This catalog is updated as needed, or required, and at least once annually. Make School reserves the right to make changes to this catalog at its discretion. All parties will be made aware of revisions in a timely fashion. All modifications are at the approval or request of the respective licensing and/or accrediting body. All historical versions will be kept on file at the institution and will be made accessible upon written request. This Catalog, and any student brochures, is provided in hard copy format to all persons upon request.
Make School strives to ensure the information provided in this catalog is accurate and comprehensive, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
You can view past versions of our academic catalog online:
The Course Catalog & Student Handbook, and all policies and procedures outlined therein are applicable to all Make School students at all times. Students are responsible for being aware of these policies and following them. Enrollment at Make School implies acceptance of these policies and procedures and makes them binding for all students. This Catalog and its policies and procedures should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the mission and values of Make School. The Dean (or their designee) will resolve any questions involving the application or interpretation of these policies, rules, and expectations. In such instances, the decision of the Dean (or their designee) will be final and binding.
Welcome to Make School! We are excited to have you be a part of our community! We have provided this Course Catalog and Student Handbook to help you during your time at Make School.
The Course Catalog and Student Handbook is designed to be a reference guide for all things related to your student experience: from classes you might take, to campus activities, to student financial aid. We’ve done our best to be as comprehensive as possible, and do update the information when there is a major program change.
How to use this Course Catalog and Student Handbook:
- This should be the first place you go to find information or answers to questions about the program.
- Use the links in the table of contents to quickly search and find what you are looking for.
- There is a lot of information provided in this document. Read it carefully and thoroughly to make sure you understand the content.
- You are responsible for the information and upholding the policies included in this document. It is your responsibility to read and familiarize yourself with the Course Catalog and Student Handbook.
- This guide is designed with you in mind. Let us know if there is something you don’t understand or need clarity on so we can improve the information provided in this document.
For quick access to important information, forms, documents, or other items, the Appendix has a list of links to things most commonly used or asked about by Make School Students. This is a great place to start if you’re not sure what you are looking for.
We are so excited you are joining our learning community and look forward to guiding you on your journey to a rewarding career in software engineering.
Learning at Make School is engaging, innovative and inspiring. Our technical instructors are software engineering professionals who guide you through industry-relevant, project-based curriculum. You’ll learn by building products that solve real-world problems and thrive in a close-knit community with like-minded, passionate students from all backgrounds. Success isn't about where you come from, it's about where you are going. We can’t wait to help you get there.
Make School’s mission is to create avenues of upward mobility for students of all backgrounds, empowering them to contribute to society through science and technology innovation.
We fulfill this mission by serving a majority under-resourced and underrepresented student population through a Bachelor’s degree program, countering systemic barriers to upward mobility and preparing them for high-earning careers.
Make School is built on the following values:
- Students-first - we put student needs first when making decisions and protect students’ investment in their education through innovative financing options.
- Innovation - we operate using progressive organizational principles, cutting-edge education methodologies, and regular experimentation.
- Relevance- we develop curriculum and partnerships to ensure the education we provide prepares students for productive careers in industry and to be engaged members of civil society.
- Equity - we analyze our actions and decisions through the lenses of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in order to create a more equitable future for all. We serve students traditionally underrepresented in the technology industry.
- Citizenship- our students actively engage with their communities and create positive social impact. Students work on projects and seek employment to help solve key societal problems. Students formalize their ethical frameworks, practice empathy, respect diversity, and reject bias.
- Personal Growth - we provide educational resources and mentorship to help students and staff develop a growth mindset and achieve personal growth.
- Transparency - our policies, practices, planning, offerings, and student outcomes are hosted on a public-facing, version-controlled platform. Our affiliations with partners are publicly disclosed.
Upon graduation, students will have demonstrated mastery of the following program learning outcomes:
- Software Engineering: Implement innovative software designs using sound development practices and state-of-the-art software engineering techniques, methods, and tools.
- Computer Science: Demonstrate mastery over computer science concepts and the classical patterns in computer hardware, software, and networking.
- Agile Product Development: Apply the agile product development process to ideate, design, ship, and iterate on solutions to real-world problems.
- Teamwork & Leadership: Develop the skills of a leader and team member by understanding the theory and practice of effective decision making: consensus, compromise, negotiation, delegation, management, communication, and collaboration with people of different backgrounds, cultures and skills.
- Problem Solving & Lean Startups: Develop original and critical thinking strategies to find solutions to real-world problems across for- and not-for-profit domains of the economy and society, e.g. Education, Health, Business, Entertainment, Global Trade, Politics, Charity, etc.
- Self Advocacy & Career Development: Develop the knowledge and skills of advocating and promoting oneself in the context of developing a professional career in technology.
- Liberal Arts integrated with Professional Education: Situate and apply professional knowledge and skills within a broad base of understanding of multiple disciplines.
Make School was founded in 2012, initially as a Summer Academy, to introduce high school and college students to the potential of using technology to solve problems. The program was designed to be project-based and collaborative, focused on teaching students to use modern software development tools and frameworks. The Summer Academy taught thousands of students from around the world how to build products, and enabled students to earn internships and jobs at top tech companies.
In 2014, Make School began building a new college based on the same principles. In just five short years, we laid a strong foundation that has aimed to improve the relevance of higher education and help address the growing student debt crisis. Our alumni have gone on to work at companies like Google, Facebook, Tesla and dozens of other tech companies, putting our outcomes on par with top universities. We’re excited to continue evolving over the next five years, actively diversifying the tech industry, innovating ways to improve the college model, and sharing what we learn with more institutions of higher education.
In late 2020, Make School became a 501c(3) non-for-profit academic institution and was granted Eligibility Status by WASC Senior College and University Commission to become an independently accredited school.
This team is here to make sure your living and learning environment is dynamic, inclusive, and compliant. The Academic Administrators will help you stay on track for graduation, listen to your feedback, and work with the College Team to address student needs.
- Dean: Anne Spalding, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Colorado at Denver, 1998; Master of Science, University of Colorado at Denver, 1996; Bachelor of Science, University of Colorado at Denver, 1993
- Director of Science & Letters: Justine Meyr, Doctor of Philosophy in Education, The Gevirtz School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2017; Masters of Arts, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; Bachelor of Arts, Brandeis University, Waltham, MS, 2002
- Director of Student & Academic Affairs: Michelle Lessly Blackburn, Doctor of Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University, 2016; Masters of Education, Abilene Christian University, 2008; Bachelor of Arts, Abilene Christian University, 2005
- Registrar, Director of Institutional Research: Kaleena L.M. Findley, Master of Science, Touro College, Graduate School of Education & Technology (NY), 2009; Bachelor of Arts, Long Island University-CW Post, 2004
Our diverse faculty is composed of individuals with recent, relevant software engineering experience and academic degrees in computer science. Instructors guide students through project-based learning that promotes both skill development and theoretical understanding in software engineering, computer science, and agile product development. This team is here to make sure you meet your academic goals by providing project-based learning opportunities. The Instructors will help you master software development concepts, provide academic support, and help you grow as an engineer.
- Adam Braus, Bachelor of Arts, St. John’s College, 2008
- Adriana Gonzalez, Bachelor of Science, Instituto Tecnologico Y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2015
- Dan Morse, Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Michigan, 2013
- Dani Roxberry, Bachelor of Science, Neumont College of Computer Science, 2008
- Jay Lowe, Bachelor of Science, California State University Monterey Bay, 2018
- Jess Dahmen, Doctor of Philosophy, Washington State University, 2019; Bachelor of Science, Washington State University, 2013
- Joseph Catanzarite, Master of Science, University of Southern California; Master of Science, University of Arizona; Bachelor of Science, California Institute of Technology
- Kamran Bigdely-Shamloo, Masters of Science, University of Calgary, 2012; Bachelor of Science, University of Amirkabir, 2009
- Meredith Teo, Bachelor of Science, Harvey Mudd College, 2013
- Mitchell Hudson, Bachelor of Fine Arts, San Francisco Art Institute, 1989
- Regina Yoong, Doctor of Philosophy in English, Ohio University, 2021; Master of Arts, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2017; Bachelor of Arts, UCSI University, Malaysia, 2012
This team is here to make sure we offer you the best learning experience possible. The Curriculum team works to ensure what you’re learning in class will help you meet your career goals, is in keeping with industry best practices, and offers additional learning support.
- Ian Birnam, Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Berkeley, 2014
This team is here to make sure you have the best experience possible outside the classroom. Student Experience will help you become a student leader and feel connected to the Make School community.
- Manager: Megan Dias, Masters of Art, University of the Pacific, 2012; Bachelor of Arts, California State University-Chico, 2009
- Coordinator: Lisa Tran, Master of Arts, University of San Francisco, 2019; Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Irvine, 2013
- Coordinator: Valdine Bonheur, Bachelor of Arts, Manhattanville College, 2013
This team is here to make sure you are job ready by the time you graduate. Career Services will help you get access to internship opportunities, build your professional network, and hone your interviewing skills.
- Casey Spurgeon, Masters of Science, National University, 2019; Bachelor of Science, National University, 2016; Associate of Arts, FIDM, 2012
As a student of Make School, you will also be part of our stellar alumni community. Our alumni are awesome resources; not only can they share their experiences as a student at Make School, but they can also take on the role of Industry Contacts (or Mentors) as you progress in your career. You are encouraged to join the Alumni Slack channel and reach out to alumni for support, advice, and networking opportunities. Once you graduate from Make School, remember that your engagement continues within the alumni community. You’ll have the opportunity to attend alumni community events, work with alumni in the industry, and also to mentor current students. Moreover, as a Make School Student, you will be provided continuous coaching and job support as an alumnus, courtesy of our Student Career Services!
Make School’s on-campus experience includes a variety of recreational activities for students, faculty, and staff. Some regular on-campus recreational activities include:
- A Ping Pong Table is available for student use. If you’re especially competitive, you can even partake in the student-run Ping Pong Tournaments!
- The Manzanita Macaroon Maker Space, located off of the Great Hall, is a room with Virtual Reality gaming access and contains equipment for our craftier students interested in modifying hardware.
- Wellness Wednesday offers students the opportunity to practice self-care through mindfulness, reflection, and physical activity.
Moreover, San Francisco is an extension of your campus! San Francisco is filled with different neighborhoods, club sports, food, sightseeing, architecture, street fairs, concerts, and free activities! Here’s a list of Fun in San Francisco!
Make School also provides a number of events and activities for remote students including virtual hangouts, club meetings, coffee breaks, and game nights! If you have an interest in hosting an event or starting a club, we encourage you to reach out to the Student Experience Team to get started!
Make School provides Career Services to assist current students and graduates in developing job search skills such as resume and cover letter development, interviewing skills, and appropriate interview follow-up activities. Make School organizes career-preparation events including talks, networking events, career fairs, and demo days with industry members to broaden students’ professional networks and increase their access to potential employers. During their time at Make School, students have the ability to participate in on-site visits to local potential employers, and build an online portfolio to be showcased during recruitment opportunities. We encourage students to utilize platforms such as Handshake and join the Make School Connect group on LinkedIn. Make School also makes personal introductions to recruiters and companies for well-qualified students seeking internships and full-time employment.
Countless innovators have coaches. All students are assigned a coach and you will meet 1:1 throughout your time at Make School. Your coach’s sole purpose is to support you. Their job is not to tell you what to do, but to let you lead the session, help you strategize flawlessly for yourself, tease out what you want and need, and tap into your talents and the resources available to you. We believe that you have everything you need to be successful: work ethic, creativity, drive. Your coach is here to be your advocate and thought partner.
Make School does not provide childcare, but for students located in the Bay Area, the Children’s Council can help. Please visit their website to see the childcare services they offer. Online students should explore local childcare options or visit Care.com for childcare options.
Make School does not provide health insurance but all students are expected to have health insurance. Because healthcare costs can become quite expensive, having an adequate plan that is accepted by local providers is very important. If you are located in California, you can apply for free healthcare via Covered California. If you need healthcare coverage but not based in California, you can purchase health insurance through your state’s healthcare exchange or visit healthcare.gov. Please note: Students without health insurance may incur fees with the IRS for lack of coverage.
In addition to requiring medical insurance, we also require the following history and immunization form to be completed by all students:
All completed forms must be submitted to the Admissions Office upon initial enrollment.
Students who enroll in the on-campus program are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination prior to their first day on campus.
If you are on-campus, below are a few local hospitals and clinics, should you ever need immediate care:
|
Kaiser Permanente Hospital
1632 Divisadero Street San Francisco (415) 833-2000 |
San Francisco Free Clinic
4900 California Street San Francisco, CA (415) 750-9894 |
UCSF Hospital
505 Parnassus Avenue San Francisco (415) 476-1000 |
|
Planned Parenthood SF
1650 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 821-1282 |
SF Sex Information
(415) 989-7374 ask-us@sfsi.org |
SF General Hospital
1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110 (628) 206-8000 |
Make School maintains an online library with a curated list of digital resources for technical content, social science texts, periodicals, reference materials, databases, and reserves to supplement student learning. These resources can be accessed online at make.sc/library.
Students who reside in San Francisco may also utilize the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). The SFPL is an excellent source for supplemental learning materials, with a great system of reserving books from any library in the SFPL system. Students may also utilize professional librarian services through SFPL. The Main Library Branch is located at 100 Larkin Street, and is just a brief walk from the Civic Center BART Station or a 20 minute walk from Make School’s campus.
Students enrolled in the online program may also use their public library as a source for supplemental learning materials, professional librarian services, and interlibrary loans.
Regardless if you are online or on-campus you will receive training in the use of library resources during orientation in your first week of classes. As necessary, you will receive assignment-specific training from their instructors. Through our partnership with Dominican University, all students are able to access Library liaisons through the student services webpage (make.sc/du-self-service). Library liaisons are subject specialists who provide support for your research by locating and recommending relevant information and resources. Dominican University also subscribes to numerous online databases containing scholarly articles, eBooks, newspapers, and many other resources designed to help students with their research.
If you lost something while on-camps at Make School, it is best to check the Lost and Found bin located in the Student Resource Room. If you cannot locate your item(s), or if you want to report adding an item to the Lost and Found bin, you can message the #lost-and-found Slack channel. The Lost and Found bin will be cleared monthly.
We know your mental health and physical wellbeing is an important component of your success at Make School. We provide regular programming through events like Wellness Wendesays to help you stay healthy and focused. This mental health programming is available for both online and on-campus students; however, on-campus students may have access to additional in-person support or fitness activities.
To support your mental health, Make School partners with Better Help, an online, on-demand licensed mental health counseling service, and these services are available to both on-campus and online students.. You will receive unique log-in credentials upon your enrollment of your first term at Make School and are able to use these services at no cost. You are automatically given access to BetterHelp when you first enroll at Make School and is available to you throughout your time at Make School. Graduates may receive an additional 6 months of services upon request. BetterHelp is 100% confidential and what you share with your counselor will not be shared with Make School. Both online and on-campus students have unlimited access to BetterHelp.
If your log-in expires, please contact Lisa Tran at lisa.tran@makeschool.org. You can contact Lisa for additional support or information about BetterHelp.
Students can also review a comprehensive list of mental health resources at make.sc/mental-health-resources.
If you are on-campus and want to see a mental health practitioner outside BetterHelp, here are some free or sliding-scale counseling service providers we recommend. Please note that these organizations are in no way affiliated with Make School. If you are an online student check out the “Warm” lines below:
| Integral Counseling
2140 Pierce Street San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 776-3109 Sliding Scale (Starts at $20) |
Lyon Martin Clinic
1735 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 565-7667 For Women & Trans Patients |
San Francisco City Impact
140 Turk Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 738-6878 Mon. - Fri., 10am - 4pm |
If you need to speak with someone, but you’re not in crisis, a “warm” line may be a useful option for you. These are services you can call to talk through stressful times without going into an office to see a therapist. These resources are available nationwide and can be used by both online and on-campus students.
|
Mental Health Assoc. of SF
Peer-Run Warm Line (855) 845-7415 Mon. - Thurs., 7am - 11pm Fri - Sun., 11am - 7pm |
NAMI
Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness National HelpLine (800) 950-6264 |
Office of Self-Help
Emotional Support Warm Line (415) 575-1400 Mon. - Tues., 9am - 5pm Wed. - Sun., 9am - 8:30pm |
The below resources are hotlines that help you when you’re in a mental health crisis, and are possibly at risk of hurting yourself or others. These resources are available nationwide and can be used by both online and on-campus students.
|
SF Suicide Prevention 24-Hour Crisis Line
(415) 781-0500 -or- (800) 273-8255 |
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
(800) 273-8255 |
|
The Trevor Project (LGBT Suicide Prevention)
(866) 488-7386 |
Trauma Recovery/Rape Treatment Center
(415) 437-3000 |
Make School is located in the heart of San Francisco, so parking is limited to city parking lots and metered street parking. Students and visitors are encouraged to take public transport to campus. Public transit is, by far, the easiest way of navigating the bay area. The basic forms of transportation are, as follows:
- AC Transit: This is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" routes across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco and selected areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART): This is a rapid transit public transportation system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The heavy rail elevated and subway system connects San Francisco and Oakland with urban and suburban areas in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties.
- CalTrain: This is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley. The northern terminus of the line is in San Francisco at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy.
- The San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI): This is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. This includes the cable car system, the internal ‘subway’ system that navigates San Francisco, and buses.
We recommend that you invest in a Clipper Card, which simplifies paying for public transit by allowing you to reload funds automatically and online. It can also save you money! For example, if you opt to automatically reload a High Value Discount ticket for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), you receive a 6.25% discount per ride. There are also monthly Muni passes for San Francisco fares, and the option of adding general cash value to your Clipper Card. Please note that loading BART funds onto your account will not allow you to use other forms of public transportation; you will have to load additional funds onto your Clipper Card to access additional modes of travel.
We empower and encourage students to initiate leadership and ownership over clubs. Since each cohort is unique, we let student voices be heard and support their goals rather than determining standard clubs. In this way, clubs are inspired and self-formed by the community and its members. Previous cohorts have organized a Drone Club, Hackathon Club, and Women in Tech Club. Make School staff members with expertise and/or interest in an area can serve as guides and resources to support student clubs. All students, regardless if they are enrolled in the online or the on-campus program are encouraged to participate in student groups and are eligible for leadership opportunities.
Student Council is a Make School-sponsored group that consists of student advocates, nominated and elected by their peers, who act as the voice of the student body. Student Council members representatives include both online and on-campus students. The council has weekly meetings with the Student Experience team to ensure students are happy, heard, and aware of the efforts employed to support their life here at Make School. The members of the Student Council have the role of listening to student concerns, and communicating these concerns to Make School staff. Student Council is granted a budget and can plan student events in collaboration with the Student Experience team.
Students have the opportunity to start and lead clubs at Make School based on their interests. Leading a club is also a great way to gain some professional development and leadership skills. Some examples of clubs include the Data Science Club, Technical Interview Club, and Dungeons & Dragons Club.
Peer Mentors are senior level students who have volunteered their time to help first-year students transition to Make School. They can provide support with coursework, job/internship preparation, and general adjustment to the Make School community.
We encourage students to help organize school-related gatherings! Students who express an interest in this role volunteer to meet bi-weekly with the Student Experience Team to plan and organize monthly events for the student body and staff. Events include holiday celebrations, multicultural day meals, talent shows, spring flings, and other school-sponsored functions.
Students are welcome to participate in developing initiatives to support a diverse student population. The student-led JEDI Committee (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) works with the Student Experience team to host educational programs, trainings, and events to help foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all community members.
We expect all students to conduct themselves in a respectful, inclusive manner when communicating online, over Zoom, and through social media.
