Prepare for a Software Engineering Career
Software Engineering with Java/AWS Specialization is a nine month, intensive, full-time program with a flexible schedule designed to prepare highly motivated adult learners for careers in software engineering, including jobs such as Software Engineer, Cloud Software Developer, Full-stack Software Engineer, Backend Software Developer, etc.
This program is for highly motivated adults who want to acquire the skills necessary to build complex and high performance software applications and qualify for junior software engineering jobs without a computer science degree at Amazon, other tech companies of all sizes, and enterprise IT organizations.
Program Highlights
The nine-month, full-time program combines:
- A broad introduction to applied computer science concepts, including algorithms and data structures, object-oriented programming, concurrent programming, etc.
- Hands-on use of real-world software engineering tools and practices such as source code control using Git/GitHub, Agile development methods, testing and debugging, team-based projects, cloud computing platforms, etc.
- Practice building and deploying cloud-native backend applications using tools such as Java, Amazon’s market leading AWS cloud platform, DynamoDB, etc.
- Building career development skills so that you’re prepared not just to do the work of a Cloud Software Engineer but you’re prepared to succeed in the job search after graduation.
What You Will Learn
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Java
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Cloud Programming with Amazon Web Services
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Software Engineering Practices
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Object-Oriented Programming
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Algorithms and Data Structures
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Testing and Debugging
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Concurrency
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NoSQL Databases with DynamoDB
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Relational Databases and SQL
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HTTP and RESTful Services
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HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
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Real World Projects
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Career Preparation
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Learn To Work On A Remote Team
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Schedule
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8AM - 12PM CT
The remaining 28 hours per week can be completed on your schedule. (Details below.) -
Location
Classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings are live online (i.e. synchronous).
The remaining hours can be completed live online or asynchronously on your own. (Details below.)
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Dates
February 5, 2024 - October 25, 2024
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Tuition
$18,000
See below for detailed information on payment options, including Opportunity Tuition, Payment Plans, and Financing.
Schedule Details
Core Class Time
All students are required to be online and in class on the following days and times:
- Tuesdays: 8 am - 12 pm CT
- Wednesdays: 8 am - 12 pm CT
- Thursdays: 8 am - 12 pm CT
There will be some required hours outside of this, such as the first week of the program and for career development events.
Flex Class Time
All students have the option of working on course work and projects during Flex Class Time when an instructor will also be available.
- Mondays: 9 am - 4 pm CT
- Tuesdays: 1 pm - 4 pm CT
- Wednesdays: 1 pm - 4 pm CT
- Thursdays: 1 pm - 4 pm CT
- Fridays: 9 am - 4 pm CT
Open Time
For students who need more flexibility to complete their independent work, Open Time encompasses the rest of your week. Instructors will not be available, but you'll have access to Slack 24x7 to ask questions and help your classmates.
- Weekdays - before or after Core & Flex Class Time
- Weekends - anytime
Requirements
Student requirements
At least 18 years of age
American citizen, permanent resident or legally able to work in the U.S.
Due to regulatory constraints, we are not yet able to accept students residing in the state of California.
High school diploma (or equivalent)
A college degree is not required for the program, but may be required by some employers to qualify for a job. (Note: A degree is not required to apply for a role at Amazon.)
Hardware/Software requirements
Personal laptop meeting our hardware & software requirements. See this blog post for full details of our laptop specs.
Accepted students will be given requirements for software to be downloaded prior to the start of class.
Preparation
Is this right for you?
You do not need prior experience in programming in order to apply for this program. If you have no prior exposure to programming, we can help you. We suggest enrolling in our Software Engineering Jumpstart, which will offer an instructor-led pathway through introductory material. You can also pursue basic self-study with the resources we recommend. Each pathway, self-guided or instructor-led, is designed to help you determine whether software engineering is the right career for you.Beginning the Admissions Process
Once you’ve applied to this program, the admissions process will start with a conversation with a representative from the program so we can get to know you better, learn why you think you have the aptitude and interest in this type of work, and if you’re ready for an intensive nine-month training program. This conversation is also designed to answer your questions about the program and NSS.You’re admitted. Now what?
