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Mastering the art of programming opens the door to loads of opportunities. If you already know how to program, you can advance your skills to boost career prospects.
Programming boot camps are an efficient way to acquire the knowledge and skills you need. Courses are available at all skill levels and price points, so you should find an option that suits you with ease.
Best Programming Boot Camps
Take a sneak peek at Benzinga’s top picks for programming boot camps:
- Introduction to Programming: Professional Coding Skills for Beginners by Udemy
- Programming Basics by IIT Bombay
- JavaScript Quickstart by TreeHouse
- Beyond Basic Programming — Intermediate Python by Udemy
- Programming Foundations: Data Structures by LinkedIn Learning
- Competitive Programmer’s Core Skills by Saint Petersburg State University
- Learn Advanced C++ Programming by Udemy
- Advanced R Programming by John Hopkins University
- Java Programming Masterclass for Software Developers by Udemy
What Makes a Programming Boot Camp Great?
With so many programming boot camps to choose from, how do you know which are worthwhile? The best options meet these criteria.
1. Led by an Experienced Programmer or Developer
Wouldn’t it be nice if Bill Gates was your instructor? He definitely knows his stuff, but there are several others out there who are just as knowledgeable and excel at teaching the mechanics of programming.
2. Offers Supplementary Resources
The easiest way to learn to program or advance your skills is by applying your newfound knowledge. You want a course that provides hands-on exercises and other supplementary resources.
3. Self-Paced
If the course requires you to meet strict deadlines, steer in favor of a self-paced option. Otherwise, you may have to rush through the material to successfully complete the class.
Our Top Picks
We’ve researched hundreds of options to bring you the best programming boot camps. Benzinga’s top picks are from edX, TreeHouse and Udemy.
The courses are listed by skill level — beginners, intermediate students and advanced students. We’ve also included a course description and price point for each class to help you find the best fit.
Best Programming Boot Camps for Beginners
New to programming? Consider these beginner courses to learn the basics.
1. Introduction to Programming: Professional Coding Skills for Beginners by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: On sale
Introduction to Programming is a highly-rated course from Udemy that teaches beginners how to code like a pro. It’s ideal for individuals who recently started their coding career and students and teachers who want to learn how to code.
The class is presented by Framework Television Inc. and involves 174 lectures jam-packed into 12 hours of on-demand video, 1 article and 42 downloadable resources. You’ll also complete multiple projects as you work through the material.
Have access to a Windows or Mac with Text Editor and Python when you sign up.
Facilitator Mark Lassoff is an experienced web programmer and software developer. He’s taught over 500,000 people around the globe.
2. Programming Basics by IIT Bombay
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: On sale
Offered by IIT Bombay, this introductory course also teaches the basics of programming. A component of the Fundamentals of Computer Science XSeries Programs, it focuses on ways to write programs to solve computational problems.
Over 9 weeks, you’ll learn how to write C/C++ programs and handle large and complex problems. The course also includes lessons on good programming practices, basic data types, iterative solutions, arrays, matrices, string processing, pointers and more.
You can register for free or upgrade your enrollment for only $149 to receive a verified certificate.
Have basic high school mathematics and precalculus skills when you sign up.
3. JavaScript Quickstart by TreeHouse
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Included with the monthly membership
JavaScript Quickstart allows you to learn the basics of the programming software in a flash. It spans 1.5 hours and covers arrays, functions, loops and conditionals, objects and variables.
The course is led by Guil Hernandez, full stack JavaScript and front end web development instructor at Treehouse. Each segment is broken down into small steps to facilitate your comprehension of the material.
Test drive the course today with a free 7-day trial.
Intermediate Programming Boot Camps
Move from a beginner to an intermediate programmer with these intermediate courses.
4. Beyond Basic Programming — Intermediate Python by Udemy
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: $10.99
Seeking more advanced Python knowledge? Consider this course from Udemy that teaches skills and tools used by industry professionals.
