Semester in Tech

Less lectures, more real world. For tech beginners.

Explore tech and build real-world skills

Increase your job prospects

The skills you’ll learn at Adjacent — HTML, JavaScript, web design, presenting, project management, networking — are valuable in every career and industry. Top companies love problem-solvers who have both people skills and tech chops.

Supercharge your resume

Adjacent’s program is full of hands-on projects for your portfolio and capped off with a two-week internship.

Earn college credit

All Adjacent students receive a transcript from Davidson College for four college course credits.

For help with your school's transfer credit policy Contact us

Do the program from anywhere

Stay on your college campus with friends or participate from home. Either way, you’ll meet new friends for life at Adjacent.

Spring Semester 2021: Jan 25 – May 7

Do the program from anywhere – stay on your college campus or take classes from home.

Similar to a workplace format, you’ll work full-time each day for 13 weeks, followed by a two-week project for a real company.

All work is remote and includes combinations of independent and collaborative group projects and instructor-led sessions. We’re not on Zoom all day, we promise!

All Adjacent students receive a transcript from Davidson College equivalent to 4 course credits.

see course descriptions

Spring 2021 Courses

Digital Studies 245/345 | (Advanced) Critical Web Design

Pass/Fail

Satisfies requirement of Digital Studies minor at Davidson.

Learn and practice the basics of HTML/CSS in live webpages. Learn the principles of design and accessibility while critically evaluating choices in culturally relevant sites. While applying your skills in CSS grid and the latest technologies, also come to understand the history of web development.

Designed in partnership with Dr. Owen Mundy and taught by Adjacent instructors.

Examples of projects:

Computer Science 108 | Explorations in Computer Science

Or CIS 108 | Advanced Explorations in Computer Science (prerequisite CSC 108 or CSC 121)

Pass/Fail

Satisfies Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement at Davidson.

“A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points.” — Alan Kay, pioneer of object-oriented programming and the graphical user interface. In this course you will build a strong enough foundation in practical and theoretical aspects of computer science that you can continue to learn on your own. Develop an understanding of how computer science was informed by and informs other fields — mathematics, history, economics, sociology, literature, political science, philosophy, music, film, etc.

Designed in partnership with Dr. Raghuman Ramajuman and Adjacent lead instructor Jesse Farmer. Taught by Adjacent instructors.

Project Examples:

English 296 | Science Fiction & Technology

Letter grade

At Davidson, satisfies the English major and minor; Digital and Screen Media interdisciplinary major; Digital Studies interdisciplinary minor; Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric; Justice, Equality and Community requirements.

Despite its limitations, science fiction allows us to explore and reflect richly on how living, loving, and working-being-in a digital world shapes existence as individuals or in communities. Given widespread current concern about digital inequalities and isolation, we should ask how equality and justice are and may be defined in digital communities.

Designed & taught by Dr. Shireen Campbell and Dr. Mark Sample. Spring 2021 taught by Dr. Mark Sample.

Focuses on themes including:

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and persuasion architecture
Big data, datafication, and discrimination
Digital inequalities and intersectionalities
The surveillance state

Center for Interdisciplinary Studies 108 | Practicum

Pass / Fail

Develop and deliver a team-based capstone project through the skills you’ve built over the semester. Throughout the semester, you’ll receive feedback on your personal presentation and teamwork skills to identify the processes and strategies to employ in various team settings. You will develop the EQ and self-awareness to choose a capstone topic that is important to you and situate it within the broader tech ecosystem.

Designed in partnership with Stacey Riemer. Taught by Adjacent instructors.

Project examples:

2-week project for a company

Optional

Apply your newfound technical skills to further explore your career interests through a two week project for a company. We will help match you with a company in the industry/role of your interest, assist in scoping the project, and provide support during the internship.

Paired in partnership with the Davidson Career Development Office and Davidson Innovation Hub.

A day in the life

As technologists, we know remote work. Working hours are flexible at Adjacent. We meet once per day as a full group, and then instructors hold optional sessions and office hours throughout the day (US timezones)

Daily All-Hands

We meet once per day as a full group to kick off projects or lessons

Daily Coding Help Sessions

Choose a session to attend with an instructor once per day

Tues / Thurs

Attend English class discussion to talk about the ethics of tech

Friday

Present your weekly projects

Daily feedback

Whether on GitHub or in office hours, you'll receive constant attention from instructors

Daily Discord posts

We host office hours and team meetings on a platform called Discord

Don't just take our word for it

Read what alumni have to say

Schedule a time to talk with us

“
Sophia SchwartsmanScripps College, Art History major
“I'm pretty much mind blown at how cool this program is. I don't think a lot of people come out of college with tech skills and therefore have to learn on the job, but having a solid foundation like this without compromising credit is invaluable.”

“
Jaelyn TaylorDavidson College, Computational & Digital Studies
“Would I recommend this to everyone? YES! This has hands down been my best semester at Davidson thus far. Between what I learned, how I learned, and the possibilities left to learn, every expectation was met and blown out of proportion.”

“
Ned BaiDavidson College, Political Science
“I've never been a mathematics or science person but I realized computer science is for everyone as long as you're interested and continuously curious you can do anything you want with it.”

“
John BillupsDavidson College, Economics
“As a non-computer science major, I wanted to see what an increasingly tech-centric world looked like. This program answers that in the classroom, in the start-ups and companies you visit, and in the soft and hard skill sessions you can apply outside of the program.”

“
Emma Ruth BurnsBryn Mawr College, Archaeology
“The people in this program are fascinating, and the things that I’ve learned in sessions have helped me to understand the dynamics of group work and how best to capitalize upon my own and other peoples’ strengths.”

Meet your coaches

Work with professionals who have started companies and worked across industries.

Jesse Farmer

Lead Instructor

Terra Taylor

Instructor

Dr. Suzanne Churchill

English Professor, Davidson College

Malena Harrang

Operations & Coach

Dr. Mark Sample

Digital Studies Professor, Davidson College

How to enroll

Step 1: Complete the program application & schedule an interview

During this step, we’ll confirm that Adjacent is the right program for you and get to know you better. This is a good time to ask questions.

Step 2: Meet with your academic advisor

Make sure that a semester with Adjacent works with your academic plan.
We’ll provide the information you need to help confirm your school accepts the academic credit and that your financial aid transfers.
Contact us for assistance

Step 3: Commit to the program

Then, be sure to let your school know that you plan to take classes through Adjacent.

Deadlines

Spring Semester 2021 Deadlines

*note that your school deadline may be earlier

Application deadline

Notified of admissions by

Early decision

October 1st

October 15th

Regular admissions