“It’s like passing your driving test: you may even have your license, but getting onto a real highway still feels intimidating. Project-based learning gives juniors that ‘driving’ experience: a safe space to make mistakes, build confidence, and get ready for real projects,” explains Yulia Korzhenevska about the final stage of training at EPAM Campus.
Around 95% of graduates from this stage go on to commercial projects and start their careers at the company. Here’s how the training works and what makes it unique.
Many beginners finish courses without gaining practical experience, while employers prefer candidates who already understand real responsibilities and have worked in production environments.
To bridge this gap, EPAM offers a project-based learning program. It allows participants to work in teams under real-world conditions, make mistakes in a safe environment, and continue learning while solving real tasks.
What is project-based learning at EPAM Campus?
The typical Campus process looks like this:
- self-study through Basic and Beginner courses
- selection and training in a Fundamentals-level course in the chosen direction
- tests, interviews, and a special selection process
- lab training within the company
- project-based learning
- interview for a real project and start of a career in the company
“Project-based learning is part of the onboarding process for future junior specialists. If there’s an opportunity to join a lab in your field, I strongly recommend it. This is where you really get behind the wheel and start applying everything you’ve learned,” emphasizes Yulia Korzhenevska, who coordinates training on one of the projects.
Today, EPAM offers several projects that students can join. One of them is Doghotel — a pet hotel website that also features profiles of adoptable animals. Another is DonorApp — a solution developed for the NGO “Blood Agents,” which helps donors prepare for and schedule blood donations, as well as receive reminders. There’s also PetAdoption, a platform that connects shelters, volunteers, and people looking to adopt pets.
Over time, many cohorts of junior specialists have grown through these projects. There are also internal initiatives designed to improve lab processes, for example, tools for managing Scrum ceremonies or tracking student activity. Training closely mirrors real IT team environments. Participants use modern technologies (including AI tools), work in cross-functional teams, and communicate in English. Each team includes a product owner, scrum master, and mentors.
Typical tasks on DogHotel
“At first glance, it may seem that the website is already finished, but in reality we are constantly working on improvements and developing new interesting features,” Yulia comments on the tasks her students work on. These can include enhancing the photo gallery, building responsive layouts for tablets and mobile devices, and adding admin features.
“But our final goal is not to migrate from physical servers to the cloud, rewrite code, or make a perfect website. Our goal is to give students interesting tasks and practical experience, immerse them in the entire product development process from requirements gathering to release, master terminology and tools, try working in Scrum methodology, and learn how to interact with each other.”
Why is project-based learning important for beginners?
Practice over theory: students work on tasks similar to real company projects.
Mistakes without fear: this is a “sandbox” where you can test solutions, make mistakes, and learn from experienced colleagues and mentor feedback.
Teamwork: it is important to master not only technical skills but also collaboration in an international team.
Understanding development processes: close cooperation with all project participants allows you to see not only your own part of the work but also that of colleagues — developers, business analysts, testers, designers, DevOps, etc.
Flexibility: зarticipants manage their own workload. Some spend a few hours per week, others work daily but those who invest more time typically see faster progress. The program lasts about three months, with an average workload of 3–4 hours per day. By the end, students add their first real project to their portfolio, and this stage counts as their first practical IT experience. In addition, participants gain exposure to the company’s culture and values.
Another benefit is networking - students and mentors build connections that can be valuable later, whether joining a project or finding the right specialist while on the bench.
“At one point, I joined EPAM through Campus programs, but I was assigned to a production project very quickly and didn’t go through project-based learning,” Yulia recalls. “I remember my first demos and how stressful it was to present in English to 70 colleagues, many of them from the US. Even though my first degree is in English teaching, it was still intimidating. If I’d had even a month of this kind of practice beforehand, I would have felt much more confident.”
Who are the mentors?
Mentors at EPAM are typically mid-level or senior specialists who want to share their experience. “About half of the mentors on my project are former graduates of our programs. They guide students, give advice, and help them understand tasks—because they’ve been through the same journey themselves,” Yulia comments.
For mentors, this is volunteer work that also gives them the opportunity to develop leadership and mentoring skills, generalize their knowledge, and build artifacts for further career development. One mentor usually supports 1–3 students, depending on their workload on the main project.
A beginner can be supported by a whole group of people: a mentor for professional questions in their specialty who assigns tasks, checks them, and provides feedback; a buddy — the person in the team who has been on the project the longest and can explain the project history, responsibilities, routines, and tasks; and a project manager who redirects questions to competent people, advises on processes, and helps if the situation becomes stuck.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions — we always have answers and are open to communication,” Yulia encourages.
“As a former teacher, I enjoy sharing knowledge. But it’s also a growth opportunity for me. On my main project, I’m a tester, but here I take on a leadership role. I learn to manage processes, delegate tasks, and improve my soft skills. This experience helps mentors grow faster in their careers. And the atmosphere on the project is so positive that people often come back—we even have a chat for graduates.”
EPAM doesn’t typically hire junior specialists directly from the market. Instead, it trains them internally to meet its standards.
While universities provide a strong foundation, the industry evolves quickly—and not all practical skills can be learned in academic settings. EPAM Campus helps bridge that gap by offering hands-on experience with modern tools, real tasks, and both technical and communication skills.
At the same time, EPAM collaborates with universities to help shape modern IT education.
How is project-based learning organized at EPAM Campus today?
Project-based learning is the final stage of EPAM Campus, where students gain their first real experience working in a team. As explained by Nadiia Tsyura, Project Learning Coordinator at EPAM Global, this stage is as close as possible to real IT work conditions. It is either an internal or simulation project, the value of which lies in gaining teamwork experience, synchronization, and practicing technical skills. In addition, students receive their first line of professional experience in their profiles.
In recent years, the company has introduced a new, more structured and scalable format of project-based learning. Every month, a new group of students starts the “X-Stack Project Education Course,” which lasts 3.5 months. The first phase includes self-learning supported by a team of experts, as well as workshops and training sessions, and the second phase involves working on projects in cross-functional teams over five sprints.
Students work in teams that include a project manager/scrum master and a student team captain. Every week they have consultations with experts, but they can also reach out whenever questions arise. Project work follows classic Scrum methodology, and every two weeks students present sprint results to the product owner, who evaluates technical solutions, presentation quality, communication skills, and other criteria. Additional workshops, training sessions, and team-building activities are also part of the program.
After completing the program, participants receive support in updating their profiles, highlighting their new skills, and preparing for technical interviews before joining real projects.
