University of Texas at Austin Professional Development Center Announces Technology Career Boot Camp Certificate Programs

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Development Center (PDC) at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce the launch of four skills-based technology career programs, beginning Oct. 10, 2014. The PDC partners with Experiential Teaching Online (XTOL Corp.) to offer remote, collaboration-driven courses focused on software technology and data analytics to recent graduates and professionals in Austin and throughout Texas. Graduates of the Technology Career Boot Camp will:

• Gain a broad range of job-ready skills (technical and business) in numerous fields.
• Receive a Certificate of Completion.
• Complete a portfolio of professional-quality work to present to prospective employers.

The certificates were developed using XTOL's proven Story-Centered Curriculum approach — an approach in which students are placed in authentic, team-based, professional roles that incorporate knowledge and skill-based tasks. In the programs, faculty members mentor the students and evaluate student performance on work produced. The program also includes periodic on-campus sessions that allow for increased faculty-student collaboration. In partnership with XTOL, the PDC will offer the following certificate programs:

• Certificate in Agile Web Application Development in Ruby on Rails
• Certificate in Data Analytics/Big Data
• Certificate in Mobile Application Development
• Certificate in eCommerce Technology

"Following XTOL's proven Story-Centered Curriculum approach, the certificate programs provide critical technology and business skills," said Liliya Spinazzola, director of the Professional Development Center. "Students acquire authentic experience at a more realistic pace conducive to learning and at a cost that they can afford." 

One of the unique aspects of the university certificate programs is the mentoring provided to students by faculty members. The programs offer the convenience of an entirely online curriculum as well as individual and team-based faculty mentorship. Many of the faculty mentors are members of the university's renowned Department of Computer Sciences. Bruce Porter, chairman of the Department of Computer Sciences, said, "We are excited about this innovative program and believe it to be a valuable alternative for people who, for any number of reasons, are unable to pursue a graduate degree in computer sciences at the university."

Students leave each of the certificate programs with a Certificate of Completion, a professional portfolio and end-to-end project experience working on real-world, in-demand software technology projects.

For more information about the Technology Career Boot Camp certificate programs, go to our website, http://www.xtol.careers and plan to register to attend live information sessions to be held in Austin on Sept. 4; in Dallas on Sept. 11; and in Houston on Sept. 18.

Contact: Andrew Tresenriter, (512) 475-7878, or Email.

SOURCE Professional Development Center