Springboard Review: Is This Online Tech Learning Platform Worth Your Time and Money?
Springboard, originally SlideRule, is an online learning platform that was founded in 2013 with the goal of bridging the world’s skills gap with top-notch online data science and tech courses. They also offer online courses in Machine Learning and AI, software engineering, and data analytics. Upon successful completion of your Springboard course, you will get a six-month runway to land a role in your industry of choice. Springboard offers 100 percent money back guarantee on your tuition if you do not get a job after six months.
Students learn through Springboard Careers Tracks with each program coming with technical 1-on-1 sessions with an expert mentor as well as access to comprehensive career coaching and feedback. Data science and software engineering students also receive prep courses. These prep courses are excellent for learners who need to polish up their skills before joining one of these verticals.
Is Springboard for you?
Springboard is an online tech learning platform that is best suited for learners in the United States, Canada and India and who are interested in learning STEM subjects. The Springboard’s Career Tracks only guarantee a job offer to learners who have the legal rights to work in these three countries.
Basically, Springboard is a Bootcamp that enables you to gain industry-level competitive tech skills within 6 to 9 months. This requires the student to dedicate adequate time and come up with a study plan that fits into your work and family schedules.
Springboard comes with three learning categories: coding, data, and design. As already mentioned, the platform has a job guarantee for students who successfully complete their courses. Additionally, each student is assigned to a career coach and well as professional CV and LinkedIn profile reviews.
How does Springboard work?
- A learner chooses their preferred online and begins the admission process
- Upon admission, students are matched with mentors
- Learners are taken through the online curriculum
- Learners develop small and large-scale capstone projects
- Mentors provide feedback to learners on their projects
- Learners and mentors review weekly learning goals
- Learners execute the final project
- Learners graduate and receive their certification
- Graduates begin the job searching process
- Learners are entitled to 100 percent fee refund if they do not land a job within 6 months
How is learning online with Springboard like?
Learning with Springboard is 100 percent online. All you need is Internet access. Here is how learning online at Springboard feels like:
- Learn from the best online resources – Springboard partners with hiring managers and industry experts to create course videos, articles, and exercises that help learners develop the exact skills they need for the job market.
- Come up with a learning plan – The estimated time for each resource and exercise helps learners better track their learning
- Track your progress – Learners can review the tasks and topics as they complete them. Additionally, a progress bar indicates the learner’s progress with the coursework.
- Seek help with the program – Springboard is responsible for making weekly calls. Learners are advised to post share their goals and seek help from their mentors
- Search for project comments – The mentors are responsible for providing feedback and stimulating learners’ thinking
- Learn from classmates – Learners are encouraged to use Student Forum to ask questions and contact other learners and alumni for advice
- Stay updated on industry trends – There is a weekly office hours that include specialist speakers and student presentations.
Top Springboard Courses
Data Science Bootcamp
According to Springboard, this course is built with the goal of prepping learners for the job market afterward. Each learner is assigned a mentor who walks with them through the entire program. This program contains 14 projects that are based on real-world scenarios so that you can have a better grasp of the concepts and build your portfolio with ease.
The Data Science Bootcamp curriculum included topics such as The Data Story, Data Wrangling, and Statistics. Additionally, you will learn Python as well as the right approaches to Software Engineering for Data Science. This program also includes Machine Learning, from beginner all the way to advanced concepts like Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP). The Data Science Bootcamp course takes 6 months to complete.
This program is created in partnership with DataCamp; thus, most projects and assignments from this online learning platform.
Data Science Bootcamp Course Prerequisites
- At least 6 months of experience programming with Python, R, Java, C++, or other general-purpose programming languages
- Familiarity with descriptive statistics and probability theory
If you are not familiar with these skills or do not meet the mentioned prerequisites, you can check out Data Science Prep Course to build up your skills. This course takes about 4-6 weeks to complete depending on your commitment.
Data Analytics Bootcamp
This data analytics takes 6 months to complete and promises learners a job as data or business analysts upon successful completion. The course is designed in partnership with Microsoft.
