It is projected that full-stack development jobs are likely to grow by 22% over the next 10 years! With Computer Science and IT job opportunities constantly increasing, not just CS graduates but people from all kinds of educational backgrounds are ramping up for a career in this industry due to its versatility and growth trajectory. 

According to Glassdoor, salaries for Full Stack Development in India vary between Rs. 2.4 Lakhs to Rs. 21 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs.7.5 Lakhs.

Ever since the kick-off of programming as a mainstream skill, the most widely known skill-building option has been to invest one’s time and money in a computer science (CS) degree program.

However owing to the evolution of online education, technical certifications provided by independent code schools often known as boot camps offer a much more efficient and affordable path into the programming world for everybody interested. Let’s dive in for a discussion.

Do I require a CS Degree to get a Full Stack Development job?

Up until now, a degree has made all the difference in obtaining a high-paying job and being screened out directly without even an interview in most fields. But, with the reigns of technological and economic development within the grasp of start-ups, this fact has changed.  

Successful developers-turned-entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and many others have proved that dropping out of college and following a more productive route that caters to their skills didn’t hinder their career progress in any way and it was actually way better. 

Students have thus begun to question the whole outlook on degrees being a necessity and if it is even sensible to burden themselves with years of student loan debt for degree programs that can’t even keep up with the ever-increasing pace of modern technology. 

Owing to the rise of Tech-Ed platforms, it has become quite certain that you don’t “need” a Computer Science degree to be a coder, developer, programmer, or software engineer in the most basic sense and that you can develop your skills and start a career in this field via other mediums as well. 

Now, doubts such as, “How does a Computer Science Degree benefit me?” or “How would a Bootcamp certification in Full Stack Development be the better choice?” and “Whether there is a difference in career options for the two paths?” would arise in your mind and rightfully so. 

 It is imperative to know that you can do a lot with either background. But to help you weigh out the pros and cons and introduce you to a well-known and effective online resource that has helped many students not only learn but also achieve their dream jobs, keep following this article.

Before diving into the next section, ensure you’re solid on full-stack development essentials like front-end frameworks, back-end technologies, and database management. If you are looking for a detailed Full Stack Development career program, you can join GUVI’s Full Stack Development Career Program with placement assistance. You will be able to master the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) and build real-life projects.

Additionally, if you want to explore JavaScript through a self-paced course, try GUVI’s JavaScript self-paced certification course.

Computer Science Degrees vs. Coding Bootcamps

• Computer science degree programs are typically three to four years long and teach everything varying from computer programming languages to information system theories. There is quite a lot of theory about the origins of CS and the innovators that laid down the building blocks of our technology today so that you can understand the basics and eventually the advanced level tech of today’s world. 

• Degree programs can turn out to be a good investment, but what matter are your end goals. Traditional three- or four-year degree programs can cost anywhere from Rs. 2,00,000 to Rs. 9,00,000, so it is crucial to understand the return on your investment. 

• If your fundamental goal is to become a full stack developer, systems developer, web developer, or database administrator, a boot camp can help you learn all of the necessary skills in 12 to 18 weeks at the cost of no more (and sometimes less) than one semester of a computer science degree program. 

• Don’t take it the wrong way: Coding boot camps are definitely not bare-bones, but ‘just-the-basics’ educational institutions. They can impart practical computer science skills and training in high-demand programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, or PHP owing to their intensive curriculum with a complete focus on full-stack development. The most attractive aspect is that the boot camp experience is designed to equip the students with precisely what they need in order to succeed in the CS and IT job markets and actually get hired. 

• These two educational models constitute one major difference besides their cost and curriculum in the form of the career services element provided by coding boot camps. All coding boot camps are results-oriented, which means that they focus on how quickly, at what company, and with what CTC their students get hired (whereas computer science degree programs are just focused on making sure that students complete the program without paying much attention to their next steps). 

• Hence, these boot camps offer dedicated career success staff that review your LinkedIn profile, resume, and project portfolio, carry out mock interviews, introduce you to top recruiters, impart their knowledge of the best practices needed for networking and navigating the interview process, and keep you motivated once you are finally on the job market. This focused personal attention is not really feasible for large-scale colleges and universities with class sizes of 500 or more. 

Would you like to know about the must-have skills for a full-stack developer? Then refer to this blog on What is a Full Stack Developer: Required Skills and Responsibilities.

Full Stack Development Bootcamp

Coding bootcamps are a great technical training option and hence are gaining increasing popularity with those looking to increase their job readiness in the computer science domain.

Kickstart your Full Stack Development journey by enrolling in GUVI’s certified Full Stack Development Career Program with placement assistance where you will master the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) and build interesting real-life projects. This program is crafted by our team of experts to help you upskill and assist you in placements.

Alternatively, if you want to explore JavaScript through a self-paced course, try GUVI’s JavaScript self-paced course.

For all students with or without a CS degree, this Full Stack Development Bootcamp by GUVI teaches the required skills and provides an upper hand for students or professionals looking to enter the job market and work as full stack developers. 

Arriving at conclusion, the key to attaining a job in full stack development is not a CS degree, but practice. Everybody has different circumstances, so it may take more or less time but altogether, it is completely possible to learn to code and land a job without a CS degree in less than a year. Learning the relevant technical skills and carving out your career path by investing in the right development course and institution (with a great curriculum) is what stands between you and your dream job!