UX Bootcamp Vs Design Degree

Hey, do you want to begin studying UX design and you admire whether you should go for a full-time design degree or opt for a boot camp?

It’s arduous to make this call because there is a lot of information open out on the Internet and it’s arduous to make the call because you ultimately cannot be sure which choice is going to make you more employable. But today is your fortunate day because it’s going to take you by the hand and lead you through the strength of the UX options to assure you what the right path is for you.

So what is UX Bootcamp?

It’s a short, powerful, immersive study program that takes you from a complete newbie design to job-ready in anything between three months to a year. The price ranges anywhere between $3000- $30,000. So you really have a lot of choices there and most of the Bootcamps are online, although if you do favor in-person learning, you can find in-person Bootcamps as well.

Pros of UX Bootcamp

So let’s jump into the pros and what makes Bootcamp stand out and why they’re on the growth of their popularity right now.?

1. Making you the First UX Design Job

So the biggest pro for choosing the Bootcamp, is that their main focus is on making you that first UX design job. A lot of them even propose an employability guarantee depending on where you live. A lot of Bootcamps in Europe do so, particularly if you’re changing from a diverse career path into UX and the dive feels a bit scary and intimidating that extra little bit of help with networking and career preparation can really help you feel safer.

2. Extensibility

Another very big pro for Bootcamp is that it offers you way more extensibility than a full-time degree. For once, you can study from the comfort of your own residence or while traveling or actually while doing your full-time job. Granted, it will be quite hard, but that just gives you that extra bit of protection that you don’t have to give up your whole life to shift into the UX career and you can actually just take it step by step.

3. Learn Practically and Up-to-Date Info

The next pro is to learn practically and up-to-date information. Bootcamp coaches and trainers are very often real practitioners in the field, so all of the skills that they will teach you are the precise skills you’ll need on the job. No fluff, no old or outdated information, and all of the latest trends and skills actually integrated into your studies.

4. Unique Portfolio Creation

For most Bootcamps, you’ll be creating up a portfolio parallel to your studies, and that’s one of the main conditions for later finding your first UX jobs. So that’s a huge advantage and depending on which Bootcamp you prefer, you might actually be sweating on real-life projects, which is invaluable working experience.

5. Secure your Job on Time

Another great thing about Bootcamps is that they will get you a job on time. So you come to the Bootcamp as a newbie and in just a few short months, you actually ready to take on your first UX role. Well, there’s clearly a pro if you want to begin your career as soon as possible, you also have to keep in mind that you will apparently speed through all of the theory and you might not have the equal level of in-depth knowledge as a university would provide.

Cons of UX Bootcamp

On that note, let’s jump to the cons and things you have to be aware of when you choose Bootcamps.

1. It’s Hard

So, again, it’s not really full-con if that’s how you fancy your learning and if you don’t have a lot of extra duties on your plate, but especially if you still have a full-time job, get set for long nighttime study including your weekends. You’ll need the endurance to get through the Bootcamp on time.

2. Impostorism

Next, really con is Impostorism, and it’s a real thing. So if you omit the Bootcamp feeling like you didn’t learn sufficiently or that you’re not a true designer and no amount of career help or career tips and networking events is going to help you feel secure enough in your job, and that’s essential in the current job market.

3. Self Study

Another point to consider is that if you go for an online Bootcamp, a lot of times it will just be you and your laptop or PC or Mobile and you will learn all by yourself. Now, if you’re an enthusiastic self-learner, that’s not really a problem, not really a con. But if you favor learning in a group, then this might be a struggle for you.

4. Shortage of Theory

Our final con for Bootcamp is that a lot of times they lack theory and it’s normal because in Bootcamp you get this very great experience and you just don’t have the time to go as in-depth as in a degree program. But this is a huge disadvantage because later down the line in your career, you’ll probably have difficulties in expressing your design decisions and this is a vital skill that all UX designers should have. So if you do opt-out for the Bootcamp, I’d highly recommend you take the time and make an attempt to educate yourself on the extra vocabulary, on learning all of the theories and exploring nearby fields that might be helpful in your career.

My Personal Advice

So if for you the pros of doing a Bootcamp surpass the cons, then I have a small piece of advice for you.

Always, always, always do your analysis or research. Research the instructors that are going to be teaching you like, what are their credentials? Where have they worked? What skills do they have? Connect to alumni, Ask them if they’d be ready to share their Bootcamp experiences. Most of them will be and just really ask them if they seemed like the Bootcamp was worth the time and money if they got everything they wished for out of it, ask to see their portfolio to see what kind of designs or projects you’d be working on if it’s actually something that you’d be interested in. Read the syllabus, do not skip any part, really go deep into what you’re going to be learning day by day. Examine the syllabus of your aspired Bootcamp to your competitor’s one, compare it to the design degree syllabus, and really try to find the differences.

