AI-Native Software Engineering Intensive
Nine months, full-time, from zero experience to shipping
AI-integrated software in production. No coding background needed.
ADMISSIONS
Entry is open to anyone, but the program is not. Admission runs through a rigorous three-stage process designed to find people who will see it through.
9 months, full-time · Hybrid across Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra · No experience required · Finish job-ready
Stage 01
Work through a series of mini coding challenges, using whatever resources you’d reach for on the job
(~2 hours)
Stage 02
Learn the basics and build a working website from the ground up. Tests grit, curiosity and follow-through.
(~2 weeks)
Stage 03
A short, timed quiz on the concepts you applied in Stage 02.
Graded automatically
(~30 minutes)
Curriculum
A deliberate progression from first principles to production systems, with AI woven through every stage.
Trimester 1
Focus
Computational thinking, Linux, Git, Docker, C programming, data structures, algorithms, debugging.
AI integration
Responsible use and AI literacy. You learn what AI can and cannot do before you rely on it.
Milestone
Simple Shell, proof you can combine many concepts into one working program.
Trimester 2
Focus
Python, OOP, SQL, APIs, UML, web foundations, full-stack development.
AI integration
AI as a development tool for prototyping, code review and architecture, then orchestrating AI agent systems via MCP.
Milestone
HBntory, a multi-service inventory platform with an AI Query Service and MCP Server.
Trimester 3
Focus
DevOps, Terraform, Ansible, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, observability, incident response.
AI integration
Operate AI-integrated systems in production, keeping their output grounded and monitored like any other service.
Milestone
Operate software in production, then ship a project and present it at Demo Day.
Who This Is For
The skills you built in hospitality, teaching, finance or the trades transfer. We add the technical layer on top.
If lectures never stuck, this is built differently. You learn by shipping real projects from week one, not watching.
Nine focused months, not three or four years. Built around what employers hire for, with a portfolio to prove it.
Demo Day
Every program ends on stage, with you presenting something you designed and built yourself to a room full of employers. Not a tutorial project. Your own.
Hosted at Canva, SEEK, MYOB & REA Group
Jacob, Maxine, David, Mahsa
Cam, Sam, Ying, Jonathan, Kasandra
Hewson, Alicia, Chelsey
This is what job-ready looks like. Watch what our graduates built.
Outcomes
Holberton alumni ship software across Australia’s most demanding engineering teams.
CAREER SUPPORT
Career coaching runs across all three sprints — alongside the technical curriculum, not bolted on at the end.
LinkedIn Activation
Revisiting your LinkedIn page in the context of the (re)skilling you’re doing, taking your past experience and differentiators into account.
Inbound jobs awareness
Discovering the various job boards and graduate portals where jobs are posted.
Posting & Networking
Revisiting your LinkedIn page in the context of the (re)skilling you’re doing, taking your past experience and differentiators into account.
Interview preparation
Understanding interview structure, the STAR method for answering behavioural questions, and how to present yourself confidently.
Experience narrative
Building a resume that reflects your soft skills and frames your previous experience as an asset.
Mock interviews
Practice interview rounds with structured feedback, so you walk into the real thing rehearsed and calm.
Technical interviews guidance
Preparing for coding assessments and technical interviews, HackerRank-style challenges and how to talk through your solutions.
Outbound messaging
Messaging the leaders who accepted your LinkedIn connection and getting to meet them.
Outbound employer connect
Thinking through what kind of companies are the right fit for you and connecting with leaders within these companies.
We’ll walk you through career support on the call.
By the end, you won’t just know how to code. You’ll know how to think, build and ship like an engineer.
Not sure yet? Come to an event first.
