How Long Do JavaScript Courses Take?

An important point of comparison between JavaScript classes is their relative time commitment. Time spent learning is as much an investment as a class’ financial cost. Some students have limits on when or how long they can study. Students want to avoid classes that demand more time than they can spare. They should also check if classes are longer than necessary to meet their goals. However, students should also have reasonable expectations about the time required for successful study. This discussion addresses the length of different JavaScript courses, how that length relates to their content, and how long you should expect to spend in a class based on your needs.

Lengths of Classes

In general, the length of a JavaScript class varies with its depth of instruction: how many topics it covers and how much the instructor explains each topic. The shortest classes may take only a single session of a few hours, while the longest run for hundreds of hours over several months. Most short courses address only basic JavaScript programming or else focus on specific topics. Longer JavaScript courses include more detailed explanations, additional topics like different JavaScript libraries or programming environments, and practical problems and projects to prepare students to use JavaScript professionally.

Within classes of the same general type, though, there can be significant variations in length. You should consider not only the number of class days but also the length of each class session, the time between sessions, and the class’ total time commitment including practice work. Some courses spread out their material over longer periods to allow more time for independent work between lessons or else to allow students to attend part-time, for fewer hours per day. Some shorter courses might condense more material into fewer days by setting an intense pace and leaving less time for practice work. 

Introductory Classes

Introductory JavaScript classes are the shortest option, typically only one or two full days or a few days of shorter sessions. These introductory classes generally teach simple or ‘vanilla’ coding in JavaScript, presenting its most important terms, syntax, and techniques. Instructors focus on building each student’s starting skills so that they can more easily add new tools and techniques later. Introductory classes are less likely to assume prior coding experience, and some classes begin with explanations of general programming concepts like variables, loops, and libraries. Some introductory classes are more focused on specific uses of JavaScript, such as in web development, and may allot time for additional techniques or tools related to that field. For students whose use of JavaScript will be limited to occasional projects or edits, this level of study may be sufficient, but those who will use the language regularly, especially as part of their career, will need a longer, more comprehensive course.

Advanced Classes

Advanced JavaScript classes cover topics beyond the introductory level, such as particular development environments, project types, libraries, and complex coding techniques. Many of these classes are as short as introductory classes — one or two full days or several partial days — teaching their specific topics in a fast, focused manner. To accomplish this brevity, these courses expect students to already have good competency with JavaScript. Some advanced classes also require prior experience in related areas like web design or server architecture. For students and professionals with the necessary background, these advanced classes are valuable and convenient, adding knowledge without requiring the time commitment of a full study course. However, each advanced class is limited to its subject area and will lack support for material outside of that focus.

JavaScript Bootcamps

Bootcamps are longer and more complete than introductory or advanced classes but still strive to present their material in a reasonable time frame and at a manageable cost. A bootcamp solely focusing on JavaScript might take several weeks of full-time study or two or three months of part-time classes. A web development bootcamp including JavaScript might require over a month of full-time study or several months on a part-time schedule. The additional instruction time and course materials increase the cost of these courses, but their purpose is to prepare students for professional challenges and a successful career. Bootcamps also often include time for direct mentoring, interview coaching, and demonstration projects useful as a starting portfolio. While JavaScript bootcamps cannot cover every topic and may be too accelerated for some students, they are usually sufficient to prepare students for most JavaScript programming tasks.

JavaScript Certificate Programs

The most complete programs focused specifically on JavaScript are certificate programs and professional development courses. These programs are even longer than bootcamps, usually lasting several months, but they use this time to prepare students further. These programs include additional career guidance and support, provide instruction in related areas that are omitted from bootcamp courses (for example, collaborative programming work), and provide accredited certification either through the course’s qualifications or through a certificate exam. Many such programs focus on particular career uses of JavaScript, such as web development or mobile app development. If you want to use JavaScript professionally after a single course, certificate and professional programs give you the best preparation.

On-demand Classes

On-demand or self-paced study gives you the most control over the extent and timing of your education. You could work through these recorded lessons quickly, proceeding faster than a live course and potentially learning JavaScript in just a few days. You could also slow down to work on difficult topics or to make time for unexpected events. You can even select just the lessons you want, skip topics you have already mastered or don’t need, or repeat lessons as needed. However, this control can become a challenge if you miss important information by progressing too fast or slow down too far when you become frustrated. On-demand courses require you to maintain your motivation and organization to keep working at an effective pace. Without a live instructor, it can be difficult to address coding questions or troubleshoot errors, causing further delays. In some cases, a ‘short’ on-demand course can stretch into several months, a year, or even longer, incurring additional costs for the extra access time.

Part-time or Full-time?

When looking at JavaScript courses, check whether they allow full-time scheduling, part-time study, or both. Depending on your circumstances, one or the other option might be preferable. If you are already employed or have other responsibilities, part-time study might be necessary. Part-time study is also advantageous because it allows more time between new topics, with more class meetings and practice time for each topic. When learning a programming language, that extra time is useful to plan, code, and debug sample projects. However, part-time study will greatly extend a course’s duration. Full-time study might be better if you have a shorter time frame, such as a break, or if you need to learn JavaScript quickly for an upcoming project or a new job. Still, remember that you will need to allot even more time outside of class hours to complete assignments and get ready for the next day’s lessons.

Learn JavaScript with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers three courses teaching JavaScript, each focusing on its use in web development. These courses are designed to meet the needs of different students and vary correspondingly in length. The shortest of these classes, JavaScript for Front-End, can be completed in about three full days. This introductory class teaches JavaScript programming centered around its uses in front end web development. The course does request that students have some prior experience with HTML and CSS, ideally from studying web design or front end web development. Using this basis, the instructor will explain how JavaScript adds to the functionality of webpages, teach the language’s terminology and syntax, and demonstrate its core programming techniques. The second half of the course teaches GreenSock, an animation platform for JavaScript that simplifies many animated webpage components. The course includes a proprietary workbook, awards a certificate upon completion, and may be retaken once for free within one year.

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp is a more complete, career-focused course in JavaScript, also centered on its uses in web development. This course also requests that students have prior web design or web development experience. The bootcamp course is accelerated, but its thorough curriculum still requires several weeks of full-time study. During this time, students progress from the basic concepts and features of JavaScript programming through increasingly complex techniques and tools, including additions from the most recent JavaScript releases. Throughout this study, students work on sample projects of increasing complexity, with their finished projects suitable for a starting portfolio. The course also addresses common JavaScript-related interview questions and provides additional career guidance, including a bonus 1-on-1 mentoring session with an instructor. The bootcamp course includes supplemental workbooks, access to class recordings, and a certificate of completion. Students can also retake the class once for free for up to a year.

The longest and most complete of Noble Desktop’s JavaScript courses is their JavaScript Development Certificate program, a comprehensive program lasting 14 weeks for full-time study. This is a complete, career-oriented study program that prepares students for professional careers using JavaScript. Its main focus is on web development, and students should have prior experience coding in HTML and CSS for web design or development. The first part of this certificate program is identical to Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp and trains students to use basic, ‘vanilla’ JavaScript programming. The course then progresses through advanced units on JavaScript coding for websites, including the Node.js, Express.js, and React libraries, the MongoDB database management system, and programming for security and user interface functions. The course also includes a bonus unit on SQL, a data management language used in many websites. Finally, the course prepares students for job applications by building a portfolio of their course projects and practicing sample interview questions. Each student also receives eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with an instructor to further refine their career plans or address any difficult course topics. The program includes supplemental written materials and access to all class recordings. Students receive a NY State-Licenced certificate upon completion and can retake the course once for free for up to one year.