Post: #1

Found this:
https://www.udacity.com/nanodegree/plus

Looks like a pretty good deal depending on you city/location and if Trump wins = drop in allowed use of H1B foreign workers.

They have programs for:
Senior Web Developer
Android Developer
iOS Developer
Machine Learning

Post: #2

Good find. However the "Get hired within six months" is more a function of the job market than how awesome their courses are.

Every coding bootcamp guarantees the same thing, and decent developers in those fields get snapped up.

The question is, how does the Udacity course compare to the alternatives in turns of cost, time, quality of materials etc.

Post: #3

Quote:Good find. However the "Get hired within six months" is more a function of the job market than how awesome their courses are.

Every coding bootcamp guarantees the same thing, and decent developers in those fields get snapped up.

Thanks, however I disagree with this. With the glut of cheap H1B and F1 OPT workers, automatically getting a job straight out of a code academy or camp is not a given.

That's why they have this job placement guarantee in the first place and that's why the job placement guarantee is noteworthy to me.

Now, what the pay is is another story. It's probably not great given that it's not a CS degree and it's not an Ivy League education.

Quote:The question is, how does the Udacity course compare to the alternatives in turns of cost, time, quality of materials etc.

That would be good to do, a side-by-side comparison of the different programs available either in this thread or another one. There are some already out there, like these:

Coursera vs Udacity Certificates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaYOLVaxJ1o

The edX, Udacity and Coursera Showdown
http://www.danpontefract.com/the-edx-uda...-showdown/

Khan vs Udacity vs Coursera
it.toolbox.com/blogs/oracle-guide/khan-vs-udacity-vs-coursera-54148

Post: #4

This is an awesome find! thanks.. I knew of Udacity and Coursera but hadn't seen these Nanodegrees.

I think more than the job placement guarantee, the "get 50% of your tuition back" is the big win! That's 100% within your control. Just do the work, progress toward your goals and there will be a reward coming. Superb.

Post: #5

I've been doing a bit of research into Udacity vs. Coursera, etc. What I really like about Udacity is that you get projects to put on your resume. I don't think that watching videos, taking quizzes, and getting certificates is enough to demonstrate value to employers by itself...you need to have some sorts of projects that you can print out and present.

The MOOC platforms are all recognizing that there is value in a comprehensive curriculum. They're just approaching them in different ways. Coursera is letting partner universities release course packages for a flat price of about $75 each. (Unfortunately, many appear to be cutting a semester-long course into two or three pieces to get at that revenue.) Udacity is betting on the comprehensive approach and a monthly fee instead, which should keep that quality high. You can get through each package within four months of you have the prereqs locked down and are willing to hustle. I'm guessing their revenue model involves locking people in for an average of 6 months.

The nanodegrees do have prereqs and are more expensive than just taking courses. Depends if you're looking for knowledge and are intellectually curious enough to apply it yourself, or if you want a certain amount of spoon feeding.

Post: #6

Quote:That would be good to do, a side-by-side comparison of the different programs available either in this thread or another one. There are some already out there, like these:

Coursera vs Udacity Certificates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaYOLVaxJ1o

The edX, Udacity and Coursera Showdown
http://www.danpontefract.com/the-edx-uda...-showdown/

Khan vs Udacity vs Coursera
it.toolbox.com/blogs/oracle-guide/khan-vs-udacity-vs-coursera-54148

Can't open the YouTube, but these comparisons in the links are from four years ago. These platforms have all matured since then.

Khan in particular is one that seems to have fallen behind. It left a big impact with its "flip the classroom" approach (kids watch lectures as homework, so they can discuss and practice doing problems under the teacher's guidance), but it has little functionality (that I'm aware of) when it comes to certifying knowledge. My impression is that it's just a better-done instructional video site.