When engaging with others over Zoom or other conferencing programs, you should
- Keep your camera on, if possible;
- Mute yourself unless you are speaking;
- Come to class on time, and check in using the attendance short-link/code/QR code;
- Be mindful of your video/screen sharing. Make sure it is something you wouldn’t mind all your peers and instructors seeing
Information Technology is a key component to students’ success at Make School. You will need to set up the following accounts:
All Make School students will receive an official Make School email address, which should be used for all communication while you’re a student. This email address will be your legal first name, a period, and your legal last name, followed by @students.makeschool.org (e.g., john.doe@students.makeschool.org). This account is part of the Google Suite, which also gives access to all administrative Google interfaces (i.e., Google Drive, Google Docs, etc.).
Gradescope is an assignment submission, grading, and analytics platform that allows us to provide fast and accurate feedback on your work. All assigned work will be submitted through Gradescope, and assignment and exam grades will be returned through Gradescope. As soon as grades are posted, you will receive an email notification so that you can log in and see your feedback. You may also submit regrade requests if you feel we have made a mistake.** Note: Final grades are posted on your Dashboard on the Make School Student Portal and not in Gradescope.**
Your Gradescope login is your Make School email, and your password can be changed at https://gradescope.com/reset_password. The same link can be used if you need to set your password for the first time.
GitHub is our Learning Management System for the technical courses at Make School. Be sure to register for an account prior to your first day of classes. Make School also uses GitHub to announce important information relating to the school. It is your responsibility to check GitHub for these updates.
Slack is the main platform Make School uses for informal communication. Announcements, reminders about action items, and community conversations are shared via this service. It is important that you are attentive to your Slack channels and messages, as this is often the fastest way to share information with colleagues and Make School staff. Students are automatically invited to Slack upon enrollment. To access the student Slack workspace on your computer or mobile device, open the email invitation sent to your Make School email account and click “join.” Slack will then guide you through the process of setting up your account.
To access Dominican University services (like your @dominican.edu email), refer to the Technology at Dominican page.
Make School has a robust Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn network! Facebook is used to enhance internal communications among the Make School community. You can join the following Make School groups on Facebook:
LinkedIn is a tool to connect internally with staff and students, as well as externally with hiring partners, industry contacts, and other Make School affiliates. It is highly encouraged for you to add connections and utilize this platform. LinkedIn is the number one way recruits reach out to you when looking to hire, and it’s important that your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date with your current projects, experience and education, and a professional headshot. We provide support to students to create an effective LinkedIn profile, and we encourage students to join the Make School Connect Group on LinkedIn to increase their network and develop connections in industry.
Every student must have a fully-operating laptop on which to do their work. The minimum laptop requirements are, as follows:
- An Apple Laptop
- At least 8 MB of Random Access Memory (RAM)
- At least 100 GB of Solid State Drive (SSD) Storage
- A fully-functioning keyboard and screen and a battery that holds a charge
- A fully-functioning webcam and microphone (both online and on-campus students)
- An operating system supported by Zoom.
Since purchasing a laptop can be a large financial burden, we can provide advice for how to find an economical laptop that will serve you well. Some simple tips are:
- Upgrade: If you have an older Apple laptop that lacks SSD storage, you can check if your laptop is upgradeable with a new SSD storage component and more memory. If so, the most economical option is to purchase an SSD storage and RAM, then install them in your laptop.
- Buy Used: Many websites, including Craigslist and eBay, offer less expensive used laptop options. When buying a computer through a reseller, confirm with the seller that the laptop is fully functioning and that the computer is in decent operating condition. It is especially important to focus on the battery, charging cables, keyboard, screen, and USB ports.
- Buy Refurbished: You can buy a refurbished MacBook Air for approximately $900. If you combine this with a financing option, you may only need to pay approx. $75/month for 12 months.
- Buy with Apple or Retail Financing: Apple and other retail stores often offer financial options to allow you to pay for a computer over 12 months with no interest.
We understand how important it is to have a properly functioning laptop in order to be effective at Make School. Students are responsible for securing a temporary laptop in the event that their current laptop is inoperable and needs to be repaired. Make School may be able to assist students with the cost associated with renting a laptop. For more information regarding temporary laptop assistance, contact student.affairs@makeschool.org.
You should review the Online Learning Tutorial to learn tips and tricks to taking classes online, as well as Make School’s expectations for how you will engage with instructors and peers when online.
This comprehensive guide will help you set-up your environment, learn how to navigate your student dashboard, access course materials on GitHub, and utilize GSuite. We recommend that you review this document and set-up your environment prior to the start of the term.
The policies described in this section of the Catalog are especially important for students to understand, as violating these policies may result in the Formal Resolution process. Students are expected to follow these policies at all times. Reports regarding potential violations of these conduct policies can be submitted using the Student Reporting Form. All policies and processes are applicable to both online and on-campus students.
Make School nurtures attitudes and behaviors that promote global awareness, inclusivity, and respect for the dignity of each person regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, culture, political conviction, religion, or disability.
We are committed to creating an environment in which every individual can work, study, and live without feeling excluded, unsafe, or harassed. As such, we encourage speech and actions that support this mission and the identities of our community members, thus emboldening us to thrive as both a community and as individuals.
You will see our commitment to these tenets at play in our academics in the following ways:
- All members of the College community consider diversity constructively in all planning, policy, decision-making, procedural, academic, and administrative operations throughout the College.
- All course curriculum content, pedagogy, syllabi structure, assignments, grading, and learning outcomes are built to ensure it does not marginalize identities or implicitly identify one kind of experience, one culture, one nation, one body of art and literature as normative. All curriculums recognize a breath of identities, worldviews, and approaches.
- All members of the College community promote an on-campus environment that values equity and access of opportunity for all of its participants regardless of background, nationality, culture, religion, class, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.
All Make School students, staff, and visitors are required to follow the tenets of the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion in all Make School communities (i.e., on campus, online and on social media, in student housing, etc.).
This section of the Catalog outlines resolution of policy violations, whether academic or conduct-related.
Informal Resolution is used when the parties agree to resolve interpersonal conflicts or a violation of the Code of Conduct through conflict resolution (mediation, restorative justice, etc.), or where the responding party accepts responsibility for violating policy, or when the Dean, Director of Student and Academic Affairs, or their representative, can resolve the matter informally by providing remedies to resolve the situation. In any case, the Dean, Director, or their representative will determine if Informal Resolution will be an option.
It is not necessary to pursue Informal Resolution first in order to pursue Formal Resolution, and any party participating in Informal Resolution can stop the process at any time and request the Formal Resolution process., If an Informal Resolution fails after the fact, Formal Resolution may be pursued (see below).
PLEASE NOTE: Significant or egregious violations of policies or procedures may not be eligible for Informal Resolution (as determined by the Dean or Director). Reports of violations of the Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, or Retalation Policy will be addressed through the Formal Resoltuion Process.
Informal Resolutions may include a verbal or written warning from the Dean or the Director of Student and Academic Affairs. These warnings serve as notice to the student of the violation of the Code of Conduct and function as a record of the behavior. Verbal or Written Warnings are an interim measure prior to a Performance Improvement Plan.
When a student is alleged to have violated academic or behavioral policy at Make School, the matter must be reported to and investigated by the appropriate conduct administrator. In most cases, the administrator will be the Dean or the Director of Student and Academic Affairs, but can also be their designee.
The investigation process typically consists of the following (not necessarily in this order):
- Written notification to the student (via email) of the alleged violation of policy;
- An interview with the parties involved in the alleged violation, and any witnesses who may have knowledge of the incident or who can provide additional information;
- A summary of the evidence gathered that is shared with the student alleged to have violated policy.
- A determination of factual findings and notification of appropriate sanctions and/or follow-up action.
Once the investigation is complete and the student has been notified of the violated policy, the Conduct Administrator will initiate a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) except in cases where Alternate Conduct Action is required as noted below.
A PIP is a specific plan developed on an individual basis to set clearly articulated goals or objectives to improve performance. It includes check-ins, transparent expectations, and closely monitored progress by the conduct administrator and the student’s coach. There are two types of PIPs based on the type of policy violation: behavioural or academic:
- A Conduct PIP issued for Conduct Violations listed in this Course Catalog & Student Handbook.
- An Academic PIP is issued for either academic violations listed in the Course Catalog & Student Handbook, or when a student is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
While on a PIP, a student may be considered not to be in good standing and may have certain restrictions related to their participation in select programming and events. Examples include, but not limited to, field trips, mock technical interviews, access to new industry contacts, student jobs (i.e., Teaching or Resident Assistantships), participation in Student Council, and outcomes referrals to partner companies. Any such restrictions will be noted in the PIP.
A PIP typically is in effect for a specific time period (usually 30 days) and the student performance will be re-evaluated at the end of that time period. If a PIP does not result in the student meeting the goals or objectives, the student may be dismissed or suspended from Make School either immediately or at the end of the term as denoted in the PIP. Typically, a dismissed student is not allowed to return to Make School, and a suspended student may be allowed to return by reapplying the following year.
Refer to Academic Dismissal section for more information.
Alternate Conduct Action: Reports of violations of certain policies (i.e., violations of Sexual Misconduct policies or violation of the Alcohol, Drug & Smoking Policies) may require alternate conduct action.
A request for an appeal of the findings and/or sanctions is subject to the grounds outlined below. All original sanctions imposed remain in effect through determination of the appeal, and both parties should be timely informed of the status of the request for appeal, the status of the appeal consideration, and the result of the appeal decision. Requests for Appeal must be submitted in writing to the Dean of Make School within five (5) business days of receipt of the findings/sanctions being issued.
Appeal requests are limited to the following grounds:
- A procedural or substantive error occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.). A summary explaining the error must be included with the request for an appeal.
- To consider new evidence,unavailable during the original hearing or investigation, that could substantially impact the original finding or sanction. A summary of this new evidence and its potential impact must be included with the request for appeal.
- The sanctions imposed are substantially outside the parameters or guidelines set by the University for this type of offense or the cumulative conduct record of the responding party. A summary explaining the disproportion of the sanctions must be included with the request for an appeal.
Upon receipt of the Request for Appeal, the Dean will designate an Appellate Officer who will consider the appeal request and all submitted summaries, evaluate the merit of a request for an appeal in light of the circumstances and the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion, and make a determination on whether enough information exists to warrant an appeal review.
If an Appeal Review is Denied: the finding/sanction stands as-is.
If an Appeal Review is Granted: the Appellate Officer will engage in a thorough review of the appeal request (including the submitted summaries), the original record (including the investigator’s report), and any other relevant information, and will take one or a combination of the following actions:
- Uphold the findings and/or sanctions outlined in the Administrative Disposition;
- Modify the findings and/or sanctions outlined in the Administrative Disposition;
- Dismiss the findings and/or sanctions outlined in the Administrative Disposition.
The decision of the Appellate Officer will be considered final and binding for all parties involved.
All students are responsible for reviewing and upholding all of Make School’s policies as defined in this Catalog. In an effort to promote a welcoming and safe learning environment for all community members, students may report concerns or complaints at any time by completing the Student Reporting Form. This form, and the information provided in the form will remain private to the best of Make School’s ability. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, anonymity may not be guaranteed, but we will do our best to protect the privacy of all parties involved. Make School does not tolerate any form of retaliation. The form can be used to report concerns regarding a violation of the Code of Conduct or a concern regarding the conduct of an instructor or staff member.
Complaints categories include:
- Student Conduct: Manager: Michelle Lessly Blackburn, Director of Student and Academic Affairs
- Student-to-Faculty Complaints: Manager: Anne Spalding, Dean and Interim President
- Student-to-Staff Complaints: Manager: Carmen Ye: Head of People, Culture, and JEDI
- Title IX: Manager: Carmen Ye: Title IX Coordinator
- Financial Aid: Manager: Director of Operations
- Student-Facing Policies: Manager: Michelle Lessly Blackburn, Director of Student and Academic Affairs
- Academic Concerns: Manager: Anne Spalding, Dean and Interim President
The student may also choose to speak with their instructor, coach, or a member of the Student Experience Team to address the concern and complete the Student Reporting Form with the staff member or instructor’s support. All concerns or complaints are addressed in a timely, private manner. Make School staff may escalate the concern or complaint to the Dean or Director of Student and Academic Affairs as appropriate.
The process for reporting, reviewing, and maintaining grievance records is as follows:
- The student submits a written complaint via the Student Reporting Form.
- The submission is reviewed by the Director of Student and Academic Affairs (Director) or their
designee within one business day of the submission. The Director will follow-up with the student
to confirm the complaint has been reviewed and provide next steps.
- Make School will first attempt to resolve the issue through a restorative justice process, however;
- Some complaints, depending on the nature of the report, will warrant an informal or formal resolution process as determined by the Director and described in the Code of Conduct policy.
- Complaints regarding a potential violation of Title IX, Hate Speech Policy, Retaliation, or Hazing are not eligible for the restorative justice process.
- Through the support of the Director (student-related issues) or the Dean (instructor or
staff-related issues), the parties involved will proceed through the designated process to
resolve the issue.
- Most issues will be resolved through a Participation Improvement Plan (PIP).
- If applicable, students may pursue the appeal process as described in the Code of Conduct.
- Records relating to the initial complaint, resolution process, and appeals will be maintained for up to seven years after the resolution of the incident. All records are FERPA protected.
Smoking and the use of substances (alcohol or drugs), including marijuana and nicotine, is not allowed on Make School’s campus and in the residence hall(s) or during online instruction or events. All students and staff who wish to smoke any substance, or vape, must do so outdoors, following San Francisco city ordinance which requires smokers to stand at least 20 feet from a building’s entrance. It is also not permissible for a student to post imagery on social media accounts, which depict the use of these substances while located on Make School property.
If it is determined that a student (online or on-campus) is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or has been smoking or vaping during an official Make School activity (including class), any related contraband will be confiscated (if on-campus) and the standard Performance Improvement Plan process will be followed.
Students are expected to engage in professional conduct through all communication mediums with students, staff, and instructors. Professional communication at Make School is defined as:
- Uses inclusive language, and is aligned with the Code of Conduct
- Open to discussion and free-flow of ideas
- Timely In both giving and receiving information
Learning how to professionally and effectively communicate is a key component of a student’s educational experience at Make School. In addition to keeping staff and instructors up-to-date on anything that may impact their ability to fully participate in the classroom or other school activities, students are responsible for regularly checking their Make School email and Slack, and responding to correspondence within one business day of outreach by instructors or staff.
Staff and instructors may reach out to a student when they are not attending class or are participating in school activities to ensure the student is safe and/or well. It is an expectation that students respond to a Make School employee when one attempts to contact them. A lack of response, commonly referred to as “ghosting,” may lead to concern for the student’s health or safety.
A student who consistently does not respond to instructors or staff may result in Make School conducting wellness checks or reaching out to the student’s emergency contact to verify the student’s safety and wellbeing.
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Make School prohibits disorderly conduct, defined as: creating a public disturbance, issuing threats or taking of violence against a person or groups, reckless behavior that creates an unsafe environment in the classroom or living space, damage to a person’s property, conduct that interrupts or interferes with the normal operation of Make School, student learning opportunities or Make School sponsored events or activities that take place on or off campus.
Make School is committed to fostering the holistic development of all students. Part of this development process entails students being autonomous in their decision-making and thinking critically about certain choices and actions. However, there are times when these choices and actions pose a significant health risk to the student or endangers the welfare of the college community. If a student chooses to act in a way that endangers themselves and/or puts the campus community in harm’s way, Make School reserves the right to contact parents, guardians, or student-designated emergency contacts to discuss concerns and explore possible resolutions (per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974). In the event Make School contacts a student’s family to address life or safety concerns, Make School will inform the student of the disclosure
Make School’s desire to foster a professional environment that honors the freedom of expression is equally balanced with pursuit to create an inclusive living and learning environment. All members of the Make School community are responsible for expressing themselves in a manner that is respectful of others’ backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. This policy applies to all modes of communication, including in-person, online (email, Slack, etc.), and visual media (memes, gifs, etc.)
Make School prohibits all forms of Hazing. Not only is hazing a crime, it is antithetical to the community values of Make School. For this reason, we take a strong stance against hazing, defined as:
- Any behavior or action required to join or be considered a part of a student group, recognized or not recognized by Make School;
- The misuse of one’s authority as determined by their leadership position, age or classification;
- Causing physical, emotional, or mental harm to another person for the purpose of affiliating an individual to a community;
- Conditions set to continue be a member of a student group or community;
- “Traditions” that involve putting oneself or others at risk or engaging activities without one’s consent.
- Note: Conduct meeting the definition of hazing may occur online as well as in-person.
If you have been hazed, have witnessed or are aware of behavior that may be considered hazing, you must report the incident(s) to the Director of Student and Academic Affairs or use Student Reporting Form. In the event the hazing activity has put a student’s safety at risk or is an emergency, you should contact 911 to get emergency medical attention.
Incidents of hazing are not eligible for an Informal Resolution of the Student Conduct Process.
Make School may use chemicals and substances that require special handling, storage, deployment, and disposal in our maintenance and cleaning functions. Federal regulations and our local OSHA authorities require that the campus implement a Hazard Communication Program to alert our campus to the presence of these substances and any potential risk of exposure. Should you see any procedures that appear questionable, products in use whose properties you question, or the mishandling of a chemical, please immediately bring the matter to the attention of the Operations Team. The sale, manufacture, or unauthorized possession/maintenance of hazardous or toxic substances on Make School property is prohibited.
Student health and safety are of primary concern at Make School. As such, in situations where there is a medical emergency as a result of violation of policy (e.g., alcohol or drug use), Make School encourages individuals to seek medical assistance for themselves or others. If an individual seeks medical attention, Make School may not pursue student conduct sanctions against the student for violations of these policies or the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion. Additionally, those students who assist in obtaining medical attention for others may not receive sanctions for violations of student policy or the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion. This policy does not grant amnesty to those who are charged with possession and intent to distribute drugs.
This policy does not preclude sanctions due to any other violations of the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion or student policy. Likewise, it does not prevent action by police or other law enforcement personnel.
All students are expected to follow local, state and federal laws at all times. Make School may determine, on a case-by-case basis, to address off-campus violations of local, state, and federal through the student conduct process if the violation poses a health or safety risk to the Make School community or is detrimental to the educational interest of others. Any student conduct process will be independent from criminal proceedings and will not be impacted by the outcomes of the legal process.
In the event off-campus conduct results in an arrest or criminal proceedings, students are responsible for obtaining bail funding and legal counsel independently.
No individual shall be penalized in any way for having reported or threatened to report any violation of procedure, policy, or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion, or for cooperating with or participating in any grievance investigation. Furthermore, no individual shall be penalized for reporting incidents of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct. Retaliation by any member of the community against such an individual is prohibited, and shall be considered a serious violation of Make School policy. Retaliation includes threats, intimidation, reprisals, and any adverse actions related to an individual’s employment or Education.
Title IX protects students enrolled in educational programs or activities from gender discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. More specifically, it protects against any conduct that has the intent or effect of unreasonably interfering with one’s performance at Make School, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, and pervasive environment. Examples of misconduct include (but are not limited to) offensive verbal comments, inappropriate physical contact, deliberate intimidation, sexual images in public spaces, and exclusionary or offensive jokes. Harassment does not need to be recognized as unwanted or unwelcome by anyone other than the person being harassed. All students, both online and on-campus, are protected by Title IX and are entitled to all support services and supportive measures for students impacted by sexual misconduct.
All Make School designated Title IX investigators have received training as required by OCR in §106.45(b)(10)(i)(D).
Make School refuses to accept any violation of the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion, including violations of our standard Conduct Policies and Title IX Policy. Those asked to stop inappropriate behaviors are expected to comply immediately and may face further disciplinary action (i.e., being removed from community spaces, etc.). To keep our community safe, we encourage reporting conduct violations, and will maintain reporter privacy to the extent permissible by law and policy. Conduct violations can be reported via our Student Reporting Form or emailed directly to our Title IX Coordinator.
