Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Tuition for the New Zealand Certificate in Applied Software Development is NZD$13,990 for 2027. This covers the low student-to-teacher ratio, a high amount of contact time and teaching support, coaching, mentoring, and career services. International Tuition is NZD$21,113

CAN I GET A STUDENT LOAN?

Dev Academy is Studylink accredited. This means students are eligible for a Student Loan for all of your fees, a weekly Living Costs payment and Course-Related Costs, and may be eligible for a Student Allowance as well. Head over to www.studylink.govt.nz to start an application — submitting now means you can rest easy knowing you have the fees covered.

To find out what you can access through Student Allowance, use the StudyLink calculator here.

DO YOU OFFER PAYMENT PLANS?

We sure do – if you're self-funding we offer payment in 2 parts: a $3,674 deposit secures your place, plus the balance due in week 4 of the programme. We also offer monthly and weekly payment options.

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY TO STUDYLINK?

It’s important that you start the Studylink application as soon as possible. It can take a while for Studylink to process your application, and we need confirmation from Studylink before you can start the course. Head over to www.studylink.govt.nz and begin your application.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY ON THE FULL-TIME BOOTCAMP LOOK LIKE?

During the 9-week Bootcamp immersion, you’ll be required to be online every weekday during core programme hours: 8:45am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. Most students also work in the evenings and on weekends. Although the balance will vary from cohort to cohort and week to week, your work during core hours will include pair programming, group projects, and individual work.

An example schedule might look something like this:

• 8:45am: Students connect with their peers and settle in for the day.

• Morning: A 40-60-minute lecture, followed by a pair programming challenge focused on the lecture topic.

• 12:30 - 2:00pm: Free time, or continue coding.

• Afternoon: Another lecture, followed by pairing until about 4:45pm, when everyone meets for a standup (a short check-in).

• From 5:00pm: The scheduled day ends. Many students continue working after this — sometimes late into the evening.

Because we use Discord, students stay in touch with each other at all hours and work together or solo as they please. You'll also meet your fellow students at in-person meetups and cohort milestones. We also offer discounts at our preferred co-working spaces as part of your study experience.

Students will have projects to work on outside of class time, and most students decide to code for one or two full days every weekend, depending on other commitments (family, etc).

Later in the programme, challenges become multi-day projects, mirroring the flow of software development teams. Lectures become less common, and teachers will work with you one-on-one to help solve project-specific problems.

CAN I WORK AND STUDY AT THE SAME TIME?

Sure! Our Part-Time Course, which is about 20 hours per week, has been specifically designed for people who need or want to work full-time while they study. Due to the intense nature of our Full-Time Course, you won’t be able to work while studying with us full-time. You will be learning and coding for around 60 hours per week, with most students also working into the evenings and on weekends.

HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED TO DEDICATE IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM?

Our Full-Time Bootcamp is designed to be intense – the amount of time spent varies from person to person. The structure and time commitment vary depending on which phase of the course you are in. The programme is split into two main phases:

Foundations: Our preparation course, completed remotely in 6 weeks full-time, at approximately 40 hours per week.

Bootcamp: 9 weeks, about 60 hours per week of intensive learning. It’s important to note that while ‘classes’ run 40 hours per week, you will probably want to spend extra time getting the work done. Most students work on their code for up to 60 hours a week during Bootcamp.

CAN I DO BOOTCAMP IF I HAVE KIDS OR OTHER DEPENDANTS?

If you have young children or other high-needs dependants, you will need another adult(s) who can do most of the work of caring for them while you are on Bootcamp, even if they attend daycare during working hours. This is so that you have time to focus on your learning for around 60 hours per week, without burning out.

That's why our Part-Time Course has been designed with workers, parents and caregivers in mind! The reduced-intensity course will give you the same learning hours and teaching support, on your terms. You'll also get public holidays and school holidays off.

WHAT SORT OF OFFICE SETUP DO I NEED?

