BrainStation
Average Rating4.66
2296 Reviews
33 Courses
BrainStation is a global digital skills training and workforce transformation provider that offers bootcamps and courses in data, design, development, digital marketing, product, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and leadership both online and at state-of-the-art campuses in New York, London, Miami, Toronto, and Vancouver. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 500 instructors from the most innovative brands to develop cutting-edge, real-world digital education. Whether students are looking for career transformation or professional development, BrainStation has a learning option, with full-time diploma programs, part-time certificate courses, and specialized skills training.
BrainStation’s courses and bootcamps offer a collaborative, project-based learning experience, with regularly updated curriculum to ensure professionals gain the most relevant skills in their field. The class structure combines engaging, live instruction with interactive sessions and a hands-on, project-based curriculum. BrainStation also provides a variety of flexible learning options, including a proprietary online classroom and learning environment. This environment lets students attend live lectures, collaborate with fellow professionals, and receive immediate, real-time feedback from instructors – from anywhere in the world.
BrainStation has trained more than 30,000 alumni in over 100 countries across the world. BrainStation’s bootcamps offer personalized career services, including career coaching to help learners meet their career goals. Networking and career-oriented events are also available at BrainStation.
2,296 BrainStation Reviews
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AnonymousGraduate • User Experience Design Bootcamp • VancouverFeb 08, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceBrainStation just cares about their stats
I signed up for one of the UX bootcamps in 2021 and slowly since graduating the program I have realized that BrainStation is just into the stats.
Firstly, I will say that you only get what you want out of the program. The program is very hectic, fast paced and it can be tough but if you want to take it all in, you have to be present at every lab and lecture to get the most of it. You will be equipped with the foundational skills required to get a job but my recommendation would b...I signed up for one of the UX bootcamps in 2021 and slowly since graduating the program I have realized that BrainStation is just into the stats.
Firstly, I will say that you only get what you want out of the program. The program is very hectic, fast paced and it can be tough but if you want to take it all in, you have to be present at every lab and lecture to get the most of it. You will be equipped with the foundational skills required to get a job but my recommendation would be to keep learning more after the program because it doesn't cover everything. The instructors are amazing, I will give you that. They're supportive and have great background experience in the industry and are happy to share their stories.
BrainStation really sells their programs well. You graduate with massive cohorts and then they bring in other students and pump those grads out too. They do make it clear that you aren't promised a job or anything after graduation but they do offer assistance post grad. You are put into a slack channel where they share job postings from Indeed for example... we can do that ourselves. The "job assistance" is a joke. Throughout the program, you do attend workshops for resume writing and cover letter writing and interviewing, however, UX interviews are very different. They don't have any specific teachings for that so you go into these interviews blindly. BrainStation will take full credit for you getting a job, meanwhile, it was all of your hard work. I got a job quickly after but that's because I worked really hard to expand on my skills and learnings and changed my portfolio entirely. Yes, they provide you with the curriculum but not everyone is suited for the industry even if they graduate. Some take ages to get a job and they're not getting hired just because they have BrainStation on their resume. BrainStation hardly supports start up businesses, you will notice they mostly partner with large companies. You think BrainStation could appreciate a startup more as they once were a small business too.
Would I recommend BrainStation for its curriculum and instructors? Yes. But if I were asked about job assistance and just the overall experience, I wouldn't. The cost is far too much too.
I would consider other bootcamps.
