Udacity Nanodegree Program

The dominant theme across the 14 HackerNews comments is a sharp split between learning value and credential value. Enrolled students are positive on learning: an ML + Self-Driving Car (SDC) student says 'Yes - I would do it again,' conceding ML materials are 'nothing too unique' and gatherable for free, but Udacity 'provides nice structure and helps you to keep motivated,' while SDC had higher material quality and 'extraordinary' peer support. A student holding both the AI Nanodegree and Data Analyst Nanodegree (plus traditional engineering degrees) calls Udacity 'the best value per dollar for education' but warns 'you can't rely on a Nanodegree, or even a regular degree, to get you a job.' The hiring side is blunt: hiring managers 'don't (yet) respect nanodegrees' per one recurring answer; an ML recruiter for computer-vision roles says he 'only barely look[s] at your educational background,' weighing projects, published research, and OSS contributions instead; another commenter says non-accredited certificates beat an otherwise identical rival only 'marginally' and are worth less than a portfolio. A senior-level view adds the Nanodegree alone 'will not be enough to get a senior technical position.' The recurring framing: 'do you just want to learn the topic, or do you want to get a job in the topic. One requires a lot more work than the other.' A ProductHunt reviewer finishing the Front End Nanodegree (on scholarship) calls it 'a great experience' and good value relative to similar programs, but flags that 'some of the material lacks depth,' some is 'out of date,' and supplementation with outside reading is required. YouTube commenters add sparse signal: course support is 'not always easy to get' when hitting issues, one learner is 'progressing a lot' yet still questions worth, and a recurring question is what employers think of Udacity credentials. Caveat: the HN thread appears to be from ~2016, so recruiter attitudes may have shifted since.

No aggregate ratings were found for this product during the last harvest.