Full Stack Engineering

We'll help you change your life. Prime’s Full Stack Engineering curriculum has already helped hundreds of graduates launch rewarding careers in software engineering at some of the most innovative companies in the midwest.

The program’s immersive approach plugs you directly into the most relevant technologies and methodologies and rewires your mind to deftly take on the exciting challenges of a job in development. The relationships formed with your fellow students, industry mentors, and guest speakers provide you an invaluable network of passionate, diverse tech allies to call upon throughout your career. Explore this page to learn more about our Full Stack Engineering program or check out the important dates for our next cohorts below.

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What are we looking for?

The world’s very best software engineers all have one thing in common: they all started with zero experience. Prime’s accelerated learning program prepares high potential students to begin their careers in software development and provides them with a toolset to keep developing themselves while they develop software to solve real-world problems. Our program is designed to ensure that even if you come to us with no experience, you’re ready for your first job come graduation day. If you’re new to software, our application process includes links to resources you can explore to make sure software engineering is indeed the right future for you.

Here’s what we're looking for in Prime applicants:

  • Resiliency to learn from failure and keep experimenting
  • Curiosity, with a voracious appetite for new ideas
  • Intense personal drive, pragmatism, and resourcefulness
  • Commitment to empathy and inclusivity
  • Enough experience to know coding is for you

About the Application

Prime's admission process starts with an online application. You'll enter demographic information and answer short-form narrative questions. Once submitted, and if your application meets the requirements, you'll be contacted by Prime to schedule a 1- hour virtual interview where you'll have the chance to sit down with someone from our admissions team to confirm that the program feels like a mutual fit. Generally speaking, you'll know whether you're offered admission within 1 week of completing your application.

Curriculum Overview

Prime’s immersive experience prepares students to join the industry as entry-level software engineers. Using modern technologies like HTML 5, CSS 3, JavaScript, jQuery, React and Node.js to provide foundational concepts, techniques and design patterns essential in all coding environments. Beyond theory, Prime is engineered to quickly build real-world skills through hands-on experiential learning and a focus on toolsets, authentic workplace context and behavioral skills. Hundreds of employers have been wowed by the graduates they’ve hired straight out of Prime and we continually update our curriculum with each new cohort based on insights and feedback from our hiring partners. The curriculum is broken into three main sections or tiers, click on a section below to learn more.

Build the Basics

Estimated Time Commitment: Up to 60 Hrs/week
Schedule: M-F, 9am to 5pm plus homework

Getting Started

Students come to Prime from different backgrounds with varying levels of technical experience. The Building the Basics portion of the program is a chance for you to learn and begin practicing with the basic tools and technologies used throughout your experience. You'll also spend time getting to know your classmates and instructors, and understanding Prime's expectations in order to be a successful student at Prime.

Goals:

  • Understand foundational web technologies
  • Gain familiarity with developer tools (Text Editors, Command Line, Browser Debugging)
  • Build an understanding of basic programming concepts (variables, looping, logic structures)
  • Expanding your professional network

Topics covered:

  • HTML/CSS
  • Basic and intermediate JavaScript
  • Command line
  • Git
  • Networking with professionals

Develop Your Skills

Estimated Time Commitment: Up to 60 Hrs/week
Schedule: M-F, 9am to 5pm plus homework

Add Tools to Your Toolbelt

This portion of the program you'll focus on fundamental coding concepts through learning and applied practice. Each week, you'll focus on a new concept that builds off the previous week’s focus as you begin developing your skill set. Each day, you'll have opportunities to engage in group work, ask questions from your peers and instructors and apply what you learned through activities and assignments in real-time.

  • 9:00 AM Morning Ramp-Up: Grab some coffee and get answers to questions that might be plaguing you from yesterday's challenge.
  • 9:30 AM Professional Skills: Jumping into code first thing in the morning can be tricky for the most seasoned developers. We start the morning with a talk focused on job-seeking, networking or communication skills.
  • 10:00 AM Morning Concept: Your instructor introduces the morning’s key concept with a lecture. Instruction is highly interactive relying heavily on class participation, impromptu Q+A, and plenty of live coding.
  • 11:00 AM Pair Challenge: You’ll tackle the morning's assignment paired with one of your classmates. Working together with new classmates regularly you’ll apply the concepts you’ve just learned to a code challenge.
  • 12:00 PM Lunch: Need an hour to process? Chat with your peers and students from the other cohorts over a board game while you rest and refuel. Or join us for a Headspace meditation to center yourself for the afternoon!
  • 1:00 PM Afternoon Concept: Afternoon concepts raise the complexity bar, requiring more hands-on instruction, practice and patience - but don’t worry, your instructor will break it down with you.
  • 3:00 PM Evening Challenge: Cap off the day with a coding challenge covering what you’ve learned today. We talk through the problem as a group before breaking to conquer the task at hand.
  • 4:30 PM Day's End: Stick around and work with your peers to finish up your homework or head home and tackle it on your own.

