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Computer Coding 'Boot Camp' Is Pricey, But Could Lead To Big Salary

(CBS) -- When you think of boot camp, you know you're in for quite a workout.

A new start-up in Chicago promises to train you on software development in just nine week. As CBS 2's Susanna Song reports, Dev Bootcamp, which launches next month, is an apprenticeship on steroids.

Have you ever imagined you could create your own web application? Probably not. Well, wait until you check this boot camp.

It's the first Dev Bootcamp in Chicago-- a class on coding.

"Chicago, like a lot of other cities in the United States and across the world, has a shortage of software developers," says co-founder Dave Hoover.

He brought this concept to Chicago after going through it in San Francisco.

"I talk to entrepreneurs, startup founders. Their only constraint is people -- being able to find technologists," Hoover says.

Recent Dev Camp graduate Kunal Bhatt studied biochemistry as an undergrad but wanted a career change. He now has two job offers in Chicago, one from OrbitalDownloads, but to get there he had to put in 60 hours a week.

Based on the success rate of the San Francisco boot camp, Hoover and the staff estimate they can find jobs for more than 90 percent of their students at companies right here in Chicago.

On average, the starting salaries for Dev Bootcamp students will be around $75,000.

The first class is April 22. It's already full.

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