A little while ago, I took up the IBM Frontend Developer Professional Certificate program. I was as dedicated to it as I was to the Meta Frontend Developer Certificate.
In this article, I want to discuss these two courses and share my thoughts for those who are wondering which one to enroll in first.
Course Overview:
Both IBM and Meta offer Front-End Developer Professional Certificate programs on Coursera. I had the opportunity to complete both of these programs Throughout my university journey.
Each program is designed for those who want to start a career in coding and web development. You'll gain skills in UI/UX design, programming, and web development, even with no prior experience. Upon completion, you'll have a portfolio of projects, which is something really important.
Meta Frontend Developer Professional Certificate (9 courses):
- Introduction to Front-End Development
- Programming with JavaScript
- Version Control
- HTML and CSS in depth
- React Basics
- Advanced React
- Principles of UX/UI Design
- Front-End Developer Capstone
- Coding Interview Preparation
IBM Frontend Developer Professional Certificate (8 courses):
- Introduction to Software Engineering
- Introduction to Web Development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Getting Started with Git and GitHub
- Developing Cloud Native Applications
- Developing Front-End Apps with React
- Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX)
- Front-End Development Capstone Project
Learning experience:
Both courses offer a valuable learning experience, focusing on the fundamentals and principles of front-end development.
Meta has invested significantly in the production quality of their courses, providing a seamless learning journey. Their methodology for filming and delivering information is so well-crafted that it becomes almost transparent to the learner.
While IBM's courses are comprehensive, some aspects of their video production can feel old-school, with occasional audio issues in older courses.
Quizzes and hands-on projects:
Both programs feature excellent hands-on projects and assignments that reinforce your learning. IBM stands out with its quizzes and projects, offering a wealth of information that can be gained through practical application. Notably, their cloud course, which covers topics like creating a CI/CD pipeline and deploying updates to applications, is particularly enriching.
Remember, it's best to tackle the projects on your own rather than looking for answers online. That way, you'll truly benefit from these courses.
Capstone Project
Meta Capstone Project
In Meta's capstone, you'll create a responsive web app for the Little Lemon restaurant. You will build a modern front-end app for table reservations, matching Figma designs, using semantic HTML tags, ensuring cross-device compatibility, adding meta and Open Graph Protocol tags and performing client-side validation with unit tests.
IBM Capstone Project
On the other hand, IBM's final capstone project focuses on connecting patients and healthcare pros. Tasks include web layout design, converting static pages to dynamic React components, creating an appointment system, adding notifications, reviews, and profile management.
In both projects, you'll also gain familiarity with Git and Github, essential tools for collaborative development and version control.
Certification and Its Value:
As for certifications, while they can be helpful for careers, my main goal was to refresh my memory and deepen my understanding. Learning and developing my skills often matter more than certificates. So, your choice between Meta and IBM depends on your specific learning goals and where you are in your web development journey.
Conclusion:
In short, if you're new to web development, both Meta and IBM courses are great options. But if you want more in-depth knowledge, especially if you're at a mid-level, IBM's courses offer extra valuable info.