Online Fintech Boot Camps

The rapid expansion of the fintech sector—which is projected to grow to a value of $556 billion by 2030—has driven demand among employers for employees with the necessary skills to fill the growing number of jobs in the field.

This has spurred the creation of a variety of fintech education programs, including fintech master’s, certificate programs, and fintech boot camps.

This guide covers everything you need to know about fintech boot camps, including what they are, how they work and, in the boot camp directory at the end of the guide, where you can find them.

What Are Fintech Boot Camps?

Fintech boot camps are designed to provide students with a wide spectrum of knowledge about fintech, including relevant skills, preparing them for employment in the sector. They are typically abbreviated and intensive versions of degree-length programs, and generally structured to accommodate the schedule of students who work full-time. Participants in these programs are most often looking to gain skills that will help them advance in their career.

Commonly held over 12 or 24 weeks, fintech boot camps usually feature online classes only. Fintech subjects covered run the full gamut, including blockchain and cryptocurrency applications, machine learning financial algorithms, quantitative financial analysis, and coding for financial applications, among others.

Fintech Boot Camps vs. Fintech Certificates

Let’s break down how online fintech boot camps are different from online fintech certificates. One major difference is that the purpose of a boot camp is to train participants, often those without a current position, to quickly enter the workforce. For those already working, these programs can help them gain the skills necessary to find a new position. Certificate programs, on the other hand, offer a handful of courses that expand students’ knowledge in the area, but aren’t as strictly focused on employment training.

Another point of differentiation is that certificate programs can often be taken in-person at the universities where they are offered, whereas most boot camps are online only.

One similarity between boot camps and certificate programs is that they are primarily offered by colleges and universities rather than for-profit educational institutions.

What to Expect from a Fintech Boot Camp

A fintech boot camp offers students a chance to learn fintech skills and principles at an accelerated pace, compared to a traditional two-year fintech master’s program. Boot camps are generally offered online, providing students with a high degree of flexibility in scheduling options.

Fintech Boot Camp Prerequisites

Fintech boot camps are typically available to anyone who can pay the fee to sign up for one. They usually don’t require an academic degree in any particular major; however, in rare cases a program may require students to pass a critical thinking test prior to admittance. Generally, experience in programming or finance is not necessary for admittance. That said, some boot camps recommend that potential participants have a bachelor’s degree or relevant experience in a related business field such as finance, accounting, or technology.

Structure of Fintech Boot Camps

The vast majority of fintech boot camps are offered completely online—campus visits not required. These online programs are generally structured to provide intensive study of fintech skills used in the workplace today. They typically take from 12 (full-time instruction and coursework) to 24 (part-time instruction and coursework) weeks to complete. Because many boot camp participants work full-time, 24-week boot camps, designed for busy professionals to fit them into their schedule, are a popular option.

Rice University’s FinTech Boot Camp is an example of a program with a part-time, 24-week structure. It involves nine hours per week of coursework via live, interactive instruction. The curriculum is designed so that everything participants learn can be applied in a workplace environment.

The FinTech Boot Camp offered by University of Miami is another example of a program that takes place over 24 weeks in a virtual classroom. Classes are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Fintech Boot Camp Curriculum

Fintech boot camps typically teach core skills enabling the use of fintech products and processes in a business environment. Students of these programs typically learn to

• model future company performance using quantitative tools
• build blockchain validation models for cryptocurrency, smart contracts, and other applications
• use machine learning for financial and investment purposes, including algorithmic trading
• work with different coding and financial libraries

Courses offered in these programs cover a full spectrum of fintech topics. For example,

Rice University’s FinTech Boot Camp features the following classes:

• Module 1: Intro to FinTech
• Module 2: Financial Programming
• Module 3: Machine Learning Applications in Finance
• Module 4: Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

How Much Do Fintech Boot Camps Cost?

While there may be a few programs that fall outside this range, in general, fintech boot camps cost between $9,000 to $15,000. Some programs offer discounts and financial aid that may bring down the overall cost to attendees. Some examples of boot camp pricing include

• Rutgers FinTech Boot camp part-time program costs $11,995, and the full-time program costs $12,995. Scholarships and payment plans may be available to qualifying attendees.

• UNC Charlotte FinTech Boot Camp costs $12,245 both for the part-time and full-time versions. Participants can take advantage of a $1,000 discount by paying in full prior to the early registration deadline. UNC Charlotte alumni qualify for a $500 scholarship to help pay tuition costs.

• Northwestern FinTech Boot Camp also charges the same for part-time or full-time tuition: $12,995. Attendees can look into private student loans or payment plans with a university admissions adviser.

• The FinTech Boot Camp at the University of Miami costs $10,995. Qualifying attendees can access scholarships and payment plans.

Is a Fintech Boot Camp Worth It?

Given the strong job growth of the fintech sector, participants interested in improving relevant skills via a fintech boot camp may find such a program to be a good investment. This option may particularly appeal to people already working in the field or looking to break into it who don’t have the time to attend a full fintech master’s program online.

On the other hand, those currently attending college or who have time for a lengthier period of study may find that a fintech boot camp isn’t worthwhile because the coursework doesn’t cover the field as comprehensively as a fintech master’s. Additionally, they may want to receive a degree or certificate in the field, which fintech boot camps don’t provide.

For students who plan to take an online fintech boot camp, some things to consider when choosing an educational institution are the program’s cost, classes offered, and whether those classes are taught full time or part time.