Instructor Q&A: Coding Boot Camp

Dr. Christopher Ryu is the lead instructor of the Coding Boot Camp at California State University, Fullerton. In this interview, he shares why he started this boot camp, how it can lead to great careers, and advice for incoming students.

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Why did you decide to start a summer coding boot camp at Cal State Fullerton?

Our curriculum for the Accelerated Master’s in Software Engineering (AMSE) program focuses mainly on higher-level aspects of software development. If students already have foundational skills, then they are able to learn these advanced subjects. However, unless they have industry experience and are currently working, it’s not really easy for students to keep up with technology changes.

We also have several students admitted to our AMSE program with a bachelor’s degree in other majors, not computer science. This boot camp will help them learn those skills and also gain some experience really fast.

How does this boot camp prepare students for successful careers?

This boot camp will help students prepare for learning new programming languages and new software development platforms. For those who have no experience at all, they will have an opportunity to learn the hands-on coding skills that can be really helpful for finding a job. The industry demand for those skills is still really high, so students will benefit from finishing this boot camp.

What advice do you have for students entering the boot camp?

Try to be as adaptive as possible. Technology is changing really fast; even professional computer scientists and researchers are having a hard time keeping up with those changes. It’s really critical for students to be aware of those changes, and then spend their time learning those new technologies as fast as they can.