Goals:

  • Understand the architecture of the modern web “stack”
  • Practice developing full stack software
  • Develop apprentice skills including research and exploring new technologies
  • Experience building software as a part of a team
  • Growing your professional network

Topics covered:

  • Advanced JavaScript
  • Web servers with Node.js and Express.js
  • REST API development
  • React
  • Redux and state management
  • SQL
  • Resume writing
  • Building your LinkedIn profile

Project-Based Learning

Estimated Time Commitment: Up to 60 Hrs/week
Schedule: M-F, 9am to 5pm plus homework

Learn By Doing Real-World Work

Software engineers learn by doing—that’s why Prime dedicates the final third of the program to project-based learning. You’ll have the chance to work ​on a project of your design as well as help a real-world organization solve a real-world problem. You’ll get a chance to dive into a project you’re passionate about and build an app from top to bottom on your own and you’ll learn how to be part of a successful software development team, practicing behaviors and techniques you’ll use every day as a working software engineer.

Your solo project is an incredible opportunity to sharpen your development skills while showcasing your passions. You’ll be working solo, but you’re far from alone. You’ll do daily “standup” meetings where you discuss what you’re tackling and get support where you need it from your peers and your instructors. In the end, this project will be an excellent tool to show prospective employers who you are and what you’re capable of.

For your capstone project, you’ll tackle a real-world project for a local nonprofit, startup or small business. The project begins with a client kickoff where you’ll hear about the organization and their specific challenges and then break out the whiteboards to sketch potential solutions and get real-time client feedback. After the client heads out, you and your group will develop a project scope detailing your objectives for the project you’ll be working on together. The project will culminate with live presentations of your project in front of your classmates, mentors, and industry folks who you'll get a chance to speak with later that afternoon.

Goals:

  • Demonstrate your ability to build fully functional applications
  • Start your portfolio with two projects that show off your skills
  • Practice the team skills you’ll use daily as a working developer
  • Polish your resume and online profile in preparation for a job search
  • Learn to leverage your professional network

Topics covered:

  • Project Scoping
  • C#/.NET REST API development with the Entity Framework
  • Unit Testing
  • SQL Transactions
  • Client Presentations
  • Technical Interviewing
  • Job Search Tips

Post Graduation Projects 

Prime is continuing to adapt our curriculum to industry trends and alumni feedback. We provide  recent graduates with a framework to continue collaborating on projects while engaging in the job search.  

Skills Beyond Tech

Prime’s emphasis on communication and collaboration runs through the entire experience. Students take skills assessments and learn how to build on their teammate’s abilities. Sessions on effective team-based communication methods help to set the stage for positive interactions. Weekly public speaking and leadership training will help you find your voice and practice critical but often overlooked skills.

Industry Insights

Each week you’ll add to your professional network when Prime hosts a wide variety of friendly speakers from the software development community. Guests share context on the industry and expose you to new, different and sometimes opposing perspectives on the technology, techniques and philosophy shaping modern software. All this will help you to develop your own unique outlook on the field you’re entering informed by the real world.

Internet of Things

Prime is always looking to encourage students to apply what they’re learning about programming in different ways. We’ve collected a treasure trove of technologies ranging from microcontrollers to quadcopter drones to virtual reality gear in what we call our “toy box.” The toy box gives interested students a chance to see their code at work in a different context whether it’s blinking LEDs or piloting a drone.

Career Support

From the start of your program experience, you'll be preparing for your career transition into tech. This includes learning how to establish a productive mentorship relationship, implement effective interviewing strategies, and strategically write a cover letter. Throughout your time at Prime, you will build a resume and a portfolio of work that you can show off with pride. Coaching and feedback opportunities are also integrated so you can get 1:1 insights on your approach!

WELCOME TO THE NETWORK

Success after Prime sometimes depends more on who you know than what you know. At the end of your program, you'll participate in a networking event, a scheduled opportunity to have conversations with multiple individuals who are excited about Prime and eager to speak with you! You'll shake off your networking butterflies and gain confidence in speaking about yourself, your project work, and what you hope to do in your first role post-Prime!

