8 data science bootcamps to boost your career

Businesses increasingly rely on data analytics to inform everything from daily operations to customer service to marketing initiatives. As a result, data science has become a hot skill in high demand across a broad range of industries. And bootcamps are great way to hone data science skills, get up to speed on the latest data science trends, shift your career path or create greater job security within your industry.

If you’re interested in learning more about data science, one of these eight bootcamps will help you get the skills you need to boost your portfolio to land a new job or score a promotion.

Thinkful offers a self-paced online bootcamp with a project-based curriculum, career prep, one-on-one mentorship and access to a full community of students, mentors and alumni. You’ll also learn the programming language Python, which is a commonly sought skill for data scientists.

Thinkful’s Data Science Bootcamp costs $8,550 for six months, with options for financing and scholarships. You can test drive the program with a $500 prep course, which goes towards your full bootcamp tuition if you get accepted. The three-week prep course requires around 20 to 25 hours per week and lays the groundwork for the full-time bootcamp program.

Bit Bootcamp offers part-time and full-time programs that last anywhere from four to eight weeks. Courses include programs in data analytics, data science and machine learning, Hadoop and big data analytics and advanced data analytics with Spark.

The fully immersive course — Data Science and Machine Learning on Big Data — takes place on campus in New York City, costs $15,500 and last eight weeks. Part-time courses, which take place on campus at night, cost $4,500 and occur three days per week.

Data Application Lab is another in-person, full-time data science bootcamp stationed in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, but they also offer online options if you can’t get to those locations. The programs focus on equipping students with “industry practical needs” in conjunction with traditional academics. Courses use lectures, hands-on experience and lab projects to help expedite the learning process. If you have less experience in computer science, they also offer a programming class and a 10-week internship to get you up to speed.

Data science programs include general data science, big data engineer, the basics, data analyst, data science full stack and big data solutions. Each bootcamp has different requirements, so you’ll want to make sure you meet them before you apply. Tuition varies depending on the program, location or course you choose.

Galvanize offers in-person courses, but unlike some of the other bootcamps mentioned, they are sprinkled throughout the country. With programs in Seattle; San Francisco; Phoenix; New York; Austin, Texas; and multiple locations in Colorado, in-person courses are more accessible for those not based in New York or California.

You can take a full-time data science course, or you can choose to take part-time or stand-alone courses. You’ll need to apply and the process includes a technical exercise, but it’s more to gauge your current level and whether you have the potential to succeed in the field. Courses, tuition and availability vary for full-time and part-time courses and will depend on the location you choose to attend.

Insight offers a 7-week fellowship program that’s meant to prepare Ph.D. graduates with a transition from academia to the professional world. Courses are offered in Silicon Valley, Boston and New York City, all hubs for data science. The program offers project-based learning, working directly with industry professionals to help build your network and land you an interview after the course is complete.

As a fellowship program, those accepted will attend for free, but requirements to apply include experience with physics, astrophysics, mathematics, statistics, bioinformatics, engineering, computer science or neuroscience as well as a doctorate degree.

K2 Data Science offers online programs, workshops and webinars in data science and data analytics. Programs include a video-based curriculum combined with assignments, guided projects, one-on-one mentorship and completion of a job-worthy portfolio. They even include career counseling to help you get your resume, cover letters, LinkedIn profile and GitHub Portfolio up to date.

Data science programs are rooted in Python, with a focus on data science and machine learning algorithms. Tuition ranges depending on the program you choose, but it starts at around $3,000 and scholarships are available for qualifying students. 

Springboard courses are completely online and they focus on teaching in-demand skills to “future-proof your career.” There are courses for every level of data science — from the inexperienced to the seasoned professional. You’ll get access to the Springboard community, a mentor, a career coach and a student advisor.

With a focus on hands-on experience that will apply to real-world situations, Springboard wants to help you build a portfolio to impress recruiters. The intermediate and entry-level courses are $499 per month, and most students complete the course in two to four months. The Data Science career track, which costs $4,800, also comes with a “job guarantee,” promising to land you a job at the end of the program.

General Assembly offers full-time and part-time courses, workshops and events in person and online — and the number of cities offering in-person courses keeps increasing. The full course catalog is extensive, and there is a program for every data science skill you can imagine. Courses range from one-week accelerated courses to full immersive 10- to 13-month programs, but it’s easy to find something to fit your schedule and budget.

The cost for courses varies depending on what you choose, but General Assembly offers one of the most comprehensive course catalogues on this list. Whether you’re a recent graduate, looking to make a job switch or you’re an experienced data scientist trying to expand your skillset, they’ll have the program for you.