Once admitted, all students will be given the opportunity to ramp-up their Java coding skills to the base level of proficiency required to start the class. As above, those with no experience need not worry. We have a series of prerequisite courses that will help you learn what you need to learn. We also have opportunities for you to interact with and learn from instructors and peers. Successful completion of a final Java coding assessment will demonstrate that you are ready to start the class.Tuition
There are two tuition plans at NSS: Standard Tuition or Nashville Opportunity Tuition. Out of 25 seats in each cohort at NSS, our goal is to have at least 12 be Opportunity Students and the remainder paying standard tuition. Grants and scholarships are also available for students from underrepresented groups or who are economically disadvantaged, financially fragile, or underemployed.
Standard Tuition
Tuition for the full-time Software Engineering program is $18,000.
We request a $5,000 deposit on acceptance of our offer of admission. The balance is due at enrollment on the first day of class. You may also elect to pay the balance during the nine months of the program through an approved payment plan, as discussed below. See below for other financing and payment options.
Nashville Opportunity Tuition
Our Nashville Opportunity Tuition allows you to defer most of the cost of your training until you graduate and go to work as a software developer. You will pay us $1,500 as a tuition deposit on acceptance to the program and then nothing more until after graduation.
This program is a mutual risk-sharing program between NSS and the Student. NSS invests in the student through a scholarship and through deferring the balance of the student's tuition until the student a) graduates and b) becomes employed as a developer. Until those conditions are met, the student does not owe NSS the tuition balance.
Once you go to work using the skills you learned at NSS, we'll work out a payment plan for you to reimburse NSS. Some employers are willing to reimburse part or all of your tuition.
- Initial tuition deposit of $1,500, due on acceptance of our offer of admission
- $4,000 scholarship
- $12,500 tuition balance to be repaid on employment as outlined above
Selection criteria for the Nashville Opportunity Tuition includes:
- Limited to Nashville area residents or individuals who grew up in Nashville/Middle Tennessee and have strong family and personal connections to the area
- Priority is given to students that are committed to residing in Middle Tennessee post-graduation
- Priority is given to students whose economic circumstances would otherwise prevent them attending Nashville Software School
- Priority is also given to individuals from groups that are underrepresented in tech careers (e.g. women, Veterans, Black individuals, etc.)
Financing/Payment Plans
Payment Plans
If you are paying for regular tuition out-of-pocket, there are two payment options:
Payment 1 | Payment 2 | Payment 3+ | Total Cost | |
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Option 1: Early-bird Discount | $5,000 deposit due when offer is accepted. | $11,000 due before the first day of class (reflects $2,000 early bird discount). | N/A | Total cost: $16,000 Scholarship and student loan recipients are not eligible for the early bird discount. |
Option 2: Deposit + 3 Additional Payments | $5,000 deposit due when offer accepted. | $5,000 due before the first day of class. | $4,000 due at the beginning of months 4 and 8. | Total cost: $18,000 |
Student Loans
To provide additional financing options and support for our students, we've partnered with Climb Credit and Sallie Mae. We encourage you to evaluate both options to learn which one is right for you.
Both are free to apply!
*Please note that your deposit cannot be included in your loan (i.e. you cannot borrow the full tuition cost).
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The Smart Option Student Loan* can help you cover school costs. You can choose from multiple repayment options, and take advantage of benefits that help you while you're in school and in repayment. To learn more, click here.
*The Smart Option Student Loan references Undergraduate Students. While NSS is not a degree program, NSS students have access to this loan program.
Details for Software Engineering:
- Deposit due to NSS: $1,500*
- Maximum amount you can borrow for the program: $16,500
- Maximum amount you can borrow for cost-of-living expenses: $10,000
- Length of Loan: Tenor up to 10 years
Apply for Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan.
Applicants should reference the administrative processing code 609570-00 when contacting Sallie Mae.
Climb Credit provides simple, fast, and affordable loans with fixed interest rates to help you meet your career and financial goals (subject to approval). To learn more and apply, click here.
Details for Software Engineering:
- Deposit due to NSS: $1,500*
- Maximum amount you can borrow for the program: $16,500
- Maximum amount you can borrow for cost-of-living expenses: $9,000
- Length of Loan: 60 or 72 months
*Please note that your deposit cannot be included in your loan (i.e. you cannot borrow the full tuition cost).
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