FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Assembly is a pioneer in education and career transformation, specializing in today’s most in-demand coding, data, and design skills. 

Since 2011, General Assembly (GA) has launched the technology careers of tens of thousands of diverse individuals and cultivated emerging tech talent pipelines for hundreds of the world’s leading employers. 

As featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times, GA offers online full- and part-time courses as career onramps into today’s most in-demand jobs in web development, data, design, and more. Through our corporate training programs, we also help companies compete for the future by sourcing, assessing, and growing their talent. All of these offerings are developed and led by industry experts. 

Part of global HR solutions giant The Adecco Group, General Assembly has become a leading provider of world-class technical training, equitable job opportunity, and social impact. General Assembly has been recognized as one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, and a Fast Company World-Changing Idea, as well as the #1 Most Innovative Company in Education.

Visit our About Us page to learn more.

All members of the press should contact our press office at press@generalassemb.ly. To see the latest news about General Assembly, visit our Press Room.

To ensure all General Assembly students get the individual attention and resources they need to succeed, course sizes are limited. After submitting your application, you'll connect with an Admissions Specialist, who determines whether or not the course is a fit for your experience and goals. Additionally, if you're applying for one of our bootcamps, you'll complete technical assessments to make sure you're prepared for the rigor of the curriculum. Once you’ve been accepted and have put down your initial down payment, your spot in the course is secure. Connect with our Admissions team for more details.

We accept check/cheque, bank wires, credit/debit card, and PayPal globally. Check/cheque instructions vary by country. Please contact the Admissions team of your region to get details if needed. 

Please email accounts@generalassemb.ly with any payment-related questions. 
For PayPal transactions, please forward your confirmation page to arconsumer@generalassemb.ly.

In short, yes. We understand education is a significant financial investment, so we provide several flexible options to help you achieve your educational goals. After submitting a down payment to save your spot in the course, you can choose a financing plan that’s best for you. 

Many of our bootcamps, short courses, and workshops are geared toward beginners and no prior knowledge of a subject is required. Additionally, these courses often feature pre-work assignments to get you up to speed with essential concepts and tools. Our courses attract students with a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise, so we make sure to have instructional associates, office hours, and additional help available as needed to provide personalized feedback and support. 

Our Admissions team can help steer you in the right direction based on your level of experience and goals.

It varies by course and by student, but for all courses, the adage “you get out what you put in” holds true. As a part-time or full-time student, be prepared to work hard and dedicate several hours outside of class each week to review course material and complete homework assignments. Our full-time students also devote additional time to portfolio projects, networking events with our network of employers, career services support, and more. Our courses are designed to be rigorous and intensive — but most of all — incredibly rewarding.

You can find complete details regarding our academic policies in our catalog. Find one specific to your region here.

In addition to receiving a certificate of completion, our alumni become part of a global community whose members are invested in one another’s success. Benefits include the following:

• Alumni LinkedIn Group: You can join the Global Alumni LinkedIn Group to network, share knowledge, discuss business associations, seek career advice, and explore job opportunities.
• 15% off future courses to help you continue learning throughout your career.
• Create a job seeker profile with Hired
  Our sister company, Hired, is the largest AI-driven marketplace that connects talent with the world’s most innovative companies. Hired specializes in hiring candidates in UX, engineering, and data science. Here are the instructions to build your profile.
  Once you’re approved, your profile will be highlighted to employers on the platform for 10 weeks. After the 10 weeks, if you’re not in interviews, you can ask for a renewal to be featured again.

Education is governed by various country and location-specific regulatory standards. 

While we strive to provide a top-notch educational experience for you with excellent instructors and a talented, involved community, General Assembly isn’t accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting body. This means our courses aren’t eligible for federal student aid.

You can look on our Regulatory Information Page or contact our Admissions team to get any additional information you need.

GA is governed by country and location-specific regulatory standards that we must comply with regarding cancellations and refunds. For this reason, our refund policy varies based on your location while taking a GA course. Please review the applicable Student Catalog here to learn more about our refund policies in your state or country.

Have a question that wasn't answered on this page? Email us at admissions@generalassemb.ly or contact your Admissions Specialist directly.

Generally speaking, proof of high school or secondary school completion, or an equivalent, is required to enroll in most GA courses. The admission requirement, inclusive of your education level, varies by region. Please contact the Admissions team to get clarity on your situation. 

Yes. Get started with the basics of software engineering through Dash, our free online learning platform. Our free introductory classes can help kickstart your journey into data analytics, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, product management, digital marketing, or UX design. We also host a variety of free events every week online. Subscribe to our newsletter here to stay in the loop.

Our bootcamp courses are designed to equip students with the skills they need to embark on new career paths. In addition to hands-on training, bootcamp students also receive job search support from GA career coaches and access to exclusive networking opportunities through our network of employers and alumni.

We’ve designed our bootcamp programs with a focus on real-time collaboration, keeping you constantly engaged and interacting with your fellow classmates, instructors, and instructional associates. Our interactive classroom mirrors what you’ll encounter as part of the modern workforce. Our lessons are broken up into micro-lectures, which introduce content in short spurts. You’ll then work individually, in pairs, or in groups to apply what you’ve learned and get personal support from your instructional team. 

Requirements vary by course, but in general, you’ll need to have your own computer (a Mac is strongly recommended) and an external monitor (ideally 28” or larger). 

You’ll also need access to high-speed internet (wired Ethernet connection is strongly recommended) and a dedicated, quiet workspace where you feel comfortable focusing, preferably in a private room.

We focus on providing you with the resources you need to master the course material. In addition to instructors, instructional associates are present at lectures to help answer any questions you have. They’re available during regular office hours, as well as by appointment and via your course’s Slack channel. We also provide access to supplemental materials online, which you can review at your convenience.

General Assembly can’t guarantee a job to any student or graduate. However, as a member of GA’s global community, you can leverage connections with students, alumni, instructors, and experts through networking opportunities, alumni events, and more.

Additionally, thousands of GA alumni use their course certificate to demonstrate skills to employers and their LinkedIn networks. GA’s courses are well-regarded by many top employers, who contribute to our curriculum and use our programs to train their own teams.

We use the video conferencing platform Zoom, which you can download here, for all our online classes.

Please refer to the sign-up page to check if the session will be recorded. If it is recorded, you can reach out to help@ga.co to request the recording. Otherwise, you can browse our offerings to find a future instance that works for you.

Livestreams are accessible from wherever you choose. You'll receive an email with a link to join the livestream a few hours before it’s scheduled to begin, so mark your calendar and keep an eye on your inbox.

You can check out our current lineup of course offerings and workshops here. Or, subscribe to our emails — we announce upcoming classes, workshops, and events every week.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Email us at online@generalassemb.ly.