- AnonymousFront-end developer • Graduate • Web Development • TorontoJan 31, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
My idea about this course
I am a web developer, and I believe most of the lessons and experiences in this course are useful. It gives you a high level of the programs that developers should know for starting their jobs in the market. My complaint part is about job assistance. You should not think that they can find a job for you. They only help you to make your resume and LinkedIn acceptable. It took about 8 months for me to find my job, but I can see how this program helps me to work in the market. - AnonymousGraduate • Data Science Course • TorontoDec 21, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
My experience in Data Science program at BrainStation
Well thought-out course designed to teach you the fundamentals of working with data in many different fields. Really enjoyed the fast pace Monday-Friday classes, which may not be for everyone, but it kept me engaged and focused on the task as hand. You never really dive into too much detail in any particular subject, but you're setup to now have the knowledge to continue learning on your own as you are connected with the right resources and provided the framework on which you can work on...Well thought-out course designed to teach you the fundamentals of working with data in many different fields. Really enjoyed the fast pace Monday-Friday classes, which may not be for everyone, but it kept me engaged and focused on the task as hand. You never really dive into too much detail in any particular subject, but you're setup to now have the knowledge to continue learning on your own as you are connected with the right resources and provided the framework on which you can work on your own. Amazing instructors that know alot, please ask them questions and use them to their full potential, they have alot to teach! - AnonymousGraduate • Data Analytics Course Online • OnlineNov 25, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Highly Recommend Data Analytics Certification Course
Instructors were highly engaging, passionate, and knowledgeable, which made all the difference. Curriculum strikes the right balance between foundational theory, hard skill development, and industry application. For my purpose of up-skilling and differentiating myself within my current field (digital product design + strategy), I couldn't have asked for a better course. - AnonymousStudent • Product Management Course Online • OnlineOct 26, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Valuable Experience
I had a great experience learning at BrainStation. I found curriculum very relevant because of the concepts and real world examples that were integrated all through. The faculties were very helpful and were very committed to us getting the concepts. The course project was also a great addition. We got to develop real ideas and that was really cool. I'll definitely recommend BrainStation to anyone who is looking to pivot/grow their careers in any of the fields they currently offer. - AnonymousGraduate • User Experience Design Course • VancouverOct 21, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
User Experience Design Bootcamp
This program was definitely a challenging one, but it sufficiently provides the necessary fundamentals for a career transition into the complicated field of UX. If you have little to no experience within the field, then you would come out of it learning a LOT and be able to lean on your peers and instructors in a really supportive environment, at least during the duration of the program. It was fast-paced with a lot of projects to work on, but one of the main benefits of this is to be ab...This program was definitely a challenging one, but it sufficiently provides the necessary fundamentals for a career transition into the complicated field of UX. If you have little to no experience within the field, then you would come out of it learning a LOT and be able to lean on your peers and instructors in a really supportive environment, at least during the duration of the program. It was fast-paced with a lot of projects to work on, but one of the main benefits of this is to be able to put some of these projects onto a working portfolio to showcase to future employers. You'll go through the whole process off researching a problem space, brainstorming ideas, testing, and developing a fully functional high fidelity prototype that addresses a problem space YOU want to address.
Overall, I get as much from the program as I wanted, however I was already somewhat experienced in the field and was looking to further improve my skills and obtain certification to jumpstart my career into the field. If I was never really exposed to this, then I would definitely rate my experience as higher. However, this program does give you the necessary resources to do well both in the program and outside, but it is still up to you to decide how much additional effort you want to put into the course.
I found that while the company does keep in touch with you after the program and helps you to develop your job application assets with some networking added in, it is ultimately up to you to find a job afterwards. Thankfully, I set up some one on one time with people on the team to get more personalized advice and guidance, so I would highly recommend doing this for anyone who enrolls into the program! - AnonymousStudent • User Experience Design Course • VancouverAug 26, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
UX Design Diploma Program
The lead educator was knowledgeable and a strong teacher. The curriculum provided a solid foundation to UX Design, and I felt confident to be able to apply for junior UX design roles upon program completion. The teachers provide great support throughout the program, and a positive learning atmosphere. There is a career support program as well that provided valuable knowledge and guidance to the job hunt process. - AnonymousGraduate • Full Stack Web Development - Wyncode • MiamiAug 26, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
The First step!
BrainStation was the perfect start for my career change, they have great lectures and even better instructors. Instructors were always ready to answer any questions and provide tools to make a great challenge seem a little bit more manageable, their passion for teaching and their true desire to see us succeed is the reason that sets apart BrainStation from any other Bootcamp. - AnonymousProduct Designer • Graduate • User Experience Design Course • VancouverAug 26, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
UX Design Bootcamp
The course was beyond my expectation. I had previous self learned knowledge going into the program, however I was able to strengthen and develop my skills even further from this course! The instructors were extremely supportive and knowledgable, and the lectures were engaging and helpful. The assignments were very successful in preparing us for industry work. BrainStations has a really strong job assistance team, the career success sessions really supported students throughout and after ...The course was beyond my expectation. I had previous self learned knowledge going into the program, however I was able to strengthen and develop my skills even further from this course! The instructors were extremely supportive and knowledgable, and the lectures were engaging and helpful. The assignments were very successful in preparing us for industry work. BrainStations has a really strong job assistance team, the career success sessions really supported students throughout and after the course! 10/10 would recommend! - AnonymousGraduate • Digital Marketing Course • VancouverAug 25, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Digital Marketing Diploma
I completed the digital marketing diploma at BrainStation in 2020. I loved the program overall. Mel, our instructor was very patient and experience in the field. She answered all the questions and made sure she had enough office hours for more assistance. The program was nice and provided me adequate knowledge. It's good to give you an overview of everything but it would really help if some areas such as data and SEO was a little bit more detailed. Something that would tremendously help ...I completed the digital marketing diploma at BrainStation in 2020. I loved the program overall. Mel, our instructor was very patient and experience in the field. She answered all the questions and made sure she had enough office hours for more assistance. The program was nice and provided me adequate knowledge. It's good to give you an overview of everything but it would really help if some areas such as data and SEO was a little bit more detailed. Something that would tremendously help the process could've been working on real projects in collaboration with businesses to get a grasp of how exactly things work. I got into the course with almost 20-30% knowledge and left with 85-90%.
