42 Programming Curriculum
Learn programming from the ground up. The 42 Wolfsburg curriculum is a chain of learning-projects, and each step is a practical challenge focusing on a specific aspect of programming. As you move forward, you discover and freely choose the specialized branches you are most interested in pursuing.
CORE CURRICULUM
The core curriculum: 18 months to acquire the basics of programming
The curriculum at 42 starts with the core curriculum. This stage sets the foundations for everything that follows, ensuring that students have both the hard- and soft-skills required to progress further in the curriculum. This part of your studies will last a maximum of 18 months, during which you will learn C programming and how to develop simple software using classic algorithms, you will discover access to the file system, and acquire a solid understanding of the UNIX process. It also includes a simple first approach to network architecture as well as system administration. The program also offers oriented programming and a client-server project. This stage is complemented by a first internship, where students get to put their newly acquired skills in practice. The core curriculum is the same in each and every campus in the 42 network. Once you’ve completed this part, you can join a different 42 campus and specialize in different areas of programming anywhere in the world.
SPECIALIZATIONS
The second part: pick your specialization, choose your pace
The second part of the curriculum tackles established digital and programming fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and mobile application development. At 42 Wolfsburg, we offer the full 42 programming stack, but our curriculum provides a unique front-row seat to the future of automotive, sustainable mobility ecosystems, and industry 4.0. If you are curious about autonomous driving, IoT, and enterprise solutions, you are in the right place! This stage focuses on project group-work and collaboration while maintaining neutrality towards brands, technologies and programming languages in order to develop the adaptation skills needed to avoid the fatal obsolescence that strikes the tech industry from time to time. Students are free to pick the sub-fields they want to explore which helps them diversify their skills and expertise. This part of the curriculum also includes a second internship and occasional projects with exclusive partners, other schools and even an entrepreneurial program. It’s up to the students to decide when they stop the curriculum to become Alumni.
FUTURE-PROOF EDUCATION
LEARNING TO LEARN
How can you create the world of tomorrow with technologies from the past? At 42, you learn to learn. Rather than learning specific trendy programming languages, the curriculum at 42 helps you understand and tackle every possible language. Any training solely based on one specific language is bound to become obsolete quickly.
DURATION
3-YEAR CURRICULUM (ON AVERAGE)
At 42, the program doesn’t follow any administrative or school calendar. On average, students enter the job market after three years of studying. It’s up to each student to set their pace and schedule.
INITIAL TERM
The 18-month limit of the core curriculum may feel long to very committed students. However, it helps others progress at their own pace and allows those who need to work part-time at the same time to do so.
FREEZE
When facing the unexpected, students have a tool called the Freeze. The Freeze allows them to take a break from the curriculum for up to three times for no longer than 6 months in total.
LAUNCHPAD
After the core curriculum, students already possess solid skills to enter the job market, which is why we let them choose to end their training to become Alumni. This shift can also occur after a period of inactivity and after a specific level of skills is obtained.
