Full-Time Program | Live Online Program | Full-Stack Learning | Career Readiness | Our Sponsors
Learning Environment
The Midland University Code Academy will give you the technical skills you need to compete for junior-level developer positions. You’ll learn both front-end design and server-side code with training in databases, basic UX/UI, and Agile project management.
Full-Time Program
The Midland Code Academy is Omaha’s only full-time program, meeting for 12 weeks, and we welcome three cohorts a year.
What to Expect
You’ll meet Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, spending the day with your classmates and instructors as outlined below. We’ll also spend time together outside of class hours to attend meetups and other tech gatherings around Omaha.
Daily Schedule:
| Time | Objective |
|---|---|
| 9 a.m. | To review work from the previous day. |
| 10 a.m. | To introduce the new topic of the day and work through examples. |
| 12 p.m. | Break for lunch. |
| 1 p.m. | To practice the lesson independently, or as a group. |
| 3 p.m. | Review the day’s concepts again together and assign homework. |
Weekly Schedule:
You’ll gain a more comprehensive understanding of web development with one-on-one instruction and collaborative paired programming. You’ll learn new things every week and always be building on concepts. We’ll spend time on the foundations of web development, development, and operations, back-end development, and close the program with two weeks of working on a final project.
Live Online Program
Midland’s Code Academy is where flexibility meets coding. Our 25-week-long model allows people to pivot careers or learn something new in a format that works better with their schedule. Our new online option opens up our students to a more flexible schedule. You’ll still gain a comprehensive understanding of web development with one-on-one instruction and collaborative paired programming. Midland’s Code Academy welcomes three cohorts of students every year.
What to Expect
You’ll meet online Monday through Thursday from 5:30 PM to 9 PM where 1-to-1 access with an experienced instructor is provided. Friday through Sunday are supplied work days where no class is held.
Web development is an in-demand skill in a market that is increasingly difficult to break into. In the Midland Code Academy, we’ll make sure that you’re fully prepared to network your way into an interview, explain your technical expertise, and take on any programming challenge.
Daily Schedule:
| Time Frame | Objective |
|---|---|
| 2 Weeks | Introduction to HTML and CSS |
| 4 Weeks | Introduction to JavaScript |
| 4 Weeks | Introduction to REACT |
| 2 Weeks | Application Testing and Advanced REACT |
| 4 Weeks | Backend and Database Design |
| 4 Weeks | Hosting Tools, Advanced Deployment and DevOps |
Full-Stack Learning
Core and Professional Skills Development
Our main focus is on web technologies since the web is the most extensive and ubiquitous platform. Alongside these core skills, you’ll also learn the Agile method of project planning and how to market yourself and your skills.
We teach the basics of website development with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As we dive deeper into JavaScript, we lean on the REACT framework that gives you a better roadmap for designing larger applications.
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- Learn the Basics of Web Technology: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript make up the fundamentals of web technology. Every site, from YouTube to Facebook, uses those languages to create its structure, apply styles and layouts, and add interactivity to its sites. You’ll build a strong understanding of those building blocks to make future learning easier to extend.
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- Talk to the Server: To get familiar with servers, you’ll learn the building of API in Node, which is JavaScript running on a server. The Express framework will provide extra structure for the Node applications. You’ll also be exposed to a number of other server-side languages, and learn their flagship frameworks to make web applications a breeze.
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- Interact with a Database: Most sites and applications today are data-driven, using databases to structure, store and retrieve data. A firm understanding of what servers do, how they work, and how we can use them to deploy and host code is essential for a web developer to understand.
Technical skills are only half the battle. Besides the languages, you’ll work on your personal and professional skills to develop your ability to work as a developer, including the Agile methodology of project planning.
As a developer, you need to be able to make a decision, explain your reasoning to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and defend it. Teaching you to distill technical materials into a form that non-technical stakeholders can understand will prove to be an invaluable skill that will aid you in the job hunting process and in every job you will hold.
We’ll also teach you how to market yourself and your skills. This includes how to curate an online portfolio of coding projects that demonstrate your ability, how to get connected with other tech communities, how to network in a larger group setting, how to identify and talk about your strengths and weaknesses as a developer, and speak to what technical role you would play in a team.
Career Readiness
Having the technical skills for the job is important, but so is being ready for the career opportunity when it arrives. The Midland Code Academy will help you gain the skills for success through career panels, mock interviews, building your portfolio, and becoming immersed in the Omaha tech community.
We’re excited to see our recent graduates at places such as Aviture, Fusion Medical Staffing, and Wave Interactive in jobs such as front-end developers and software engineers.
Joining the Tech Community
Omaha has a vibrant community of tech talent and is home to many meetups where you can network and learn together. Below are some of the opportunities you’ll have through the program to get involved and build your network.
Learning from developers in the field, both new to the field and with years of experience, will give you insight into the types of roles and companies you want to join. You’ll hear from Midland alumni, other junior developers, and senior developers, on what it means to launch a career in web development at different companies.
We want to give you insight into the kinds of work environments that exist in Omaha so you can make an informed decision about what type of job you pursue. As a group, we’ll go together to visit companies and get you in front of hiring managers.
Every coder works in a team. Sometimes your teammates are other programmers, but often they are non-technical folks, like designers, marketers, or clients. To prepare, each student will research a technical topic and design a presentation to more effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders.
It can be intimidating to be the new face in the room, especially when you’re surrounded by experienced professionals. Optional networking events will be offered to help you build meaningful relationships.
Building Marketable Skills
You’ll likely be entering a new field, with new sets of expectations in the job market. Working with our business partners, you’ll start working on these skills in the first few weeks to get your foot in the right door to achieve your goals and help you get to the next level.
Your resume needs to tell a story. We know that hiring managers are looking for certain buzzwords and skills, and we’ll help you put those front and center, giving you the best opportunity for an interview.
Like any skills, you have to practice to improve. Interviewing is no different; you’ll experience multiple mock interviews to build your confidence and improve your communication skills. We’ll focus on soft skills: how to introduce yourself, converse professionally, talk about your experience, and more.
We’ll dive deep into talking about code, what areas you should focus on, how to talk about what you do well and what you need to improve on, and how to work through the logic word problems that you may be asked.
Industry Jobs
At the end of your program, there are a variety of positions that you may want to pursue. Below are some examples of where our students could go, each with their own unique skill set.
- Junior Web Developer, using the skill set you’ve obtained at the Code Academy
- Web Designer, if you have artistic skills to go with your website-building chops
- Mobile App Developer, if you enjoy crafting great user experiences on small screens
- QA Engineer, if you enjoy breaking things and then making sure they don’t break again
- Technical Writer, if you enjoy writing prose and walkthroughs
- DevOps Engineer, if you really enjoy working on the server side
- Database Admin, if you enjoy structuring data and ensuring data integrity
Our Sponsors
Sponsors for the Midland University Code Academy help to provide support for students during their time in class throughout the program. Various opportunities are available for interested businesses to become sponsors for the Code Academy. If your business is interested in becoming a Midland Code Academy Sponsor, complete the Sponsorships form to learn more.
Registered Apprenticeship Program
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship has dramatically impacted the lives, careers, and opportunities for millions of workers, and more than 150,000 businesses over the last 80 years, from careers in healthcare, energy and IT, to manufacturing, transportation, and more.
The benefits are substantial. Companies that offer Registered Apprenticeship programs can diversify their workforce, improve productivity and profitability, standardize training, reduce turnover, and more. It’s the earn-as-you-learn system that works.