Software Guild is closed
This school is now closed. Although Software Guild is no longer accepting students or running its program, you can still see historical information and Software Guild alumni reviews on the school page.
The Software Guild offers immersive full-time, online, 12-week or part-time, 10 to 14-month coding bootcamps. Courses focus on .NET/C# and Java and do a deep dive into the language fundamentals, server side, data tier, user interface, and tools. Software Guild focuses on .NET/C# and Java because those stacks are stable, proven, and in highest demand in the enterprise. The Software Guild takes driven beginners, or more experienced students passionate about development, and prepares them to compete for jobs as professional developers.
Prospective applicants must fill out an application, complete an admissions interview, take an aptitude assessment, and complete Software Guild’s Introduction to Web Development. The Software Guild looks for applicants who are self-starters with high levels of motivation and tenacity who know when to ask for help, work well with others, keep positive attitudes in the face of adversity, love learning and problem-solving, and are excited to build cool new things.
I am a recent graduate and had a WONDERFUL experience going through the Java Bootcamp at the SoftwareGuild school in Louisville, KY. The instructors were professional, super intellegent, engaging, supportive and tough when they needed you to push your limits. The course content was very applicable and I feel prepared me for the position I'm now working in.
The school staff was also very supportive and easy to work with. I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is tru...
I am a recent graduate and had a WONDERFUL experience going through the Java Bootcamp at the SoftwareGuild school in Louisville, KY. The instructors were professional, super intellegent, engaging, supportive and tough when they needed you to push your limits. The course content was very applicable and I feel prepared me for the position I'm now working in.
The school staff was also very supportive and easy to work with. I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is trully committed to emersing themselves in learning a fast paced environment geared toward learning in demand skills, fast!
I attended The Software Guild Java Bootcamp in Louisville, KY between February and April 2017.
The curriculum included full stack development, so to say we covered a lot of ground in a short time is an understatement. Although I have an IT background, I was completely foreign to Java and many of the supporting technologies that we covered during the course.
The pace of the coursework was sometimes - adequately - described as drinking from a fire hose (or three), and it...
I attended The Software Guild Java Bootcamp in Louisville, KY between February and April 2017.
The curriculum included full stack development, so to say we covered a lot of ground in a short time is an understatement. Although I have an IT background, I was completely foreign to Java and many of the supporting technologies that we covered during the course.
The pace of the coursework was sometimes - adequately - described as drinking from a fire hose (or three), and it required adapting to an agile mindset that was willing to simply "follow the pattern" to finish the objective and have faith that the understanding will sink in later. For me, this was especially challenging - after all, my future job prospect was dependent upon me *understanding* Java development - but, eventually, I made the adjustment, and found the guidance to be true.
Given this, I must credit the staff and instructors at The Software Guild. I believe they made all the difference by showing genuine interest in our success and compassion during the challenging times.
Not as great as advertised but it was okay.
Prior to attending The Software Guild, I had worked in retail for 9 years. After finally becoming fed up with this dead-end job, I decided to make a career change. I didn't want to do more retail, nor did I want to go back to college. So, I decided to explore bootcamps. I chose The Software Guild because it had the best reputation for the bootcamps in my area. It was the best decision I've made. I'm in a new career, with better hours, more fulfilling work, and better pay.
The Guild has a great curriculum that starts slow with the basics of programming and gradually moves faster between topics. If you're familiar with programming then the first month will probably be a recap for you. The instructors are helpful and insist on asking questions. They have resources outside of the scheduled lessons for more detailed learning, so you can learn at your own pace. Their facilities are excellent and equipped with everything you'd need to feel comfortable and prep...
The Guild has a great curriculum that starts slow with the basics of programming and gradually moves faster between topics. If you're familiar with programming then the first month will probably be a recap for you. The instructors are helpful and insist on asking questions. They have resources outside of the scheduled lessons for more detailed learning, so you can learn at your own pace. Their facilities are excellent and equipped with everything you'd need to feel comfortable and prepared. They have social activities where you can meet alumni and software developers. And they're committed to helping you find employment once you're finished.
I was an apprentice in the Software Craftsmanship Guild's Fall 2013 Java Cohort. The Software Craftsmanship Guild was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend it.
I believe that I am the first of our cohort to review, so I'll share some stats. 7 started, 6 finished. Job seekers who weren't already affiliated with staffing firms all received jobs. 2 received full tuition reimbursement.
Like many of the apprentices who left reviews, I had no backgroun...
