Getting Started with Git and GitHub

Seize the savings! Get 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus and full access to thousands of courses.

Getting Started with Git and GitHub

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructors: Rav Ahuja +2 more

158,060 already enrolled

Included with

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,907 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,907 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Describe version control and its place in social and collaborative coding and in DevOps.
Explain basic Git concepts such as repositories and branches used for distributed version control and social coding.
Create GitHub repositories and branches, and perform pull requests (PRs) and merge operations, to collaborate on a team project.
Build your portfolio by creating and sharing an open-source project on GitHub.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Get started with Git and GitHub in this self-paced, introductory course! You’ll become familiar with collaborative version control and popular Git platforms. Collaboration and social coding are crucial parts of contemporary Software Engineering practices and the DevOps culture.

You will begin this course with an overview of Git and Github fundamentals and explore key Git concepts such as branching and repositories, as well as the use of Git commands. You will also learn and practice various Git concepts such as forking, cloning and merging workflows using hands-on labs. And you’ll learn to use GitHub to work effectively as a team, and perform common Git operations, from both the Web UI and command line. The course wraps up with a final project where you will start building your portfolio by creating and sharing a public/open-source GitHub project. By completing this course you will demonstrate your Git and Github skills as well as add a project to your resume! All hands-on activities in this course can be performed using web-browser based tools and interfaces. Installation of any specialized software is NOT required on your own computer in order to complete the course.

Application developers rarely work alone. Large web/cloud/mobile development and data science projects will include many people – front-end developers, back-end developers, database administrators, repository administrators, and others. Every change by every contributor must be tracked and controlled to enable collaboration, accountability, and version management. This type of distributed version control is extremely important when managing both small and large software projects. In this module, you will learn about some of the popular version control tools, create a GitHub account, and use the GitHub web interface to create a repository, add a file to it, and commit your changes. Branches are the heart of workflows in Git-based version control systems like GitHub. You will also become familiar with creating and using branches and merging your changes to the main branch.

What's included

6 videos2 readings3 assignments3 plugins

6 videos Total 24 minutes

Course Introduction 4 minutes
Overview of Git and GitHub 4 minutes
Introduction to GitHub 5 minutes
GitHub Repositories 4 minutes
GitHub - Getting Started 3 minutes
GitHub Branches 5 minutes

2 readings Total 4 minutes

Summary: Getting Started with Git and GitHub 2 minutes
Summary: Branches with GitHub 2 minutes

3 assignments Total 37 minutes

Practice Quiz: Getting Started with Git and GitHub 10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Branches with GitHub 6 minutes
Graded Quiz: Git and GitHub Fundamentals 21 minutes

3 plugins Total 55 minutes

Hands-On Lab: GitHub Sign Up and Create Repo 30 minutes
Hands-On Lab: Branching and Merging (Web UI) 20 minutes
Glossary: Git and GitHub Fundamentals  5 minutes

As you start working with GitHub repositories and automating workflows, using the web interface can be limiting and more time-consuming. This is where Git commands come in. You can use it from your own desktop, or a virtual desktop provided through the Cloud IDE - wherever you develop your code. In this module, you will become familiar with and utilize various Git commands to clone and fork repositories, as well as commit, push, and pull your changes using the command line.

What's included

6 videos1 reading2 assignments2 app items3 plugins

6 videos Total 33 minutes

Overview of Git Workflows 7 minutes
Overview of Git Commands 5 minutes
Demo: Working with Branches using Git Commands 5 minutes
Cloning and Forking GitHub Projects 6 minutes
Cloning versus Forking 7 minutes
Managing GitHub Projects 4 minutes

1 reading Total 2 minutes

Summary: Git Workflows with Git Commands 2 minutes

2 assignments Total 31 minutes

Practice Quiz: Git Workflows with Git Commands 10 minutes
Graded Quiz: Git Commands and Managing GitHub Projects 21 minutes

2 app items Total 50 minutes

Hands-On Lab: Getting Started with Branches using Git Commands 25 minutes
Hands-On Lab: Cloning and Forking GitHub Projects 25 minutes

3 plugins Total 29 minutes

Reading: Git Commands 15 minutes
Cheat Sheet: Git Commands and Managing GitHub Projects 10 minutes
Glossary: Git Commands and Managing GitHub Projects 4 minutes

Now that you are familiar working with GitHub repositories, Branches, and Git commands, in this module you will apply your knowledge and skills to create a GitHub Project, add few files to it such as an open-source license, and share it publicly.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 peer review3 app items5 plugins

1 video Total 5 minutes

[Optional] GitHub Copilot 5 minutes

2 readings Total 7 minutes

Congratulations and Next Steps 2 minutes
Thanks from the Course Team 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 30 minutes

Option 2: Peer Review Submission and Evaluation 30 minutes

3 app items Total 135 minutes

Practice Project: Part 2 - Git CLI 45 minutes
Final Project: Part 2 - Git CLI 60 minutes
Option 1: Final Project Submission and Evaluation 30 minutes

5 plugins Total 95 minutes

Practice Project: Overview 15 minutes
Practice Project: Part 1 - GitHub UI 30 minutes
Final Project: Overview and Grading Criteria 15 minutes
Final Project: Part 1 - GitHub UI 30 minutes
Course Glossary: Git and GitHub 5 minutes

In this module, you will learn to install Git Bash on your Windows machine and configure an SSH key to work with your GitHub repo using Git commands on your system.

What's included

1 reading4 plugins

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(501 ratings)

Rav Ahuja

IBM

55 Courses 4,820,323 learners

Offered by

IBM

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
75.52%
4 stars
17.87%
3 stars
3.61%
2 stars
1.25%
1 star
1.72%

Showing 3 of 1907

Reviewed on Oct 5, 2023

one of the best courses for beginners having great basic knowledge and hands-on lab by IBM are amazing special thanks to Coursera for providing financial aid for this course

Reviewed on Apr 12, 2025

There should be more information on the final project. I was a bit confused if it was talking about writing in CLI or Github.

Reviewed on Aug 4, 2024

Useful start to GitHub. Practice modules are the most helpful, but videos are paced too quickly, do not give time to take notes.

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.