Please read the FAQ and note that there are Tier Project Ideas to help you select projects.
Note: Prior guides have been deprecated but are still available here
If you want to develop the skills necessary to be 'job ready' for a junior developer position - complete tier X, 0, and 1.
- tier X - Math Prep
- tier X - Programming Prep Prep
- tier 0 - Programming Prep
- tier 1 - Getting Started
If you want to develop the skills necessary to move beyond junior to intermediate developer - once you've finished tiers X, 0 and 1, proceed to complete tiers 2 and 3.
If you want to develop the skills necessary to move beyond intermediate to senior developer - once you've finished tiers X, 0, 1, 2, and 3, proceed to complete tiers 4 and 5.
Each tier has a 'specialization' based capstone which involves further study and extensive practice in an area of your choosing. Web Development - Fullstack Bootcamp - App Academy Open is highly recommended (but not required) as the first specialization. Beyond that, feel free to complete a different specialization each tier, or dive deeply into a specialization by selecting it during multiple tiers to explore it in greater detail and further develop your specialized profile.
- Web Development - Fullstack Bootcamp - App Academy Open (recommended, but not required, first specialization)
- Web Development - Fullstack Bootcamp - The Odin Project
- Web Development - Frontend
- Web Development - Backend
- Mobile App Development
- Game Development
- Open Source Contributions
The following specializations rely on knowledge gained in earlier tiers. Additionally, they are typically 'more difficult' or will require more work than those listed above.
- Computer Science - Algorithms -Suggested for Tier 2 or later
- Computer Science - Advanced Algorithms - Computer Science - Algorithms is a pre-requisite
- Computer Science - Intensive - Suggested for Tier 4 or later
- Data Science I - Suggested for Tier 2 or later
- Data Science II - Data Science I is a pre-requisite
Both tiers and specializations will require 'Tier Programming Projects', you are free to select any programming project you want. To help combat the 'but I don't know what I want' roadblock, Tier Programming Project Ideas lists a variety of ideas.
Note: In specializations, the Tier Programming Projects might have extra criteria (such as 'if you're doing a mobile app development specialization your projects must be mobile apps')
Math will be relevant throughout the guide. Begin it as you start the guide, and incrementally work through it alongside the guide. (You need not finish this before moving to tier 0, or tier 1, but be actively working on it alongside them.)
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Algebra I | ||
| Algebra II | ||
| Trigonometry | ||
| Precalculus |
A very gentle introduction, complete if feel you would benefit from it, skip if you'd rather dive right into tier 0
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation | ||
| Intro to HTML/CSS: Making webpages | ||
| Intro to SQL: Querying and managing data | ||
| Advanced JS: Games & Visualizations | ||
| HTML/JS: Making webpages interactive | ||
| Capstone | Status | Evidence |
| Create a website highlighting what you learned and built during this tier. Use this as an opportunity to create a portfolio of your projects, notes, blog posts, etc. |
Become familiar with Web Development basics - HTML/CSS/JavaScript plus Git and using the Editor of your choice
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Learn Enough Command Line to Be Dangerous | ||
| Learn Enough Text Editor to Be Dangerous | ||
| Learn Enough Git to Be Dangerous | ||
| Learn Enough HTML to Be Dangerous | ||
| Learn Enough CSS & Layout to Be Dangerous | ||
| Learn Enough JavaScript to Be Dangerous | ||
| Reading | Status | Evidence |
| MDN HTML - Beginner's tutorials | ||
| MDN CSS - Tutorials | ||
| MDN JavaScript - Tutorials - For Complete Beginners | ||
| Eloquent JavaScript | ||
| Practice | Status | Evidence |
| Google Home Page | ||
| Rock Paper Scissors | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Capstone | Status | Evidence |
| Create a website highlighting what you learned and built during this tier. Use this as an opportunity to create a portfolio of your projects, notes, blog posts, etc. |
Deepen understanding of Web Development and begin learning Computer Science topics
Dive deeper into the Computer Science topics which will prove useful throughout all programming
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics for Computer Science | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python | ||
| Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science | ||
| Software Construction | ||
| Introduction to Algorithms | ||
| Algorithms: Design and Analysis | ||
| Reading | Status | Evidence |
| MDN JavaScript - Tutorials - Advanced | ||
| MDN HTTP - Tutorials | ||
| MDN Web Components | ||
| You Don't Know JS: Types & Grammar | ||
| You Don't Know JS: ES6 & Beyond | ||
| JavaScript Allongé, the "Six" Edition | ||
| D3 Tips and Tricks v3.x | ||
| Practice | Status | Evidence |
| Complete all Classic Puzzles - Medium on CodinGame | ||
| Complete all ES6 Katas here | ||
| Complete Google Kick Start 2017 | ||
| Complete Google Code Jam 2018 | ||
| Complete FaceBook Hacker Cup 2017 | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Specialization | Status | Evidence |
| Complete a Specialization - note: you may elect to complete another round of a specialization you selected in a prior tier, or branch out and complete a different specialization |
Dive deeper yet, exploring algorithms and different programming paradigms
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Software Architecture & Design | ||
| Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability | ||
| Algorithms: Design and Analysis, Part 2 | ||
| Multivariable Calculus (more rigorous) or Khan Academy Multivariable Calculus (a more gentle introduction) | ||
| Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs | ||
| Design and Analysis of Algorithms | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Reading | Status | Evidence |
| Official docs for Angular, React, or Vue | ||
| Jest Official Docs | ||
| JavaScript Design Patterns | ||
| Understanding ECMAScript 6 | ||
| Professor Frisby's Mostly Adequate Guide to Functional Programming | ||
| Functional Light JS | ||
| Essential TypeScript | ||
| Practice | Status | Evidence |
| Complete all Classic Puzzles - Hard on CodinGame | ||
| Write the CSS Necessary to create your own 12 column based grid layout - see here for an example | ||
| Study The official Sass docs and convert your 12 column based grid layout to Sass | ||
| Complete All Tracks (Basic Programming, Data Structures, Algorithms, Math, Machine Learning, and Python) on HackerEarth | ||
| Complete Google Kick Start 2016 | ||
| Complete Google Code Jam 2017 | ||
| Complete FaceBook Hacker Cup 2016 | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Specialization | Status | Evidence |
| Complete a Specialization - note: you may elect to complete another round of a specialization you selected in a prior tier, or branch out and complete a different specialization |
Wrap up by taking a look at some specific areas of computing to complete a breadth of knowledge that can be leveraged regardless of specialty
| Courses | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Computation Structures | ||
| Introduction to Databases - all mini-courses | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Computer System Engineering | ||
| Performance Engineering of Software Systems | ||
| Mining Massive Datasets | ||
| Compilers | ||
| Reading | Status | Evidence |
| How to Design Programs | ||
| 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know - Extended | ||
| Think Java - How to Think Like a Computer Scientist | ||
| Open Data Structures | ||
| Node.js Docs | ||
| Practice | Status | Evidence |
| Complete all Classic Puzzles - Very Hard on CodinGame | ||
| Study The Google Android Developer Guide and build the Android App of your choice | ||
| Complete Google Kick Start 2015 | ||
| Complete Google Code Jam 2016 | ||
| Complete FaceBook Hacker Cup 2015 | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Tier Programming Project | ||
| Specialization | Status | Evidence |
| Complete a Specialization - note: you may elect to complete another round of a specialization you selected in a prior tier, or branch out and complete a different specialization |
Wrap up by diving more deeply into your specialization(s). If you haven't already done an Advanced Specialization, strongly consider including it in this tier. Beyond that, feel free to laser focus on one specialization, practicing more in that area, or branch out and develop expertise across multiple specializations.
| Practice | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Complete a Specialization | ||
| Complete a Specialization | ||
| Complete a Specialization | ||
| Complete a Specialization | ||
| Complete a Specialization | ||
| Capstone | Status | Evidence |
| Create a website highlighting what you learned and built during this specialization. Use this as an opportunity to create a portfolio of your projects, notes, blog posts, etc. |