the 42 curriculum

At 42 Berlin, future software engineers gain both technical expertise and essential soft skills through a peer-to-peer, project-based learning method.

Following the Piscine, you will advance through the Common Core, evolving from foundational coding to Master’s-level specialization. You control your trajectory by selecting the projects that interest you, ensuring your path is unique to your career goals.

We replace traditional grades with Experience Points (XP), turning failure into a constructive part of the debugging process.

This 4-stage journey is designed to ground you in essential logic before launching you into expert-level fields.

Your 42 Journey

6 – 24 MONTHS

Core Curriculum

This is your foundation. Master C, Python, Web, and AI. Gain a deep understanding of systems, networks, and algorithms through competency-based progression—advancing only when you master the code.

4 – 6 MONTHS

Work Experience

Transition from learner to professional. Secure a 4–6 month paid internship to apply your skills in a real-world setting. Integrate into a tech team and debug actual production code.

3-5 years

Specialisation

Unlock the Advanced Curriculum at Level 10+. This stage is equivalent to a Master’s degree, allowing you to specialize in fields like Cybersecurity, Automotive & Mobility Software, Advanced AI, or 3D Graphics.

6 MONTHS

Final Mastery

The final capstone. Complete a 6-month senior internship or launch a significant entrepreneurial project. Graduate with the experience to innovate and lead.

CORE CURRICULUM

12–18 months

This is your foundation. You will master the fundamentals of C, explore the versatility of Python, and dive into full-stack web development and AI. You will build a comprehensive understanding of systems, networks, algorithms, and object-oriented design. This competency-based progression means you advance only when you demonstrate mastery.

The core curriculum takes an average of 18 months of full-time study to complete, however this varies depending on how much time one dedicates to it. The maximum amount of time that can be spent on the curriculum is 24 months. 42 accommodates flexibility in schedule and pace, however we strongly recommend prioritising your studies over other activities while you’re here, as a certain amount of momentum is needed to progress well.

WORK EXPERIENCE 1

4–6 months

Once you finish the core part of the curriculum, you will get the chance to put all your newfound knowledge and skills into professional practice.

Our strong partner network, extracurricular learning events to support with job application material preparation in addition to ongoing peer-led formats provide a solid foundation to support you as you navigate your internship and job search.

Many of our students go on to complete internships at our partner companies, including Microsoft, VW, CARIAD, Capgemini, T-Systems, SAP, and Bayer. However, no student is under any obligation to work with any partner company and many students take their first steps into the tech world through internships at other companies or startups, depending on their goals and interests.

As an essential part of your learning journey and a key first step into the professional tech world, internships must be paid, in the IT sector, and should provide an environment for hands-on learning in a tech team.

After gaining this real-world experience, it’s the perfect time to return and further specialise in your chosen field.

We’ll open doors in tech and you’ll walk through them.

SPECIALISATION

Up to 5 years

This is where things get super interesting. By specialising in a field of your choice, you will be trained up to the equivalent of masters level. Our specialisations change and update frequently, and they currently include: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, web and mobile app development, operating systems, graphical programming, SEA:ME and more.

You will not be obligated to stick to one specialisations, or see it through the the finish line if you do not want; but rather you will be given the flexibility to choose the projects that interest you as and when they do.

When you would like to finish your studies to become an alumni is totally in your hands and it is not uncommon that students leave us earlier than expected due to the acquisition of their desired job. You will have the option to undertake this part of the program in any other 42 campus in the world.

WORK EXPERIENCE 2

The final internship is a 6 month internship that will incorporate all that has been learned thus far.

By this time, you will be extremely qualified and more than ready to work in-projects that will take your skills to the next level.

CORE CURRICULUM

12–18 months

The core curriculum aims to give each student a rich and sturdy foundation, incorporating soft and hard skills alike. You will focus on C and C++ programming, work with classic algorithm softwares, discover file systems and understand the UNIX processes. Alongside this, you will touch upon network architecture, system administration, object-oriented programming, and client-server projects.

We structure our projects like a blossoming tree. Once a project is complete, you can move to the next branch until it splits. This allows you to discover multiple aspects of coding and IT. Each student’s journey will be unique, experimenting with different projects and specialisation paths.

You’ll cover the following topics in the core curriculum: Imperative programming in C, Object-Oriented Programming in C++, Data Structures & Algorithms, Concurrent programming, Network programming, Networks and Systems administration, Graphics programming, Web programming.

WORK EXPERIENCE1

4–6 months

Once you finish the core part of the curriculum, you will get the chance to put all your newfound knowledge and skills into professional practice.

After gaining this real-world experience, it’s the perfect time to return and further specialise in your chosen field.

We’ll open doors in tech and you’ll walk through them.

SPECIALISATION

Up to 5 years

WORK EXPERIENCE 2

The final internship is a 6 month internship that will incorporate all that has been learned thus far.

By this time, you will be extremely qualified and more than ready to work in-projects that will take your skills to the next level.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Administration System

Step into the role of a System Administrator. Build and secure robust server infrastructures from scratch. Master virtualization, disk partitioning, and Docker.

Virtualization Docker Scripting

Programming Fundamentals

Master the art of C programming. Go beyond syntax to understand the machine: control memory manually, manage pointers, and write your own libraries.

C Language Memory Pointers

Algorithmics

Develop a problem-solver's mindset. Design elegant algorithms that optimize for efficiency. Master optimization strategies, graph traversal, and complexity analysis.

Optimization Complexity Graphs

System & Network

Unlock the power of concurrent systems. Learn to manage threads, resources, and synchronization to build high-performance applications that communicate seamlessly.

Concurrency Threading Unix

Object-Oriented Programming

Dive deep into Python. Build elegant, maintainable applications using modern design patterns, inheritance, and encapsulation.

Python OOP Design Patterns

Web Development

Build production-ready full-stack applications. Combine responsive front-end interfaces with robust back-end APIs and databases.

Full-Stack REST APIs Databases

Artificial Intelligence

Harness the transformative power of AI. Build intelligent agents using Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG, and Prompt Engineering. Create software that can reason.

LLMs RAG Agentic AI

THE 42 LEARNING MODEL

Peer-to-Peer

Learn by teaching others. Develop communication, collaboration, and leadership skills while mastering technical concepts.

Project-Based

No lectures. You solve real-world problems from Day 1. Your GitHub becomes your portfolio.

Mastery Learning

No grades, just mastery. Advance by proving your skills through peer-validated projects that work.

Gamified

Progress through levels like in a game. Reach Level 10+ to unlock the Advanced Curriculum.

Technical Mastery

Infrastructure & DevOps Docker, Virtualization, System Administration.
Artificial Intelligence LLMs, RAG, Prompt Engineering, Agents.
Algorithmic Engineering C, Sorting, Optimization, Complexity Analysis.
Full-Stack Web Python, API Design, Security, Databases, Real-Time.

Professional DNA

Autonomous Learning The ability to learn any new technology without guidance.
Collaboration Leading projects and providing constructive code reviews.
Technical Communication Explaining complex systems to diverse audiences.
Resilience Adapting to failure and thriving in fast-paced environments.