LaunchSchool: An online school for Software Engineers

The Slow Path for Studious Learners to a Career in Software Development

Structured Curriculum from First Principles

Our program is about slowly building up mastery of fundamentals, so you understand how higher level abstractions truly work from the bottom up. Our goal isn't to teach you how to use React or Rails, but to show you how to construct accurate mental representations of first principles in order to tackle fundamental engineering problems. Our goal isn't to help you find a job, but help you launch a career. Our goal isn't to teach you to code, but to teach you how to deconstruct and problem solve like an engineer.

By Software Engineers for Future Software Engineers

Launch School was founded by experienced software engineers. We know what it takes to not only break into software, but to build and grow a career as an engineer in the software industry. Our objective is to increase your lifetime earnings by millions of dollars. This is what makes Launch School unique and why we focus on the long-term results of a career. Our curriculum was created by software engineers for future software engineers — you.

I work at a little consultancy, which among other things, does a lot of work with school and education systems here in Australia. I've learned a lot from the programs pedagogical approach and curriculum design. We often use Launch School as example in discussions around getting the fundamentals right.

David Perich

I enjoyed preparing for and completing assessments. They seemed well-designed for us to apply concepts learned within the course, but extending things in interesting ways. I felt they both helped test our learning, but also continue the teaching. The ability to get detailed feedback (especially on the early assessments) was great and part of what I believe makes LS special.

James Chew

I gained more than just knowledge during my time working through the core curriculum, and I wouldn't even regard that knowledge as the largest part of my reward for that time. I gained skills and confidence and a future which previously I could only think about in terms of vague fantasy. I also made quite a few friends.

Del

I can confidently teach others the topics I have mastered. When I don't understand something, I dig deeper into it rather than running back to my comfort zone.

Jenae Janzen

I admire how Launch School sticks to its foundational convictions - the way mastery-based learning is encouraged and reinforced over and over again throughout the curriculum has really helped me to internalize it, almost as a philosophy. This has, simply put, changed my life. It has changed my approach to learning in basically all contexts I come across.

Bethany Pietroniro

I've built a lot of confidence in my ability to pick up new programming concepts or frameworks as I encounter them. Launch School's requirements for a solid knowledge of the fundamentals via the assessments leaves me with the feeling that if I can succeed at Launch School, I will be able to pick up other frameworks/concepts as needed without much trouble.

Elizabeth Tackett

"We're one of the oldest and largest coding schools in the world."

Our Learning Goals

The key to unlocking higher level understanding and skills that last a career is focusing on fundamentals. We designed our curriculum with the following learning goals.

Fundamentals first, fundamentals throughout
A focus on learning things that don't change
Learn slowly and deliberately

Learn to be proficient, not just build awareness
Learn to understand problems, not solutions
Learn in a circular fashion

Our students love us, and if you are committed to building a career in software development, you will too

Sienna Wood

Denver

Software Engineer

Experts always return to fundamentals because they are the foundation on which everything else is built. Launch School’s core program embodies this principle by emphasizing mastery of fundamentals through purposeful individual study.

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Steve Kolock

New York

Front-end Developer

I got a different role making significantly more than twice what I had been making as a 'web specialist', putting me firmly in six-figure

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Letladi Sebesho

Johannesburg, South Africa

Full Stack Developer at Co-Foundy

This programme opened possibilities for me that would have taken me years to reach

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Sunny Beatteay

New York City

Software Engineer

From the first glance, it was apparent that Launch School had been founded by industry veterans. I have never encountered a curriculum more in-depth and rigorous

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A Serious Training Curriculum That's Designed to Launch a Career

Core Curriculum

Mastery of Fundamentals

Capstone

Launch Your Career

Complete the Core Curriculum courses and pass their assessments, and you'll have mastered the fundamentals. Participate in our Capstone Program, and you'll launch a career.