited, so a student visa may not be the right option. We recommend that applicants research their own particular situation.

We are also unable to secure internships for foreign students through our program. International students who have come through our program have had very limited success in finding internships or jobs in the U.S. after finishing our courses. While we will still offer you career services support, we know from past experience that most international students are not able to find a job here after graduating and return to their home country to find work.