Q: What other courses are available?
A: Click here for a complete list of courses that I offer. Courses are offered on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Q: Is a Dabeaz LLC a "coding school" or "bootcamp?"
A: The courses that you see here are just that--courses. The courses are for software developers. To goal is to write better software. I do not offer a degree, certification, or a promise of future employment.
Q: What is the daily schedule for a class?
A: Classes normally run 9:30am-5:30pm each day in US Central Time/Chicago with a one-hour lunch break. More information about the online format can be found here.
Q: Can I contact you to request a course on specific dates?
A: Absolutely! I have often scheduled course dates according to requests or to work around people's work/vacation schedules.
Q: Do you plan to offer in-person courses again?
A: Unclear. The Covid-19 pandemic caused considerable disruption to in-person events which were already somewhat endangered even prior to that. I've written a bit more about the future of in-person courses here.
Q: How do I know if I'm prepared?
A: Classes are primarily designed for people with some prior programming experience. Thus, if you take a course you should already be familiar with basic programming concepts (e.g., statements, variables, conditions, loops, functions, files, etc.). That said, it is not necessary to be an expert-level software engineer. Advanced courses are targeted towards more experienced programmers who want to take their skills to the next level. Although these courses assume you know the basics, they do not assume prior mastery of the topic at hand--after all, that's the whole reason why you're taking a class. However, if you have any doubts, please contact me for details.
Q: What's your position regarding AI coding assistants?
A: I do NOT personally rely upon AI assistants for any part of my teaching. However, problem solving is the ultimate goal of most programming. Thus, if you find that such tools make you productive in working towards that goal, I am not opposed to their use. Output produced by an AI assistant can also be an interesting code review topic for the group to discuss in a course.
Q: How do your courses compare to your conference presentations?
A: I have made many presentations at conferences related to Python and open source software. Conference presentations are a very different experience from my hands-on courses due to the fact that such presentations are often presented to large groups under considerable time pressure. For instance, in a conference presentation, you can't really stop for 30 minutes to let everyone work on a project. My courses are much more focused on hands-on coding. As such, the pace is more measured and you will have much more time to absorb the material both through presentation materials, coding projects, and group discussion.
Q: Can you provide a certificate of completion?
A: A certificate of completion can be provided on request if required by your employer or if you just want something to hang on the wall next to your computer.
Q: How does payment work?
A: Payment may be made by credit card, bank wire, or check via Stripe. See payment policies for more information.
Q: Can you hold a spot for me while I get approval?
A: Yes. No payment is required at the time of course registration. If you want to take a course, register now and then work to get approval.
Q: What is your refund and cancellation policy?
A: You may cancel at any time and receive a full course refund. If you are unable to complete a course due to illness or other factors beyond your control, you will also be offered a refund for days not attended. Last, but not least, I want you to be happy with your course experience. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with a class, please ask for a refund.
Q: Do you offer your courses in other locations or as on-site corporate training?
A: No. All courses are taught online or in-person in Chicago.
Copyright (C) 2005-2025, David Beazley