- Title IX Coordinator: Carmen Ye (carmen@makeschool.org)
- Lead Investigator: Michelle Lessly Backburn (michelle.blackburn@makeschool.org)
- Decision Making Administrator (DMA): Anne Spalding (anne@makeschool.org)
For all Title IX disclosures and incident reports, medical and counseling support or resources will be offered, and interim remedies may be made available (e.g., room or class schedule change for respondent or no contact order) to both the Complainant (person who was subject to the alleged violation) and the Respondent (person alleged of the violation). Based upon the nature of the incident, Make School students may be subject to the Title IX processes as described below. A report of this nature will be reflected in Make School’s annual crime statistics if it meets reporting criteria.
| Options | Investigation & Disciplinary Process | Assistance Reporting to Local Police* |
| Reporting the assault and pursuing Make School charges only. | Make School will proceed with an investigation and disciplinary process as permitted by Federal Law. | |
| Reporting the assault and pursuing criminal charges only. | If made aware of the incident, Make School will proceed with an investigation and disciplinary process as permitted by Federal Law. | Make School will provide assistance, if requested, to make a report to the local Police Department. |
| Reporting the assault and pursuing both Make School and criminal charges. | Make School will proceed with an investigation and disciplinary process as permitted by Federal Law. | Make School will provide assistance, if requested, to make a report to the local Police Department. |
| Reporting the assault, but choosing not to pursue charges. | Make School will proceed with an investigation, and, if appropriate, a disciplinary process. |
*In certain instances, the University may need to report conduct to law enforcement authorities even when the complainant has not decided to do so. The processes listed above may occur simultaneously, although the Make School’s disciplinary processes and the Criminal process occur independently of each other.
In the event Make School has actual knowledge of a potential violation of the Conduct Policies and Title IX Policy, Make School will most likely take the actions (not necessarily in this order):
- Identify policies implicated by the alleged misconduct.
- Assess any potential health/safety concerns of parties involved and initiate or assist with any necessary interim actions or remedial measures for both the Complainant and the Respondent.
- Provide an advisor, if needed by either party.
- Conduct an immediate inquiry to determine if there is reasonable cause the responding party may have violated this policy.
- Prepare the initial Notice of Investigation (NOI) on the basis of the preliminary inquiry.
- Commence a thorough, reliable, and impartial investigation and interview all relevant individuals and conduct follow-up interviews as necessary in a promptly manner.
- Provide regular status updates to the parties throughout the investigation.
- Write an executive report summarizing the investigation, supporting evidence, and list of witnesses whose information will be used to render a finding. Parties will have 10 days to review the executive report when it is completed.
- Submit the Executive Report to the Decision-Making Administrators for review.
- Conduct a live hearing with the opportunity for cross-examination.
- The Decision-Making Administrators determine if the evidence supports a finding of a policy violation and, if so, issue appropriate sanctions, with undue delay to each party. In cases involving students where the potential outcomes may be severe or significant (e.g., suspension or expulsion), the Decision-Making Administrators will employ a hearing panel format to render findings and decisions.
- Review and determine appeal requests, when applicable.
Make School is open during typical business operating hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm). Students have access to campus from 8:00am-8:30pm Monday through Friday and 9:00am-8:00pm Saturday and Sunday. There may be occasional evening and weekend events hosted by Make School or other companies on campus. All events will have assigned student “Openers” and “Closers,” who are trained on alarm codes and building safety precautions. Events will also have an identified Make School staff member to be “on call” in case of emergency.
Make School is open to current and prospective students, as well as guests. Guests and visitors are welcome to visit the campus during normal business operating hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 8:30pm), but must check in upon entry. Guests are also welcome to attend any Make School event that is open to the public. Please note that students are responsible for the actions and behaviors of their on-campus guests at all times.
The campus conference rooms are prioritized for use by Make School staff. Students are encouraged to work in the open space work environment to learn from one another and better collaborate. If a student needs to use a conference room, they will need to reserve the room through a Make School staff member.
Make School is a shared open space work environment, which means it is especially important to respect everyone’s physical space and be cognizant of your surroundings. Respectful action includes being quiet in designated quiet areas to allow fellow students to focus, and sharing Make School-owned equipment when necessary. Moreover, It is everyone’s responsibility to keep the space clean and uncluttered.
The kitchen is a shared space for all students and staff. All members must clean up after themselves immediately when using the kitchen, which includes: putting dishes in the dishwasher, picking up all trash, wiping up any surfaces used, and cleaning up any trash or debris on the floor. If students store food in the kitchen, they must abide by the Food Storage Policy posted on the refrigerator. Per this policy, all students must:
- Label all stored food with their name and initial date of storage.
- Remove any of the week’s food items from the refrigerator by 5:00pm on Friday.
- Be respectful of others by consuming only your food items or community-specified items.
Security and safety on campus must be a top priority for all of us. While the Make School is committed to making our campus a safe environment, it would be impossible to prevent all criminal activity. To make the campus as secure as possible, the following information is provided so that you are familiar with procedures Make School has set in place to foster a safe campus environment:
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Campus Access: Make School campus is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm, and access to our facilities is monitored and controlled by Make School ID badges.
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Campus Security: After Hours Security for Make School and Hotel Zeppelin can be reached by phone at (415) 563-0303.
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Formal Complaints: A victim of a crime wishing to file a formal complaint against a perpetrator who is a member of the campus community should refer to Make School’s Formal Resolution Policy. Students may also choose to file a Police Report. For information about harassment or sexual violence, please refer to the Title IX Policy.
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Media Inquiries Any inquiries from the news media regarding the occurrence of criminal incidents on campus should be directed to the Dean.
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Missing Persons Reporting: In compliance with the Higher Education Act, Make School gives all students the option to provide confidential contact information for a person to be notified in the event a student is officially reported as missing. Should you have concerns about an individual who may be missing, please speak to the Director of Student and Academic Affairs.
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Notification of Current Campus Crime: Title II of Federal Public Law 101-542, The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, requires colleges to collect and report statistics concerning the occurrence on campus of certain criminal offenses which must be reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies. Those criminal offenses include murder, rape, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. In addition, the Violence Against Women Re-authorization Act (VAWRA) requires colleges to report incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking in addition to crimes related to sexual misconduct and sexual assault. At Make School, the Office of Compliance collects data about these crimes, which are published each year. Information is also collected about arrests for liquor law violations, for drug abuse violations, and for weapon possession.
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Reporting Crimes & Emergencies: In the event of a violent crime, a crime in progress, or an incident involving personal injury or requiring medical attention, immediately contact the San Francisco Police Department or San Francisco Fire Department by dialing 911.
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Reporting Non-Emergency Criminal Acts: Non-emergency criminal acts (e.g., vandalism, burglary, etc.) should immediately be reported to:
Director of Student Academic Affairs and Clery Officer
All students are enrolled into Make School’s emergency alert notification system. In the event of an emergency situation on campus, the system sends text and voice messages to the campus community with important information and instructions. It is imperative that students follow the directions and instructions provided by the system. Make School staff or local civil agencies will initiate procedures to inform students of the nature of the situation and steps to follow.
Please follow the protocols listed below for each emergency situation.
When indoors: drop to the floor and take cover. Be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops. If not near a desk or table, huddle against the interior wall of the room and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances, and cabinets with heavy objects or glass. Do not go outside until you know that there is safe passage, and no falling debris outside of the building.
If you are in bed, hold on and stay there. Protect your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are.
When outdoors: move to a clear area, if you can safely do so. Avoid power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles, and other hazards.
If you are driving, pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs, and other hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
It is recommended that everyone in the Bay Area have an earthquake kit ready in case of emergency. Many options are available for purchase through Amazon.
Leave the building via the nearest stairway or exit, as safely and quickly as possible if:
- The fire alarm sounds.
- You smell gas.
- You smell or see smoke.
- You are instructed to evacuate.
Some important DOs and DON’Ts to remember, in case of fire:
- DO assist those with disabilities, or those in need, to exit the building.
- DO gather at the evacuation assembly area.
- DO NOT use any elevators to exit the building.
- DO NOT return to the building until instructed that it is safe to do so.
All posted materials must be approved by the Student Experience Team before being hung around campus. All posters, notices, or flyers must be affixed to the wall or other fixtures via painter’s tape (blue or green) so as to not damage property. No materials may be posted on doors or windows, whether inside or outside of the building, and students are responsible for removing their outdated posters posting sites. Make School reserves the right to remove any posters deemed to be offensive in nature, or those advertising events and/or products not in line with the Code of Conduct, Equity & Inclusion.
Please note that dogs are the only approved Service or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) species permitted on the Make School campus. While dog breed and size are not inhibited in any way, all other policies detailed below still apply. For protocol related to Service Animals / ESAs in residences, please check with your housing provider for their specific regulations. ESAs are not permitted in Housing for Make School Students at 851 California Street, per the property owner.
The ADA defines a Service Animal as any dog (or in some cases other animals) that is individually trained to work specifically for a person with a physical, sensory, psychiatric, or other disability.
In compliance with applicable law, Service Animals are generally allowed in buildings, classrooms, meetings, dining areas, activities and events when the animal is accompanied by an individual with a disability who indicates the Service Animal is trained to and does provide a specific service to them that is directly related to their disability.
Service Animals may not be permitted when the animal poses a substantial and direct threat to health or safety or when the presence of the animal constitutes a fundamental alteration to the nature of the program or service.
In situations where it is not obvious that the animal is a Service Animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the animal been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the Service Animal, require that the Service Animal demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are animals that provide emotional support which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of an individual’s existing disability. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support are Emotional Support Animals, not Service Animals.
A student seeking to bring an ESA onto the Make School campus, must make a formal request to Operations personnel. The request should be made at least 30 days before the start of the semester or academic year for which the presence of an ESA is requested. Documentation indicating the need for an ESA must be current, presented on professional letterhead, and signed by the licensed provider. This documentation must also specifically prescribe an ESA and note the type of animal that is recommended.
In addition, before a specific ESA is approved, the Handler must submit documentation from a licensed veterinarian that the ESA is in good health and that its required immunizations are up- to-date. As part of the approval process, the individual requesting the ESA may be required to meet with Make School representatives. Make School will provide written notification of animal-specific approval of an ESA request. If an individual intends to replace an approved ESA with a new animal, a new request must be made.
Need to register a Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal with Make School? Complete the Service Animal Agreement or Emotional Support Animal Agreement Forms.
We have a number of paid, student worker opportunities available throughout the academic year for both on-campus and online students. In order to enable as many students as possible the opportunity for employment at Make School, students are only permitted to hold one paid position at a time.
To qualify for a paid student worker position, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be in good academic standing (not on an active academic PIP when starting the position)
- If you are put on a PIP while employed as a student worker, you will be given 1 term to improve. You, your coach, and your supervisor will need to work together to create a success plan.
- If criteria are not met by the end of the term, then you will be no longer eligible for a paid student worker position.
- Be in good conduct standing (not on an active behavioral PIP)
- If you do need an behavioral PIP during your employment, your ability to continue in your role may be included in the PIP’s sanctions or outcomes.
- Not be currently employed by Make School or willing to end one paid position to transfer to a new role.
- Authorized to work in the U.S. and present documentation confirming employment eligibility status to complete an I-9.
Student job opportunities will be posted online as positions become available. All student jobs descriptions must follow these expectations:
- Work not to exceed more than 10 hours per week;
- Pay may exceed but cannot be less than the minimum wage set by the City of San Francisco, regardless of where the student resides;
- The role must be related to the academic program or operations of the School;
- The role must have a predetermined length of employment that may be extended if the work is needed and the student has met expectations during their most recent performance evaluation period;
- Student employees must be evaluated on their performance on a semesterly basis to determine if they should continue in the role.
All on-campus Make School students are expected to obtain a Student ID Card, which includes a photograph and student identification number, from the Student Experience Team. Because this ID Card doubles as the key that provides access to campus, it is especially important that students carry their card with them at all times!
If a student happens to lose their ID card, they must contact the Operations Team to secure a new one. When the new card is issued, the previous card will be deactivated and the student requesting the card will be charged a $10 replacement fee.
If a student leaves Make School in good academic and behavioral standing, they can continue using this ID card to access the building and community. If a student leaves and is not in good standing, their card is deactivated and they are not invited to continue engaging with the Make School community.
The possession, use, or sale of items such as fireworks, firearms, explosive devices, metal-tipped darts, knives, or other potentially dangerous items are not permitted on Make School property. Persons in violation of this policy are subject to disciplinary and/or legal action.
Make School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) via its incubation policy relationship with Dominican University of California. In Spring 2021, Make School began pursuing independent accreditation from WSCUC. Until Make School is granted independent accreditation, Make School will remain in the WSCUC approved incubation policy relationship with Domincian University of California and therefore will continue to be accredited by WSCUC. Upon receiving accreditation, Make School will end its incubation policy relationship Dominican University of California and will operate as an independent educational agency.
All of Make School’s Academic Regulations are located in our Course Catalog & Student Handbook published on makeschool.org. Our Catalog is made publically accessible through our website and does not require credentials to access its content.
Make School is committed to the open analysis, discussion, and assessment of ideas and values. It supports the proposition that education involves both analysis and re-evaluation of accepted ideas, attitudes, and practices of the culture, with the aim of exploring new ways of thinking and acting and opening new vistas of knowledge. Make School assumes that it is the responsibility of all faculty to uphold the purposes and aims of the school.
Make School follows the Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom Issued by the American Association of University Professors. All faculty members and students are afforded due process. Members of the Make School community have the right to petition a grievance and request an appeal of dismissal or disciplinary action.
Term start and end dates, as well as key dates and campus closures within each term, are in the Academic Calendar: make.sc/academic-calendar. Below is a sample of a standard semester schedule:
| FALL SEMESTER | ||
| TERM 1: 7 Weeks | FALL INTENSIVE: 1 Week | TERM 2: 7 Weeks |
| SCIENCE and LETTERS CLASSES: 14 Weeks | ||
Students are expected to practice academic integrity in all of its forms, including abstaining from plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct. Make School reserves the right to determine in any given instance what action constitutes a violation of academic honesty and integrity.
Plagiarism, defined as the practice of presenting another's work or ideas as one’s own, is an act of academic dishonesty and is a serious ethical and scholarly violation. Copying text or ideas, whether verbatim or by paraphrasing from a source without using proper citation, is not accepted at Make School. Any materials incorporated into your work, regardless of format, must be properly acknowledged using a citation style appropriate for the discipline of the course.
Though plagiarism may be the most common form, other violations of scholarly integrity also constitute cheating, including:
- Using or copying information from another student’s code or written work;
- Copying information from another student’s test or using unauthorized materials during an examination, whether an in-class or take-home exam;
- Buying, selling, or stealing test questions, answers, or term papers;
- Doing work or taking tests on behalf of another student or submitting work done by another person;
- Falsifying data or laboratory results; and
- Submitting the same work for more than one course without explicit instructor approval.
If an incident of plagiarism or cheating occurs, the instructor will investigate the incident and consult with the Dean. If the student has been found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty, an Academic Misconduct Report will be filed and the student will be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). A student who believes they have been wrongly accused of plagiarism or cheating, or that the instructor’s resolution of the alleged incident is unjust, may file a Request for Appeal of Disciplinary Action.
Just like any job, attendance at Make School is required and a key component of your success. Attendance means being available (either online or on-campus) from 9:30am to 5:30pm PST each weekday, attending all scheduled sessions including classes, coaching and school meetings, and working on homework and group projects when not in a scheduled session. Being available for the entire school day allows you to learn with your peers, have access to support from TAs, instructors and others, and is vital to your learning.
Unless otherwise noted, attendance requirements for classes and other scheduled sessions are:
- No more than two unexcused absences (“no call, no show”) per term in any scheduled session.
- No more than two excused absences (communicated in advance) per term in any scheduled session.
It is the student’s responsibility to know the attendance policy in each course for which they are registered, and also to notify their instructor and coach by email or slack immediately when they know an absence is necessary. A student who is ill for more than one week, or who has a family emergency, should also contact the Office of the Registrar.
The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords you certain rights with respect to your education records. Your rights include:
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The right to inspect and review your education records within 45 days of requesting access.
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The right to request the amendment of your records, if you believe them to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights under FERPA.
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The right to provide written consent before Make School discloses personally identifiable information from your records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
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The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA:
Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20212-8520 1-800-872-5327
The School has authority under the Act and may release “directory information” concerning students. “Directory information” may include the student’s name, contact information, date and place of birth, photo, enrollment status, dates of attendance, concentration of study, class level, course load, degrees and awards received, date(s) of degree(s), participation in officially recognized activities, and previous educational institutions attended by the student. This authority will only be exercised when absolutely necessary.
The above-designated information is subject to release by the School at any time unless the School has received prior written objection from the student specifying information which they do not agree to be released. If you would like to make such a request, please contact the Registrar for the FERPA Release Form. This should be completed annually within the first two weeks of the Fall semester.
Further information on FERPA is available at the US Department of Education FERPA website: studentprivacy.ed.gov.
Students’ satisfactory achievement (progress) and standing in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science program is measured by course load, course completion rate, and degree completion progress. Students receive mid-term reports to assess their ability to complete their courses and remain in good standing.
In any given term, you should be taking 4 courses (standard load) from the following categories:
- Software Product Development Core (SPD, INT, SWE),
- Technical Courses as determined by your concentration, and
- Science & Letters (S&L)
The 4 (at least 12 credits) course requirements per term:
- Fall & Spring Terms (Terms 1 - 4): 1 SPD Course, 2 Technical Courses, 1-2 S&L Course(s)
- Intensives (INT): Offered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring of the 1st and 2nd year of study.
- Summer Term with Internship: Internship (SWE), 1 S&L Course
- Summer Term without Internship (alternate to Internship Summer): SPD 1.5, 1 -2 Technical Course(s), 1-2 S&L Course(s)
A standard course load is three technical courses (3 credits each) and one S&L course (2 credits per term, 4 credits per semester). A standard course load is 11 credits which equates to 66 hours per week.
If you want to register for a course load of more or less than 4 courses, or otherwise differentiate from the above requirements in any term, you must meet with your academic advisor and complete the Non-Standard Academic Course Load Form. Submitting this form means you are aware that not taking the required courses may impact your potential career opportunities, degree progress, and ISA payback plan. It is not possible to defer any SPD, Intensive (INT) or Internship (SWE) requirement.
If you choose to take a less than full-time course load or do not follow your degree plan, you may be required to spend extra time at Make School to ensure that all degree requirements are completed. Students should be aware that not enrolling in a full-time course load may impact their ability to be eligible for financial aid.
Your academic progress is reported by your instructors during every mid-term period. If you fall behind, they will be notified and given additional support.
In order to stay in good Academic Standing:
- You cannot fail more than 3 courses per academic year.
- If you fail any SPD, INT, or required Technical Course, you must retake and pass that course at the next available offering.
- You must have met the following milestones per the bi-annual unit and portfolio guidelines:
- Year 1, End of Term 2: 17-23 Units completed.
- Year 1, End of Term 5: 50-60 Units, 2 Portfolio Projects completed, and all foundational courses complete.
- Year 2, End of Term 2: 67-83 Units and 3 Portfolio Projects completed.
- Year 2, End of Term 5: 106-124 Units, Internship, and 4 Portfolio Projects completed.
If a student does not stay in good Academic Standing or are at risk of failing to maintain good Academic Standing, they may be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
As a strictly Pass/Fail program, good academic standing is based upon the quality of work shown and the student's mastery of the course material and determined by the student's advisor/coach, in consultation with the Dean. If a student is unable to stay in Good Academic Standing and/or fails to satisfy requirements of the PIP, they may be asked to leave Make School.
A student may appeal their dismissal and petition for immediate reinstatement. Such an appeal must be made in writing within the time limit indicated on the dismissal notification letter and must have the support of the student’s advisor. The appeal letter should be directed to the Appeals Committee, in care of the Registrar. The Committee has the discretion to:
- Reinstate the student with an updated PIP, or
- Deny the petition and allow the dismissal to stand.
