The Starters Academy lasts approximately 40 weeks of part-time work over the course of 8 months.
Of that time, there are 9 days where we request you to be virtually present (usually on Sundays), and the rest is done remotely via GitHub, Slack, and the Academy’s grading and submission system.
You should be prepared to spend a recommended 10 hours per week on the course and an absolute minimum of 5 hours per week in case you are having a busy week.
You do not need to quit your primary responsibility to take part in this course.
During the Bootcamp, the students and teachers will participate virtually in a series of presentations and exercises, about 10 hours per day, and the students will go through 16 Small Learning Units.
After the bootcamp, there will be 5 remote Specializations, that are deeper dives into different areas in Data Science. Each lasts for a month and ends with an hackathon where students and instructors get together online.
This image shows a high-level overview of the learning units for Batch 5.
This curriculum is subject to change without further notice.
LDSSA batch #9 started in Sep 2025.
Batch #10 is expected to start in Sep 2026.
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when the admissions open.
The Data Science Starters Academy is a series of events dedicated to helping people become entry-level data scientists, by teaching introductory material.
Data Scientists are one of the most required and highly paid professionals today.
They swim in the heaps of data our society generates and make discoveries that drive business decisions.
It’s been called the coolest profession of the 21st century.
It's a 100% online and remote course. Meaning that is a way of learning that doesn’t interfere with your day job.
We start with a two-day intensive synchronous remote bootcamp and then we get together once a month for a synchronous remote hackathon. In between hackathons you’re provided with materials to study in your own time, with support from top-level mentors on slack.
The academy is aimed at students or professionals with little to no knowledge of data science, but with strong quantitative skills and knowledge of software development in Python. If you are one of these, join us!
The Academy is taught by top data scientists from leading companies such as Farfetch, Feedzai, Google, Spotify, Unbabel and many others.
They volunteer their time at the Academy to help brilliant students like you.
This will be your first step towards becoming a Data Scientist!
By the end of the Academy you will have skills to start a career in data science, and an amazing toolkit to learn more advanced subjects.
Hackathons are longer and less structured exercises, done in teams, in which the students must complete a relatively advanced project. Hackathons require the students to make use of the skills they learned in the Specializations, but also to excel at teamwork and communication.
The Capstone Project is the students' first solo flight. They'll consolidate everything they've learned in the Academy by working on a project designed to be a real-life data science project
As a non-profit organisation, we're doing our best to keep our prices as low as possible.
That means you can get a Master’s Degree Curriculum with a top-team of Data Scientists for a very affordable price.
By enrolling in the Starters Academy, at a fraction of the cost of other bootcamps or degrees, you’ll meet a highly-skilled community of fellow students as well as instructors from some of the top tech companies in Lisbon - you’ll become part of a community of excellence.
1. What do I need to know before applying to the Starters Academy?
You need to know how to program in Python and have basic software engineering skills, like being able to use the command line, being familiar with git and GitHub, and using a text editor to write code. You should also know some linear algebra basics and have used Numpy before.
You can check our Data Science Prep Course Wiki Page and GitHub repo to learn or remind yourself of all these topics.
2. You also say that students should have strong quantitative skills. What does this mean?
You should be comfortable around numbers, quickly understanding a real life problem and translate it into something measurable & workable. Usually these are the kind of skills that result from having an education or working experience in the fields of (but not only) Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Management, Economics, etc..
3. Will you teach Python at the Starters Academy?
No. Knowing Python is actually a requirement to join the Starters Academy. But if you don’t know how to program in Python, you can check our Data Science Prep Course, that was designed to teach you everything you need to know for the Starters Academy.
4. I don’t know any data science, will I be able to do the classes?
Yes! The classes are directed at people who are giving their first steps in the data science world.
5. How does the admission process for the Starters Academy work?
The first step is to apply to the Starters Academy, during the applications phase. If you subscribe to our waiting list, you’ll receive an email with instructions for this when the time comes.
Then, during the test phase, you’ll have to solve a timed coding test and go through some introductory data science materials with exercises.
If you pass the test phase, you’ll be eligible to join the Starters Academy. We’ll take all the applicants who passed the test phase and randomly select the students for the Starters Academy. According to last year’s numbers, if you pass the test phase, you’ll have about a 50% probability of being selected.
