Programming experience is not a requirement to participate in a bootcamp. However, you do need to have a love of technology, a willingness to learn, and be very familiar with using your computer. Students who do not have previous coding experience find they may need a little more time to prepare than those who do.
There is no age limit for our bootcamps, however we’re preparing individuals for the workforce and the bootcamp schedules don’t work with typical school summer breaks, so a high school diploma or equivalent is recommended. The average age of our graduates is 33, and we’ve had students ages 17-67. We meet everyone from recent high school graduates, to career changers, to seasoned tech veterans who want to update their skills. As long as you love technology, are proficient with a computer, have the passion to commit to becoming a developer, and plan to get a tech job, (or make some other great use of your new skills), you’ll fit right in at Deep Dive.
Need a little help preparing?
Once you’re enrolled in a bootcamp, course pre-work will be required, and through that process you’ll be guided through a lot of tutorials to help you get started.
If you’d like to prepare prior to beginning a bootcamp, there are free resources available on Khan Academy, Code Academy, MIT open courseware, Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, and others. Lynda.com is a great resource, free to Bernalillo County library card holders. There are some good, but not free, courses available from Treehouse and Code Avengers.
Do I need to quit my full-time job or education program?
If you are planning to do a full time bootcamp, remember the schedule is all day every day, just like a job. We find that most students need to prepare to either be away from their job for the duration of the bootcamp or take the leap and use the bootcamp to prepare for a new career. If you’re worried about how to support yourself during the bootcamp, there may be resources to support you. Trying to attend school in addition to a bootcamp is likely not possible, as it would limit your chances for success.
If your schedule doesn’t allow you to attend a fulltime bootcamp, CNM’s School of Business and Information Technology offers web development, software development, and digital media programs in various schedules and formats to fit your needs.
Technology Requirements
Most laptops that are less than three years old should suffice. Chromebooks will not work. PC, Mac, or Linux is acceptable. We encourage you to use an operating system that you’re most familiar with. Below are some recommendations to consider, however if you have a laptop that doesn’t meet these recommendations, don’t assume that it won’t work. Contact us so that we can put you in touch with the instructor for the bootcamp you’re interested in so that they can help evaluate your laptop’s capabilities.
| Type of Laptop | Operating System Requirement |
| PC | Windows 10 |
| Mac | 10.13 or above |
| Debian Linux | Stretch or above |
| Ubuntu Linux | Bionic or above |
CPU: 2 core minimum, 4 core highly recommended. An Intel i7 processor is ideal, but an i5 or equivalent will work.
RAM: 4GB is the bare minimum; 8+ GB is much better and definitely recommended. For the Java+Android bootcamp specifically, 8GB is the minimum, with 12+GB strongly recommended for those students who don’t have a physical Android device.
Hard Drive: 128GB minimum, with 50GB available to install new software.
Not From Around Here?
If you aren’t already in Albuquerque, we would love for you to make the Land of Enchantment your temporary home at least 10-12 weeks as a start to your new career as a programmer. But beware, Albuquerque is an addicting place to be, with many programming job opportunities, amazing outdoor, cultural and other leisure activities, and a very low cost of living – so you may find your move becomes permanent.
Housing, cost of living and stuff to do in Albuquerque
Albuquerque is the best city for Millennials. We have a much lower cost of living compared to most cities, with lots of houses and apartments available for rent. You may even be able to room with some of your classmates during your stay here. In fact, you could probably travel here, attend Deep Dive Coding Bootcamp for 2-3+ months, rent a place, eat, drink, etc., then return home—and still end up paying much less than just the tuition cost if you chose another coding bootcamp somewhere else.
Although you’ll be doing tons of coding with little free time left over, there are lots of fun things to do in the city and the area. Albuquerque has great weather, 320+ days of sunshine, a vibrant university area near the STEMulus Center, lots of bike trails, tasty local brews, and many food choices.
Albuquerque was named as one of the top places to build wealth by Salary.com thanks to its reasonable housing, activities and prices in general. Housing especially is significantly cheaper than in most cities.