The Carnegie Unit defines a semester unit of credit as equal to a minimum of three (3) hours of work per week for a semester. This means that one (1) unit of credit equates to three (3) hours of student work per week (1 hour direct instruction plus 2 hours of homework or 3 hours of lab) for 15 weeks. Direct instruction hours are based on a 50 min class per credit hour allowing for breaks and transition between classes.
Courses offered in a term of fewer than 15 weeks or in a different format (accelerated, weekend, hybrid, or distance education) require the same contact hours and preparation time as a 15-week course; or, if a course has reduced contact hours, the total workload will reflect commensurately increased expectations for hours of preparation.
As such, the Make School credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement. The amount of work required for a credit is calculated in one of the following ways:
- One credit hour equates to 12.5 hours of direct instruction (either in-class hours with an instructor or supported project hours with an instructor, teaching assistant or industry expert) and 30 hours of out of class student work per term. Note: 12.5 hours is calculated by using a 50 minute class period per credit hour (15hrs * 50 min per hour = 12.5 hrs)
- One credit hour equates to 45 hours of student work per term for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, community-based learning, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
The number of hours per week required for a credit is calculated from the total credits and the term length. For a typical 3-credit hour course in a 7 week term, the 37.5 total hours of direct instruction equates to 5.5 hours a week of direct instruction. In addition, homework and other out-of-class work constitutes 90 hours total or 12.8 hours per week.
Course Credit Hour Formula
| Contact Hours (Synchronous) | Non-Contact Hours (Asynchronous) |
| (12.5 hours of instruction x # of credits) / (# of weeks in class) | (30 hours of instruction x # of credits) / (# of weeks in class) |
Starting Fall 2021, Make School will offer 2 student experiences.
- Online: Students will learn from their chosen environment through live zoom lectures, recorded content, guided active learning, and self-guided activities. There will be no required in-person components
- On-Campus: Students will learn from our campus with instructors present. In addition to in-person lectures, labs, and office hours, students will receive guided active learning and self-guided activities. There may still be recorded content.
Within each of these student experiences, students will have 2 course delivery options.
- These formats are available to on-campus students only:
- On-Campus Hybrid - Meet 2 hours/week synchronously on-campus, 16.5 hours/week asynchronous work (on-campus or online - recordings, homework, labs, etc.)
- On-Campus Sync - Meet 5.5 hours/week synchronously in-person, 13 hours/week asynchronous work (homework, labs, project work, etc.)
- These formats are available for both online and on-campus students
- Online Bichronous - Meet 2 hours/week synchronously online, 16.5 hours/week asynchronous work (in-person or online - recordings, homework, labs, etc.)
- Online Sync - Meet 5.5 hours/week synchronously online, 13 hours/week asynchronous work (recordings, homework, labs, project work, etc.)
- Internship (Supervised Work Experience) courses have some asynchronous check-ins with course instructor, Casey Spurgeon throughout the internship.
The tables below illustrate minimum contact hours, maximum non-contact hours and total hours per week/terms for the four (4 course) types Make School offers in the Bachelor of Applied Computer Science program.
Three (3) credit course in 7 weeks period, will meet for 18.5 hours per week as follows:
| On-Campus Students Only | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours (Sync) | Non Contact Hours (Async) ⭑ | Total Hours |
| On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 2 hrs/week
14 hrs/term |
16.5 hrs/week
115.5 hrs/term |
18.5 hrs/week
129.5 hrs/term |
| On-Campus Sync (OCS)∔ | 5.5 hrs/week
37.5 hrs/term |
13 hrs/week
92 hrs/term |
18.5 hrs/week
129.5 hrs/term |
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours (Sync) | Non Contact Hours | Total Hours |
| Online Bichronous (OB) | 2 hrs/week
14 hrs/term |
16.5 hrs/week
115.5 hrs/term |
18.5 hrs/week
129.5 hrs/term |
| Online Sync (OS) | 5.5 hrs/week
37.5 hrs/term |
13 hrs/week
92 hrs/term |
18.5 hrs/week
129.5 hrs/term |
Four (4) credit course in a 14 week period, will meet for 12 hours per week as follows:
| On-Campus Students Only | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours (Sync) | Non Contact Hours (Async) ⭑ | Total Hours |
| On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 1.5 hrs/week
21 hrs/semester |
10.6 hrs/week
148 hrs/semester |
12 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| On-Campus Sync (OCS)∔ | 3.5 hrs/week
49 hrs/semester |
8.6 hrs/week
120 hrs/semester |
12 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours (Sync) | Non Contact Hours (Async) ⭑ | Total Hours |
| Online Bichronous (OB) | 1.5 hrs/week
21 hrs/semester |
10.6 hrs/week
148 hrs/semester |
12 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| Online Sync (OS) | 3.5 hrs/week
50 hrs/semester |
8.6 hrs/week
120 hrs/semester |
12 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
Four: 4 (3+1) credit course in a 14 week period, will meet for 14 hours per week as follows:
| On-Campus Students (3-credit Lecture + 1-credit Lab) | ||||
| Course Type |
Contact Hours
(Sync) |
Lab Hours
(Async) |
Non Contact Hours (Async)⭑ | Total Hours |
| On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 1.25 hs/week
17.5 hrs/semester |
2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/ semester |
10 hrs/week
140 hrs/semester |
14 hrs/week
196 hrs/semester |
| On-Campus Sync (OCS)∔ | 2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/ semester |
2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/semester |
8.5 hrs/week
119 hrs/ semester |
14 hrs/week
196 hrs/semester |
| Both Online & On-Campus Students (3-credit Lecture + 1-credit Lab) | ||||
| Course Type | Contact Hours
(Sync) |
Lab Hours
(Async) |
Non Contact Hours (Async)⭑ | Total Hours |
| Online Bichronous (OB) | 1.25 hs/week
17.5 hrs/semester |
2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/ semester |
10 hrs/week
140 hrs/semester |
14 hrs/week
196 hrs/semester |
| Online Sync (OS) | 2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/semester |
2.75 hrs/week
38.5 hrs/semester |
8.5 hrs/week
119 hrs/ semester |
14 hrs/week
196 hrs/semester |
Four (4) credit course in 9 weeks period, will meet for 18.8 hours per week as follows
| On-Campus Students Only | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours (Sync) | Non Contact Hours (Async) ⭑ | Total Hours |
| On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 3 hrs/week
27 hrs/semester |
15.8 hrs/week
142 hrs/semester |
18.8 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| On-Campus Sync (OCS)∔ | 5.5 hours/week
50 hours per semester |
13.3 hrs/week
119 hrs/semester |
18.8 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | |||
| Course Type | Contact Hours | Non Contact Hours | Total Hours |
| Online Bichronous (OB) | 3 hrs/week
27 hrs/semester |
15.8 hrs/week
142 hrs/semester |
18.8 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
| Online Sync (OS) | 5.5 hrs/week
50 hrs/semester |
13.3 hrs/week
119 hrs/semester |
18.8 hrs/week
169 hrs/semester |
⭑ Asynchronous work consists of recordings, guided tutorials, homework, lab, project work, etc.
One-two (1-2) credit courses in a 1-2 week period, will meet for 45 hours per week as follows:
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | ||||
| # of Weeks | Intensive Course | Course Type | Lab Hours | Total Hours |
| 1 | INT 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 | On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 9 hours per day | 45 hours per course |
| 2 | INT 1.3, 2.3 | On-Campus Hybrid (OCH) | 9 hours per day | 90 hours per course |
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | ||||
| # of Weeks | Intensive Course | Course Type | Lab Hours | Total Hours |
| 1 | INT 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 | Online Bichronous (OB) | 9 hours per day | 45 hours per course |
| 2 | INT 1.3, 2.3 | Online Bichronous (OB) | 9 hours per day | 90 hours per course |
Supervised Work Experience will meet for up to 480 hours total as follows:
| Both Online & On-Campus Students | |||
| # of Weeks | Course Type | Internship Hours | Total Hours |
| 10 | Internship | 40 hours per week | 400 hours per course |
| 12 | Internship | 40 hours per week | 480 hours per course |
Application of the Credit Hour Policy will be reviewed during the Academic Program Review process to ensure that credit hour assignments are accurate, reliable, and appropriate to degree level. Supporting evidence includes syllabi, learning outcomes, assignment schedules, and course schedules identifying the times that courses meet (if applicable).
New courses, or changes in the unit value of existing courses, should be reviewed and approved by the faculty curriculum committee for compliance with the credit hour policy.
Make School uses a Pass-Fail grading system which emphasizes the importance of mastery and retention of course material. Rubrics and other assessment tools are used to gain a clear understanding of students’ strengths and challenges, and provide an accurate representation of students’ performance level and knowledge.
While a grade of Pass in a class equates to a C or better on a standard grading scale, Make School does not compute or report a Grade Point Average (GPA). If students need academic performance information (i.e. GPA) for the purpose and internship or graduate school application, a narrative of their progress through the program is available upon request.
You may repeat courses in which you earned a failing grade (F). While there is no limit to the number of times you may repeat a degree requirement, you may only repeat a technical elective course up to two (2) times. All grades from repeated courses remain on your academic record.
Students are required to be registered for 12 or more units to be considered enrolled _full-time _in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. For the purposes of Financial Aid (including loan deferments) and enrollment reporting, Make School defines enrollment status as:
- Full Time: 12 or more units
- Three-Quarter Time: 9 - 11.9 units
- Half Time: 6 - 8.9 units
- Less than Half Time: 0 - 5.9 units
For further information regarding how enrollment status affects you, or to get help regarding submitting a deferment request, contact the Office of the Registrar.
Here’s how students graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree from Make School, and what they need to do should life’s challenges require them to take a Leave of Absence or Withdraw from the program.
Make School understands that life does not stop because you are in school. There may be times when you cannot attend classes for a while due to a family emergency, natural disaster, medical emergency, or another unforeseeable cause. We define an emergency as:
- An unforeseen family situation (family member death, illness, etc.);
- Natural disaster;
- Injury requiring recooperation;
- An incident beyond the student’s control nessessitatating time away from school.
If you need to temporarily stop attending classes due to an emergency beyond your control, you can request to take an Emergency Leave of Absence for up to two (2) weeks. To request an Emergency Leave, you should contact the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible, but no later than one business day after you are unable to attend classes.
If your leave will need to be extended beyond two (2) weeks, you will need to request a Leave of Absence.
You may take up to one Emergency Leave per semester. Requests to take more than one Emergency Leave per semester will require approval from the Dean.
Students must first meet with their academic advisor or coach before taking a Leave of Absence or Withdrawing from the Program, as they may be able to address any blockers that are having an impact on your life at Make School.
You may need to take a temporary Leave of Absence (LoA) from Make School for personal or professional reasons. To take a LoA, you must submit a Leave of Absence Request form by the term withdrawal deadline as indicated in the Academic Calendar. Requests after that must be submitted to the Dean for further review. You can take a maximum of two terms of leave during your enrollment at Make School.
Important things to consider when going on an LoA:
- Taking a Leave of Absence may have an impact on your financial aid eligibility. Students planning
to go on leave are encouraged to make an appointment with a Financial Aid Office prior to
initiating the process.
- If/when a student takes a leave of absence after the semester/term begins, we may be required to return a student’s federal financial aid back to the U.S. Department of Education as per Return to Title IV (R2T4) regulations within 30 days of the student taking a Leave of Absence.
- Make School housing is still available to you during your leave. You must maintain your lease and continue paying rent during this period. If you opt out of Make School housing, you must terminate their lease according to their Housing Agreement
- You can take a maximum of two, term-long Leaves of Absence, consecutively or non-consecutively. Extending a consecutive LoA through a second term requires an additional written request.
- If you withdraw after the add/drop deadline of a term, all courses in which you are registered will be assigned a “W” grade.
To return from a LoA, students must submit a request to the Registrar for the Re-enrollment form. Upon returning, students will rejoin Make School with the same academic standing as when they requested the LoA, and will be subject to the same requirements and guidelines.
If a student does not intend to return to Make School, they must officially Withdraw. If they do not return or extend their LoA, and do not communicate intentions to do so, they will be administratively withdrawn.
Withdrawal is when you plan to leave and do not intend to return to Make School. Students will meet with their coach and/or the Dean prior to submitting an official request. This request must be sent via completion of the Application for Withdrawal form.
Students who have been academically dismissed from the college are automatically withdrawn and do not need to submit a written withdrawal request.
Important things to consider when pursuing withdrawal from Make School:
- Withdrawing from the program may have an impact on your financial aid eligibility. Students
planning to withdraw are encouraged to make an appointment with a Financial Aid Office prior to
initiating the process.
- If/when a student withdraws after the semester/term begins, we may be required to return a student’s federal financial aid back to the U.S. Department of Education as per Return to Title IV (R2T4) regulations within 30 days of the student taking a withdrawal.
- If you live in Make School Housing, you must vacate your room and terminate your lease according to the Housing Agreement.
- If you withdraw after the add/drop deadline of a term, all courses in which you are registered will be assigned a “W” grade.
In order to re-enroll after withdrawing, you must contact the Registrar for the Make School application for Re-Enrollment or Reinstatement form and submit official transcripts for any coursework completed off-campus while withdrawn and meet with your Advisor. If you return, you will rejoin Make School with the same academic standing as when you withdrew, and will be subject to the same requirements and guidelines.
Students who were academically dismissed from the college must apply for reinstatement, via the standard admission processes, in order to be considered.
Students have the right to cancel their agreement for a program of instruction, without any penalty or obligations, through attendance at the first class session or the seventh calendar day after enrollment, whichever is later. Cancellation of their agreement can occur through the date denoted on their enrollment agreement form. The written notice of cancellation, when emailed to Registrar@makeschool.org, is effective when deposited in the mail properly addressed with proper postage.
If the student obtains a loan to pay for this educational program, the students will be responsible to repay the full amount of the loan plus interest, less the amount of any refund.
Students may withdraw from the school at any time after the cancellation period (described above) and receive a prorated refund if they have completed 80% or less of the scheduled days in the current payment period in their program through the last day of attendance. If the student has completed more than 80% of the period of attendance for which the student was charged, the tuition is considered earned and the student will receive no refund.
For the purpose of determining a refund under this section, a student may be deemed to have withdrawn from a program of instruction when any of the following occurs:
- The Office of the Registrar, receives notice from the student, indicating a desire to withdraw from the program of instruction. The notice must include the expected last date of attendance.
- The institution terminates the student’s enrollment for failure to maintain satisfactory progress; failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the institution; absences in excess of maximum set forth by the institution; and/or failure to meet financial obligations to the School.
For the purpose of determining the amount of the refund, the date of the student’s withdrawal shall be deemed the last date of recorded attendance. The amount owed equals the daily charge for the program (total institutional charge, minus non-refundable fees, divided by the number of days in the period of attendance, multiplied by the number of days scheduled to attend prior to withdrawal). No refund will be issued to a student who has attended more than 80% of the days in the period of attendance.
If any portion of the tuition was paid from the proceeds of a loan or third party, the refund shall be sent to the lender, third party or, if appropriate, to the state or federal agency that guaranteed or reinsured the loan. Any amount of the refund in excess of the unpaid balance of the loan shall be first used to repay any student financial aid programs from which the student received benefits, in proportion to the amount of the benefits received, and any remaining amount shall be paid to the student. If the student has received federal student financial aid funds, the student is entitled to a refund of monies not paid from federal student financial aid program funds.
To request an official transcript, students must visit the National Student Clearinghouse website. If you encounter difficulty or have any questions, please contact the Clearinghouse directly by telephone at (703) 742-4200 or by email at transcripts@studentclearinghouse.org.
To request an enrollment verification for loan deferment purposes, contact the Office of the Registrar for further information. Please note processing time for these requests is 5-10 business days.
To request a progress narrative report, contact the Office of the Registrar for further information. Please note processing time for these requests is 5-10 business days.
To request a grade change, you should complete the Grade Change Petition. This petition should be used only when requesting a reevaluation of a given grade, and should not be used to request an Incomplete grade. For information on the status of a grade change petition, please email the Office of the Registrar.
An Incomplete grade means the required work for the course is not yet finished due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., illness or very serious personal reasons) beyond your control, and only under the following circumstances:
- when a limited amount, normally less than 25%, of the student’s work is incomplete;
- when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade;
- when attendance has been satisfactory through the term; and
- when required work may reasonably be completed in an agreed-upon time frame of less than one additional semester.
To request an Incomplete grade, you must complete the Incomplete Grade Request Form. This must be completed before the end of the term or semester in which they would like to request an “I” grade. You will receive an email regarding approval of the Incomplete Grade Contract within five business days of its submission.
Approval by your instructor(s), and the Registrar will enter you into an Incomplete Grade Contract. This contract temporarily places an "I" grade on your transcript, indicating they are expected to complete all indicated coursework by the last day of the following term. If the coursework is completed by the deadline, the Instructor will submit a Grade Change Request form to change the "I" grade to either "P" for "Passing" or "F" for "Failing." Should this coursework not be completed at that time, this grade will change to "F" or "Failing."
Many courses are only offered in one term during the academic year, which requires taking them in a specific sequence to stay on track to earn a degree. Students should consult with their academic advisor before registering for courses. All registration requests are submitted through the Course Registration Portal and must be approved before students will be enrolled in courses.
First time students will register during orientation after taking diagnostic exams. Returning students generally begin registering two weeks before the start of each term; specific dates will be announced to the student body via email.
You may request to Add course until the Add/Drop deadline (see the Academic Calendar) in the Student Dashboard (SIS). Requests to Add a class requires an instructor signature. Dropping a course does not require an instructor signature or request. It is your responsibility to ensure this process is completed.
You may request to withdraw from the course until the Withdrawal deadline (see the Academic Calendar) in the Student Dashboard (SIS). Requesting to withdraw from a class does not require an instructor signature approval. Students are responsible for knowing the financial implications of a withdrawal (W) grade and the impact on academic progress towards graduation. Further information can be found in the Financial Implications: Leave of Absence & Withdrawal of this catalog.
Students in good standing (who are not on a Performance Improvement Plan) may audit a course with instructor approval, provided that the student: has taken the course previously and would like to revisit the material; or has an Incomplete grade for the course from the previous term, and seeks to gain further mastery of the material to complete the course.
Students in good standing, who have not been approved to audit a course, may request to “sit in” on one class session of a course. After being granted approval, the student must coordinate with the instructor regarding which particular session(s) they will join.
Make School students may concurrently enroll to take Science & Letters or Foreign Language courses at off-campus accredited institutions and be granted transfer credit for these courses. The maximum number of transferable units via concurrent registration is 9 units. However, due to unit requirements, seniors with 36 or less units remaining will only be approved for concurrent enrollment in off-campus courses for a maximum of 8 units.
Students are required to obtain prior approval for any coursework they seek to take at another institution, and all other relevant transfer policies apply to concurrent registration. All authorizations for off-campus registration must be approved by the Make School Registrar Office prior to the student’s concurrent enrollment. Students must pass the course in order to receive credit. Make School will reimburse students who pass their class and receive credit. See step 6 for more information (below).
- Review the Make School Articulation Agreements to see which classes have been pre-approved for credit at local colleges. You should also make sure the course is offered during the desired term as not all pre-approved classes will be offered at all times during the academic year. You are welcome to find classes on your own and submit for approval, but there is no guarantee that classes not on the articulation agreement list will be approved.
- Complete the
Authorization to Take Course(s) Off-Campus Form
prior to enrollment in the course. This will help you avoid unnecessary fees and enrollment
steps, etc.
- Complete the form. Incomplete forms will not be accepted for approval.
- Submit the form to registrar@makeschool.org.
- Once approved, register in the course as soon as possible to ensure you are able to get into the approved class as courses do fill up quickly. Registering as an auditor or “sitting in” means you will not receive a grade or transcript credit for the course. 3. Note: Unless already admitted, you will need to apply for admission to the College in order to enroll in the approved course. Admissions is free or fees can be waived at most community colleges in the Bay Area. 4. Save your documentation of course enrollment.
- Take and pass the class.