Really enjoyed the bootcamp and their career support after graduation. - AnonymousData Analyst • Graduate • Full-Time Data Science Bootcamp Online • OnlineAug 25, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Data Science Online
TL;DR: Brainstation offers a good curriculum and a great way to spend 12 weeks. With enough effort in your coursework and projects after graduation, Brainstation's bootcamp can be a good way to make the jump into an entry level data analyst role. It is probably not a silver bullet which will instantly get you into a data science role at a top company however.
My Background:
I began my bootcamp search when I was an IT risk consultant at a big four advisory firm with about 2 year...TL;DR: Brainstation offers a good curriculum and a great way to spend 12 weeks. With enough effort in your coursework and projects after graduation, Brainstation's bootcamp can be a good way to make the jump into an entry level data analyst role. It is probably not a silver bullet which will instantly get you into a data science role at a top company however.
My Background:
I began my bootcamp search when I was an IT risk consultant at a big four advisory firm with about 2 years of experience post-university (Bachelors Degree - Business). I was unhappy at work and needed a change so I decided to pursue a data analyst role because data analysis had always interested me in my university courses and work projects. Towards this end, I interviewed for several data analyst positions but found that I just did not have the experience or skills needed to obtain an offer. In an effort to bridge the gap in my skills I decided to leave my job and attend Brainstation's Data Science Bootcamp online.
Before beginning the bootcamp I had worked with sql and python to a limited extent in university courses as well as work projects. I was not a beginner but was not an expert either. That being said there were others in my cohort with essentially zero experience with data analysis tools and they were able to complete the bootcamp, albeit with slightly more difficulty in the early weeks when the learning curve is steepest.
The Result:
I was able to leverage my experience in my previous role in combination with my experience at Brainstation to successfully transition into a full time data analyst job with a pay raise. The role and firm are desirable and I am happy with them, but they are not the absolute top tier. Additionally, my role is as a data analyst where I am primarily working on data analysis and presentation rather than working on ML/AI modeling that experienced data scientists would be more focused on. With some years of experience I have no doubt I will be able to move into a true data science role if I desire, but as of right now I would say those roles are out of reach for me. This is something to be aware of, it is unlikely you will jump straight into a true data science role after a bootcamp unless you have significant analytical experience from another area such as academia (many PhDs are able to make the aforementioned jump). I wouldn't say this is an inditement of Brainstation or other bootcamps however, many people with Masters Degrees in statistics or data science similarly have trouble making this jump. I only mention this because salespeople will sometimes sell you on that possibility which I think is unlikely for most people.
If you are reading this you are probably interested in how likely this bootcamp is to get you a job. The answer is: it depends on your prior experience before the bootcamp, as well as the amount of effort you put into the bootcamp and job search. Also there is some luck involved. Of the members of my cohort, the majority (60-70%) currently have jobs in data analyst or data engineer roles there are one or two who have jumped into data science internships as well. Per LinkedIn, the remaining 30-40 percent are still looking.
The Course
A typical week was Monday-Friday with code along classes from 9:30am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm. These lectures would have several sessions where we would need to apply what we had learned to exercises on our own. Before and after lectures for about 2 hours TAs would be available to assist you with understanding the lectures or working on the project for that week. Most lectures were done in Jupyter notebooks. This is helpful because I still have the files from my lectures and can easily refer back if needed. This helped me with several of my projects that I have created post graduation.
The coursework went something like this:
-2 weeks of sql and tableau with weekly independent projects.
-2 weeks of python with numpy and pandas practice and 1 project focused on data cleaning and exploratory data analysis.
-2 weeks of Statistics applied using python libraries with 1 project focused on statistical analysis and modeling
-3 weeks of machine learning modeling practice with 1 project focused on modeling and model optimization
- 1 week focused on neural networks
- 1 week of Big data analysis using AWS, hadoop, spark and etc.
- 1 week to focus on your Capstone project with assistance from the education team.
Capstone projects are expected to be completed outside of class time over the course of the 12 week program. In the final week of the program projects are presented to the group. Optionally, you are able to present your capstone project at Demo day to prospective employers and recruiters.
Coursework Verdict.
In general the coursework is interesting and you feel that you learn a lot from the process. I genuinely believe there is not a better way to spend 12 weeks if you objective is learning the subject matter. As with all bootcamps however, it is impossible to learn most of the subject matter in very great depth within such a short period of time. Generally you are learning enough about the the languages, tools and methodologies to be functional and have a foundation for further growth but not deep enough to be much of an expert.
