Codam is a full-time, free programming college in the heart of Amsterdam. At Codam, you learn to program like a pro within 3.5 years using our unique peer learning curriculum. No teachers, no books - just you and your peers learning from each other! We are a community for everyone, and we believe that no matter your background you can achieve anything in Codam. The only condition we have is that you are older than 18; but that's it!
At Codam, we don't have teachers, classrooms, semesters or books. Next to that, you don't pay tuition fees, it is entirely free. You might wonder, what do we have?
Codam is entirely tuition fee free. There are 240 iMacs for you to use, as well as free coffee, tea, 'krentenbollen' and fruit. You can decide where you do your internship or where you end up working, and everything you make here is your property. How is that possible? It’s because Codam is a not-for-profit. This helps to ensure anyone can join. We believe there should be nothing between you and your success.
Anyone can code, regardless of age, gender or background. Everyone can learn how to. To join Codam, you do not need any diplomas, training or other certificates. We start from absolute scratch. As long as you have the will to learn, you can learn to code.
One of the keys to Codam’s success is our peer-to-peer learning model. Peer-to-peer learning means: you find the answers to any issue through your own research and help from your peers. You ask the people around you for help, help those around you when asked, and discover together how to solve problems you did not (yet) know how to solve. With your peers and the internet, there is nothing you cannot solve. An integral part of Codam is going beyond programming: learning how to learn. Only by learning to learn and work with others you can stay up to date with the latest developments.
At Codam our curriculum is project based. This means that you choose a project from the curriculum and hit the ground running. These projects have been carefully created by experts, becoming increasingly more difficult, to challenge our students no matter their level. They have been designed in such a way as to ensure you get challenged, but also, that the projects are indeed possible. In every project, you discover that you can handle a bit more than what you thought possible. Many of the projects require a group to complete them. This helps ensure that you are always learning new things from your peers.
Codam is and will always be for everyone, no matter your schedule. To achieve that, Codam is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is always a member of our security staff on site, and most of our staff if available throughout the day, even just for a chat. We have two large open spaces we call clusters, both full of iMacs. In addition, we have a custom built gameroom, a giant life-sized chess board, a growing library section, music room, lego area, with couches and bean bags throughout. We even have showers! We have what you need to make your time at Codam the most constructive it can be.
Codam is a new, innovative school, in the heart of Amsterdam. Based on the revolutionary education model of the French school 42 that founded in Paris by tech-entrepreneur Xavier Niel. With impressive results (100% of graduates found a job in the industry) 42 has inspired others around the world to use the model. In September 2018, Codam opened its doors as the Dutch sister school to 42, using the same successful curriculum.
Corinne Vigreux, co-founder of TomTom, was inspired by Xavier Niel. With a passion for innovation and technology, she decided to set up her own programming college like 42. Corinne had first hand seen the shortage of programmers, so she decided to take action. It is the goal of both Codam and Corinne to help ensure that the world of tomorrow is shaped by people from all corners of society and the world.
What does it mean to be part of the 42 Network? If you want, after one year, you have the chance to move to another campus and finish your studies there. At the same time, this means students from other countries can also join us, creating a real worldwide network.
Our curriculum is divided into multiple steps. It's set up as a game, with the ability to gain levels and achievements through the completion of projects. The end goal is to reach level 21. Once you have reached level 21, you are ready to find a job.
Everyone starts at the same place to ensure everyone has a strong programming foundation to build upon. Here at Codam, you can learn to do anything from programming an A.I. to game graphics. Nobody tells you what route you must take, it is up to you! You are in charge of your own future. If you are not sure what your passion is, you are free to try all the routes until you find it. It’s all up to you.
After a Bachelor's degree in Modern and Classical Letters, Hélène decided to turn to computer science. First, she enrolled in a Multimedia program and then in a Multimedia Project Management Master's degree while doing a training-program in parallel. Once, graduated she started to work for an e-commerce company. In 2015, she decided to make another bold move by joining 42. At a conference there, she met the Kapten CTO who offered her an internship. Hélène joined Kapten for what was supposed to be a 6-month internship in 2016 before being hired as a Full-stack developer. She currently works on transactions and fraud in the Payment Tribe, after having been part of an R&D team and the Supply tribe.