- Submit proof of passing the class (transcript) to the Registrar at registrar@makeschool.org
An articulation agreement allows you to take classes at one college with a guaranteed transfer of credit to another institution. Make School has articulation agreements with the following colleges:
- Berkeley City College
- Canada College
- College of Alameda
- College of Marin
- College of San Mateo
- City College of San Francisco
- Diablo Valley College
- Evergreen Valley College
- Laney College
- Merritt College
- Napa Valley College
- Notre Dame de Namur University
- Santa Rosa Junior College
- Skyline College
- Solano Community College
- West Valley Community College
Contact the Office of the Registrar if you have additional questions regarding the specific articulation agreements.
Make School permits the transfer, concurrent or prior learning credits for courses in the major (Technical curriculum), and transfer or concurrent credits in the CORE: Science & Letters courses at:
- Degree-granting, regionally accredited, post-secondary two- or four-year institutions;
- Post-secondary institutions which are candidates for WASC accreditation; and
- From College Board-approved prior learning standardized examinations; and
- For courses taken at accredited universities outside of the United States.
Total transfer and credit for prior learning in the degree (including CORE: Science & Letters) courses is 70 units up to 9-upper-division.
Students may transfer credits to meet the Science & Letters requirements only and satisfying up to 36 out of the 124 credit units required for the BACS degree. Students must have earned a passing grade of “C” or above in their previous coursework for the credit to be successfully transferred to Make School. Please refer to the full list of Transfer Credit Policies for Science & Letters requirements for more detail. Transfer credits do not count toward attempted credits on a student’s transcript, but do count toward credits earned toward the Bachelor of Science degree. Students are not required to pay a fee or be charged for transferring credits.
Make School students may concurrently enroll to take Science & Letters courses at off-campus accredited institutions and be granted transfer credit for these courses. The maximum number of transferable units via concurrent registration is 9 units. Students are required to obtain prior approval for any coursework they seek to take at another institution, and all other relevant transfer policies apply to concurrent registration. All authorizations for off-campus registration must be approved by the Office of the Registrar prior to the student’s concurrent enrollment.
- EC 1000: Effective Communication 1
- EC 2000: Effective Communication 2 (2nd-degree students only)
- CKE: Civic Knowledge & Engagement
- QL: Quantitative Literacy & Social Issues
- ACE: Artistic & Creative Expression
- SCI: Science for Global Citizens
- EL: An Examined Life
- SSHB: Social Sciences: Understanding Human Behavior
- PM: Purpose & Meaning
Students may transfer credits up to 42 credits to meet the program's Technical curriculum in which a grade of C or better has been earned. Courses that earned a ”Pass” or “Credit” (CR) grade must be certified as equivalent to a grade of C or higher to be accepted. Make School will grant transfer units based on:
- Content, level,
- Comparability, and
- Learning outcomes of the courses taken
Make School will accept the following courses completed prior to matriculation as transfer credit:
- CS 1. 0 - Introduction to Programming (ACS 1100)
- CS 1.11 - Object Oriented Programming (ACS 1111)
- CS 1.2 - Introduction to Data Structures (ACS 1120)
- WEB 1.0 - Web Foundations (ACS 1700)
- WEB 1.1 - Web Architecture (ACS 1710)
- SPD 1.1 - Introduction to Product Development (ACS 1910)
- SPD 1.2 - Agile Development & UX/UI (ACS 1920)
- SPD 1.3 - Team Software Project (ACS 2930)
- SPD 1.41 - Engineering Careers: Communication & Interviewing (ACS 2941)
- SPD 1.5 - Engineering Careers: Management & Leadership (ACS 2951)
- BEW 1.2 - Authentication, Authorization & Advanced Queries (ACS 1220)
- BEW 1.3 - Server-Side Architecture & Frameworks (ACS 1320)
- DS 1.0 - Data Exploration and Visualization (ACS 2500)
- DS 1.1 - Introduction to Data Science Workflow (ACS 2511)
- ENT 1.1 - Contracting (ACS 1970)
- FEW 1.2 - JavaScript Foundations (ACS 1320)
- FEW 1.3 - Responsive Web Design (ACS 2330)
- MOB 1.1 - Introduction to Swift (ACS 1410)
- MOB 1.2 - Introduction to iOS Development in Swift (ACS 2420)
- MOB 1.3 - Dynamic iOS Applications (ACS 2430)
Note: Students receive no more than the number of units earned at the host institutions and may receive fewer units.
A student may earn up to 12 units by challenging courses offered by Make School provided the student has not previously taken or audited the course. Not all courses can be challenged. Students should check with the Registrar’s Office to determine if a particular course can be challenged. A Course Challenge form including the course title, the date on which the challenge examination (or other required activity) will be completed, and the signatures of the student, and the Dean of the School must be filed in the Registrar’s Office by one month before the challenge will occur. A course challenge must be completed before the students’ final semester. An administrative fee is charged per unit challenged. Appropriate units will be granted upon successful completion of the challenge and will be considered a part of the 30-unit residency requirement. Students may not petition or receive partial course credit for challenged courses. Up to a 12-unit maximum of challenged coursework may apply toward residency.
Make School will accept course challenge for up to 12-units from any of these courses:
- CS 1. 0 - Introduction to Programming (ACS 1100)
- CS 1.11 - Object Oriented Programming (ACS 1111)
- CS 1.2 - Introduction to Data Structures (ACS 1120)
- WEB 1.0 - Web Foundations (ACS 1700)
- WEB 1.1 - Web Architecture (ACS 1710)
- SPD 1.1 - Introduction to Product Development (ACS 1910)
- SPD 1.2 - Agile Development & UX/UI (ACS 1920)
- SPD 1.3 - Team Software Project (ACS 2930)
- SPD 1.41 - Engineering Careers: Communication & Interviewing (ACS 2941)
- SPD 1.5 - Engineering Careers: Management & Leadership (ACS 2951)
- BEW 1.2 - Authentication, Authorization & Advanced Queries (ACS 1220)
- BEW 1.3 - Server-Side Architecture & Frameworks (ACS 1320)
- DS 1.0 - Data Exploration and Visualization (ACS 2500)
- DS 1.1 - Introduction to Data Science Workflow (ACS 2511)
- ENT 1.1 - Contracting (ACS 1970)
- FEW 1.2 - JavaScript Foundations (ACS 1320)
- FEW 1.3 - Responsive Web Design (ACS 2330)
- MOB 1.1 - Introduction to Swift (ACS 1410)
- MOB 1.2 - Introduction to iOS Development in Swift (ACS 2420)
- MOB 1.3 - Dynamic iOS Applications (ACS 2430)
Students may earn up to 30 units of credit in the major for college-level learning which is documented through the satisfactory preparation of Experiential Learning Project Portfolios. Such learning must:
- Have occurred after the student’s completion of secondary school, and three years of relative work experience.
- Have occurred at least one year prior to the creation of the portfolio
A student is required to enroll in SUP 2.2 (ACS 4992) Supervised Intensive Project to prepare the Portfolio. In the Experiential Learning Project Portfolio a student documents the learning situation, describes and analyzes the learning experience, and builds project(s) that demonstrate the knowledge and practical skill competencies as required by the awarding academic department(s).
University credit is granted only for college-level learning (minimum ‘C’ level of proficiency) which links the prior learning experience with the mastery of learning outcomes of the appropriate academic discipline. Credit for experiential learning cannot be awarded for duplicate courses completed through other learning sources. Prior to enrolling in SUP 2.2, a student must meet with an academic advisor to determine the applicability of Portfolio units within the student’s degree plan, confirm the availability of two faculty evaluators, and discuss the proposed topic areas. No guarantee regarding the availability of Portfolio evaluators is made. Evaluation is dependent on departmental resources.
The final portfolio is reviewed by two faculty evaluators and the dean of the department. Up to 30 units of academic credit (usually 1-3 units per portfolio) is awarded by course number, title and academic department and may be lower or upper division.
Experiential Learning Credit is posted to the student’s transcript as proficiency units after the student has completed the 30-unit residency requirement.
Eligibility for the Experiential Learning and Assessment program requires that students have a minimum of three years of relevant work experience since completing high school.
Make School will accept credit via experiential learning for any of the courses in the following concentrations / area for up to 12 units (up to 9 upper-division):
- Mobile
- Data Science
- Back End Web
- Front End Web
- Software Product Development
Students have the opportunity to waive some introductory technical courses by taking a proctored examination. While this waiver does not grant units toward degree completion, students are permitted to satisfy those unit requirements by successfully completing other technical courses.
These are the technical courses that Make School will provide course waivers:
- CS 1.0 - Introduction to Programming (ACS 1100)
- CS 1.11 - Object Oriented Programming (ACS 1111)
- CS 1.2 - Introduction to Data Structures (ACS 1120)
- DS 1.0 - Data Exploration and Visualization (ACS 2500)
- MOB 1.1 - Introduction to Swift (ACS 1410)
- WEB 1.0 - Web Foundations (ACS 1700)
- WEB 1.1 - Web Architecture (ACS 1710)
We do not allow concurrent enrollment for technical courses.
Make School maintains electronic records of the name, address, email address, and telephone number of each student who is enrolled in an educational program. Make School permanently maintains a transcript for each student granted a degree. Make School maintains data, for a period of not less than seven years.
Make School provides academic support to students through coaching, in-class teaching assistants, and an open plan workspace that encourages students to help each other through academic challenges.
You can access academic support in three ways: through the development of coach-coachee relationships, in-class teaching assistants, and an open plan workspace that encourages students to help each other through academic challenges. If you are uncertain where to go for academic support, your coach should be your first point of contact! All Academic Support Programs are available to both online and on-campus students.
Make School offers weekly CoWork sessions to provide students with support in technical and non-technical coursework, time management, job/internship search, resume reviews, and interview prep. Various staff and teaching assistants are available during each session to support all students who need help. Students are also welcome to use CoWork as a time to work independently or do pair coding with their peers as a means of accountability and staying on top of their work.
Teaching Assistants are students who have taken the course before and can support you in debugging, working through code issues and learning the core concepts of the class. Teaching Assistants are chosen by the course instructor on a term by term basis.
Make School is committed to providing effective, reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In compliance with these regulations, it is the policy of the college to provide an educational environment that is free from all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on disability in the administration of its policies and programs.
Both online and on-campus students are entitled to reasonable accommodations in accordance with ADA. Online students may
To qualify as having a disability at Make School, the student must have a physical, sensory, learning, or psychological impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, and must also be able to provide documentation of such impairment. While students with temporary illnesses, injuries, or conditions are not considered disabled under these laws, Make School will make appropriate adjustments and assist them with available resources.
Once admitted to Make School, you are responsible for requesting accommodations for a disability via the Disability Services Intake Form. You will meet with the ADA Coordinator, and through advising and support, we will ensure accommodations are provided to remove competitive disadvantages, enabling you to realize their academic potential and objectives. Information disclosed throughout this process will remain private in keeping with FERPA (see below).
Make School prohibits discrimination against any individual with a disability, and further prohibits harassment or retaliation against any individual requesting an accommodation, or any individual who files a grievance regarding non-compliance with this policy.
Please note that all disability-related information (including documentation, accommodation letters, correspondence, and consultations) are considered private and will be managed in accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. Your information will not be shared without your expressed, written consent, and all disability-related documentation will be destroyed within 1-2 years of your graduation from Make School.
The Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science program provides innovative, project based learning in computer science and software engineering. Our curriculum is continually evaluated and evolving with current industry standards and constitutes a balance of technical computer science courses, hands-on software product development, professional identity courses, and thoughtfully-crafted liberal arts requirements. This program is not designed or intended to lead to positions in a profession, occupation, trade, or career field requiring licensure in the State of California.
Graduation Requirements: Students must submit an Application to Graduate with the Registrar’s Office the term prior to completing their degree, which initiates a final review of degree candidates' academic records and degree requirements to verify that all are on track to graduate in the term indicated on their application. Degrees are conferred after the final grade is posted for the final degree requirements and all requirements have been audited by the Registrar’s Office.
Degree Conferral: Make School confers degrees three times per year at the end of the Spring, Summer and Fall semesters. Degrees will be posted within 60 days of the last day of the semester and diplomas sent within 90 days.
To earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Computer Science, students must complete a total of 124 units, 48 of which must be upper-division, in the areas of Software Product Development, Technical and Science & Letters.
Select 36 - 47 units (Including 18 - 28 upper division) from courses in the three categories SPD, INT and SWE as follows:
- Software Product Development Term Courses (SPD) are project focused courses where students
integrate the content from technical courses and learn valuable career skills. These courses are
offered and must be taken every term.
- 21 - 27 SPD units (Including 6 - 12 upper division)
- Intensives (INT) are one to two week long immersive courses where students work individually
or on teams to build products. Intensives are offered in between terms three times a year in Fall,
Winter and Spring
- 5 - 8 INT units (Including 2 - 4 upper division)
- Supervised Work Experience (SWE) is a semester long internship with an industry partner.
Students must apply for these positions at verified companies and are mentored by the company.
These are often paid positions.
- 10 - 12 SWE upper division units
Students must register for SPD and INT courses every term they are active and on campus at Make School (this does not include students on a Leave of Absence or registered in SWE)
Select 45 units (Including 18 upper-division units)
- Foundational Curriculum: 15 Units All students must take three 3-unit courses (9 units total) in Computer Science: CS 1.0, CS 1.1, and CS 1.2, and two 3-unit courses (6 units) in Full Stack Web: WEB 1.0 and WEB 1.1.
- Concentration Curriculum: 18 Units (Including 9 Upper-Division). Students will either choose
one of the four concentrations: Back End Web (BEW), Front End Web (FEW), Mobile (MOB), Data
Science (DS), or can choose not to have a concentration. Each concentration requires six (6)
concentration-specific courses to satisfy the degree requirement.
- Back End Web Concentration Courses: 18 Units. BEW 1.2, BEW 1.3, BEW 2.1 - 2.5, and BEW 2.9 are all 3-unit courses.
- Front End Web Concentration Courses: 18 Units. FEW 1.2 - 1.3, FEW 2.1 - 2.6, and FEW 2.9 are all 3-unit courses.
- Mobile Concentration Courses: 18 Units. MOB 1.1 - 1.3, MOB 2.1 - 2.4, and MOB 2.9 are all 3-unit courses.
- Data Science Concentration Courses: 18 Units. DS 1.0 - 1.1 , DS 2.1 - 2.4, and DS 2.9 are all 3-unit courses.
- In order to obtain a second concentration, students will need to complete the six (6) concentration-specific courses. However, Make School can’t guarantee courses for the second concentration will be available every term.
- Electives: 12+ Units. Electives are chosen in addition to foundational and concentration
courses to bring the total technical course units to 45 units (18 upper-division). Electives
include
- any of the concentration courses
- additional Computer Science courses: CS 1.3, CS 2.1, CS 2.2,
- Entrepreneur courses: ENT 1.1, ENT 2.1.
- Supervised Intensive Study (SUP 2.1) and Supervised Intensive Project (SUP 2.2): These courses are available to seniors and provide the opportunity to explore and practice a wide variety of skills learned across the curriculum. To register for these courses, the student must find a Supervisor (instructor or staff) who will oversee their progress and complete the SUP Contract Template.
- Advanced Technical Seminar: Back End Web (BEW 2.9), Front End Web (FEW 2.9), Mobile (MOB 2.9), and Data Science (DS 2.9). These courses cover advanced topics not offered within our standard curriculum. Students can indicate topics of interest by filling out the Technical Seminar Registration Request Form at least two months in advance of a desired course (e.g., request in Term 3 to take the course in Term 5).
36 Units (Including 8 Upper-Division)
Nine 4-unit Science & Letters courses, covering a broad spectrum of learning, are required for all students. For each of the nine categories, there are one or more courses offered that meet the requirements of that category. The categories are:
- EC 1: Effective Communication 1,
- EC 2: Effective Communication 2,
- CKE: Civic Knowledge & Engagement,
- QL: Quantitative Literacy & Social Issues,
- ACE: Artistic & Creative Expression,
- SCI: Science for Global Citizens,
- EL: An Examined Life,
- SSHB: Social Sciences: Understanding Human Behavior, and
- PM: Purpose & Meaning.
The list of courses that meet these categories can be found here
In order to graduate from Make School with a bachelor’s degree, students must also meet the requirements in the following categories:
- Unit and Residency Requirements:
Students must complete a minimum of 124 units, 48 of which must be in upper division courses.
- At least 28 units of your last 36 units must be completed at Make School.
- At least 39 units total must be completed at Make School.
- Academic Progress Requirement: Students are required to complete all degree requirements within a percentage of the minimum credits required to degree completion. The maximum time-frame allowance is 150% of the published program length of the student’s currently enrolled program of study.
- International Language Competency Requirement: Students must demonstrate competency in a non-English language. This requirement can be satisfied through approved High School courses, SAT subject examination, AP or IB examination, college courses, formal instruction, assessment by a university, or certification by a High School Principal. The International Language Competency Requirement must be satisfied within the first year of enrollment and counts towards your degree progress.
In order to earn a Bachelor’s degree, all Make School students must satisfy the International Foreign Language Requirement. While most students will meet this requirement based upon their foriegn language credits earned in High School, other students will need to meet the requirement through one of the options listed below.Note: Transfer students entering with 60 or more units are considered to have met this requirement. Second bachelor's degree seeking students are also considered to have met this requirement.
All required documentation should be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
Students can fulfill this requirement by one of the methods listed below. Bilingual students can be considered to have met the requirement; see below for methods of documenting competency in a language other than English.
- Approved High School Courses: Two years of high school study of the same international language, completed with a ‘C’ (2.0) average. Courses used to fulfill the requirement should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition, and culture. American Sign Language and classical languages, such as Latin and Greek, are acceptable. This can be confirmed by submitting a copy of your high school transcript to the Registrar's office.
- SAT Subject Examination: See below for the qualifying subject examinations and their required minimum scores. Scores should be sent to the Registrar’s Office.
| Chinese with Listening | 520 |
| French/French with Listening | 540 |
| German/German with Listening | 510 |
| Modern Hebrew | 470 |
| Italian | 520 |
| Japanese with Listening | 50 |
| Korean with Listening | 500 |
| Latin | 530 |
| Spanish/Spanish with Listening | 520 |
- AP or IB Examination: See below for the qualifying subject examinations and their required minimum scores. Scores should be sent to the Registrar’s Office.
| AP Language or Literature Exam in: French, German, Spanish, or Latin | 3 or higher |
| IB Language A2 HL Exam | 4 or higher |
- College Courses: A grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better in any transferable course(s) (excluding conversation) is considered to be equivalent to two years of high school language. NOTE: Many colleges list the prerequisites for their second course in a language as “Language 1 at this college or two-years of high school language;” in this case, Language 1 fulfills both years of the International Language Competency requirement. This can be confirmed by submitting a copy of your high school transcript to the Registrar's office. For students who want to enroll in a college course concurrent with their Make School enrollment must follow the Off-Campus Courses Policies and Procedures to earn credit for this requirement. The following off-campus courses have been approved for meeting the foreign language requirement:
- Coursera's Chinese for Beginners and More Chinese for Beginners (must take both)
-
Formal Instruction in a language other than English: Completion of two years of formal instruction in a school where a language other than English was used as a medium of instruction beginning in grade 6 or later, documented by an official school transcript or other official document. This can be confirmed by submitting a copy of your high school transcript to the Registrar's office.
-
Assessment by another University: Most language departments at universities will conduct an assessment and issue a statement of competency on official letterhead, which serves as certification that this requirement has been met. To fulfill the requirement by this method, a student should contact a university with a department in the language to be assessed to request an appointment to have an assessment conducted. New York University International Language Exams have been pre approved to meet this requirement. Scores should be sent to the Registrar’s Office.
-
Certification by High School Principal:. Certification should be based on the judgment of language instructors, advice of professional or cultural organizations with an interest in maintaining language proficiency, or other appropriate sources of expertise. Language placement examinations or similar assessments may be used for certification by a high school principal. This can be confirmed by submitting a copy of your high school transcript or letter from the principal to the Registrar's office.
