ITS GOOD TO BE A
STACK DEVELOPER

Time is ticking. Are you ready to get mean?

Become a Software Developer

Ward 5 is 13-week immersive software development training program building a community of developers, engineers and hackers.

Weeks 1-4

Weeks 1-4 are structured deep-dives into software and web development, learning JavaScript, and how the MEAN Stack puzzle fits together.

These are critical weeks to build the foundation of good programming practices and beginning to conceptualize models and turn them into code.

Weeks 5-8

Weeks 5-8 we take your training wheels off and you start writing code on your own and in pairs. We treat these weeks as if you were just hired.

You'll focus on completing your personal projects, building ambitious group projects, and begin networking with our employer partners. Be sure to make a good first impression!

Weeks 9-13

The final leg of the course is your time to shine! You'll compelte individual and group projects and push them live to the web!



Total Tuition

$8,500

Tuition

We have worked hard to assemble all of the most critical components of a software development training program. We have world-class faculty and staff, maintain our campus in the heart of Milwaukee's 5th Ward and deliver an experience that outperforms traditional higher educational institutions. Put your education in the hands of experienced developers who will guide you through an intensive eye-opening experience.


Why JavaScript?
Why MEAN Stack?

The web industry waits for no developer or technology. The future of web development has moved towards sophisticated, responsive and dynamic "single-page" applications running in the browser. Apps like Gmail, Asana, Trello, Facebook and Google Maps have redefined what users expect from "Web Applications" and thus what developers need to be able to deliver.


Full-Stack JavaScript is the Best Way to Learn Web Development!

Not only is full-stack JS where "the puck is moving," it is also the best way to learn how to code in general. Modern web development requires keeping many different parts of the stack in your mind at the same time. The World's largest and most cutting-edge companies today want to give users highly interactive and responsive experiences that don't require a page refresh at every step. As a result, the web of today is dominated by "Single Page Applications" written in JavaScript using frameworks like AngularJS.

Striving for greatness and iterative improvements

"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."
- Albert Einstein

Live Codeing

We’ll introduce the exercises or project you’ll work on next, and start doing it live on our giant projector. In addition to explaining the concepts you’ll need to know to do the work, we’ll explain how to figure out the things you don’t know. Students shout out questions — it’s an interactive sport.p>

Pair Programming

You’ll work together on real-world projects. If you get stuck, you can take advantage of our advanced help request system.

Exercise & Lunch

This is an intensive process. We make time for everyone to get up and streatch their legs and grab a bite to eat. There are awesome gyms and dozens of great Milwaueke lunch spots near by.

Learn & Code

Learn - As in the morning, we’ll introduce new concepts by beginning a new project together. Code - At points during the course, students take on longer projects and learn high level meta-engineering skills around project management, team communication and code documentation.

Presentations

Every evening is different. You’ll ask guest speakers about their work, attend meetups, go through mock interviews, or hack on projects with a rotating array of guest teachers. The program technically ends at 5, but expect to workl well into the night.

We retain exception staff, mentors and instructors from the entrepreneurial and technology community of Wisconsin.

Curated suite of technologies and concepts

We've selected a technology stack that is relevant to modern software development practices. Each lesson builds upon the next towards create more and more sophisticated software applications.

Dynamic industry-driven curriculum

Our curriculum is constantly evolving in response to feedback from our employers and staff, while holding true to the principal goal of graduating top developers. Our graduates will be able to quickly and independently learn any new technologies, languages or tools that a specific job requires, even those they've never been exposed to before.

Simulate real job environments

The curriculum has a strong focus on all of the skills required of Software Engineers today, including effective communication, workflow management, product development and implementation, application deployment, and team dynamics. Students are exposed to broken tests, incomplete documentation and other surprises that give them experience with the sorts of real-world challenges that many developers encounter.

Getting accepted to Ward 5 means you've shown the passion for technology and software development. We select individuals like we would to be part of our own startups.

Hungry to learn

For students to realize the full potential of the program they need to invest extraordinary effort. Ward 5 challenges students to dedicate themselves to their growth with more time and energy than many full-time jobs would ever require, to learn how to grow through personal challenges and to constantly adapt to the unpredictable.

Relentless pursuit of curiosity

Students and our world class team of Engineers, educators and professionals are passionate about our mission to transform education. That excitement is contagious: we are often inspired to work 80+ hours every week of the program.

Dedication and Teamwork

Before applying to Ward 5, applicants should be prepared to dedicate themselves entirely to their education and its community: 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week for 13 weeks. If you have questions, we encourage you to contact our team.

Logo
Logo
Logo
Logo

Logo
Logo
Logo
Logo

What the community is saying about Ward 5

We're more than a code school - we're developers building a stronger community

I am very excited that Ward 5 is our neighbor and is teaching courses that we as a local software encryption employer seek. Many of the colleges and universities are not up to speed on curriculum, but that is not the case with Ward 5. That is no fault of the higher education system, it is simply a fact that technology moves at a fast pace. We need highly skilled people now and not in four years.


Tammy McCormackVP Human Resources @ PKWARE

Iusto quam fugit consequatur explicabo at deserunt eius vel, debitis non itaque blanditiis error iure modi, asperiores molestiae dolorum! Earum expedita sit, nesciunt neque magnam at dolorem praesentium saepe! Rerum recusandae qui quidem, a neque consequatur laboriosam.


Matt KremerFounder & Developer @ Kobra.io

Coding knowledge — even a little — is a valuable asset in our competitive economy, where the amount of data continues to grow. Programming experience is becoming such a necessary job attribute that he argues schools should be teaching everyone a computer language, rather than a foreign language.


Matt LittleVP of Product @ PKWARE

Aliquid doloremque ipsum ipsam molestias aliquam ab quod mollitia sed. Vero sapiente voluptatem, voluptatum excepturi a doloribus. Dicta sit quo sed, eaque! Voluptates in illo maiores corporis? Placeat ut recusandae maiores, aliquam error. Sequi accusamus nostrum porro.


Miles KohlerLead Developer @ Jigsaw

Meet the Founders

We are a passionate entrepreneurs, developers and engineers.

Greg Meier

President & COO. Greg is a technology entrepreneur and leading entrepreneur in Wisconsin. He was the founder of 94 Labs and formally served as the Executive Director of the NASA sponsored classroom of the Future and Chairman of the Board at Homeboyz Interactive.

Nick Wichert

CEO & Director of Development. Nick is a self-taught web developer and entrepreneur. He co-founded Wisconsin's first Global Accelerator Network Member accelerator, Victory Spark and is a leading expert in the Customer Development Methodology.

Tyler Hackbarth

Founding Instructor and CTO. Tyler is a software engineer and the co-founder of Searium Studios - a leading software development firm. Tyler met Greg when he his first startup was selected to participate in Wisconsin's first seed accelerator, 94 Labs.

Stay Up to Date