Code+ Program

Code+ Program

Code+ 2021

Putting Theory into Practice

Go beyond the classroom and build on your academic foundation with a Code+ summer coding experience at Duke’s Office of Information Technology. Code+ is one of Duke's three "plus" programs, along with Data+ and CS+. For a taste of what Code+ offers, watch this video. 

This summer, the program will run in a hybrid format, both in-person and remotely. Read details here.

Applications have closed. 

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Code+ 2020 Zoom meeting

Code+ 2020 Recap

The Data+, Code+, and CS+ undergraduate summer programs held an online expo on July 30 and 31, 2020. Over fifty presentations took place in three sessions on two days. Student teams -- over 180 students in all -- presented their projects in "Zoom rooms" hosted by program administrators and project leads, with time for Q&A.

Read about the projects, and watch the Code+ presentations on YouTube.

Build your future with the Code+ program!

What is Code+?

Code+ is a 10-week project-based summer program for Duke University undergraduate students. The program is committed to increasing equity, inclusion, and diversity in the technology talent pipeline, and is interested in attracting students from underrepresented communities, including first-generation college students. Code+ offers students the opportunity to participate on a small project team where everyone works towards a common goal while sharing their knowledge and learning from IT professionals. The program emulates the successful Data+ program established in 2015 by iiD (the Information Initiative at Duke). A Code+ experience involves:

  • Working in an environment that combines academics and a professional work culture 
  • Contributing to projects that have intellectual merit and real-world impact
  • Applying skills to projects that are strategically significant to Duke
  • Dynamic team-based research and development
  • Learning from industry professionals

Why Code+?

Code+ is a unique summer opportunity. Unlike a traditional company internship where you may be assigned to a project or effort already in progress, Code+ provides an end-to-end experience, from project definition to requirements gathering to development of a product. As a participant, you'll also gain experience interfacing with IT professionals and project stakeholders, learning how to manage a project, and developing your presentation skills. Other skills you may acquire include:

  • Front-end and back-end web app development
  • Mobile app development
  • User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design
  • Information integration
  • Machine learning
  • Natural language processing

“Thanks to the Code+, I discovered what I want to do after college. I found that front-end development perfectly combines my interest in visual arts and computer science.”

Carolyn Blumberg
Junior, Duke Computer Science

“Code+ is awesome because I get to see the actual results of the work I did this summer since our project directly impacts Duke students’ lives.”

Teresa Mao
Junior, Duke Computer Science

“I loved the Code+ program because of how much independence I had in creating my own code. I felt like a real mobile developer!”

MacKenzie Simpson
Junior, Duke Computer Science & Global Health

Meaningful Work

team laughing

Professional Development

American tobacco campus at night

Latest Technologies

logos of various tools code+ interns may use
Donate Food Points Web application

2020 Project Highlight: Feed Every Devil

The Feed Every Devil Program, or FED, aims to address food insecurity among Duke students. Food insecurity is a serious problem in the university environment, leading to increased anxiety and unhealthy diets, negatively impacting student performance. The FED program tackles this problem with an application that allows students to donate their extra food points through a web or mobile interface to a Duke-managed Food Points bank. Students can make requests for food points, and upon approval, will receive a small supplement from the Food Points bank. Learn more about the project. 

Duke Notify

2020 Project Highlight: Streamline Communications Tool: Stay in the Loop with Duke Notify

Duke Notify is a communication streamlining tool that allows Duke services such as enterprise systems and entities such as student groups to send notifications automatically, through its API. Prior to the development of the application, there was no unified system for services to send notifications; each service has to create its own process to contact users. Duke Notify’s API, on the other hand, accepts incoming messages from services and can then pass the message along to the user's preferred notification method. Duke Notify supports a number of notification methods including email, SMS, MS Teams, and paging. Best of all, Duke Notify empowers users, allowing students, faculty, and staff the flexibility to choose their preferred notification methods for each system.The application went into production following the end of the Code+ program. Learn more about the project.