My biggest complain with Brainstation specifically was that sometimes there were not enough hands on assignments outside of class. Brainstation is pretty lecture/code-along heavy which can at times be hard to retain long term. I would have appreciated more mandatory practice assignments to make the coursework stick better. This may be a general issue with bootcamps however as there is only so much time in a week.
In the weeks since beginning my role (at the time of writing this I am about 5 weeks into my new role) I have found that the skills I learned at Brainstation have definitely been valuable. Additionally I feel that I built a foundation of advanced skills that I will be able to develop more with time and experience. While I had experience prior to my bootcamp there were others that with little to no work experience in data analysis that were successfully able to obtain data analyst/data scientist roles at desirable companies.
Online vs In-Person
The covid-19 pandemic forced me to attend the program online. The Brainstation team did a great job managing the online course and keeping us engaged so I don't have any complaints. That being said if you have a chance to do the bootcamp in person I would recommend it. In a virtual setting it is sometimes more difficult build relationships with members of your cohort or education team and at times it can be easy to lose focus in class when you are not physically in a classroom. Others may disagree with this opinion however.
Career Services:
I've heard that the Brainstation job search assistance is good but I personally did not make use of it so I have chosen not to leave a review in that category.
- AnonymousStudent • Full-Time Web Development Bootcamp Online • OnlineAug 24, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Web Dev
My overall experience with the bootcamp is positive, but there were certain elements that were disappointing. I'm not sure if it was because everything was online, but the teaching was outrageously bad. The head instructor spent the majority of his time debugging and not teaching, which led a lot of the students to not trust the instructor and do research on their own after lectures. The curriculum is fast paced so it made everything worse with improper instruction.
You learn HTML...My overall experience with the bootcamp is positive, but there were certain elements that were disappointing. I'm not sure if it was because everything was online, but the teaching was outrageously bad. The head instructor spent the majority of his time debugging and not teaching, which led a lot of the students to not trust the instructor and do research on their own after lectures. The curriculum is fast paced so it made everything worse with improper instruction.
You learn HTML/CSS basics then move into JavaScript and React. The JavaScript portion I'd say is the most important and good understanding of the language is what gets you hired but they don't go deep into it as much, esp in regards to async/await functions. For React, for some nonsensical reason they do not teach hooks. Every single job I've applied for utilizes hooks and requires knowledge of them. Other bootcamps my friends have attended teach hooks. If you want to learn hooks during BrainStation, you have to learn them on your own at your own time.
The collaborative 'hackathon' is a complete waste of time. It is NOT how hackathons are normally run and you end up wasting time with other disciplines that have no idea what they are doing. The only positive things that came out of BrainStation were the people in my cohort and the TA's who understand your pain and help you work around the course material.
BrainStation Alumni Outcomes
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BrainStation Alumni Reviews Summary
Based on 2,000+ BrainStation alumni reviews on Course Report, students often highlight the quality of the curriculum, experienced instructors, and effective career support services. Particularly, the Full-Time Software Engineering and Data Science Bootcamps are frequently commended. One reviewer says, "The program was challenging but extremely rewarding, offering real-world projects that truly enhanced my skills." However, some students noted the high cost of courses as a consideration.
Overall Experience
4.7
Instructors
4.8
Curriculum
4.5
Job Assistance
4.2
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Licensing
PBSS - New York, United States, CIE - Florida, United States, PCC - Ontario, Canada, PTIB - British Columbia, Canada
Awards
Recent BrainStation News
By Jess Feldman
By Jess Feldman
By Jess Feldman
FAQs
How much does BrainStation cost?
BrainStation costs around $16,500. On the lower end, some BrainStation courses like Social Media Marketing Course cost $2,450.
What courses does BrainStation teach?
BrainStation offers courses like Artificial Intelligence Course Online, Cybersecurity Bootcamp Online, Cybersecurity Course Online, Data Analytics Course and 29 more.
Where does BrainStation have campuses?
BrainStation has in-person campuses in London, Miami, New York City, Toronto, and Vancouver. BrainStation also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is BrainStation worth it?
BrainStation hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 2,296 BrainStation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed BrainStation on Course Report - you should start there!
Is BrainStation legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 2,296 BrainStation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed BrainStation and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Does BrainStation offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like BrainStation offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read BrainStation reviews?
You can read 2,296 reviews of BrainStation on Course Report! BrainStation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed BrainStation and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Is BrainStation accredited?
PBSS - New York, United States, CIE - Florida, United States, PCC - Ontario, Canada, PTIB - British Columbia, Canada