It is important to have your desk and workspace set up well so that you can work effectively and avoid occupational overuse syndrome (back pain, wrist pain, eye strain, etc.). Consider where you will work — do you have a dedicated desk/office space that is relatively free from distractions? Do you need to buy a second screen or an external keyboard? A footstool or a better chair? Noise-cancelling headphones? New glasses? We recognise that some of these items can be expensive, but perhaps second-hand is an option for you, or borrowing them for the duration of Bootcamp.

I HAVE A PROGRAMMING BACKGROUND. IS DEV ACADEMY FOR ME?

Absolutely. Many university graduates with Computer Science degrees choose to do our Bootcamp to gain the practical skills and teamwork experience needed to enter the workforce. You might be a good fit for Agentic Launchpad too. We teach modern technologies and methodologies that align with current industry practice so you get the education you need to hit the ground running in a software development job. You also graduate with a portfolio of project examples, which shows employers what you’ve worked on, how you think and how you code. This portfolio is crucial for employers, and is something many university graduates aren’t yet equipped with.

WHAT TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO DO THIS COURSE?

None – although you should have explored programming enough to know that you want to do it full-time! While we teach you from scratch, most successful students have been introduced to programming by writing some code independently or by working through courses on e-learning platforms such as Codecademy or freeCodeCamp. If you haven’t written any code yet, you will be given a list of resources when you apply. If you study from those resources for a few hours a day, you’ll be equipped to hit the ground running into Foundations.

Our 46 week Part-Time Course is designed for those balancing coding studies with other responsibilities. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or working alongside your studies, this program offers the flexibility to learn on your own schedule.

Each week will vary, allowing you to weave study time into your existing schedule. You'll access all learning materials online, where you can dive into pre-recorded lectures and work through coding exercises at your own pace. 

We recommend setting aside about 20 hours each week for the course. One-on-one support for students from Dev Academy facilitators will be available most weekday evenings (no later than 9pm) with additional help available on some weekends.

On designated weekends, you’ll join group project sessions—a chance to collaborate with classmates and bring your skills to life in a team setting. Additionally, you’ll participate in Human Skills sessions and regular reflection activities, supporting both your technical growth and teamwork skills.

As you progress through the course, you’ll move from foundational skills to more complex, real-world applications. Towards the end of the course, you’ll work on larger, full-stack projects, gaining experience in building apps that reflect what you might create in a professional environment.

You will also have breaks that align with school holidays.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE?

Be sure to have done enough coding to know that you are serious about committing to this course. It is a big investment in your time and money, but the return is massive. To do this course, you need to have tasted enough code to know that it is something that excites you. We recommend checking out Codecademy or freeCodeCamp to try your hand at JavaScript, html and CSS. We’re looking for people with passion and enthusiasm for learning, specifically learning to code!

Equally important are your drive and tenacity, self-awareness and ability to relate to others. In the application and follow-up conversation we’ll ask about your professional, educational or community experience.

We also assess competency with written and spoken English as well as basic numeracy and literacy.

WHEN DO APPLICATIONS CLOSE?

You can submit an application on our website at any time. Set aside a decent chunk of time for this as there are a few sections to complete! Applications for each intake will close the week before Foundations begins.

WHAT IS THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS LIKE?

After we receive your application form, you’ll be asked to book a time for a follow-up conversation, to be conducted via Zoom or a phone call. This is your opportunity to ask questions. You can expect to find out whether your application has been successful within a few days of that call.

Above all we are looking for people who are committed to do well.

WHAT IS THE FOLLOW-UP CALL LIKE?

We'll send you a brief video to watch in advance. It's ok if you don't get to it, but we find it answers a lot of questions applicants have. When the time comes for your appointment with us, we'll ask about your aspirations and goals, as well as your experience with coding, so far.

We endeavour to make this a safe and welcoming space for everyone, and encourage you to prepare any questions but also just be open to connection with our team. If you request a Zoom meeting, you will need to have a microphone, webcam and decent internet connection. Dress comfortably!

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE APPLYING?

Check out our student success stories and follow us or search for mentions on LinkedIn. Our graduates often write about their experiences as they're going through the programme!

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY?

