How Projects Make A Difference In Your Learning

At OpenClassrooms learning is project-driven, because it’s the best and fastest way to become operational. Projects offer hands-on experience so you can hit the ground running when you start working at your new job.  

The Frontend Web Developer Path has nine projects that you’ll need to complete one at a time with the support of your mentor. Once all your projects have been approved, they will be submitted to the jury who will award your bachelor-level diploma.

An example of a project could be setting up a website for a customer. You’ll receive a detailed brief with the context, customer requirements and additional details. Then it’s up to you to go away and make it real! To do this you’ll have to be creative, coming up with innovative solutions to the questions at hand. Your mentor will meet with you weekly to advise and support you, and you’ll set targets together.

A real example from the Front-End Web Developer Diploma

You’re a successful web developer, freelancing in the USA. A distressed real-estate agency contacts you: they need a website to showcase their luxury chalets in the Colorado mountains, and they need it fast! They don’t know much about website administration, but they need to be able to update the site themselves on a regular basis.

You’ll need to analyze the client’s requirements and find appropriate solutions. How can you make the site easy to administer, yet agreeable to navigate for end users, whilst also creating a feeling of ‘luxury’? Ask yourself how you can best meet the customer’s needs using the tools at hand. Will you use HTML, CSS, a content management system or a bit of each? This is one of the first projects set for the diploma and it shows how you can be operational even at the beginning of your path.

When you’ve finished, you’ll present the website to a mentor via video conference. You’ll answer their questions about the website as if they were the client, explaining the choices you have made and how they can use the website. The last five minutes will be a real mentor-student discussion about the project.

Why projects give you the keys to success

To develop a project, first our education experts analyse the tech job market to find skills gaps. They then set projects that will allow our students to develop these skills. Lastly, they create the courses and videos that teach the background knowledge you’ll need to complete the projects! Whether you end up as a freelancer or in the development team at your favorite startup, our projects on OpenClassrooms are versatile and varied enough to prepare you for your future tech role.

Applying what you learn to projects is what our innovative and award-winning method is all about. Our teachers give you the background knowledge, our mentors guide and support you… but you create your projects, learn the skills and earn your diploma! That’s why we say our students drive their own learning.

To find out more about how you can become a fully operational web developer in just one year and earn yourself a bachelor-level diploma, visit our website.

38 Comment
    1. Hi Junior,

      Our diploma programs are based around projects that mimic real-life situations. The tasks that you will be asked to complete are some of those that you may come across in the workplace. This way, not only are you prepared for working life, but you also are able to put your learning into practice, which means you’re more likely to remember what you’ve learnt!

      Hope this helps!

    1. Hi Richard,

      We operate on a pass/fail basis. You will either pass or fail your projects and we do not have any grades associated with the projects.

      Be aware that even if you fail a project, you’ll be able to take it again the week after with the comments of your mentor.

      Feel free to send an email to advisors@openclassrooms.com if you have any questions!

    1. Hi Amit,

      Then you will pay less 😉 it’s totally flexible so if you finish faster (8 months like one of our graduates, Debbie) then you will pay the number of months you’ve studied.

  1. Hi I finish my bachelors in IT. Will this certificate ‘ll give me diploma certificate , I want to know what ‘ll be my highest degree when applying for job .And during my job search are you going to give me the names of the reference which ‘ll be required by the hiring company to prove that I have worked on the project in a company.
    And when we applying job am I going to start as fresher or experience candidate .

    1. Hi Srilata,

      Your diploma will be at level 6 on the EQF which is equivalent to 3 years at university. The projects you will work on are projects that are designed from OpenClassrooms. In this respect, you will not start as a beginner but as an experienced developer because you will have gained theoretical as well as practical experience.

      Thanks,
      Gwen @ OpenClassrooms

  2. How many per week can you expect to put in in order to finish within 12 months and get your diploma? Can students realistically work full time and finish within 12 months? Thanks for your time!

    1. Yes! I’d say 70% of our students are actually full-time workers. We estimate the time of work to be around 20-30 hours per week in order to finish the path in 10-12 months. It needs some organising obviously but it’s totally possible to be successful at both. Many of our graduates proved us it was so we believe this is possible!

    1. Vous pouvez suivre nos formations de n’importe où dans le monde 🙂 on est 100% en ligne !

    1. You can start the path with no background knowledge and it’ll be increasingly harder. Let’s be honest, it’s not going to be a walk in the park but with the help of your mentor, you will manage it no problem. If for instance you are doing really well in the projects, we can make tailor them a little bit and make them harder.

  3. Hi, I completed a UX/UI Design course online with Bloc.io, I’m wondering if this is enough to be accepted into the Masters level UX Program you offer. Thanks!

    1. This is a good start for sure 🙂 You know you can apply to our programs through the VAP process which basically means that if you can show that you have enough knowledge and experience in the field, you can still apply even if you don’t own a bachelor’s degree.

  4. Hi ! Is it possible to take this course eventhough you are a beginner only . My previous course is aeronautics and I want to learn in computer development.

  5. So, we learn with real projects, and if we are good, mentor will pump up projects to be harder. And if we are fast we will need less time to finish it. At the end we have bachelor level 6 diploma and good chance for employment anywhere in the world.

    I got this all correct?

  6. What is the time frame for getting a degree as a junior web designer? Do you work at your own pace? I’m working full time. Is there a limit to when I have to finish (of course within reason)? Thank you. And it’s only $1800 for a six month course? What other expenses? Thank you.

    1. HI Elisa, our junior web developer program takes an average of 6 months to complete. You study at your own pace and can fit it around your work schedule. There is no limit, per se, but you do pay as you go – $300/month. The more months you take, the more you end up paying. There are not other expenses. If you have any more questions, please reach out to our student advisors at hello@openclassrooms.com. They will be happy to go into depth responding to all your questions.

  7. I am profoundly deaf and 50 years old. I wish to know how will I learn the course by. Do you give out video tutorials without subtitles?

    1. Hello Graham, I’m happy to tell you that all our courses have subtitles. We would love to see you studying with us. If you have more questions, please email: Hello@openclassrooms.com to correspond with one of our student advisors.

    1. Hello Aiman, our diplomas are recognized worldwide as a French associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s-level diploma. When you graduate, you will have a portfolio full of work that will prove to any future employer you have the skills and competencies necessary for the job. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our student support team at hello@openclassrooms.com.

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