Are you going to be studying what you eventually want to concentrate on?

This is very significant and if possible, try free course stuff from your Bootcamp provider. A lot of them have free beginning courses and by doing them you really get the essence of what their teaching style is like and what you can expect from the complete program. Some of the Bootcamps and portals also offer free discussion calls and if they do take benefit of that offer and use the time to ask them all of the issues you want to hear answers to.

One of the most commonly asked questions that all need to know about Bootcamps is which is the best one and to be frank, I don’t know the answer because it just really depends on your conditions, it depends on your location, it depends on your funds, it depends on what you want to learn, it depends on how fast you want to learn it. Some of the online platforms to get you started in no particular order of preference are CareerFoundry, General Assembly, Flatiron, but just generally go out and Google it and find the best Bootcamp that’s right for you.

University

Now onto the universities. What are the pros and cons of opting for a regular full-time design degree?

Well, let’s start with the pros.

1. Through Academic Base

So the first big pro is that you’ll get a sort of academic base. You’ll not only learn how to do stuff, but you’ll also learn the reason and the design theory behind all of your choices. This is going to be important in your career, especially if you need to reach your design decisions or make a call on a feature.

2. More Time to Get Ready

Another big pro and actually the one I hear the most from people who opted for a design degree is that you get four years of time to just concentrate on your design. You only need to concentrate on your studies, you have all this time to really examine what it is that you want, you have the time to ponder about your future career, you also have way more time to strengthen your network and you don’t need to rush it and building a network while you’re in the university will almost happen spontaneously as you study side by side with the same people for over four years.

3. Fame and Credibility

Another big plus for getting an official design degree is that it brings a level of fame and credibility with it. While the UX enterprise is generally more of a meritocracy and benefits skills over certificates for some jobs and companies, you still require an official degree. So if you’d prefer to work in a governmental edifice or want to teach the university, that’s still often a requirement.

Now on to the cons.

1. Cost

Student loan has got to be the biggest con of opting for a design degree. Of course, it’s not correct for every country. So depending on where you exist, that might be different. But in a lot of countries, going to university is still very costly. So if you choose to go for an official degree, you might be looking at a very big loan at the end of your studies.

2. Huge Time-Investment

Another point to consider, of course, is the huge time investment. It takes a long time to achieve a design degree. If you choose to put a master’s after your bachelor’s, you’re staring at anywhere between five and six years. So you’ve really got to be assured that’s the path you want to take and you also don’t get the same versatility that the Bootcamp offer because some of the universities will let you squeeze your curriculum a bit, while others just have very set schedules that you can’t change at all.

3. Outmoded or Outdated Information

One more point you should consider is that a lot of times the learning you’ll get taught at universities might be outmoded or outdated. The reason being UX is such an active-changing field, it’s truly impossible for big university programs to keep up the speed of change and adjust their curriculum accordingly.

4. Shortage of Practical Experience

You will get an intense dive into the theory of design and that will ultimately help you later in your career. But what that also means is that it’s on you to make assured you get enough practical experience. A lot of times UX design university studies are separated from the actual specifications of a UX design job. So that’s something you should be careful of.

Which to Choose?

This won’t come as a wonder, but there’s not a particular right answer. It really depends on you and your situation. It depends on where you exist, it depends on how soon you want to begin your career, it depends on whether you work full-time, whether you have sufficient time to invest in a university education or you want to fast-track your career.

So to sum up, the university will guide you with high-level strategy and design theory. While the Bootcamp will concentrate on particular skill sets that you require for the job. Before you choose, make sure to take your time. Examine the curriculum, reach out to the alumni. Don’t hasten the decision. Remember, the UX design industry is quite advanced and it’s more of a meritocracy. A lot of companies just won’t mind where you got your knowledge from. What they will care about are your practice and ability-level or skill-level.

Most of the UX companies will have UX designers from all countries, people who studied in Bootcamps, people who studied in universities, and guess what? It doesn’t really value that much; despite what you opt for, it’s always going to be a constant learning process. Don’t expect to become a specialist right after graduating from a Bootcamp, or a university. That’s actually where a lot of your training starts. It takes time to become a specialist. Whatever you decide to take on, go for the option, that’s right for you, not what’s currently in trend. Ultimately, investment in your education is never futile.

So here you have it and hope you really enjoyed the article.