-
Take and pass the STAMP test: https://avantassessment.com/stamp for any language other than English.
-
Enroll in a 9-week summer Spanish class offered at Make School
-
Enroll in an online language course at a community college or institution of higher education. This course must be pre-approved as meeting the Foreign Language Requirement.
It is important to be aware of course prerequisites and limited offerings in order to choose courses each term. To see all of our course offerings, including descriptions and prerequisites, visit: make.sc/course-offerings. To see which classes will be offered in future terms please visit make.sc/course-schedule to see the yearly schedule and make.sc/course-registrations to see the schedule for this term.
Sample course sequencing shown below is one option, but your actual schedule may be different.
Students must take six 3-unit courses from BEW 1.2, BEW 1.3, BEW 2.1, BEW 2.2, BEW 2.3, BEW 2.4, BEW 2.5 or BEW 2.9, five 3-unit foundation courses, and four 3-unit electives as well as all SPD, INT and S&L courses.
- Students are encouraged to take CS 1.3 as one of their technical electives.
- Key Prerequisites: WEB 1.0 -> WEB 1.1 -> BEW 1.2 -> Most other BEW courses, BEW 1.3 -> BEW 2.1
Students must take six 3-unit courses from FEW 1.2, FEW 1.3, FEW 2.1, FEW 2.2, FEW 2.3, FEW 2.4, FEW 2.5, FEW 2.6 or FEW 2.9, five 3-unit foundation courses, and four 3-unit electives as well as all SPD, INT and S&L courses.
- Key Prerequisites: WEB 1.0 -> FEW 1.2 -> Most FEW Courses, WEB 1.1 and FEW 1.2 -> FEW 2.3 -> FEW 2.4
Students must take six 3-unit courses from MOB 1.1, MOB 1.2, MOB 1.3, MOB 2.1, MOB 2.2, MOB 2.3, MOB 2.4, five 3-unit foundation courses, and four 3-unit electives as well as all SPD, INT and S&L courses.
- Students must also take BEW 1.2 as one of their technical electives as it is a prerequisite for MOB 1.3
- Key Prerequisites: Most Mobile courses have the previous course as a prerequisite and must be taken in order. MOB 1.1 ->MOB 1.2 -> MOB 2.1 and MOB 2.2 MOB 1.3 ->MOB 2.3 and MOB 2.4
Students must take six 3-unit courses from DS 1.0, DS 1.1, DS 2.1, DS 2.2, DS 2.3, DS 2.4, DS 2.5, five 3-unit foundation courses, and four 3-unit electives as well as all SPD, INT and S&L courses.
- Students are strongly encouraged to take CS 1.3 as an elective.
- Students must have met their Quantitative Literacy Requirement or take QL 1.1 prior to DS 1.0
- Key Prerequisites: Most Data Science courses have the previous course as a prerequisite and must be taken in order. MATH 1450, CS 1.1 ->DS 1.0 ->DS 1.1, DS 2.1 and DS 2.2 -> DS 2.3, DS 2.4
The total anticipated cost (direct and indirect) and charges for 2021-2022 Bachelor in Applied Computer Science Students is $113,078. A breakdown of tuition and charges per year is included below. Students are encouraged to review the Make School Financial Tuition and Aid webpage.
| Term | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fall and Spring semester tuition year 1 | $30,000 |
| Summer semester tuition year 1 | $10,000 |
| Fall and Spring semester tuition year 2 | $30,000 |
| Total tuition for the Make School bachelor's program | $70,000 |
These following anticipated additional costs are an estimate of what a student may expect to spend while attending Make School (indirect costs). Individual student costs may vary.
| Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Books classroom materials (including laptop) per year | $200 |
| Laptop (First year only) | $1,600 |
| Room (Make School Preferred Housing) per year | $11,940 |
| Transportation per year | $864 |
| Food per year | $4,800 |
| Health Insurance per year | $100 |
| Personal Expenses per year | $2,853 |
| Total Indirect Costs per year | $22,339 |
Students at Make School are expected to participate in one internship (SWE) to qualify for graduation.
- Students who take SWE during their 1st or 2nd summer at Make School are not charged tuition for that summer, but are charged $10,000 for the summer they are not taking SWE.
- If a student does not take a SWE during the 1st or 2nd summer at Make School (decided at the end of Year 2, Term 4), a student will need to talk with financial.aid@makeschool.org about Year 3 Financing.
If your degree plan extends beyond two years, you can complete up to 12 additional credits without being charged if you have maintained Satisfactory Academic Progress throughout your time at Make School. These 12 credits do not include the SWE Internship and there is no charge for a SWE Internship taken in the post two-year time period. Students needing more than 12 credits after the two-year time frame may need to pay tuition for these credits and will need to consult with financial aid individually financial.aid@makeschool.org.
Students may need to take a temporary Leave of Absence (LOA) from Make School, or may leave Make School prior to conferring a degree. If a student opts to take a LOA, any tuition invoicing would be placed on hold until the student’s return. Students who opt to leave Make School early, however, are able to receive refunds on tuition payments based on a per term basis the following conditions:
- If a student withdraws from Make School before 20% of a term is completed, the student will be refunded the full amount of any payments made that term.
- If a student withdraws between 20% and 50% of the term, they will owe the prorated amount of tuition for that term.
- Once a student attends greater than 50% of a term, they will be responsible for the entire tuition of the term.
- Withdrawn students are eligible to stay in housing offered to Make School students for up-to 30 days after their withdrawal date. Please refer to your Housing lease for information on withdrawing from student housing or ending an independent lease, or reach out to ResLife@makeschool.org.
Under Make School’s Financial Hold Policy, students may be restricted from enrollment in their classes for non-payment of tuition based on the Enrollment Restriction Criteria. Students will be notified of their delinquent payment status a minimum of 14 days prior to the New Term start date, which can be found in the Master Academic Calendar.
- Non-Payment Amount Less than $1,000: Student is allowed to register for 1 term and a 2nd term with no outstanding balance. If the student does have an outstanding balance, they will be placed on a financial aid hold.
- Non-Payment Amount Between $1,000 - $5,000: Student is allowed to register if they agree to a payment plan._ If the student misses two payments, they will be placed on a financial aid hold._
- Non-Payment Amount Greater than $5,000: Student is not allowed to register and is placed on a financial aid hold.
These invoices will be sent from this email address: invoice@hq.bill.com with the subject line, “You have an invoice from Make School". If you have questions that are related to how to pay the invoice or want to discuss a payment plan, please reach out to financial.aid@makeschool.org.
In cases when a student has a small balance or payment plan, notification from Financial Aid must indicate the terms of not complying with the terms via email and/or in the signed payment plan agreement with student and/or parent.
Financial Aid holds that persist for 1-2 terms or more will require students to take LOA for the max allowable to resolve their balances. After that, if the balance is still not satisfied, the student is administratively withdrawn from the program. Make School may review student accounts at any time to ensure proper payment activity.
All tuition and financial aid questions should be sent to financial.aid@makeschool.org. Students are encouraged to review the Make School Financial Tuition and Aid webpage.
Starting in Fall 2021, Make School will be offering a new financial aid model that will (in most cases) replace previous payment methods used by Make School since 2014. This new plan is designed to reduce the average cost of a Make School Education while preserving the core protections of previous tuition agreements - if you don’t have a job after Make School, you should not have to pay until you are employed.
Under our new model, students will take primary financing from Title IV funding (Pell Grants, Direct Federal Loans, Parent Plus Loans) and private loans. Make School has created a protection plan that will cap your loan payments as a percentage of your income to ensure your monthly loan payments remain affordable. If you are unemployed, this plan will drop your monthly payments to $0.
This strongly incentivizes Make School to see you succeed - if you are underemployed or unemployed after graduating, Make School will be helping pay your loans every month. This new protection plan is called Extended Income Based Repayment (EIBR) and is fully described further down on this page.
Tuition gap payment assistance will still be used in rare cases as gap financing, to cover the remainder of tuition and living expenses that a student is unable to fund through federal and private loans. Like the protected loans described above, if you don’t have a job you will not have to pay back your tuition assistance loan until you are employed. Information about the tuition repayment plan will be provided during your student loan exit counseling.
Make School’s financial aid process combines Title IV funding and private loans with an income protection plan called Extended Income-Based Repayment (EIBR) to help unemployed and underemployed alumni of Make School keep their student loan payments affordable. Our financial aid advising provides ample resources for understanding this program as well as navigating the financial aid process.
Financial Aid advising begins with detailed descriptions of our financial aid policies on our website. During the enrollment process, students are invited to financial aid webinars and 1:1 advising from our financial aid team to provide full insight into how our financial aid process works. Once students have submitted their FAFSA, it is reviewed and each student is sent an estimated Financial Aid Package that lists eligibility for aid or requests additional documents. Financial aid advisors then meet with each student to go over their aid eligibility, discuss other financing options as needed, and walk through the remaining steps required in order to complete their file. Students have ongoing access to 1:1 advising from financial aid counselors throughout the program.
As students approach graduation, they meet with financial aid to discuss the post graduation loan repayment process and implementation of EIBR protection.
Private loans are an option for the students who need additional resources to attend college above and beyond any federal or institutional aid they may have received. All loans carry the obligation to repay the amount borrowed with interest and we encourage all students and families to borrow responsibly.
If this is your first time learning about private loans, we strongly encourage you to review Make School’s Tuition website before navigating to the private loan search options, specifically the disclosures relating to federal student aid and the SB 1289 Disclosure Statement.
Primer on Student Loans
- Most private loans are credit-based and may require a cosigner for the borrower to be approved.
- The interest rate can be variable or fixed. This rate may be higher or lower than the interest rate of a Federal Direct Loan.
- The maximum amount that can be borrowed, in most cases, cannot exceed the cost of attendance minus other financial aid.
- For students who have borrowed multiple private loans and/or federal loans, there are consolidation loans available. If considering consolidating federal loans into a private loan, pay attention to interest rates and there could be a loss of grace period and/or loan forgiveness options.
Private Student Loan Search
Make School offers a comprehensive list to assist students and families the private loan options available. THis list was compiled based on a thorough review of borrower benefits, customer service, a request for information (RFI) process, other students using a lender or product, and/or other factors. You are not required to select any of these lenders or products. Before borrowing a private loan, we strongly recommend you maximize your Federal Direct Loan eligibility.
The Applied Computer Science Program at Make School is awaiting final approval from the Department of Education to process Title IV Federal Financial Aid. If you have any questions, please contact financial.aid@makeschool.org.
We strongly encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to borrowing private loans to determine eligibility for Federal, State, and Institutional aid for the amount for which they may be eligible to receive. By completing the FAFSA, a student may be able to receive Federal, State, or Institutional Grants, Federal Work-Study, or Federal Loans.
In addition, we strongly encourage students and parents to consider borrowing federal loans prior to borrowing private loans. The terms and conditions of federal loans (Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and Direct PLUS Loan) may be more favorable than the terms and conditions of private loans.
Students and families considering loans to assist with funding educational expenses need to be aware of the difference between federal loans and private loans:
- Federal loans are required by law to provide a range of flexible repayment options including, but not limited to, income-based and income-contingent repayment plans, as well as loan forgiveness benefits that private lenders are not required to provide.
- Federal loans are provided to most students, regardless of income. Other qualification criteria do apply.
- Private lenders can offer variable interest rates that can increase or decrease over time, depending on market conditions.
- The interest rate on a private loan may depend on the borrower’s and/or cosigner’s credit rating.
- Private loans have a range of interest rates and fees and the borrower should determine the interest rate of, and any fees associated with, the private loan included in their financial aid award before accepting the loan. Students should contact the lender of the private loan or the Office of Financial Aid if there are any questions about a private loan.
Before applying for a private loan, we encourage students and families to research all options and make sure you understand the interest rate, fees, terms, and conditions of any loan before applying.
There is a range of interest rates and fees available and we strongly recommend students to apply with a creditworthy cosigner to potentially obtain a better interest rate and increase the chance of being approved.
In addition, you may apply with multiple lenders to find the best loan for you. Student loans are provided special protections under credit reporting rules (similar to mortgages)--as long as you conduct your “shopping” within a 30-day period, there should be no impact on your FICO score or loan terms (Make School does not guarantee this, but that is our understanding).
Make School does not endorse any specific lender or any specific product. The lenders and products listed are not ranked and these lists are meant to serve only as a guide for students and families looking for additional options to assist with educational expenses. Make School does not receive any benefits in exchange for placing a lender on the preferred private loan list.
Make School is always evaluating the lenders, products, and websites it uses to assist students and families with the private loan search process. A lender will remain on the lender list unless Make School has a reason to remove it (such as but not limited to, poor customer service, change in borrower benefits or rates, etc.).
Make School requests updated information from the lenders on the preferred lender list periodically. The evaluation process for a lender to be added to and remain on the list includes, but is not limited to a review of the fees associated with the loan, the competitiveness of interest rates, the customer service provided, the electronic application and processing capabilities, the borrower benefits that differentiate the loan product from others, historical use by Make School students, lender reputation, and/or any unique factors that separate the loan product and/or lender from others.
Direct Federal Loans come with built-in Income-Based Repayment for students, resulting in payments being capped at 10% of monthly discretionary income. This provides part of the protection for underemployed and unemployed graduates. The problem we are solving is that all other student loans (Parent Plus, Private) don’t come with built-in Income-Based repayments options. So while you could reduce your Direct Federal Loan payments to $0 if you are unemployed, at other colleges you would still have to pay monthly for the rest of your loans. Not so at Make School.
Make School is creating and funding an Extended Income-Based Repayment (EIBR) protection plan to cover Parent Plus and private loans to create full protection for underemployed and unemployed graduates.
The EIBR protection plan is designed as an extension of the Federal IBR program to apply to all types of loans not covered by the Federal IBR and preserve the protection and incentive alignment of previous payment plan options. The EIBR protection plan will cap total student loan payments (combined federal, parent plus, and private) to the following percentages of monthly gross income.
| Graduate Annual Gross Income | EIBR Cap |
| $60K+ | 20% |
| $50-59K | 18% |
| $40-49K | 15% |
| $30-39K | 10% |
| $20-29K | 6% |
| <$20K | 0% |
Disclaimer: These caps are subject to change by a few percentage points for future cohorts as we collect data on how the program is working and what challenges surface.
Any debt obligation beyond the cap will be paid out by the EIBR protection plan. The EIBR protection plan is funded by 10% of tuition revenue collected by Make School, placed into a protected fund with transparent financials and independent control. Make School itself is a guarantor for the fund and will top it up if ever necessary.
We expect that around 80% of students will qualify for the cheaper funding options, government and private loans, to fund their Make School education. For those who don’t, we still plan on offering tuition gap funding. To receive tuition gap funding, students will be required to apply for these new funding options first*.
*If you have significant existing debt that would result in unaffordable monthly payments after Make School, you may be denied for both loans and tuition gap funding. Please contact us immediately at admissions@makeschool.org if you have more than $7,500 in outstanding debt. This is not a hard cut-off, just an amount that will trigger a conversation about the best financial options for you.
Federal Regulations require Make School to establish, publish and apply the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid eligibility. This policy pertains to Institutional, Federal and/or State Financial Aid and is separate from the Academic Policies established by Make School. The policies for Satisfactory Academic Progress at Make School are aligned with all Dominican Satisfactory Academic Progress policies while also addressing the unique term schedule and grading policies of the Make School Program.
Make School is responsible for measuring and enforcing Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to ensure Financial Aid recipients’ progress towards graduation. To be eligible for Financial Aid, a student must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards the completion of a degree within a maximum time-frame. All enrolled students are evaluated after each semester to ensure that the minimum requirements are being met. Students failing to meet the minimum requirements will be assigned one of the following statuses:
Financial Aid Warning: If a student fails to meet the SAP requirements, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester (or the next semester that the student enrolls). While on Financial Aid Warning, the student may retain their Financial Aid eligibility and receive a Financial Aid Award. At the end of the Financial Aid Warning semester, the student’s record will be re-evaluated. If the student is meeting the SAP requirements after the Financial Aid Warning semester, the student may be taken off of Financial Aid Warning and re-establish Financial Aid eligibility for the following semester (or the next semester that the student enrolls). Financial Aid Warning is only allowed once, during the student’s degree tenure at Make School.
Financial Aid Suspension: If a student fails to meet the SAP requirements for any semester after the initial Financial Aid Warning semester, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible for Federal, State and/or Institutional Financial Aid. The status of Financial Aid Suspension will remain in place until the student is again meeting the SAP requirements or the student has filed a successful SAP Appeal.
The academic year at Make School consists of three semesters (fall, spring and summer) that are subdivided into terms and intensives. Terms last 7 weeks and intensives last either 1 or 2 weeks. This is shown in the table below.
| Fall (14 wk) | Spring (14 wk) | Summer (9 wk) | ||||||
| Term 1
(7 wk) |
Int 1
(1 wk) |
Term 2
(7 wk) |
Int 2
(1 wk) |
Term 3
(7 wk) |
Int 3
(2 wk) |
Term 4
(7 wk) |
Term 5
(7 wk) |
Int 4
(2 wk) |
Make School is an accelerated program and full time students enroll in 12 units per term, 24 units per semester for fall and spring, and 15 units during the summer semester.
If a student changes concentrations or academic programs, all units reflected on the transcript for that academic level will be included in the qualitative and quantitative measurements.
Qualitative Standard
Make School uses a pass / fail grading structure and does not issue a GPA. A passing grade in a course is computed through a combination of assessment measures including exams, assignments and learning outcome rubrics. A passing grade is equivalent to an A, B or C in a standard grading model and students do not pass nor receive credit for courses completed with any grade lower than C.
Students will be evaluated against the following comparable assessment measured against a norm at each evaluation period.
- For the purposes of Satisfactory Academic Progress, students are expected to pass at least half of
their courses attempted in each evaluation period which is considered equivalent to a C average in
a standard GPA model.
- Grades of W or F do not count as a Pass and are included in the total number of courses attempted.
- Grades of Incomplete are not included in the total number of courses attempted and do not impact calculation results.
- Students may repeat a course for which the student has previously earned credit(s) no more than one (1) time. The repeated course will be counted in the GPA calculation for the student one time. Any course repeated more than once will not be counted for GPA purposes
Quantitative Standard
Students are required to maintain a minimum quantitative Completion Rate of 67% in order to remain eligible for Financial Aid. Completion Rate is calculated by dividing a student’s total earned credits by the student’s total attempted credits.
- Attempted credit is defined as any credit(s) the student remains enrolled in after the Census Date, including credits that a student withdraws from
- Courses of Incomplete, Withdrawn, and Fail do not count as earned credits.
- Only courses with a Pass count as earned credits.
- EX: A student is enrolled in four courses (12 credits) after Census Date. They Pass three courses and Fail one course. The completion rate is 9/12 = 75%. The student has met the completion rate criteria.
- EX: A student is enrolled in four courses (12 credits) after Census Date. They Pass two courses, Withdraw from one course and Fail one course. The completion rate is 6/12 = 50%. The student has not met the completion rate criteria.
Maximum Time-Frame
Students are required to complete all degree requirements within 150% of the published program length. The published program length of the Bachelor’s Degree program is 124 credits, 150% of this is 186 credits.
- If it has been determined that a student will be unable to complete the program within the maximum time-frame, either by falling below the pace standard or it becomes mathematically impossible to complete their program within the maximum time-frame, the student is not eligible for Federal and/or State Aid
- If there are mitigating circumstances that affect the student’s ability to complete the program within the maximum time-frame a student may appeal to allow for additional semesters to complete the program
Repeat Coursework
If a student has received a passing grade for a course, Federal Aid may be applied to the payment of that course for one additional semester. Repeated courses beyond the initial retake will be excluded from the enrollment calculation. Also, repeated courses will be counted as hours attempted but not earned when calculating the percentage of courses completed. Repeated courses will affect the qualitative, quantitative, and time-frame measurements even if they are not eligible courses to establish Financial Aid enrollment status.
