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Software Architecture Courses

Software architecture courses can help you learn system design principles, architectural patterns, and scalability strategies. You can build skills in creating robust APIs, ensuring security in software systems, and integrating microservices effectively. Many courses introduce tools like UML for modeling, Docker for containerization, and cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure, that support deploying and managing applications in modern environments.

Popular Software Architecture Courses and Certifications

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    U

    University of Alberta

    Software Design and Architecture

    Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Model View Controller, Unified Modeling Language, Object Oriented Design, Service Oriented Architecture, API Design, Web Services, Software Design Patterns, Software Design, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Microservices, Restful API, Code Review, Product Family Engineering, Software Systems, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Java, Software Development, Software Documentation, Maintainability

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    4K reviews

    Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    U

    University of Alberta

    Software Architecture

    Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Unified Modeling Language, Software Design, Product Family Engineering, Software Systems, Software Development, Software Documentation, Software Design Patterns, Middleware, Maintainability, Application Deployment, Scalability, Databases

    4.5
    Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    938 reviews

    Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    I

    IBM

    IBM Systems and Solutions Architect

    Skills you'll gain: Process Mapping, Business Process Modeling, Business Analysis, Cloud-Native Computing, Identity and Access Management, Data Migration, Software Architecture, Stakeholder Analysis, Systems Design, Extract, Transform, Load, Systems Architecture, Communication Planning, Stakeholder Management, Cybersecurity, Data Integration, Test Planning, Enterprise Architecture, Software Testing, Project Management, Information Technology

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    271 reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    I

    IBM

    Introduction to Software Engineering

    Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Software Design, Software Development Methodologies, Software Design Patterns, Development Environment, Unified Modeling Language, Software Engineering, Web Applications, Software Development Tools, Software Development, Application Deployment, Programming Principles, Front-End Web Development, Back-End Web Development, Software Documentation, Computer Programming, Python Programming

    4.7
    Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
    ·
    4.5K reviews

    Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    M

    Microsoft

    Microsoft Data Architecture for Modern Data Stacks

    Skills you'll gain: Star Schema, Snowflake Schema, Data Lakes, Data Governance, Data Warehousing, CI/CD, Microsoft Azure, Database Design, Power BI, Real Time Data, Data Pipelines, Data Management, Data Architecture, Extract, Transform, Load, Microsoft Copilot, Cost Control, Data Modeling, Transact-SQL, SQL, Cloud Infrastructure

    Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    U

    University of Colorado Boulder

    Software Architecture for Big Data

    Skills you'll gain: Service Level, Database Management, Acceptance Testing, Software Engineering, Web Applications, Performance Testing, Scalability, Microservices, Software Architecture, Data Architecture, Distributed Computing, Data Infrastructure, System Monitoring, Functional Requirement, Application Deployment, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Application Development, Prototyping, Predictive Modeling, Big Data

    Build toward a degree

    3.5
    Rating, 3.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    103 reviews

    Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

What brings you to Coursera today?

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    P

    Packt

    Microservices Architecture: Design Patterns & Principles

    Skills you'll gain: Microservices, Scalability, Software Architecture, CI/CD, API Gateway, Systems Architecture, Containerization, Software Design, Serverless Computing, Application Design, Solution Architecture, Docker (Software), Software Design Patterns, Systems Design, Kubernetes, Service Oriented Architecture, Event-Driven Programming, Transaction Processing, Cloud Deployment, Data Management

    4.3
    Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
    ·
    9 reviews

    Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    Status: AI skills
    AI skills
    I

    IBM

    IBM DevOps and Software Engineering

    Skills you'll gain: Cloud Deployment, CI/CD, Software Development Life Cycle, Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Continuous Integration, Istio, Linux Commands, Software Architecture, Agile Software Development, Scrum (Software Development), Cloud Computing Architecture, Application Deployment, Test Driven Development (TDD), Restful API, Git (Version Control System), DevOps, Grafana, Software Engineering, Data Import/Export, Application Development

    Build toward a degree

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    64K reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    A

    Amazon Web Services

    AWS Cloud Solutions Architect

    Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudWatch, Data Lakes, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Scalability, Cloud Infrastructure, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Event-Driven Programming, Cloud Security, Solution Architecture, Data Visualization, Cloud Storage, Data Architecture, Cloud Computing Architecture, API Gateway, Software Architecture

    Build toward a degree

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    7K reviews

    Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    C

    Coursera

    Cloud Architecture Design Patterns

    Skills you'll gain: Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Infrastructure, Scalability, Cloud Computing, Software Architecture, Cloud Applications, Cloud Solutions, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Load Balancing, Serverless Computing, Software Design Patterns, Microservices, Event-Driven Programming

