How Long Do Web Development Courses Take?

Asking about the length of a web development course is not a shallow question. Wanting to know how much of a time commitment it will be is a very reasonable question that deserves an answer because your time is valuable. This article will help learn the lengths of different types of web development classes, which classes are ideal for your goals, and what type of web development class is a better fit for you.

Lengths of Classes

Learning web development takes time. It’s a highly technical skill that requires many hours of classroom learning and hours of practice. The amount of time you’re able to devote to learning this skill will have a significant impact on your web development goals. Class lengths will range from several hours to several months. The longer a class, the more in-depth you can expect the instruction to be. These classes often focus on developing professional skills and offering a more career-focused education. Shorter classes tend to be introductory, grazing the surface and teaching basic skills that can get students comfortable putting a skill to use. 

Introductory Classes

An introductory web development course is the shortest class available, lasting no more than a few days. These are usually live classes that provide a straightforward education in topics like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. Introductory classes aim to get you familiar enough with a skill to feel comfortable experimenting with it on your own. While introductory classes help decide whether or not web development is the right path for you, you’ll need to invest more time in your education if you decide that you are serious about learning web development. Enrolling in a more in-depth course or an advanced course will help you meet your learning goals.

Advanced Courses

When you enroll in an advanced web development course you should have already mastered basic skills and be ready to build on them. Whether you learned the fundamentals in an introductory course or you’re self-taught, you have more control over the pace of the learning and your schedule when you opt to break up courses in this manner. The only drawback to scheduling individual courses yourself is that you trade a more comfortable learning pace for little to no career-focused instruction that you would find in immersive training courses like bootcamps and certificate programs. 

Web Development Bootcamps

Web development bootcamps, certificate programs, and professional development courses are excellent alternatives to earning a college degree for a fraction of the cost and a considerably reduced time commitment. Bootcamps are intensive, immersive, and in-depth programs that focus on teaching students job-ready skills that will help them get an entry-level web development job. Bootcamps can average three to six months depending on whether you choose to attend full-time or part-time. You’ll find that in-demand skills will be the main focus of these accelerated courses, and many will offer career support services, internships, or job fairs. The main goal of these bootcamps is to supply fresh talent that is knowledgeable and prepared to face the challenges that come with web development. 

Web Development Degrees

While a four-year college or a junior college offers students a degree in computer science, the cost and time commitment are considerably more than that of a bootcamp. To earn a college degree in computer science, you’ll take dozens of classes encompassing coding, cybersecurity, database management, front and back end development, and mobile programming. You’ll be exposed to a wide range of topics in the computer science field including theory and history as well as general courses that help to develop analytical and critical thinking skills. Students have access to various support systems and networking opportunities that can help them segue into a career in web development. The downside to degree programs is that they’re exclusionary, expensive, and time-consuming. Your application does not guarantee admission; you will need a minimum of two to four years of study; and you won’t have the advantage of an immersive program.

Self-Paced Classes

Self-paced or on-demand classes are the polar opposite of degree programs. When you enroll in a self-paced class, you are in charge of how long it takes to acquire web development skills. You don’t have to wait for the instructor to catch classmates up before moving on to the next topic. This learning format is appealing because it has a lot of flexibility. Course topics are prerecorded and made available to students to access as their schedules permit. Many self-paced web development courses offer limited access, so you would need to complete the coursework within your access window, but some courses provide lifetime access to course materials. The drawbacks to this learning format include a lack of accountability that makes it easy to procrastinate or not complete the course, no real-time feedback or answers to questions, and minimal interaction between peers.

Part-Time of Full-Time

Many training facilities offer multiple schedules for a web development program. Some are full-time, allowing you to learn on weekdays during traditional business hours, and some are part-time, with classes being offered in the evenings or on weekends. Enrolling in a full-time training program means you’ll finish faster than in a part-time course. Each student’s schedule and obligations determine the option they choose. You should know that full-time courses can be a bit more intense than part-time courses. More homework is often given resulting in more work outside of class. In part-time courses, the pace is a little more relaxed, and students tend to have more time to practice skills and get comfortable with certain techniques, tools, and software.

Learn Web Development Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop has a variety of courses and programs that can help you get into web development. If you’re looking for in-depth, professional training that will get you job-ready in a matter of months, consider enrolling in this 420-hour Full Stack Web Development Certificate bootcamp. It’s a beginner-friendly program with a project-based curriculum that teaches you how to code websites from scratch while helping you build a professional portfolio to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. This course covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, front end development, back end development, Bootstrap, and MongoDB. There are full-time and part-time options available, flexible financing, and you’ll have access to ten 1-on-1 mentoring sessions.

For a shorter program that can fast-track your career in back end web development, check out this Python Developer Certificate. You’ll learn how to code with Python to begin a career in software engineering, Python development, or back end development. This 90-hour bootcamp will take you from beginner to professional in a relatively short time, while also helping you build your professional portfolio. You’ll learn how to use the web framework Django for back end programming and Python programming fundamentals. Enrolling in this bootcamp requires that you already know the basics of HTML and CSS.

If you want to get a feel for web development, Web Development with HTML & CSS is a great entry point. It’s a three-day hands-on course designed to help students with no background in web development or coding start building websites from scratch. You’ll learn how to markup and style content, create professional-level, multi-page websites, and use browser development tools. This is a simple introduction that can get you started coding websites, but if your goal is to become a web development professional, advanced training from Noble Desktop will be necessary.