I was an apprentice in the Software Craftsmanship Guild's Fall 2013 Java Cohort. The Software Craftsmanship Guild was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend it.
I believe that I am the first of our cohort to review, so I'll share some stats. 7 started, 6 finished. Job seekers who weren't already affiliated with staffing firms all received jobs. 2 received full tuition reimbursement.
Like many of the apprentices who left reviews, I had no background in software development. I had been teaching in a private school in Beachwood, OH for five years and I was looking for a change. I had really wanted to enter the software space, but was having difficulty figuring out how to do it.
I tried to take advantage of online coursework, both free and paid, but they were all lacking. All of those courses could teach me the concepts, but they couldn't provide me with enough exercises to truly reach mastery. These courses could provide experienced and thoughtful instructors who could lecture, but that was about it. I wanted someone who I could interact with, ask questions to, review my work, and coach me. In the online courses, I was all by myself. Forget about instructors, I had no camaraderie. At the guild, I would be working with every member of the cohort as we tried to learn and use this new information. Lastly, the online courses are interested in providing you with information. I wanted to be mentored by experienced developers. I wanted to create a network with other (future) developers.
The Guild provided me with all of those things and more.
Eric Ward, our instructor was, and continues to be, a tremendous teacher and friend. He is at the cutting edge of his discipline and can still make any and all of these concepts accessible to the neophyte. He was supportive but pushed us to get better. He taught us concepts, best practices, and helped us get a feel for the new industry and what employers were looking for.
Eric Wise, although not with our cohort day to day, brought headhunters, career advisors, and other meaningful speakers to help navigate the job search and enrich our experience.
The other apprentices were absolutely fantastic. I am happy to say that over 12 short weeks I have made new friends, coworkers, and network contacts. I hope to stay in touch with them for a long time.
As fantastic as the program is, your success rests in your own hands. It is a lot of work. It can be overwhelming and intimidating at times. However, you can do it, and everyone there will do everything in their power to help you. But you have control your own destiny. You have to put in the time both during hours and after hours. You have to practice and repeat. You can't be bashful about asking for help. I know that I was shameless about doing so.
One last piece of advice: I used something called the "Two Week Rule." I realized that whenever we were learning something new that I would only completely understand it or feel completely comfortable with it after two weeks. By doing this I was able to limit the anxiety and overwhelming confusion of new concepts. If you can convince yourself that this is the case (and you do the requisite work) your life will be much easier (especially in the first four weeks).
Take this course. Be great!
This was an intense 12 week course that challenged me every step of the way. I started the course with no coding background and felt like I was always trying to catch up to my peers. In the end I completed the course and after a little de-stressing realize how much I really learned. Upon landing a job as a software engineer, my solid background in Object Orientated Programming and C# became evident to me.
I would recommend this course to others who are willing to put asi...
This was an intense 12 week course that challenged me every step of the way. I started the course with no coding background and felt like I was always trying to catch up to my peers. In the end I completed the course and after a little de-stressing realize how much I really learned. Upon landing a job as a software engineer, my solid background in Object Orientated Programming and C# became evident to me.
I would recommend this course to others who are willing to put aside their life for 12 weeks to learn the material so you can launch yourself into a new career.
Software Guild was a great place to actively get involved in learning the building blocks of Software Development. I learned more in 12 weeks than I ever thought I could. We used relevant technologies and the professors challenged us to learn how to "learn" as a software developer not just how to code. Great experience and I recommend it to any one looking to get out of their comfort zone and learn to code!
The course was great. I attended the 3 month bootcamp which with a group of peers from the same company I work for. The course was fast paced and time consuming. A lot of times we worked nights and weekends in addition to the 8 hours of classroom lectures mon-fri. It was a great course and I learned a lot. Would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to make a carrer switch.
I thought David Smelser was a joke of an instructor and could argue that Software Guild is going to fail (in Minneapolis) because of his lack of enthusiasm and VERY poor attitude.
The Software Guild is a fast-paced coding boot camp and if you are not ready to give up 12 weeks of your life to learn a new craft and really put in the effort, then this is not for you.
The Software Guild is not like traditional schooling where you can do the bear minimum, show up to class, and graduate. You must work every day on your skills during your time at the guild. The boot camp can be super stressful especially if you have not had p...
The Software Guild is a fast-paced coding boot camp and if you are not ready to give up 12 weeks of your life to learn a new craft and really put in the effort, then this is not for you.