Contact us regarding other housing options for availability and pricing.
International Students
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has certified Central New Mexico Community College to enroll international students studying on M visas, and the Deep Dive Fullstack, Java+Android, and Digital Media bootcamps are eligible as part of this program. International students should first apply for the bootcamp to make sure it’s the right program for you. Then you will be instructed to apply as an international student. Please allow 3-6 months for this process.
Bootcamp Structure and Perks
Full Time Bootcamps
In a full time bootcamp, you’ll dedicate your time and attention to the bootcamp for the full 10-12 weeks. You’ll go to class Monday through Friday, just like you would a job when you graduate. You’ll work on a team to create your project, have daily check-ins, work closely with your instructors and with our support staff, and immerse yourself in learning to code.
Full time bootcamps are intense – they’re designed to mimic the work environment and get you prepared and focused. You’ll have projects and deadlines, just like a workplace, and will want to dedicate your time outside of class to fine-tuning your websites, doing some reading, and staying on top of your notes. Our bootcamp instructors expect you to be focused, dedicated and professional.
Students should begin mandatory course pre-work for full time bootcamps no later than 3 weeks prior to the bootcamp start date. Pre-work must be complete by orientation, which is held the Friday before the bootcamp starts.
Full Time Bootcamp Perks:
- Dedicated faculty who provide one-on-one attention
- Small class size: 14-16 students average
- Guest speakers from local software and development companies
- Personalized career and student success coaching
- Free parking and bus passes
- Breakfast and healthy snacks provided
- “Recess!” – two days a week, a trainer from Sports & Wellness coaches bootcamp students through an hour-long workout (appropriate for all fitness levels) to encourage healthy coding habits.
- Networking and professional development connections
- “Demo Day” – an opportunity to showcase your work from the camp to potential employers
Day in the Life of a Deep Dive Full Time Bootcamp Student
7:30 a.m. – We’ll provide coffee/soft drinks and something to munch on, we’ll talk about our code and get prepped for the day.
8 a.m. – Let’s get to work on today’s first lessons. We’ll start with the daily stand up meeting. We’ll review any questions that arose from your coding work from the night before and make sure the stage is set for today’s projects. Questions will be asked, with answers and guidance offered in return.
8:30 a.m. – The hands-on commences, with pairs and teams as the perfect structure to attack the day’s set of hands-on projects. The extra pair of eyes will help you focus on your work, find answers to questions quickly, and generally shave your learning curve. Your roving instructor will be available to provide a boost through a roadblock, a relevant shortcut, or real-life examples for guidance.
12:00 p.m. – Time to refuel! Options abound for tasty lunches of many flavors at nearby establishments or bring your own lunch fixings.
1 p.m. – Let’s talk about your amazing insights from this morning’s projects, and introduce this afternoon’s challenges.
2 p.m. – Time to take a break and do something to refresh your mind and body. You know lots of great ideas are born when we unplug for a little while and find a different perspective. A couple times a week we’ll wander over for a quick, customized training routine at Downtown Sports & Wellness – it’s included in your tuition, of course. Other days, let’s take a walk and have some more conversations.
3 p.m. – More hacking. Your brain will expand even further as we lay out projects and activities for you and your Divemates to explore and accomplish. Your instructors will be astonished at your progress, and will occasionally assist you just to be sure they feel needed.
4:30 p.m. – Often, we’ll have local developers, employers and others visit to share their coding, business and hiring experiences and to have some Q & A time with you.
5 p.m. – Yes, time flies when you’re having such fun, but it’s time to break off for the evening and eat again. We’re officially done for the day, but most of you will likely choose to continue building your apps and projects during or after you find something to eat for dinner. After all, the more hands-on coding stuff you and your Divemates can experiment with during your 10 weeks here, the better prepared and more attractive you’ll be for prospective employers.
Evenings and Weekends – You’ll revisit and organize the copious notes you’ve taken during class days and practice what you’ve learned thus far. You’ll also get some well-deserved down time to refresh and recharge.
Deep Dive Coding Bootcamps are a part of 
