Pre-college and college bound high-schoolers:

Jumpstart your introduction to the world of coding

With an Intro to Coding online course from University of Michigan Engineering faculty

June 18 - July 30, 2025

$149 plus tax. Need-based financial aid available.

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Created for high schoolers

Our courses were created with high schoolers in mind. No prior coding experience required! All courses are online and self-paced, so you can fit them into your schedule.

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Bolster your
college apps

Upon completion of the course, students receive a certificate of accomplishment from University of Michigan ECE to include in college applications.

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Have fun while learning

Students use Python to learn how coding powers Snapchat, Instagram, and Siri…and even learn how to code their own AI face filter lenses!

Who are we looking for?

Students should...

  • love math and logic underlying math problems
  • love solving problems creatively
  • be receptive to coaching and reaching out for help when stuck
  • be able to laugh off mistakes during the learning process

 

Basic Requirements

  • Age 13+
  • Have taken and enjoyed Algebra
  • Understand the concept of variables and functions
  • Understand basic manipulations of functions and variables 
  • Know how to compute f(0)  and f(1) when, for example,  f(x) = sin(x)   

Individualized support from University
of Michigan Professors & Students

Your Instructor: Raj Rao Nadakuditi

Prof. Nadakuditi is an award-winning researcher and teacher dedicated to making computational subjects accessible to individuals of all ages and from all disciplines. In addition to receiving the Jon R. and Beverly S. Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching, Prof. Nadakuditi has received the DARPA Directors Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Young Author Paper Award, Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and the Air Force Research Laboratory Young Faculty Award.

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Your Student Coaches

Through our courses, you’ll get support from a team of 15+ University of Michigan Engineering students, who provide 1-on-1 support to get you unstuck. Our student coaches are hired because of their passion for helping high schoolers learn how to code and they can’t wait to meet you. Don’t just take our word for it….listen to what they have to say: 

Andrew C

I’m excited to help students unlock their creativity and build anything they can imagine through coding. Coding is such a powerful tool, and I love helping others see what’s possible.

Andrew C
Computer Science

Anthony N

I want to show new coders the power they have at their fingertips to solve complex problems and create useful programs. I think that there is nothing more satisfying than using your creativity to build an application and solve your problems.

Anthony N
Computer Science

Becky P

I remember how empowering it felt when I wrote my first program, and I want to share that feeling and spark with others. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch students go from unsure to confident, building things they didn’t think they could. I’m excited to support that journey and make coding feel fun, accessible, and meaningful from the start.

Becky P
Computer Science & Data Science

David H

I’m looking forward to positively inspiring my students to value the importance and versatility of programming!

David H
Computer Engineering

Lydia K

I’m excited to help first-time coders experience the creativity, problem-solving, and confidence that coding can unlock.

Lydia K
Computer Science

Maggie D

I’m excited to show first-time coders how creative coding is and that you can make so many different things with just a few lines of code!

Maggie D
Computer Science

Marvin J

I want first-time coders to find their own joy of coding, whether through excitement, curiosity, frustration, or everything in between!

Marvin J
Computer Science

Nitya M

Watching first-timers go from “wait, what’s a for-loop?” to “I just built this!” is the best part of it all — I love seeing each lightbulb moment along the way.

Nitya M
Computer Science

Owen H

What excites me the most about teaching first-time coders is the opportunity I have to have a hand in shaping the careers of the next generation of software engineers. To me, coding is like having magic at your fingertips, and Joy of Coding is a wonderful opportunity to help people learn this awesome ability.

Owen H
Computer Science & Engineering

Shriya R

Seeing coders find a new passion, hobby, or even just learn a new skill!

Shriya R
Computer Science & Business Administration

Sofia K

Coding is and should be a creative endeavor. For me, the greatest part of learning to code was the moment I realized how I could apply coding to the projects I wanted to make. I look forward to seeing what our first-time coders create!

Sofia K
Computer Science & Jazz Studies

Srihitha N

I’m excited to introduce first-time coders to the incredibly useful skill that coding can be and to assure them of the wonders they can achieve with this new knowledge.

Srihitha N
Computer Engineering

Tisha J

I still remember the first time I made my code actually do something—I think I yelled, ‘I AM A WIZARD!’ out loud. Spoiler: I wasn’t, but it felt magical. That’s the feeling I want to help first-time coders find in Joy of Coding. Whether it’s solving logic puzzles, visualizing data, or just making your computer behave for once, coding can be surprisingly fun—and I’m here for all the lightbulb moments and keyboard high-fives!

Tisha J
Computer Science & Robotics

Join the community of over 4500 students from 45+ states and 25+ countries
who have taken and enjoyed the course.

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Joy of Coding has rolling admissions, but we encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

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Testimonials

Testimonials

“Overall, this course really inspired me to delve deeper into the computer science world, and it exposed me to new concepts and new ways to use these concepts. I would recommend that you sign up and take this course, because it is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.”

Miriam
Joy of Coding Student

“[The coaches] are super helpful, and they have a quick response time. If I ever needed help, I’d always reach out to them.”

Lalitha
Joy of Coding Student

“I really liked that it was asynchronous. I was able to work at my own pace and thoroughly learn each topic. The emails were always so fun, and the lessons, the videos, they made the program a really interactive and enjoyable experience.”

Emma
Joy of Coding Student