There's no time like the present! If your circumstances change we can easily move you to a different intake. Speaking with us sooner gives you more flexibility to make sure you're studying at the right time. Applications for each intake close about two weeks before it begins. We have multiple intakes throughout the year and you can see a full list of course dates on the course pages. If you are weighing up two different intakes, it’s a good idea to apply for the earlier one or as soon as possible, and our team can talk to you about your options.

DO YOU TAKE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?

Yes! Our programme is a Level 6 New Zealand Certificate, meaning you can get a Fee-Paying Student Visa to study with us. You may also be able to study on certain Working Holiday Visas or secure a variation to your existing open Work Visa. For specific visa requirements, contact Immigration New Zealand, your Immigration Agent, or get in touch with us directly.

WHAT WILL I GET FROM THE COURSE?

You’ll learn to build modern full-stack software and use AI as part of your development toolkit. Full-stack means you can work in the back end of a web application (on the server and database), and the front end (that users see). You will learn to build small applications or prototypes without supervision, both with and without AI assistance. We primarily focus on JavaScript and TypeScript, using Node.js on the server side and React as our preferred front-end framework. We give you an AI promptkit that scaffolds the way you use AI to build quality applications. Together, these languages and tools will enable you to build a good-looking website or web application, with client-side functionality that enables flexible, fast and responsive behaviour, data input and validation and other features of a modern multi-page application. These are the same technologies that Trade Me, Xero, and Facebook use.

You will learn the principles of test-driven development (TDD) using a variety of testing libraries to ensure your code is well-written and maintainable.

You will become well-practised in working in teams, using Git (an industry source code management tool), facilitating simple Agile processes, and delivering technical and non-technical presentations. This is essential for launching your career. Our classroom simulates real-world experience, giving you the opportunity to build the technical and teamwork skills employers are looking for.

You can also put those skills into practice through opportunities like Agentic Launchpad, our 16-week programme focused on building software with AI. Through the programme, you work on real projects and develop the skills needed to contribute in modern software teams.

Our NZQA-accredited programmes lead to the following qualifications:

• Bootcamp: New Zealand Certificate in Applied Software Development (Level 6)

• Agentic Launchpad: New Zealand Certificate in Applied Digital Technology (Level 6)

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BOOTCAMP?

Our 2-week Career Skills curriculum will help you to launch into the job market. We’ll support you in preparing for technical interviews, identifying potential job opportunities and getting your online profile up to speed. We remain committed to supporting you during your job search.

AM I GUARANTEED A JOB?

We can’t promise you a job, but we can give you the skills, support and confidence to go after one. And you won’t be doing it alone. Through the Career Weeks and with ongoing guidance, we will support you right through to landing your first software development job.

Some graduates find work directly after graduating, but generally it takes at least a few months for you to find a role and go through an employer's hiring process.

CAN I REALLY BECOME A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME?

Software engineering is a craft that takes years of deliberate practice and learning to master. Our goal is to graduate junior developers, and jumpstart your journey towards becoming an elite coder. You will graduate from our programme with enough knowledge and technical skill to start contributing to your team in an entry-level developer job, but you’ll be constantly learning more while you work.

During the bootcamp portion of the 17-week Full-Time course you will be doing 60+ hour weeks, while in a university degree you might get 12 hours of lectures and tutorials a week. We simply pack the job-relevant education into a tighter space of time.

During the Part-Time course, you will have the same workload and learning time, but across a longer period.

Our focus is on an industry-led approach to learning. Our small cohorts learn from experienced educators and connect with startups, employers, and the wider tech community through events, projects, and mentoring.

WHAT’S THE CONNECTION TO ENSPIRAL?

You may have known us when we went by “Enspiral Dev Academy”, or more commonly “EDA”. Established in 2010, Enspiral is a collaborative network focused on helping people do meaningful work. For pioneering social entrepreneurs and scrappy small tech-based businesses, this network meant access to potential collaborators, service providers, mentors and funders. The one thing they shared was a drive to create value for society as part of their core operations – from enabling local food distribution to collaborative decision-making and reinventing education. Dev Academy is one of those startups and while our relationship with Enspiral has changed over the years, several founding members – and the drive for social good – still remain.

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