Having met the instructors (and some of the students), they're an incredibly bright bunch of people. They would have put a lot of time and effort into arranging

Having met the instructors (and some of the students), they're an incredibly bright bunch of people. They would have put a lot of time and effort into arranging this course. This is probably an excellent way to kick-start your programming skills, let alone "legit". Do note that entry requirements are strict i.e. you need to show some aptitude for programming before they even let you start the course.