The University of Illinois Chicago Cyber Bootcamp
Get the Skills You Need to Fight Cybercrime
Through the UIC Cyber Bootcamp powered by Fullstack Academy, you’ll gain the tools to land a job in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries—all in as few as 12 weeks full-time or 26 weeks part-time.
Interested? Learn More:
Program at a Glance
12-26
Weeks
10/10
Apply By
10/16
Next Start Date
$1,500
Potential Scholarships
Why Learn Cybersecurity
The Demand for Cyber Talent
Nationally, there are over half a million cyber jobs that employers are trying to fill. Businesses actively seeking cybersecurity professionals span across all industries and sizes, and they include local high-tech employers like Google, AT&T, and Amazon, to name a few.
These companies are hiring for roles like IT Help Desk Specialist, Systems Support Specialist, and Cybersecurity Analyst. Grads studying the UIC Cybersecurity Bootcamp curriculum have been hired for all of these roles—and more.
Bootcamp Application and Start Dates
Fullstack Academy is one of the longest-running and most reputable bootcamp providers in the nation, with incredible student reviews, years of experience in education, and impressive graduate outcomes.
Now, it brings its hands-on learning approach to UIC’s cyber bootcamp to develop professionals to fight the global threat of cybercrime.
How the UIC Cyber Bootcamp Works
The UIC Cyber Bootcamp is designed for students to pursue high-quality tech education while continuing to balance work or other commitments. Our program provides you with the flexibility to fit career development into your life.
Part-time and full-time bootcamp programs are available.
Bootcamp classes combine live online instruction taught by industry-experienced professionals with independent learning assignments.
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All classes are held Monday-Friday.
9:30am-2:00pm CT
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Select one class schedule and time from the options below when you apply.
Tuesday and Thursday Classes (With an Optional Lab on Wednesdays)
8:30am-11:30am CT
5:30pm-8:30pm CT
Monday and Wednesday Classes (With an Optional Lab on Tuesdays)
7:30pm-10:30pm CT
Labs correspond with the start time of your regular classes. Participation in the weekly lab is optional, but strongly encouraged.
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Saturday and Sunday Classes (With an Optional Lab on Wednesdays)
8:30am-11:30am CT
Participation in the weekly lab is optional, but strongly encouraged.
In addition to classroom lessons, part-time students can anticipate spending 6-8 hours studying and working on outside assignments each week. Full-time students can expect to spend 12-15 hours each week on outside assignments.
Class time options vary by month and are subject to change. To see available class times for your cohort of choice, complete your application or schedule a call with a student advisor.
Tuition
There are many ways to pay for your bootcamp experience including self-pay, employer-pay, local/state government assistance, scholarships and personal loans. Learn more about payment options.
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University of Illinois Chicago Tech Bootcamps is committed to making tech education more accessible, so we’re reducing the enrollment deposit to $99* (normally $1,000) for a limited time. Get started on your journey before the deposit increases!
Enrollment Deposit -
$1,000$99*
Tuition During Program - $13,396
Total Tuition - $13,495*Offer eligibility: Upon admittance into the program, pay the $99 refundable deposit in full prior to the enrollment date.
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$500 Community Scholarship
For UIC alumni, current students, and employees. Only the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois system is eligible.
$1,000 Military Scholarship**
For active-duty service members and military veterans.
**Valid ID required.
Cybersecurity Roles and Salaries
In the field of cybersecurity, there are many career paths to follow based on your skills and experience. Our Career Success Team is there to assist you throughout your career journey.
With cybersecurity professionals in high demand, the cybersecurity industry offers a multitude of career and financial opportunities after you enter the field. Companies across the nation are hiring for roles like IT Help Desk Specialist, Systems Support Specialist, and Cybersecurity Analyst.
| Role | Average Entry-Level Salary in Chicago |
|---|---|
| IT Help Desk Specialist/Computer Support Specialist | $40,500 |
| Network/Systems Support Specialist | $50,500 |
| System Administrator/Network Administrator | $60,400 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $79,300 |
| Network Engineer/Solutions Architect | $82,300 |
*Chicago Cybersecurity Salary Data via Lightcast™ . 2022 | |
What You Will Learn
Students learn cybersecurity fundamentals and the in-demand skills to fight cybercrime including:
Asset and inventory management like networking basics, Linux command line, and bash scripting;
Red Team (Offense) for fighting web vulnerabilities, penetration testing, OWASP Top 10, and social engineering;
Blue Team (Defense) for log analysis, security information and event management, digital forensics, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and incident response;
And more!
To prepare students for real-life work scenarios and environments, students also take part in career simulations alongside their cybersecurity training. Additionally, students are taught resume writing, salary negotiation, and other career preparation skills throughout the program to equip them for their job search after graduation.