Before hearing about 42 I went to a public college for IT sciences. I kept waiting to learn about and do real things, but it never happened. I was simply bored with cold science, and knowledge that was just not in line with the needs of a modern developer's life and work. Then I saw 42's study program, which gave me no timeline, but just a comprehensive list of what 42 students had to realise at the time. I went to Paris immediately, I met amazing people and learned so much about life from them, and I worked with professionals on common projects, which helped through the transition to the work world. Now that I'm working, I continue to grow using the tools 42 gave me: quick and efficient learning, sociability and a general misunderstanding of the concept of "end of day".
I joined 42 after a year of med school. I realized I might have chosen the wrong branch when I was designing video games on my computer during classes instead of taking notes. I chose 42 instead of any other school because of the peer learning method. Before joining 42 I had always learned the most by trial and error on my own and using internet resources. I felt that having the freedom to learn what I thought was the most important would drive me more than attending mandatory classes. Three years later, I'm designing data processing pipelines and working on predictive models in the area of pharma research.
Hi! I'm Simon. I'm from Belgium and I work as an embedded software engineer. Do you have a high school diploma? I don't. I was passionate about drones but I could not pursue studies because I dropped out from school. Then I heard about 42. After the online test, I subscribed to the Piscine, which was so stimulating! Everyone was helping each other and sharing knowledge. I've done my internship in a robotics start-up. 42 enabled me to get my dream internship after only 9 months. Since then I graduated and I'm working for electronics companies.
After 9 years as a store manager for a French leather goods brand, I wasn't learning anymore and I started thinking about my professional path. I wanted change, challenge, and, why not, a whole new job. One evening, I saw a news report about 42. It clicked right away: this school was made for me, it was a perfect fit - no lecture, no professor, the students all help each other, you need team spirit and motivation. I successfully passed the test and Piscine. So I used my company training credits, to attend 42 full-time for a year. A year later, the same company offered me the position of IT project manager. I'm now in charge of the IT side of Le Tanneur's points of sale. 42 was a real opportunity to step up, it's tough but don't give up and you can reach your goals.
After Codam you can go anywhere. You can start your own company, or join the aerospace industry, or even advance the field of programming. The sky is the limit! In the end, once you’ve finished at Codam you’ll have the ability to learn how to learn. This means you can bring your programming to any field and help improve it. You’ll be able to handle anything any industry throws at you. There are many students from 42 and our other sister schools that have advanced the fields they’ve joined. Feel free to read what they’ve done after their education.
More about after CodamCodam is for everyone, no matter where you come from, or what you did in the past. We have no prejudices. If you’re creative, curious, if you unsure of your life's path, if you like solving problems, working on projects and working with people on some difficult tasks, this could be for you. Try the online test today and visit us on an open day.
Discover more
Danielly (middle) tells: "I am somewhat more alternative than most people. I feel a bit of a rocker. It is not necessarily who I am, but I could describe myself as such. I am also a bit disorganised. All my notes are in different places in my computer." Solange (left) and Isadora (right) about Danielly: "She is a caring person, who always pays attention to someone else and listens carefully. She is always willing to explain everything step by step for assignments for Codam. It does not matter to her how complicated it is."
Lotte: "Something that I always carry with me are my tattoos. On my one arm I have a sleeve with all animals, because from an early age on I always loved animals. On my other arm, my tattoos are a combination of my favorite TV series and a video game that means a lot to me. The video game is called: The Last Of Us. It is the best video game I have ever played, purely because the story behind it is so good. Later on, I want to make these kinds of games myself. Video games will thus remain a common theme in my life. I have already completed a study for this: game artist. That is more the artistic part of it. Here at Codam I learn coding, so that I can make games completely myself, both the 2D and the 3D part."
Wendell: "I've always worked hard. I didn’t study after high school, because I was constantly busy with work, I have built websites for an online marketing agency, but I got bored soon. I wanted to program more. Luckily, I came across Codam! Besides all the hours I spend at Codam, I always have my laptop in my bag to work on the side. I’m still working as a freelancer, but I also work for a company in Amsterdam."
Flint: “I’m studying at Codam, because after six years of traveling and working in the fashion industry, I wanted to do something with my brain. I like solving problems and puzzles, so when I ended up at the Codam Piscine I really liked it. But what particularly grabbed me was peer-to-peer learning. It is important for me that I can continue traveling later and with coding, you can actually go anywhere in the world. How my friends see me? Well, you really have to ask them, but I could say how I hope they see me. Positive with a lot of humor. Open minded to everyone and a bit irritating at times ;).”
