On the other hand, I’ve been through an undergrad CS program and have an M.Sc. as well, so I am fully aware of the benefits this path can offer. Indeed, the underlying foundation in mathematics, logic, and basics of algorithms are unlikely to be offered even in abbreviated form in the “boot camp” approach; and certainly general education courses have the *potential* to provide additional valuable skills and knowledge in many areas, including communication and interpersonal skills.

Perhaps a hybrid approach such as Carlos suggests might provide the best ROI and, ultimately, the best results. But given a choice between formal CS education via the current higher ed model, and intensive certification models, I tend to agree with you.

I’m really in favor of an apprenticeship model for things that are real-world and practical, and universities for liberal arts and research focus. An apprenticeship, in the good old-fashioned sense, would not leave people without the background to understand what’s really going on in systems.

Was that a good value for my money? Did that make me more grounded in the fundamentals? When I complained to the department chair, I basically got shrugged off with “we have a mixture of students taking different courses, and it has to be covered, and we can’t assume they’ve had it already.”