Continued Education

Prime partners help connect students with valuable skills beyond graduation. Improve the inclusive web with free courses from Deque and Frontend Masters, and bolster your resume by pursuing your Digital Accessibility Certification with a partner prep course.

Tuition To Change Your Future

Your tuition supports Prime’s industry-leading instruction staff, excellent student-to-teacher ratio, development of our employer network and ongoing curriculum development. Tuition covers instruction and required software. Students are responsible for their own transportation, meals and living expenses during the program (though there's always snacks in the lunchroom). You'll want to have some ideas about your personal financing plan for tuition and living expenses while working on your application.

Once accepted and upon your confirming your enrollment, you'll need to have a finalized plan for tuition and expenses. 

Lowest Cost

Upfront Tuition

Pay out of pocket or finance on your own.

$17,500

includes $500 discount

For students paying out of pocket with their own funds or planning to secure a personal loan through their bank or various lender options.

Tuition is $18,000
Students paying up front receive a $500 discount
$1,500 down payment due on acceptance
$16,000 due upon start of study
Least Upfront Investment

Pay-As-You-Go Tuition

Start learning with a low investment.

$390+

per month (based on credit)

We offer flexible financing with Ascent or Climb that can cover your down payment, tuition and living expenses no matter what your credit score.

Tuition is $18,000
$1,500 down payment due on acceptance
Living expenses of up to $5,000 available
3 and 5 year repayment terms are available
Deferred/interest-only payment options available

MSP TechHire Support

We’re proud to partner with the city of Minneapolis, the city of St. Paul, Ramsey County, and Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis to bring Prime to diverse Minneapolis and St. Paul residents who would be otherwise unable to afford the program. The application process screens and verifies eligibility for student aid (household income must be "very low" based on the CDBG income table). Eligible students may receive grants to cover up to 100% of tuition. Funds are available on a first come, first served basis so apply today.

Other Scholarships

Prime provides a number of scholarships to support students seeking to attend our programs. Prime and our partners are committed to building a diverse tech community. To encourage women and people of color pursuing tech careers, Prime Digital Academy grants a $500 scholarship to members of those groups accepted into the program. Additionally, Prime sponsors a Black Lives Matter in Tech scholarship that provides an additional $1,000 towards Black students seeking to study. We are also proud to partner with DEED on a grant supporting study for Minnesota residents of color aged 18-31.

GI Bill for Veterans

Full-time, on campus study at Prime is eligible for GI Bill support including housing assistance. Check with your VA counselor or connect with Prime if you have questions about what support may be available to you outside of the GI Bill (e.g. VRRAP or vocational rehabilitation programs) as you may be able to receive support thorough those programs as well! GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Required Computer Hardware

Having access to a computer you call your own is a critical part of achieving mastery as a tech professional. To provide a consistent experience we've standardized on Apple laptops (running a current version of OS X). If you aren't sure if your computer meets these specifications or want help selecting a laptop for Prime contact us. Prime will provide you with an external monitor for use in the classroom.

Not Sure How to Fund Your Training?

Paying for a program like Prime is a big deal. Check out all the resources and options open to you in more detail on our funding page.

Learn More about Scholarships and Funding Options

Prime's Alumni Community

Prime is committed to maintaining real relationships with our alumni and providing support and advice that spans your entire career. Whether you’re swinging into Prime to say hello or touch base with friends on Slack, alumni are part of our community forever.

We provide free co-working space for alumni to ensure that no grad goes through their job search alone. We also operate a weekly session for alumni who are currently job searching called the Alum Scrum. These sessions focus on technical interviewing tips and advice on navigating the tricky situations that arise in a development job search.

Beyond job search support, Prime encourages alumni to continue to hone their skills through regular development challenges, coordinated user group attendance and keeping in close contact with your classmates as you all make your marks on the local development industry.

"Attending Prime has been a life-changing experience. The program is designed to allow students to learn and grow together. I attribute my success to Prime's inspiring supportive and inclusive learning environment. Not only do you gain technical knowledge, but you also create meaningful friendships that will follow you through life."
"Prime changed my life. Not only did I gain the knowledge needed to begin my career in the web development industry, but I also gained confidence and friendships of a lifetime."
"Before Prime I was stuck in a job that I didn’t enjoy. After, I'm happy to say the exact opposite. I'm excited to go to work every day, I have a job with unlimited potential that I have control over. Not only did Prime help me perform a change professionally, but it also helped me become a more well rounded individual."