Application
Informative introduction
to Codam
Selection month
Start of the curriculum
The road to Codam consists of multiple steps; an online test, attending a Check-in, and the Selection Piscine. The first step is the online game, in which you have 2 hours to get as far as you can, so take your time. If you pass the online game you can sign up for the Check-in at the next step - This is an introduction presentation where you’ll get the chance to have all your questions answered. Here you can sign up for step 3, the Selection Piscine - This a test period of 4 weeks that you’ll spend in Codam. It’s a tough task, however, it’s unforgettable. After this month you’ll know for sure if Codam is for you. You can always exit the admission process at any time. You’re not tied to anything.
Read moreCodam is a full-time, free programming college in the heart of Amsterdam. At Codam, you learn to program like a pro within 3.5 years using our unique peer learning curriculum. No teachers, no books - just you and your peers learning from each other! We are a community for everyone, and we believe that no matter your background you can achieve anything in Codam. The only condition we have is that you are older than 18; but that's it!
Take the test!At Codam, we don't have teachers, classrooms, semesters or books. Next to that, you don't pay tuition fees, it is entirely free. You might wonder, what do we have?
Codam is a new, innovative school, in the heart of Amsterdam. Based on the revolutionary education model of the French school 42 that founded in Paris by tech-entrepreneur Xavier Niel. With impressive results (100% of graduates found a job in the industry) 42 has inspired others around the world to use the model. In September 2018, Codam opened its doors as the Dutch sister school to 42, using the same successful curriculum.
Corinne Vigreux, co-founder of TomTom, was inspired by Xavier Niel. With a passion for innovation and technology, she decided to set up her own programming college like 42. Corinne had first hand seen the shortage of programmers, so she decided to take action. It is the goal of both Codam and Corinne to help ensure that the world of tomorrow is shaped by people from all corners of society and the world.
What does it mean to be part of the 42 Network? If you want, after one year, you have the chance to move to another campus and finish your studies there. At the same time, this means students from other countries can also join us, creating a real worldwide network.
Our curriculum is divided into multiple steps. It's set up as a game, with the ability to gain levels and achievements through the completion of projects. The end goal is to reach level 21. Once you have reached level 21, you are ready to find a job.
Everyone starts at the same place to ensure everyone has a strong programming foundation to build upon. Here at Codam, you can learn to do anything from programming an A.I. to game graphics. Nobody tells you what route you must take, it is up to you! You are in charge of your own future. If you are not sure what your passion is, you are free to try all the routes until you find it. It’s all up to you.
After Codam you can go anywhere. You can start your own company, or join the aerospace industry, or even advance the field of programming. The sky is the limit! In the end, once you’ve finished at Codam you’ll have the ability to learn how to learn. This means you can bring your programming to any field and help improve it. You’ll be able to handle anything any industry throws at you. There are many students from 42 and our other sister schools that have advanced the fields they’ve joined. Feel free to read what they’ve done after their education.
After a Bachelor's degree in Modern and Classical Letters, Hélène decided to turn to computer science. First, she enrolled in a Multimedia program and then in a Multimedia Project Management Master's degree while doing a training-program in parallel. Once, graduated she started to work for an e-commerce company. In 2015, she decided to make another bold move by joining 42. At a conference there, she met the Kapten CTO who offered her an internship. Hélène joined Kapten for what was supposed to be a 6-month internship in 2016 before being hired as a Full-stack developer. She currently works on transactions and fraud in the Payment Tribe, after having been part of an R&D team and the Supply tribe.
Before hearing about 42 I went to a public college for IT sciences. I kept waiting to learn about and do real things, but it never happened. I was simply bored with cold science, and knowledge that was just not in line with the needs of a modern developer's life and work. Then I saw 42's study program, which gave me no timeline, but just a comprehensive list of what 42 students had to realise at the time. I went to Paris immediately, I met amazing people and learned so much about life from them, and I worked with professionals on common projects, which helped through the transition to the work world. Now that I'm working, I continue to grow using the tools 42 gave me: quick and efficient learning, sociability and a general misunderstanding of the concept of "end of day".