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    33 reviews

    Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    G

    Google Cloud

    Architecting with Google Kubernetes Engine

    Skills you'll gain: Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Infrastructure, Prompt Engineering, Containerization, Identity and Access Management, Cloud-Native Computing, CI/CD, Cloud Storage, Application Deployment, Cloud Management, Cloud Services, Virtual Machines, Scalability, Virtual Networking, Cloud Computing, Docker (Software), Application Development, Load Balancing, Continuous Integration

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    5.2K reviews

    Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    Status: AI skills
    AI skills
    I

    IBM

    IBM Full Stack Software Developer

    Skills you'll gain: Cloud Deployment, Software Development Life Cycle, Cloud-Native Computing, Istio, Software Architecture, Kubernetes, CI/CD, Cloud Computing Architecture, React Redux, Node.JS, Responsive Web Design, Restful API, Django (Web Framework), Git (Version Control System), HTML and CSS, Server Side, Cloud Computing, Large Language Modeling, Data Import/Export, Engineering Software

    Build toward a degree

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    59K reviews

    Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

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In summary, here are 10 of our most popular software architecture courses

  • Software Design and Architecture: University of Alberta
  • Software Architecture: University of Alberta
  • IBM Systems and Solutions Architect: IBM
  • Introduction to Software Engineering: IBM
  • Microsoft Data Architecture for Modern Data Stacks: Microsoft
  • Software Architecture for Big Data: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Microservices Architecture: Design Patterns & Principles: Packt
  • IBM DevOps and Software Engineering: IBM
  • AWS Cloud Solutions Architect: Amazon Web Services
  • Cloud Architecture Design Patterns: Coursera

Skills you can learn in Software Development

Programming Language (34)
Google (25)
Computer Program (21)
Software Testing (21)
Web (19)
Google Cloud Platform (18)
Application Programming Interfaces (17)
Data Structure (16)
Problem Solving (14)
Object-oriented Programming (13)
Kubernetes (10)
List & Label (10)

Frequently Asked Questions about Software Architecture

Software architecture is the foundational structure of a software system, encompassing the software's components, their relationships, and the principles guiding its design and evolution. It is crucial because it dictates how software will perform, scale, and adapt to changes over time. A well-defined architecture can lead to improved maintainability, better performance, and a more efficient development process, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and business outcomes.‎

Careers in software architecture can be diverse and rewarding. Common job titles include Software Architect, Solutions Architect, Technical Architect, and Systems Architect. These roles often involve designing software systems, making high-level design choices, and ensuring that the architecture aligns with business goals. Additionally, professionals in this field may work closely with development teams to implement architectural decisions and guide the technical direction of projects.‎

To pursue a career in software architecture, you'll need a mix of technical and soft skills. Key technical skills include proficiency in programming languages, understanding of software design patterns, and familiarity with cloud computing and microservices. Soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork are equally important, as architects often collaborate with various stakeholders. Continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends are also essential for success in this field.‎

There are several excellent online courses available for those interested in software architecture. Notable options include the Software Architecture course, which covers fundamental concepts, and the Software Design and Architecture Specialization, which offers a deeper dive into design principles. For those focused on big data, the Software Architecture for Big Data Specialization is also a great choice.‎

Yes. You can start learning software architecture on Coursera for free in two ways:

  1. Preview the first module of many software architecture courses at no cost. This includes video lessons, readings, graded assignments, and Coursera Coach (where available).
  2. Start a 7-day free trial for Specializations or Coursera Plus. This gives you full access to all course content across eligible programs within the timeframe of your trial.

If you want to keep learning, earn a certificate in software architecture, or unlock full course access after the preview or trial, you can upgrade or apply for financial aid.‎

Learning software architecture involves a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Start by taking foundational courses to understand key concepts and principles. Engage in hands-on projects to apply what you've learned, and consider collaborating with peers or mentors for guidance. Additionally, staying updated with industry trends through blogs, webinars, and forums can enhance your understanding and keep your skills relevant.‎

Typical topics covered in software architecture courses include architectural styles, design patterns, system integration, scalability, and performance optimization. Courses may also explore specific areas such as cloud architecture, microservices, and big data applications. Understanding these topics will equip you with the knowledge needed to design robust and efficient software systems.‎

For training and upskilling employees in software architecture, courses like the Software Architecture Foundations & Intro to Microservices and the IBM Data Architecture Professional Certificate are highly beneficial. These programs provide practical skills and knowledge that can be directly applied to real-world projects, helping teams to enhance their architectural capabilities.‎

This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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