- Only courses taken at Make School will be looked at under this policy.
- Courses that are available to take for credit more than one time are considered repeated for the
purpose of this policy only if they are taken one time more than the number of times they can be
taken for credit.
- EX: SUP 2.1 may be taken twice for credit so taking it a third time would qualify as repeated coursework.
Incomplete Coursework
For purposes of evaluating SAP, grades of Incomplete count as attempted units, but not earned units for the Quantitative Standard. Therefore an Incomplete grade may qualify the student for Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Suspension until a grade has been posted.
Students who have been placed on Financial Aid Suspension have the right to appeal their status to the Office of Financial Aid. SAP Appeals must be based on extenuating circumstances that seriously affected the student’s academic performance.
Examples of Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to:
- Death in the family
- Disabling illness or injury to the student or immediate family member (that required the student’s care)
- Emotional or mental health issue of the student that required professional care
- Other extenuating circumstances that were beyond the student’s control
Appeals will not be accepted for any of the following reasons:
- Lack of knowledge/understanding of the SAP Policy
- Medical appeals for illness/injury/hospitalization that do not coincide with the semester(s) of sub-standard progress
- Work/Scheduling conflicts (including voluntary overtime)
- Acclimation issues with regard to being in a university setting
- Student has submitted a previous SAP appeal, regardless of reason, and the student is still not meeting SAP requirements
- Student is repeating courses to increase the student’s GPA or the student is taking courses for degree requirements outside the student’s current program
- Student is taking pre-requisite(s) for a degree program for which the student is not currently enrolled in
The SAP Committee will thoroughly review each appeal. If the SAP Committee needs clarification or additional information, the committee will contact the student directly. Any requested documentation is to be submitted as soon as possible. SAP Appeal decisions are final and will be emailed to the student within 3-5 weeks of submission. Students are encouraged to submit their SAP appeal and documentation as early as possible to allow on-time disbursement of aid if the appeal is approved.
Authorization to Take Course(s) Off-Campus Form
Disability Services Intake Form
Dominican University Self-Service
Library Services and Information
National Student Clearinghouse (Transcript Requests)
Non-Standard Academic Course Load Form
Technical Seminar Registration Request Form
Withdrawal from Make School Form
Dominican Satisfactory Academic Progress
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Student Financial Aid Information
BetterHelp (online counseling services)
Emotional Support Animal Agreement
Immunization & TB Screening Form
Residence Life and Housing Handbook
Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education
Care.com (National network of childcare providers)
Children’s Council (Childcare in the Bay Area)
Clipper Card (Public Transportation in the Bay Area)
Covered California (California’s Health Insurance Exchange)
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Healthcare.gov (National Healthcare Exchange)
Make School’s Incubation Policy (WSCUC Accreditation Information)
Students in the five foundation courses will master the basics of computer science and full stack web development. Students will also learn the basic skills and tools of the software development process. These courses are taken in a student’s first terms at Make School and are the foundation of all the technical courses.
CS 1.0 - Introduction to Programming (ACS 1100) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course provides a practical hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of programming, including data types, variables, conditionals, control flow, loops, lists, file input and output, and functions. Students will learn to work with industry relevant tooling and develop software development skills including writing pseudocode, drawing flowchart diagrams, problem solving, and debugging.
CS 1.11 - Object Oriented Programming (ACS 1111) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.0
This course introduces students to the principles and techniques in object-oriented analysis, design, and programming. Such topics include encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism, and best practices for developing object-oriented programs. The course will also cover how computers work, from components and layout to memory and machine code instructions.
CS 1.2 - Intro to Data Structures (ACS 1120) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.1
In this course students will explore the foundations of data structures and algorithms to see how they work. In addition to implementing these structures in an application; students will build them from scratch, analyze their complexity, and benchmark their performance to gain an understanding of their tradeoffs and when to use them in practice.
Software Product Development (SPD) is the core curriculum taken by every student. Classes consist of a blend of technical and general skills that all software engineers and employees must master to be successful developers and engineers. Courses include SPD classes taken every term which include designing, coding, and shipping a unique portfolio product., INT (Intensive) sessions which are week long immersive product development courses offered three times a year, and SWE (Supervised Work Experience) which is an internship experience taken in the first or second summer.
SPD 1.1 - Introduction to Product Development (ACS 1910) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course covers how to build products that people love. Key concepts include understanding user needs (industry and competitive analysis, user interviews), building iterative prototypes (wireframes, user journeys, scoping), and doing the work to validate your idea (user testing). This course also teaches success skills necessary to become a well-rounded product developer, including using professional communication best practices, building healthy habits, and getting feedback from industry contacts and peers.
SPD 1.2 - Agile Development & UX/UI (ACS 1920) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course guides students in building a product using the lean product development methodology. Students work in pairs and gain practice working through the challenges that arise during collaboration. This course also layers in lessons related to UI/UX to to help students iteratively improve the look and feel of their product. Key concepts covered include: information hierarchy, system state, grid systems, onboarding teardowns, typography and color, digital mockup tools, user testing. By the end of the term student teams will ship a beautiful product that delights users.
SPD 1.3 - Team Software Project (ACS 2930) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on the foundational skills of successful engineering teams. Students work in teams of four to conduct weekly sprints and retrospectives. Topics include: SCRUM planning, meeting management, delegation, conflict resolution, role ownership, advanced Git & GitHub, Unix Utilities, performance reviews, basics of organizational psychology and team development. Students utilize all the skills they've developed in SPD thus far to ship a sophisticated multi-feature software product that solves a real world problem.
SPD 1.41 - Engineering Careers: Communication & Interviewing (ACS 2941) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on engineering careers, particularly on how to prepare for technical interviews. You'll be able to clearly walk an interviewer through your thought process, clearly craft code on a whiteboard, and check your work to show improvements and drawbacks. You will also hone your resume and LinkedIn profiles to highlight your most recent accomplishments. You'll use these stunning upgrades to your resume and portfolio, to connect with industry professionals to hear what their experience was like while interviewing for companies and beginning their careers.
SPD 1.5 - Engineering Careers: Management & Leadership (ACS 2951) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on engineering careers, particularly on leadership: coaching, leading people and organizations. Students will also focus on solving coding challenges and preparing for technical interviews. Students who perform well in this class will have the option to become peer coaches for incoming students at the start of the new school year.
SPD 2.1 - Industry Collaboration Project Part 1 (ACS 3910) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Students team up to work on an ambitious project of their choice or with actual organizations or other student teams to co-develop software products. This experience simulates many challenges and opportunities of actual work environments including, managing stakeholders, cross team collaboration, leading teams, managing up, conflict resolution, advocating for their ideas, increasing probability of adoption within an organization and users. Key concepts of how to lead and how to follow, how to manage and how to be managed are taught through role playing, discussion, and an in depth reading list of both current and classical writings on leadership. For students who never want a job as a manager to those who want to climb the corporate ladder, the course provides vital lessons on how teams work and how to make them great.
SPD 2.2 - Industry Collaboration Project Part 2 (ACS 3920) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Students continue work on their industry collaboration project from last term. Now that their products are live, teams will work to acquire and retain users using industry practices in growth marketing. Teams also make data-driven design decisions based off site traffic. This class experience continues to simulate many challenges and opportunities of actual work environments.
SPD 2.31 - Testing and Architecture (ACS 4931) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on advanced topics such as debugging, unit testing, refactoring and design patterns. Students apply these concepts to existing portfolio projects to improve code qualities such as readability, modularity and extensibility. Topics covered include: debugging techniques, unit-testing, refactoring techniques, design patterns and navigating massive codebases. By the end of the course, students have practical knowledge of writing python unit tests, refactoring legacy code and implementing some design patterns.
SPD 2.41 - Job Search & Interview Practice (ACS 4941) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course offers structured support for the job search. The course starts with a two day workshop to build a well organized and focused application. After the workshop, the course covers choosing the right company, interviewing and negotiation skills. Make School staff work closely with students throughout the process as well as provide connections to startups and companies in our network including HR professionals, alumni, friends at YC companies and tech giants, and more. The course also covers topics one must master to have a successful life as a working professional, such as personal finance, financial models, using spreadsheets, and the science of habit formation, health and wellness.
INT 1.1 - Fall Intensive 1 (ACS 2910) 1 Credit
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In Fall Intensive 1 the focus is on design and user testing as well best practices and steps to build and pitch an original product in a week. The Intensive culminates with each student pitching their product to their classmates on the last day.
INT 1.2 - Winter Intensive 1 (ACS 2911) 1 Credit
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In Winter Intensive 1 the focus is on UI/UX and delivering a high quality project to be included in the student portfolio that will be available to employers when hiring. Key concepts include creating informative project READMEs and pitching to customers. The Intensive culminates with an Open House where students present their projects in science fair style to the rest of the Make School community and external guests.
INT 1.3 - Spring Intensive 1 (ACS 2912) 2 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week and a half of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In this intensive, students have the flexibility to work on a team or solo and to either start a new project or build upon an old project. Key concepts include advanced topics in collaboration and peer feedback. The Spring Intensive ends with a Demo Night in which students pitch their products to dozens of industry contacts, recruiters, and Make School partners. Students will be looking for summer internships at this time, and post intensive work days include applying for internships at companies pitched to during Demo Night.
INT 2.1 - Fall Intensive 2 (ACS 4910) 1 Credit
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In Fall Intensive 2 the focus is on design and user testing. Students will choose an application they have already built and add a new feature. The Intensive culminates with each student pitching their product to their classmates on the last day.
INT 2.2 - Winter Intensive 2 (ACS 4911) 1 Credit
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In Winter Intensive 2 the focus is on UI/UX and polishing all existing projects in the student portfolio that will be available to employers when hiring. Instructional sessions will focus on delivering a product pitch The Intensive culminates with an Open House where students present their projects in science fair style to the rest of the Make School community and external guests.
INT 2.3 - Spring Intensive 2 (ACS 4912) 2 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Intensive courses are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to give students time to apply their skills to building original products (website or apps) and practice software engineering skills. The course is a week and a half of coding all day with daily check-ins and feedback from instructors on progress, short instructional sessions on key concepts, and ongoing support from instructors and classmates. In this intensive, students have the flexibility to work on a team or solo and to either start a new project or build upon an old project. Key concepts include advanced topics in collaboration and peer feedback. The Spring Intensive ends with a Demo Night in which students pitch their products to dozens of industry contacts, recruiters, and Make School partners. Students will be deep in the hiring process at this time, and post intensive work days include applying for employment at companies pitched during Demo Night.
SWE 2.1 - Supervised Work Experience (ACS 4996) 12 Credits
Prerequisites: 9 Technical Credits, Project Advisor Approval
This course provides valuable learning through an internship at a technology company working as a software engineer. Students develop an individualized learning plan with bi-monthly goals that are shared with and approved by their SWE Project Advisor. Students write a reflection of their experience and learnings at the end of the internship which is reviewed and published in a public blog post. The SWE course can take place during any 12 week period; but usually students complete SWE during their first or second summer.
Students in these courses will build on the foundational computer science and master concepts such as data structures, algorithm design and analysis, discrete math, probability, recursion, and object-oriented programming. Understanding these topics is necessary to build scalable software that can gracefully handle millions of users and data points. Technical interviews and programming challenges very often assess an applicant’s ability to apply these skills and knowledge to a new problem. Students will write blog posts about these topics explaining how they work to understand deeper and bolster your online presence as a knowledgeable and proficient software engineer.
CS 1.3 - Core Data Structures & Algorithms (ACS 2130) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.2
This course explores the foundations of computer science including abstract data types, data structures, and algorithm analysis and design. Students will compare and contrast iterative and recursive algorithms to analyze design and performance tradeoffs. Students will implement and test data structures including lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, graphs, and trees. Students will then apply these concepts to real world problems to understand their tradeoffs. Students will also write technical articles about these topics to deepen understanding, improve technical writing, and bolster their online presence as knowledgeable and proficient software engineers
CS 2.1 - Advanced Trees and Algorithms (ACS 3110) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.3
In this course students will implement and test advanced data structures and algorithms, analyze algorithmic complexity, benchmark performance in time and memory usage. Key concepts include divide-and-conquer recursion, sorting algorithms, heaps, and advanced tree structures. Students will build an original project that applies these data structures to real-world problems such as autocomplete, expression parsing, and phylogenetic trees. Students will also write technical articles about these topics to deepen understanding, improve technical writing, and bolster their online presence as knowledgeable and proficient software engineers.
CS 2.2 - Advanced Recursion & Graphs (ACS 3120) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.3
This course covers graph theory, data structures, algorithms, and analysis. Key concepts include recursion, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, memoization, graph traversal, spanning trees, and network optimization. Students will build an original project whose underlying structure requires the use of graph structures and algorithms to solve real-world problems. Students will also write technical articles about these topics to deepen understanding, improve technical writing, and bolster their online presence as knowledgeable and proficient software engineers.
In the _Back End Web Concentration _students will learn common Resourceful and RESTful patterns and paradigms. Students will first learn to use and later to develop and release standardized server-side applications. Beginning by fostering familiarity with syntactic language features, then rapidly moving into building server-side web applications, APIs and advanced full stack patterns including WebSockets, simple search, full text search, upload files, payment gateways, and more. Advanced courses will look at deployment, web security and scaling.
BEW 1.2 - Authentication, Authorization, and Advanced Queries (ACS 1220) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.1/BEW 1.1, CS 1.1
In this course, students build on their knowledge of web servers by learning several advanced topics to enhance their web projects. Topics covered include the SQL database structure, data modeling, authentication & authorization, class-based forms, and automated testing. The course concludes with a full-stack project for students to demonstrate their mastery of these techniques.
BEW 1.3 - Server-Side Architecture and Frameworks (ACS 2230) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.1, CS 1.1
In this course, students will learn to develop and release standardized server-side applications. Techniques include favoring convention over configuration, following a strict RESTful MVC architecture, and emphasizing the role of automated testing. This course begins by fostering familiarity with syntactic language features, then rapidly moves into building and deploying server-side web applications and APIs.
BEW 2.1 - Advanced Backend Web Patterns (ACS 3210) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: BEW 1.3
In this course students deepen their understanding of the web and implement advanced features that add complexity and uniqueness to a server’s structure. Advanced full stack patterns covered include WebSockets, simple search, payment gateways, chat room, uploading images and files, full text search, and sending emails and texts.
BEW 2.2 - DevOps, Deployment & Containers (ACS 3220) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: BEW 1.2
In this course students will learn the two main flavors of Developer Operations (DevOps), one that uses containers and one that does not. Students will learn the leading container pattern with Docker and explore the pros and cons of containers by implementing them. The course will tie this pattern together with generic patterns of operation, such as environmental design, development controls, and uptime management.
BEW 2.3 - Introduction to Web Security (ACS 3230) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: BEW 1.2
This course covers key concepts in internet data security and best practices for keeping information safe. Students will examine historical hacks, learn how to analyze websites and web architectures for classical security vulnerabilities, and learn how to defend against security attacks.
BEW 2.4 - Decentralized Apps & Distributed Protocols (ACS 3240) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: BEW 1.3, CS 1.3
In this course, students will learn how to utilize a fresh, exciting new development paradigm that harnesses the power of peer-to-peer applications and distributed architectures. This course begins by demystifying common jargon in the modern-day blockchain ecosystem, then establishes best practices for developing consensus based products and services.
BEW 2.5 - Patterns and Practices in Strongly Typed Languages (ACS 4210) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: BEW 1.2
In this course, students discover the value of strongly typed languages in server-side architectures, and dive deep into performant, concurrent programming paradigms present in Go. In studying Go, which is known for its ability to blend the expressive features of dynamic languages (Python, JavaScript) with the performance capabilities of compiled languages (C, C++), students will gain the syntactic diversity required in today's large-scale platform engineering pursuits. Throughout the course, students will learn and implement the design patterns and best practices that make Go a top choice at high-velocity startups like Lyft, Heroku, Docker, and Medium
BEW 2.9 - Back End Web Technical Seminar (ACS 4290) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 6 Upper Division Credits in Seminar Concentration, Instructor Approval
This is an advanced course with industry relevant topics suggested by students within a concentration. Courses are in seminar format and will often be led by students. Instructor will provide support in determining topics and adding insight to discussions.
In the Data Science Concentration students will learn data analysis, data visualization and extracting statistical information into a dataset. Students will also learn how to predict a continuous target for example stock market price based on various features in a tabular data, they will explore methods that can be used to cluster datasets into groups. Other topics include classification of different data resources including image, text and audio by using neural networks and deep learning, approaches to deploy machine learning models in the cloud using Flask, Docker, and advanced applications of machine learning and deep learning for recommender systems, natural language processing and computer vision.
DS 1.0 - Data Exploration and Visualization (ACS 2500) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.11, MATH 1450, ALEKS
In this course students will develop the ability to apply quantitative reasoning to interpret, analyze, and explain data. Students will learn to use modern software libraries to ingest, clean, explore, transform, manipulate, summarize and visualize data sets. Students will gain facility with the art of data visualization to tell stories and use data-driven insights to persuade decision makers.
DS 1.11 - Introduction to Data Science Workflow (ACS 2511) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: DS 1.0
In this course, students will learn the end to end data science workflow process including collecting, cleaning, exploring and visualizing data, followed by pre-processing the data, modeling the data, and evaluating the model. Students will implement the data science workflow process on simple regression and classification models using pandas, matplotlib and scikit-learn. Students will utilize statistical techniques and become fluent in the science and art of data exploration and visualization to tell stories and persuade decision makers with data-driven insights.
DS 2.1 - Machine Learning (ACS 3510) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: DS 1.1
This course explores the foundations of modern machine learning algorithms and their practical application to solving data science problems. The course covers supervised learning techniques including decision trees, naive Bayes, k-nearest neighbors, linear and logistic regression, support vector machines, and ensemble methods including random forests and gradient boosting. The course will also cover unsupervised learning techniques including k-means, principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering. Students learn to use industry-standard modern software libraries and tools to solve a variety of data science problems via an “end-to-end” approach, building pipelines to ingest, clean, preprocess and transform data sets, and train, evaluate and fine-tune models.
DS 2.2 - Deep Learning (ACS 3520) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: DS 1.11
This course provides an introduction to deep learning. Students will learn a series of neural network architectures including the perceptron, fully connected deep neural networks and convolutional neural networks. Students will construct their own simple feed-forward neural network from scratch and learn to train it via backpropagation using gradient descent. The course will cover the use of industry standard libraries to create and fine-tune sophisticated neural network models, and to build end-to-end data processing pipelines to train the models.
DS 2.3 - Data Science in Production (ACS 3530) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.1, DS 2.1, DS 2.2
This course covers the tools and techniques commonly utilized for production machine learning in industry. Students learn how to provide web interfaces for training machine learning or deep learning models. Students will deploy models on the web and in the cloud, gather and process data from the web, and display information for consumption using advanced web applications. Students learn to use data processing frameworks that allow them to access large datasets on the cloud and to perform processing tasks on that data using distributed computing.
DS 2.4 - Core Applications of Artificial Intelligence (ACS 4511) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: DS 2.1, DS 2.2
This course covers key applications of artificial intelligence in data science. Students will learn to solve computer vision problems across a variety of applications including object detection, image segmentation and image classification. Students will also learn to apply anomaly detection models and to build recommender systems. Students complete individual projects in one of the topic areas and present their findings to the class.
DS 2.5 - Natural Language Processing (ACS 4520) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: DS 2.1, DS 2.2
This course introduces methods of Natural Language Processing (NLP), and their applications to sequential data. Key topics covered include RNNs, Sequence models, and Language Models, and advanced concepts such as Attention and the BERT architecture. Students will learn to apply language models to a variety of tasks across NLP, such as Sentiment analysis, Neural Machine Translation, Question Answering and Text Summarization. Students complete individual projects in one of the topic areas and present their findings to the class.