If you’re selected, you’ll have 48 hours from the moment you received your acceptance email, to pay the admission fee and formally become a student of the Starters Academy!
Before applying, read the full details on the admission process here.
6. How do I know if my Python skills are good enough?
A good option is to apply and give the admission coding test a try. If you pass, it means that you know enough! :) In case you want a more detailed list of topics, check the Data Science Prep Course curriculum. The coding test will evaluate all these topics.
7. What will be the size of the student group?
We accept a maximum of 50 students in each edition of the Starters Academy. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we added an extra 10 seats for scholarships. If not filled, they will be converted to regular seats.
If you need a scholarship, you can learn how to apply here.
8. Will I have any kind of teaching support, if I need it, during the months following the Bootcamp Days?
Definitely yes! This is one of the strongest things we want to build during the Academy experience: the community effect! We are working hard to make sure you have access to a community of colleagues, teachers, and staff that will be there to help you in whatever way it's possible. Even you will be able to help others!
9. Is there any financial support if I can't afford the student fees?
Yes! If you want to apply to one of our scholarships, please check out our wiki page for more details.
10. Do you have a refund policy?
Please check our wiki here about this topic.
11. Will there be any kind of internship possibility at the end of the school?
We are working hard to surprise you on this topic. More news will come soon.
12. I can participate on the Bootcamp days, but can’t make it to the hackathons. Should I apply anyway?
Online presence in the Bootcamp and Hackathon #1 is compulsory.
For Hackathons #2 to #6, you are allowed to miss a hackathon (but you’ll still have to deliver it later).
Delivering the Capstone Project is also mandatory.
13. What language will the classes be held in?
English.
14. Are laptops provided?
No, you must bring a laptop with you, with at least 8GB of RAM.
If you’re planning on bringing your company’s laptop, make sure you have admin rights, because you’ll need to install some software.
15. When will we install the necessary software?
Setup must be done before arrival, we will provide step-by-step instructions and remote support.
16. Will batch 5 be 100% remote?
Yes, all teaching and mandatory events will be held online. But optional meetup, or conference, or social events will be organized in Lisbon.
17. I’m not based in Portugal. Can I participate?
Yes! Since we’ll be going remote, this year’s batch is location-independent. However, all synchronous events will be held in the Portuguese timezone (WET). You need to attend these events at the time they are happening, regardless of where you are.
18. Are there any restrictions on the selection criteria?
Yes. Although we randomly select students that passed the coding test and practical exercises, we have a few (important) restrictions. More details on that can be found here.
19. Will I receive a certificate?
If you successfully accomplish all requirements for graduation, then yes. Although we believe the learning is bigger than a certificate, we'll be providing one. The expected timeframe for certificate delivery is between 1 to 3 months after graduation.
20. I would like to check more information. Where can I check it?
Great question! Our absolute source of truth for the entire organization is our wiki. We strongly recommend that, before applying, that you check our wiki here.
21. Are the materials only accessible to students inside the Starters Academy?
No. We are advocates for open-source materials and you can find our materials in our GitHub repo (come back for updates on the link). You are free to follow the materials of the course independently but won't be able to attend the Bootcamp, hackathons, capstone, and have access to the instructors. And be part of an amazing community!
22. What is the required time commitment?
For that information (and other relevant ones), please refer to our wiki page.
We kindly remind you that - although most of our students are able to successfully find a job in Data Science - we can't guarantee it will actually land you a job and a career in tech. Additionally, the Starters Academy was designed to be taken as a sidekick, not your main activity.
For this Batch, we are reserving 10 spots for scholarships for people that are in a no/low-income situation. If you are in this situation and interested to enroll at the Starters Academy, read about how to apply for a scholarship here
If granted, the pricing for scholarships is a symbolic fee of 20€.
For Batch 5, we are reserving 10 spots for scholarships for people that are in a no/low-income situation.
If you are in this situation and interested to enroll at the Starters Academy, read about how to apply for a scholarship here.
If granted, the pricing for scholarships is a symbolic fee of 20€.
Join our mailing list to receive all news firsthand for the next edition of the Starters Academy
Before applying, make sure that you visit our wiki to find all the updated information regarding the Starters Academy.
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7th April to 15th June 2025