I joined 42 after a year of med school. I realized I might have chosen the wrong branch when I was designing video games on my computer during classes instead of taking notes. I chose 42 instead of any other school because of the peer learning method. Before joining 42 I had always learned the most by trial and error on my own and using internet resources. I felt that having the freedom to learn what I thought was the most important would drive me more than attending mandatory classes. Three years later, I'm designing data processing pipelines and working on predictive models in the area of pharma research.
Hi! I'm Simon. I'm from Belgium and I work as an embedded software engineer. Do you have a high school diploma? I don't. I was passionate about drones but I could not pursue studies because I dropped out from school. Then I heard about 42. After the online test, I subscribed to the Piscine, which was so stimulating! Everyone was helping each other and sharing knowledge. I've done my internship in a robotics start-up. 42 enabled me to get my dream internship after only 9 months. Since then I graduated and I'm working for electronics companies.
After 9 years as a store manager for a French leather goods brand, I wasn't learning anymore and I started thinking about my professional path. I wanted change, challenge, and, why not, a whole new job. One evening, I saw a news report about 42. It clicked right away: this school was made for me, it was a perfect fit - no lecture, no professor, the students all help each other, you need team spirit and motivation. I successfully passed the test and Piscine. So I used my company training credits, to attend 42 full-time for a year. A year later, the same company offered me the position of IT project manager. I'm now in charge of the IT side of Le Tanneur's points of sale. 42 was a real opportunity to step up, it's tough but don't give up and you can reach your goals.
Codam is for everyone, no matter where you come from, or what you did in the past. We have no prejudices. If you’re creative, curious, if you unsure of your life's path, if you like solving problems, working on projects and working with people on some difficult tasks, this could be for you. Try the online test today and visit us on an open day.
Danielly (middle) tells: "I am somewhat more alternative than most people. I feel a bit of a rocker. It is not necessarily who I am, but I could describe myself as such. I am also a bit disorganised. All my notes are in different places in my computer." Solange (left) and Isadora (right) about Danielly: "She is a caring person, who always pays attention to someone else and listens carefully. She is always willing to explain everything step by step for assignments for Codam. It does not matter to her how complicated it is."
Lotte: "Something that I always carry with me are my tattoos. On my one arm I have a sleeve with all animals, because from an early age on I always loved animals. On my other arm, my tattoos are a combination of my favorite TV series and a video game that means a lot to me. The video game is called: The Last Of Us. It is the best video game I have ever played, purely because the story behind it is so good. Later on, I want to make these kinds of games myself. Video games will thus remain a common theme in my life. I have already completed a study for this: game artist. That is more the artistic part of it. Here at Codam I learn coding, so that I can make games completely myself, both the 2D and the 3D part."
Wendell: "I've always worked hard. I didn’t study after high school, because I was constantly busy with work, I have built websites for an online marketing agency, but I got bored soon. I wanted to program more. Luckily, I came across Codam! Besides all the hours I spend at Codam, I always have my laptop in my bag to work on the side. I’m still working as a freelancer, but I also work for a company in Amsterdam."
Flint: “I’m studying at Codam, because after six years of traveling and working in the fashion industry, I wanted to do something with my brain. I like solving problems and puzzles, so when I ended up at the Codam Piscine I really liked it. But what particularly grabbed me was peer-to-peer learning. It is important for me that I can continue traveling later and with coding, you can actually go anywhere in the world. How my friends see me? Well, you really have to ask them, but I could say how I hope they see me. Positive with a lot of humor. Open minded to everyone and a bit irritating at times ;).”
Application
Informative introduction
to Codam
Selection month
Start of the curriculum
The road to Codam consists of multiple steps; an online test, attending a Check-in, and the Selection Piscine. The first step is the online game, in which you have 2 hours to get as far as you can, so take your time. If you pass the online game you can sign up for the Check-in at the next step - This is an introduction presentation where you’ll get the chance to have all your questions answered. Here you can sign up for step 3, the Selection Piscine - This a test period of 4 weeks that you’ll spend in Codam. It’s a tough task, however, it’s unforgettable. After this month you’ll know for sure if Codam is for you. You can always exit the admission process at any time. You’re not tied to anything.
If you are curious about Codam and want to know more, we organise monthly open days also called Check-ins. During the Check-in, you get the chance to meet the team and get all the information needed. If you already did the test and passed, you have the opportunity to directly subscribe to the Selection Piscine during the Check-in!