Timeline (Unit)
Unit
Orientation
The security mindset
Confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) triad
Threats, vulnerabilities, and risks
Virtualization
Linux Command Line
File systems
Users and groups
Bash scripting
Networking
Wireshark
Encoding and encryption
Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model)
Firewalls
Variables, loops, and conditionals
String and list methods
Dictionaries
Regular expressions
Log parsing
Windows administration and management
Active directory
Group policy
Web vulnerabilities
Penetration testing
OWASP Top 10
Social engineering
Burp Suite
Cross-site Scripting
SQL injection
Metasploit
Logs/log analysis
Splunk and security information and event management (SIEMs)
Digital forensics
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Incident response
Cloud Foundations
Classes are hands-on with the majority of students’ time spent learning how to monitor and secure systems, networks, and applications as well as how to appropriately respond to cyber breaches. Along with the classroom sessions, students can attend a weekly lab where they can review key concepts, catch up on homework, and work alongside peers.
The University of Illinois Chicago Cyber Bootcamp can also help you prepare for industry-recognized certifications. With bootcamp preparation and additional studying, you’ll be equipped to take the exam for the:
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification: This certification helps organizations identify talent with critical knowledge related to implementing cloud initiatives and validates cloud fluency and foundational AWS knowledge.
The price of the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam is not included in the program tuition.
Career Support
The University of Illinois Chicago Cyber Bootcamp provides students with career guidance every step of the way, from resume assistance to preparing students for successful interviews. Our rigorous, hands-on education, combined with our career support, has helped graduates go on to jobs at top companies and beyond!
Fullstack Academy grads are highly sought after by some of the world’s leading companies.
UIC Tech Bootcamps are powered by Fullstack Academy. The companies listed above have hired Fullstack Academy NYC graduates.
Who Should Attend
The bootcamps are specifically designed for beginners. There’s no experience required to apply, be accepted, or succeed. Apply today and join others just like you on the first steps to a life-changing career.
Successful bootcamp students have backgrounds in:
Teaching
Finance
Retail
Customer service
Graphic design
Admin
Biology
And more
If this sounds like you, apply today and join others just like you on the first steps to a life-changing career.
FAQs
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The cyber curriculum is broken down into these areas:
Cybersecurity Fundamentals (confidentiality, integrity, and availability Triad, virtualization, and how to identify threats, vulnerabilities, and risks)
Asset and Inventory Management (Computing and networking basics, Linux command line, and bash scripting)
Network Systems (Networking, Wireshark, encoding and encryption, Open Systems Interconnection/OSI model, and firewalls)
Programming with Python (Variables, loops and conditionals, string and list methods, dictionaries, regular expressions, and log parsing)
System Administration (Windows administration and management, active directory, and group policy)
Red Team - Offense (Web vulnerabilities, penetration testing, OWASP Top 10, social engineering, Burp Suite, Cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and Metasploit)
Blue Team - Defense (Logs/log analysis, Splunk, security information and event management, digital forensics, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and incident response).
Students also participate in career simulations throughout the program and interactive labs, as well as build the cybersecurity knowledge needed to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam.
For a syllabus on your program of interest, click here and fill out the form.
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Yes, the UIC Cyber Bootcamp is beginner-friendly. It’s specifically designed for professionals who have no previous experience in cybersecurity. While some background knowledge is helpful, the only expectation is that students have general computer literacy skills in basics like efficiently using the internet/cloud and Windows.
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Students can prepare to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam with training provided in bootcamp and additional studying. The price of the exam is not included in tuition.
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Your time with our career success team will include everything from workshops to one-on-one office hours to phone chats before big interviews. Alumni will also have access to a job board and have the opportunity to be connected with companies and organizations in our Employer Partner Network who are actively seeking qualified candidates.
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You do need to provide your own computer for the bootcamp. It can be a laptop or desktop as long as it meets minimum tech specifications. We highly recommend Apple computers for our program, however, it is possible to use Windows with some modifications. You must have at least MacOS 10.15 or newer or Windows 10. Because the bootcamp is live-online, you are required to have a webcam and microphone in order to participate in class.
For specific tech requirements for your chosen program, visit our Online Experience page.
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Many of our part-time students continue working full-time while completing their bootcamp. Each week, students can expect to spend 9 hours in class and another 6-8 hours of studying and assignments outside of class.
Full-time students should not continue working due to the immersive nature of our programs. By focusing solely on their training, they’re set up to thrive in our accelerated 12-week program.
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Your time with our career success team will include everything from workshops to one-on-one office hours to phone chats before big interviews. Alumni will also have access to a job board and have the opportunity to be connected with companies and organizations in our Employer Partner Network who are actively seeking qualified candidates.
Ready to Start Learning?
Once you’re ready to start your tech journey, here are the steps you can expect in the admissions process.
- Fill out our online application form
- Take our nontechnical assessment
- No cyber experience required
- Covers logical reasoning
- Sent to you immediately upon submission of application
- Receive an entrance decision