Beyond Basic Programming — Intermediate Python includes full lifetime access to 3 hours of on-demand video, 13 articles and 17 downloadable resources. You will also receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course.
Have access to a PC with Windows, Mac or Linux and Python 3 installed before you enroll.
It’s led by Mohammad Nauman, a programmer, researcher, teacher and designer. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science and a postdoc from the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems.
5. Programming Foundations: Data Structures by LinkedIn Learning
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: $34.99 or free with the monthly membership
In a little under 2.5 hours, software developer Kathryn Hodge pulls back the curtain on data structures and shares why they’re a significant component of modern programming. She discusses strategies to group data and dives into complex data structures by demonstrating how they work through real-world examples.
Programming Foundations: Data Structures is segmented into 6 modules:
- Introduction to Data Structures
- Arrays
- Lists
- Stacks and Queues
- Hash-Based Structures
- Trees and Graphs
It’s free to enroll if you have a $29.99 monthly LinkedIn Membership. You can grab a free seat in course with a 1-month trial or pay the $34.99 registration fee.
6. Competitive Programmer’s Core Skills by Saint Petersburg State University
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: Free
Offered by Saint Petersburg State University, this intermediate course equips you with the skills needed to participate and excel in programming competitions. These skills can also be used to accelerate your career as a programmer.
Competitive Programmer’s Core Skills includes 6 modules:
- Programming Competitions
- Correctness First
- Common Struggles
- Common Struggles (Part 2)
- Dynamic Programming
- Dynamic Programming (Part 2)
Expect to spend 12 hours working through the video lessons, readings and quizzes. You’ll also be tasked with solving practice problems that mimic what you will receive during real competitions.
Know how to write simple programs in C, C++, C#, Haskell, Java, JavaScript, Python 2, Python 3, Ruby, Rust or Scala before you enroll.
Advanced Programming Boot Camps
Experienced programmers will find these courses useful.
7. Learn Advanced C++ Programming by Udemy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $13.99
Learn Advanced C++ Programming is instructed by seasoned software developer John Purcell. This Udemy bestseller caters to programmers who want to ramp up their knowledge to be more efficient in the workplace. It’s also a good fit if you’re seeking a role that requires C++ mastery.
The course covers exceptions, files, operator overloading, template classes, functions, GUI programming and more. You will also learn how to build a program that creates fractal images.
Take advantage of the low enrollment fee and sign up today. You’ll unlock 105 lectures condensed into 15 hours of on-demand video, 2 articles and 2 downloadable resources. The class also includes lessons that allow you to apply your knowledge in a practice setting and work out the kinks before heading back to the field.
Have a solid understanding of C++ and access to a C++ compiler before you register.
8. Advanced R Programming by John Hopkins University
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: Free
Want to develop more powerful data science tools using R programming? This advanced course will show you how. It’s a component of the Mastering Software Development in R Specialization from John Hopkins University.
Advanced R Programming focuses on functions, functional programming, debugging, profiling and object-oriented programming. Course material is delivered through video lectures and supplementary readings.
The class is co-instructed by Dr. Roger D. Peng, associate professor of biostatistics in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and Brooke Anderson, assistant professor in environmental and radiological health services at Colorado State University.
9. Java Programming Masterclass for Software Developers by Udemy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $12.99
Offered by Tim Buchalka’s Learn Programming Academy, this class is for software developers who want to master Java and land a lucrative role. You will walk away with the skills to interview like a pro and pass the Oracle Java Certificate exam on the first attempt.
Java Programming Masterclass for Software Developers includes full lifetime access to 80 hours of on-demand video, 2 articles, 1 downloadable resource and 36 coding exercises. You can enroll with confidence knowing the course comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied for any reason.
Have access to a computer with Windows, Mac and Linux before you register.
Enroll in a Programming Boot Camp Today!
Ready to get started? Consider a course from our list of recommendations to hit the ground running. You can also take a look at the best coding courses to explore other options that may be a better fit.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community