Some of the topics covered in this course include building structured thinking by mastering problem-solving frameworks and practicing real-world cases. During the program, you will be provided with tools for analyzing business problems like Excel and operating with business metrics. Additionally, you will learn how to analyze and structure data using SQL and Python. Finally, you will learn data presentation using Tableau, PowerPoint, and PowerBi.
Learners will be required to complete a number of projects before graduating. These projects are sourced from Khan Academy as well as from the Harvard Business School.
Data Analytics Bootcamp Course prerequisites:
- Good mastering of written and spoken English
- At least 2 years of professional work experience with design or programming tools
And if you feel you need some preparation, you can sign up for the FREE Intro to Business Analytics course.
UI/UX Design Bootcamp
This 35-unit course is designed to take 9 months to complete when dedicating 15-20 hours per week to learning. There are four projects to be completed during the coursework.
The topics covered in this program include building a design-thinking approach and conducting user research before working on the actual design. You will also learn UI design theoretical principles as well as practical exercises. Additionally, this UI/UX Design course teaches wireframing, sketching, and prototyping, as well as the style guides and design elements. You will also learn how to design sprints as well as the basics of working with developers and stakeholders.
There is no education or professional background required to enroll in this course.
Software Engineering Bootcamp
This course takes 9 months to complete and is developed for coders who want to become full-stack developers. This includes 800 hours of learning and practicing materials. You will be required to set aside 20 hours per week to learning. During this program, you will learn Front End (JavaScript) as well as Back End (Python, SQL, and Flask) development. You will practice by building Full Stack Applications with Express and Node. Finally, you will learn Redux and ReactJS.
Program prerequisites
- JavaScript fundamentals (loops, conditional statements, variables, and functions)
- Basics of HTML and CSS
Learners who need to polish up their skills in these prerequisites can sign up for a 1-month prep course. Additionally, Springboard offers several short courses on marketing, software engineering, and cybersecurity among others. You can find these courses here.
Here is a complete list of Springboard Courses
How much do Springboard courses cost?
The price of Springboard courses varies from $5,500 to $8,500 per course. Here is detailed information on Springboard course pricing:
- Data Science and AI– $7,500 or $1,490 per month – 6 months to complete
- Coding (software engineering) – $8,500 or $1,150 per month – 9 months to complete
- UX Design – $5,900 or $1,199 per month – 6 months to complete
- Data Analytics – $5,500 or $1,100 per month – 6 months to complete
- Data Science and Software Engineering prep courses cost $490 per month
Springboard’s Job Placement Guarantee
Springboard is one of the few online learning platforms that offer job placement guarantee. However, in order to qualify for a job placement, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be eligible to work in the United States within one year of successfully completing your course
- Have a sound mastery of written as well as spoken English
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a bachelor’s degree from a university in a subject
- Actively find a job and get involved in your career’s success
So are Springboard Courses worth your time and money?
The simple answer to this question is – yes. Each of Springboard’s courses comes with well-structured syllabi, great mentors, high-quality projects, and a job offer guarantee for successful students. Definitely, these four elements by themselves make Springboard courses worth their salt. The various refund options also make Springboard a great learning platform compared to other online learning platforms that do not offer refunds to unsatisfied learners.
That said, whether Springboard courses are right for you highly depends on your individual situation. Here are some of the points you need to consider before deciding whether you should sign up for Springboard courses:
- Will you be able to leverage on the job guarantee? Can you legally work in the US, Canada or India?
- Will you afford the fees? While the value you will gain from the six or nine-month course is considerable, it is important to consider your financial situation and whether you will be able to honor the monthly payments
Are you really interested in a career in the industry of the course you plan on taking? Springboard puts emphasis on career building above all else.
Springboard Review: Pros and Cons
Springboard cons
- Large program structure
- Access to real projects
- 7-day money back guarantee
- Job guarantee
- 1-on-1 mentorship
- Career services liked CV review and simulated interviews
Springboard cons
- Highly priced courses
Springboard Review: Final Thoughts
Springboard is a solid online learning provider with plenty of features that set it apart from other online learning platforms. If you started out with a platform like Edureka or Coursera and are looking for more comprehensive courses, Springboard is certainly a great option. Its course structures are carefully structured, complete with personalized tasks, mentorship, and career advice, all of which make Springboard one of the best online learning platforms for advancing your skills.