The Software Guild is not like traditional schooling where you can do the bear minimum, show up to class, and graduate. You must work every day on your skills during your time at the guild. The boot camp can be super stressful especially if you have not had prior experience. Although it is not required I would recommend getting familiar with a language before signing up.
In 3 months, I went from knowing nothing about programming, to accepting a job as a developer. If you are dedicated to becoming a software developer The Software Guild is a great decision.
I finished the Guild in October 2016, and I don't think I could have a higher opinion of the program. In the three months I was there, I learned how to write a functional web application from scratch (a blog) which was more than enough for me to get a two very good job offers one week out of the guild. But let me begin at the beginning.
The three two weeks covered fundamentals of Object-Oriented Programming in Java and frankly, they were the toughest part of the course. At the ti...
I finished the Guild in October 2016, and I don't think I could have a higher opinion of the program. In the three months I was there, I learned how to write a functional web application from scratch (a blog) which was more than enough for me to get a two very good job offers one week out of the guild. But let me begin at the beginning.
The three two weeks covered fundamentals of Object-Oriented Programming in Java and frankly, they were the toughest part of the course. At the time, I spent 70+ hours on Guild assigned work (but I want to emphasize, not more than that. I had plenty time to sleep). Fortunately, the first three weeks are the most intense! I guess they do that to see if you can get your brain to click when it comes to object oriented programming.
And some students will find that challenging, and two out of my cohort dropped out by week three. We had no one else drop out afterwards and then most of us were clocking about 60 hours weekly. Regarding what you will learn: Enough java for a junior dev job, Spring framework, HTML, CSS and Javascript (although, the fundamentals for these three are covered in the pre-course). You will also learn two other features of JavaScript, Ajax and jQuery which are essential for modern web development.
Once you edge towards the end of the program, the guild will have a job fair, which seems to provide about 60% - 70% of all the jobs. Currently, a big chunk of graduates are taken by one company, and I'll let the reader figure out what it is. However, I will say that the Guild is constantly expanding its network and is more attuned to the needs of employers needs than the two expensive private universities I have graduated from (yes, the guild has higher placement and better average salaries than they do [adjusting the salary for the living costs, since most grads end up in Cleveland/Akron area] and both rank in global 30 for employability).
Out of my cohort of 8 students, I believe there is one who is still seeking employment after 3 months. One found a job while still in the program, me and another student got a job after one week the program ended, and I think that three more guys who got jobs one month afterwards. One more guy got a job I'm not sure when, but started working in January.
Most of these were local. One person went to NJ and another to Columbus, so I guess I'm not qualified to say if being in the Guild will get you that stellar job somewhere else. From what I hear, it's more difficult but definitely doable.
I guess now's the time for the honor roll. What I said for the guild, goes double for my instructor Pat Toner. From day one, Pat has been able to be totally informal and completely acessible while remaining a professional. That's not easy to do, but he was open to answering stupid questions, or pretty much what have you, and he always managed to set us on the right track. Additionally, he'll give you honest answers about the job market as he has experienced it for the last 15 years.
On a larger scale, the Erics (Wise and Ward) in charge are also deeply committed to a functional business model. After spending time at Guild, I fully believe that they want to make sure they teach you the real skills for the real world out there. Everything at the guild is oriented towards that.
Also, the staff always have time for the students. If you post a question one of the slack channels, it will be answered within minutes, granted it's not 10 pm or something.
Employed in-field | 91.7% |
Full-time employee | 87.5% |
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 4.2% |
Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance | 0.0% |
Started a new company or venture after graduation | 0.0% |
Not seeking in-field employment | 0.0% |
Employed out-of-field | 0.0% |
Continuing to higher education | 0.0% |
Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons | 0.0% |
Still seeking job in-field | 8.3% |
Could not contact | 0.0% |
How much does Software Guild cost?
Software Guild costs around $13,750.
Where does Software Guild have campuses?
Software Guild teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Software Guild worth it?
The data says yes! In 2019, Software Guild reported a 47% graduation rate, a median salary of $60,000, and 92% of Software Guild alumni are employed. Software Guild hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 161 Software Guild alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Software Guild on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Software Guild legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 161 Software Guild alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Software Guild and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Does Software Guild offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Software Guild offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Software Guild reviews?
You can read 161 reviews of Software Guild on Course Report! Software Guild alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Software Guild and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Is Software Guild accredited?
Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education, Resident School License No. R-0470, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, OHE Assigned Institution ID: 1829945
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