Software Architecture for Big Data Specialization

The University of Colorado Boulder, situated against the stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, is a flagship institution renowned for its academic excellence, research prowess, and vibrant campus life. CU Boulder has evolved into a hub of innovation and intellectual exploration. The university offers a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across various disciplines, encouraging students to pursue their passions and make meaningful contributions to society. At CU Boulder, students engage with world-class faculty who are leaders in their fields, fostering an environment that promotes critical thinking and creativity. The campus is a melting pot of ideas and cultures, providing a rich tapestry of experiences for students. With a commitment to sustainability and a focus on cutting-edge research, the University of Colorado Boulder continues to be a beacon of higher education, preparing students to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world.

This specialization is for software engineers interested in the principles of building and architecting large software systems that use big data. Through three courses you will learn about how to build and architect performant distributed systems from industry experts at Initial Capacity.This specialization can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s MS in Data Science or MS in Computer Science degrees offered on the Coursera platform. These fully accredited graduate degrees offer targeted courses, short 8-week sessions, and pay-as-you-go tuition. Admission is based on performance in three preliminary courses, not academic history. CU degrees on Coursera are ideal for recent graduates or working professionals. Learn more: MS in Data Science: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder MS in Computer Science: https://coursera.org/degrees/ms-computer-science-boulderApplied Learning ProjectThe first course will introduce you to software architecture and design concepts necessary to build and scale large, data intensive, distributed systems. Starting with software engineering best practices and loosely coupled, highly cohesive data microservices, the course will take you through the evolution of a distributed system over time.In the second course you will then learn what is needed to take big data to production, transforming big data prototypes into high quality tested production software. You will measure the performance characteristics of distributed systems, identify trouble areas, and implement scalable solutions to improve performanceThe specialization concludes with a projects course in which you will use learnings from the first and second courses to build a production-ready distributed system. As you progress, your instructors will guide you around common pitfalls and share their experiences in building big data systems.