DS 2.9 - Data Science Technical Seminar (ACS 4590) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 6 Upper Division Credits in Seminar Concentration, Instructor Approval
This is an advanced course with industry relevant topics suggested by students within a concentration. Courses are in seminar format and will often be led by students. Instructor will provide support in determining topics and adding insight to discussions.
Students pursuing the Front End Web Concentration learn the theory and application of the full product development process for interactive web applications. Beginning with full-stack Javascript and its core functional programming principles, students will then examine more thoroughly front-end and back-end engineering courses. In upper division courses, students will learn to secure, deploy, and scale their applications using the same production-grade tools used in industry. Throughout, students will put their learned skills and knowledge into practice by designing, coding, and launching products that solve commercial or societal problems.
FEW 1.2 - JavaScript Foundations (ACS 1320) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.0/FEW 1.1
This course covers foundational JavaScript, debugging JavaScript and working with various JavaScript libraries to build applications and games. Classes and Object Oriented Programming (OOP) are introduced with a closer look at how OOP is uniquely implemented in JavaScript. Students gain a strong understanding of JavaScript syntax and features.
FEW 1.3 - Responsive Web Design (ACS 2330) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.0/FEW 1.1
This course covers the technologies needed to build responsive websites. Students will build projects that consume outside APIs and display JSON data using AJAX, Fetch, Promise, and Async/Await and CORS. Students will use CSS media queries and responsive CSS techniques to create projects that display well on both desktop and mobile.
FEW 2.1 - Writing JavaScript Libraries (ACS 3310) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: FEW 1.2
This course focuses on creating and publishing frontend libraries in JavaScript. Students will learn JavaScript testing, functional programming, module patterns, and basic build systems through creating and publishing NPM libraries. Unit testing is introduced and applied. The course emphasizes problem abstraction and writing code that solves general problems.
FEW 2.2 - Web Design & Advanced CSS (ACS 3320) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.0/FEW 1.1
This course is a deep exploration of CSS. Students take a close look at rendering web pages with CSS, using CSS for motion and interaction, optimizing CSS for use with CSS variables and working with modern CSS frameworks.
FEW 2.3 - Single Page Web Applications (ACS 3330) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.1/BEW 1.1, FEW 1.2
This course covers the process and tools used to build single page applications (SPA) using the most up-to-date tools and techniques. Students will learn to manage state and render on state changes using reactive programming techniques. Modern JavaScript libraries including React and Redux will be used.
FEW 2.4 - Native Development with JavaScript (ACS 3340) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: FEW 2.3
This course covers how JavaScript can be used to create native desktop and mobile applications for both Android and iOS. JavaScript provides a path to applications that have the ease of being cross platform and written in JavaScript while still benefiting most of the features of writing in the native language. Students will deepen their JavaScript knowledge and gain understanding where these JavaScript frameworks can and can not effectively replace native programming.
FEW 2.5 - Data Visualization and Web Graphics (ACS 4310) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: FEW 1.2
This course covers programming in JavaScript D3 to display and visualize data as well as how to manage, transform, and normalize data for display on the screen. Students will learn how to create effective visualizations, complex drawings and animations on the web using SVG for vector graphics and Canvas for pixel based graphics.
FEW 2.9 - Front End Web Technical Seminar (ACS 4390) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 6 Upper Division Credits in Seminar Concentration, Instructor Approval
This is an advanced course with industry relevant topics suggested by students within a concentration. Courses are in seminar format and will often be led by students. Instructor will provide support in determining topics and adding insight to discussions.
Students pursuing the _Mobile Concentration _learn the theory and application of the full product development process for mobile applications. Beginning with Swift programming language and its core object-oriented programming principles, students then study Apple’s front-end frameworks for creating interactive applications, first creating single page and then multi-page apps. In upper division courses, students will learn to synchronize the local and cloud data in their applications, using the same advanced frameworks used in industry.
MOB 1.1 - Introduction to Swift (ACS 1410) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: CS 1.0
This class covers the foundations of the Swift programming language. Students learn key concepts including variables, constants, conditionals, loops, data types, object oriented principles, debugging techniques. The learning of these concepts will happen as students build games and simple apps using Xcode and complete exercises online.
MOB 1.2 - Introduction to iOS Development in Swift (ACS 2420) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: MOB 1.1
This course covers mobile application development in iOS using Swift. Students will learn how to build iOS applications using Apple's UI frameworks and the MVC architecture. There's a focus on coding layouts to work across multiple screen sizes and learning different approaches on how to build the UI on app following UI/UX conventions.
MOB 1.3 - Dynamic iOS Applications (ACS 2430) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: WEB 1.1/BEW 1.1
This course covers the programming concepts needed to create dynamic iOS applications that can respond to user events and send and receive data from a web service. Key concepts include closures, callback, delegates, communication patterns and memory management. Students will also learn how to fetch and parse information by interacting with public APIs with and without authentication. This course will cover making network requests using native Swift tools, model a networking layer, and best practices to parse a JSON response.
MOB 2.1 - Local Persistence in iOS (ACS 3410) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: MOB 1.2
This course covers techniques to persist data in an iOS app. Students will learn the various options for saving data locally in iOS and know when to apply them. They will also learn best practices for storing and retrieving sensitive data and how to work with the iOS File System.
MOB 2.2 - 2D Mobile Game Development (ACS 3420) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: MOB 1.2
This course is an introduction to gaming on mobile devices. Students will learn SpriteKit and important core concepts such as working with sprites, physics, and software patterns relevant to gaming. By the end of the course students will complete an original game for iOS devices.
MOB 2.3 - iOS Concurrency & Parallelism (ACS 3430) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: MOB 1.3
This course covers concurrency and parallelism in iOS to optimize programming performance on mobile devices built with multiple cores. You will learn the foundation of Grand Central Dispatch, Operations and other tools to build applications that run multiple tasks simultaneously, optimizing resources.
MOB 2.4 - Advanced Architectural Patterns in iOS (ACS 4410) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: MOB 1.3
This course introduces design and architectural patterns that will help students build rock solid iOS apps that are scalable, responsive and flexible. The course also introduces them to programming paradigms like Functional & Reactive Programming.
MOB 2.9 - Mobile Technical Seminar (ACS 4490) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 6 Upper Division Credits in Seminar Concentration, Instructor Approval
This is an advanced course with industry relevant topics suggested by students within a concentration. Courses are in seminar format and will often be led by students. Instructor will provide support in determining topics and adding insight to discussions.
ENT 1.1 - Contracting (ACS 1970) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 9 Technical Credits, Instructor Approval
In this course students learn and implement various sales strategies to acquire new customers. Students will perform contracting work with real and hypothetical clients to create products according to specification. Key concepts include how to find contracting work and the steps to ensure client satisfaction.
ENT 2.1 - Entrepreneurship (ACS 3970) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: 9 Technical Credits, Instructor Approval
This course covers how to grow a business once the idea is validated and how to scale while raising funding from investors, bankers, or customers. Students will learn how to hire real and virtual employees, understand legal contracts for incorporating and distributing equity, and develop pitch decks for real products.
SUP 2.1 - Supervised Intensive Study (ACS 4991) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: Senior Standing; 6 Technical Credits, Project Advisor Approval
This course is an independent study to give students with diverse interests the space and time to explore and practice their craft and exercise their skills. Students will work with an advisor and make a plan that includes elements of theory, writing, reading, planning, and significant programming with key deliverables and timeline. To enroll in this course, students must first find a Project Advisor (instructor or other appropriate Make School staff) who agrees to work with them and guide their progress. To register for these courses, the student must find a Supervisor (instructor or staff) who will oversee their progress and complete the SUP Contract Template.
Note: Students can take up to 2 SUP courses for credit. Either: SUP 2.1 twice - SUP 2.2 twice - SUP 2.1 and SUP 2.2
SUP 2.2 - Supervised Intensive Project (ACS 4992) 3 Credits
Prerequisites: Senior Standing, 6 Technical Credits, Project Advisor Approval
This course gives students the opportunity to create a large, ambitious project that incorporates skills from various classes and puts their knowledge to a real-world test. Students will define a project, set milestones, and project manage with the guidance of a Project Advisor (instructor or other appropriate professional). The course is designed to germinate real-world work with purpose and will culminate with a deployed or published project. To register for these courses, the student must find a Supervisor (instructor or staff) who will oversee their progress and complete the SUP Contract Template.
Note: Students can take up to 2 SUP courses for credit. Either • SUP 2.1 twice or • SUP 2.2 twice or • SUP 2.1 and SUP 2.2
The Science & Letters (CORE) curriculum comprises nine categories: Effective Communication 1, Effective Communication 2, Quantitative Literacy & Social Issues, Civic Knowledge and Engagement, Artistic and Creative Expression, Science for Global Citizens, An Examined Life, Social Sciences: Understanding Human Behavior, and Purpose and Meaning.
Make School embraces diversity and encourages students to bring their informed perspectives to the learning environment. As such, Make School’s S&L curriculum allows for various worldviews to be present in the classroom and extends the ability for students to engage in the free expression of ideas in their search for truth. Therefore, faculty and students are protected by Academic Freedom in all Science and Letters courses.
Science and Letters classes available for registration vary by term. The course descriptions included are courses that have been previously been offered and may be offered during the 2021-2022 school year.
- Effective Communication 1
EC1 - Effective Communication 1: Verbal and Visual Literacies (EC 1000) 4 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Courses in EC1 are designed to advance the following skills:
- Demonstrate the processes and products of critical reading, thinking, speaking, and writing;
- Analyze a range of texts and media (oral, visual, written, and performative) across disciplines and across a range of rhetorical modes;
- Create effective written texts and oral presentations appropriate to topic, purpose and audience;
- Comprehend how communication shapes and is shaped by difference (including but not limited to categories such as race, gender, sexuality, age and class);
- Retrieve, interpret, and apply source material; use proper citation and documentation.
ENGL 1004: Expository Writing
Prerequisites: None
Students will engage in writing of university-level expository essays across rhetorical modes. Emphasis on critical reading, and thinking, summary, analysis, synthesis, and research. Can be substituted for EC 1000.
- Effective Communication 2
EC2 - Effective Communication 2: Rhetoric and Research (EC 2000) 4 Credits
Prerequisites: EC1
Courses in EC2 are designed to advance the following skills:
- Demonstrate advanced critical thinking through such methods as summary, evaluation, synthesis, and integration of research;
- Create effective, original, and argumentative rhetoric across media (oral, visual, and written) appropriate to topic, purpose, and audience; topics and issues may include - problem solving, civic engagement, and/or positing policy or social change;
- Apply understanding of how communication shapes and is shaped by difference (including but not limited to categories such as race, gender, sexuality, age and class) and reflect on one’s own place in a broader social context;
- Evaluate source material, synthesize new concepts, and apply deduction, induction, and/or logic for advanced argumentative research purposes; use proper citation and documentation.
- Quantitative Literacy & Social Issues
QL 1.1 - Quantitative Literacy and Social Issues (MATH 1450) 4 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Courses in QL are designed to advance the following skills:
- Develop capacities of quantitative reasoning to interpret, analyze, apply, and explain data (information) presented in mathematical forms;
- Recognize and evaluate assumptions in estimation, modeling, and data analysis;
- Calculate mathematical problems, and communicate quantitative evidence in support of an argument;
- Apply quantitative reasoning skills using data analysis, probability, and statistics through examples related to current world debates, inquiries, and problems;
- Gain and act with confidence to work through problems using quantitative reasoning.
- Civic Knowledge and Engagement
CKE - CIVIC KNOWLEDGE & ENGAGEMENT
Prerequisites: None
Courses in CKE are designed to advance the following skills:
- Identify and analyze no less than three of the following content areas: political structures, social systems, cultural trends, and/or historical change over time in the U.S. and/or other countries.
- Critically analyze a pressing political, social, or environmental issue using multiple sources of information. This analysis includes evaluating evidence through the interpretation of primary sources to develop informed arguments about historical and/or contemporary issues and/or drawing on community-based perspectives and experiences.
- Engage with local and local and/or global communities to build civic knowledge and skills, and reflect critically on their roles and responsibilities as members of diverse communities and societies.
HCS 3131: Technology and Equity 4 credits**
Prerequisites: None
This course will investigate the relevance of gender, race and sexuality to understanding equity in technology and the development of new technologies. We will consider a range of questions including: What are some barriers in equity in Computer Science education? And how does an organization promote or impede inequality? In addition, this course will utilize methodologies which promote engagement with local communities to enhance civic knowledge and improve student civic skills.
ENGL 3051: Latin American Literature 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Study of major works and movements of Latin arts. The materials for this course are drawn from across or within major geographical regions of Latin America and are focused on specific literary periods varying from pre-contact indigenous works to 21st century postmodernism; they cover a wide spectrum of prose, poetry, and, at times, narrative film that exemplifies national and regional differences. Works and writers may include "Popol Vuh," "Quetzalcoatl," Garcia Marquez, Allende, Borges, Neruda, and Paz.
HIST 1207: Special Topics in Women’s History 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
This course provides an overview of women’s experiences in different historical periods and in various geographical locations. Examines the roles assigned to women and at the selected experiences of women. It studies the writings about and by women. Considers the lives of various historical women who contributed to the disciplines of art, literature, philosophy, politics, and society. Focus of the geographical area will vary.
- Artistic and Creative Expression
ACE - ARTISTIC & CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Prerequisites: None
Courses in ACE are designed to advance the following skills:
- Develop competencies in creative thinking, artistic skills, and in the recognition of the diversity of artistic expressions;
- Apply creative thinking and artistic practice to unique self or collective expressions;
- Design, create, and present or practice and perform works of art for an audience;
- Reflect or articulate on the creative process, product, performance, artistic skill, aesthetics, or creative practice.
ENGL 2305: Introduction to Creative Writing 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Introduction to many forms of creative writing, including poetry, fiction, and drama writing. Study of key terms and concepts in the writing process and practice in peer workshops.
Digital Art and Storytelling 3 credits
Prerequisites: TBD
In this course, we will explore the many forms of storytelling through various forms of digital art techniques such as scripting, storyboarding, typography, animation, and audio and cinematic production. You will examine the world as it relates to oneself, communicate appealing stories to a wider audience, and deliver visual artifacts and pitches. Students will create a digital portfolio artifact and reflect on the creative process with peers.
- Science for Global Citizens
**SCI - SCIENCE **
Prerequisites: None
Courses in SCI are designed to advance the following skills:
- Examine and apply the fundamental principles of the scientific discipline (true for each course) in a manner that illustrates connections among science, technology, and society;
- Engage in the scientific method through laboratory and fieldwork to examine key elements of the science and conduct independent exploration, using observational and direct measurement techniques for primary data collection;
- Analyze, evaluate, manipulate, and interpret data to draw conclusions.
PHSC 3210: Bay Area Rocks: Geology of Northern California 3 credits
Corequisites: PHSC 3215 (Lab)
This lecture class investigates the unique ecosystems of the Bay Area and Northern California. It explores how the geology and physical environment of California have and continue to shape the way people live here. Topics include natural disasters, resource use and allocation, water rights, development limitations and energy generation.
PHSC 3215: Bay Area Rocks: Geology of Northern California Lab 1 credit
Corequisites: PHSC 3210 (Lecture)
This is the lab component of PHSC 3215 (see course description above).
PHYS 1000: Conceptual Physics 3 credits
Corequisites: PHYS 1005 (Lab)
An introductory physics class. Topics will include classical mechanics (motion), conservation of energy, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, light, sound and wave properties
PHYS 1000: Conceptual Physics Lab 1 credit
Corequisites: PHYS 1000 (Lecture)
This is the lab component of PHYS 1000 (see course description above).
- An Examined Life
EL - EXAMINED LIFE
Prerequisites: None
Courses in EL are designed to advance the following skills:
- Comprehend theories and methods of the discipline under study and its modes of ethical inquiry;
- Analyze contemporary issues with attention to their ethical dimensions and the application of theory to practice
- Demonstrate an awareness of differing values and ethical perspectives.
PHIL 2110: Environmental Ethics 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
An investigation of philosophical perspectives on humanity’s relation to nature, combined with an exploration of contemporary environmental issues and related political decision making.
PHIL 3123: Ethical Being, Being Ethical 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
An introduction to ethical theory in Western philosophy followed by an investigation of a range of contemporary ethical problems drawn from private life, public policy, law, medicine, and business.
PHIL 3102: Global Business Ethics and Law
Prerequisites: None
The course examines the field of philosophical ethics and laws and facilitates students’ disciplined reflections on ethical issues related to domestic and international business. The course covers ethical methods as applied to business and the legal environment affecting business. Contemporary ethical issues in business will be examined through case studies.
PHIL 2107: Ethics and Society 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
This course will explore the ethical complexities of information and communication technology in relation to humankind. By combining real-world inquiry with creative speculation, students will probe everyday ethical dilemmas they face as digital consumers, creators, and coders, as well as relevant policy. Students explore themes such as privacy, intellectual property, social justice, free speech, artificial intelligence, and social media.
- Social Sciences: Understanding Human Behavior
SSHB - SOCIAL SCIENCE
Prerequisites: None
Courses in SSHB are designed to advance the following skills:
- Effectively communicate an understanding of the research method(s) used by the discipline.
- Critically evaluate theory(s) in the discipline that have been put forth to explain some aspect of human behavior.
- Reflect critically on individual identity and responsibilities as citizens of diverse communities.
PSY 1100: Introduction to Psychology 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Basic methods and concepts of psychology, focusing on research findings and theoretical viewpoints. Topics include theories of personality, psychological development, personality disorders, social psychology, cognition, motivation and emotion, perception and learning, biological and socio-cultural bases of behavior.
ECON 2010: Microeconomics and Personal Finance 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
This course constructs the beginning of a strong foundation of economics and personal finance in order to empower students to function effectively as consumers, workers, investors, entrepreneurs, and active citizens. It begins with a basic introduction to supply and demand and microeconomic concepts. It then builds on economic concepts that will help students interpret the daily news, understand the interdependencies of the world’s economies, and understand how markets operate within the United States. On a personal level, students develop critical thinking skills about their own economic choices and consumer decisions directly affect their likelihood of future economic success.
ECON: Institutional Macroeconomics 3 credits
Prerequisites: None
This course focuses on understanding the ways to measure an economy by examining topics such as economic growth, productivity, labor markets, monetary and fiscal policies, and international trade. It introduces basic models of macroeconomics and illustrates principles with the experience of the United States and other economies.
- Purpose and Meaning
PM - PURPOSE & MEANING
Prerequisites: None
Courses in PM are designed to advance the following skills:
- Identify and contextualize key features of at least one religious and/or philosophical point of view;
- Analyze the ethical implications of these key features for dealing with problems in contemporary social life;
- Connect inquiry into those key features with their personal quest for meaning and well-being.
PHIL 3125: Human Being, Being Human 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Inquiry into the enduring questions of human nature including the meaning and purpose of human life, the questions of its spiritual origin and destiny, its capacities for good and evil, the scope and limits of its freedom, the nature of knowing, and the question of immortality, drawing upon a range of Western thought. Particular attention is given to the tension between classical religious and philosophical views and those stemming from modern human sciences such as psychology, sociology, and sociobiology.
RLGN 3003: Art and the Sacred 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Analyzes ways that religions and the arts illuminate each other while providing insight into human experiences, including alienation and injustice. May include community engagement.
RLGN 3178: The World’s Religions 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
A study of humankind's ultimate and enduring questions the nature of reality and the meaning and end of human life against the background of its multiform spiritual heritage. The course will survey the world's religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism), accenting both their commonalities and their distinctiveness.
RLGN 3179: Myth, Symbol and Ritual 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Using an interdisciplinary framework this course stresses that myth, symbol and ritual are of crucial significance to all human societies, are intricately interdependent as phrenoma of religious expression, and are vital to the study and to the understanding of religion and humankind. In this course, we will engage in a cross-cultural examination of how diverse peoples establish their religious worlds by narrating stories and symbolically acting out their deepest aspirations and beliefs.