This may be the first year of its unconventional computer science offering, but the school and the corporation have a history going back several years. The company began developing Web services for itself in 1993 and then for other companies the following year. And since the beginning of this year, the school has offered a Web programming boot camp. This fall, starting Sept. 5, ArsDigita University is embarking on its meatiest offering yet. The course load for the intensive program includes about 12 hours of schooling a day, six to seven days a week.
Faculty members make themselves available throughout the day to help with students' questions.
Even with the high caliber of students coming in, we're not sure if all of them will be able to make it. If we don't have people with a high aptitude for learning, and commitment and drive, it's not going to work. Luis Rodriguez, an MIT professor with three degrees from MIT, will be volunteering his time this fall working as a teacher and an after-class academic mentor. Rodriguez, who helped in the interviewing and selection process, says the type of student the school wants is someone passionate about learning. We wanted someone who can describe all the cool things they can do in art, history, law, whatever, and how a year of hard-core computer science education is going to help further that.