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There are 7 modules in this course
Demonstrate your job-ready skills to employers in this portfolio-worthy capstone project! During this course, you’ll apply your systems and solutions architecture, stakeholder management, and cloud-native deployment skills to create a real-world enterprise architecture.
As you work through the modules, you’ll apply systems and solutions architect strategies, including stakeholder engagement, requirements gathering, system design, security architecture, cloud deployment, and compliance alignment.
Through hands-on labs, you’ll create project charters, UML, and ERD diagrams. You’ll design scalable cloud-native architectures with Docker and IBM Cloud/AWS, and combine enterprise data pipelines, and incorporate secure frameworks. Plus, you’ll build end-to-end process flow, CI/CD pipelines, and a phase implementation roadmap.
By the end, you’ll have a comprehensive capstone project that demonstrates your expertise in systems and solutions architecture, highlighting your ability to address real organizational challenges and improve enterprise infrastructure.
Enroll today to gain demonstrable experience completing a capstone project that provides valuable practical experience you can discuss in interviews!
In this module, you’ll get oriented with the capstone project’s structure, tools, and expectations. You’ll explore how the project mirrors a real-world systems architecture workflow, leading the early planning phases by creating foundational documents. You’ll review a project charter, stakeholder mapping, and engagement strategy to align business, compliance, and technical teams. You will identify key stakeholder groups across departments and define architectural goals in alignment with business objectives and regulatory mandates. Further, you’ll collect and validate both functional and non-functional enterprise-level requirements, capturing critical factors. This foundation for scalable architectural design ensures that you are prepared to navigate current and future state processes using tools such as business requirements documents (BRDs), software requirements specifications (SRSs), and requirements traceability matrices (RTMs).
What's included
2 videos1 reading3 assignments7 plugins
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 10 minutes
Course Introduction•4 minutes
Project Overview•6 minutes
1 reading•Total 2 minutes
Course Overview•2 minutes
3 assignments•Total 49 minutes
Checklist: Project Initiation and Stakeholder Engagement•14 minutes
Checklist: Requirements Gathering•14 minutes
Graded Assignment: Graded Quiz: Project Initiation and Requirements Gathering•21 minutes
7 plugins•Total 71 minutes
Podcast: Roles and Responsibilities of Systems Architects vs. Solutions Architects •3 minutes
Reading: Helpful Tips for Course Completion•2 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Project Initiation and Stakeholder Engagement•2 minutes
Lab: Create a Project Charter, Stakeholder Register, and Stakeholder Engagement Plan •30 minutes
Podcast: Recap: Project Initiation and Requirements Gathering•2 minutes
Project Planning and Process Modeling
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on architectural planning and modeling the core processes of the enterprise ecosystem. You’ll demonstrate how to translate high-level business and regulatory requirements into structured, actionable architectural components using industry-standard tools and techniques. You’ll explore how to build foundational project planning artifacts, including a traceability matrix and a risk register, that consider real-world enterprise risks. You’ll learn to conduct a SWOT analysis, design and document enterprise workflows using UML diagrams, process flowcharts, and architecture blueprints. You’ll explore visual artifacts to communicate the end-to-end flow of data and logic across systems.
What's included
3 assignments5 plugins
Show info about module content
3 assignments•Total 49 minutes
Checklist: Project Planning and Risk Analysis •14 minutes
Checklist: Process Modeling and Visualization •14 minutes
Graded Quiz: Project Planning and Process Modeling•21 minutes
5 plugins•Total 70 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Project Planning and Risk Analysis•4 minutes
Lab: Create a Project Planning and Risk Analysis•30 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Process Modeling and Visualization•4 minutes
Lab: Create Process Models and Visualization•30 minutes
Podcast: Recap: Project Planning and Process Modeling•2 minutes
Enterprise Architecture and Cloud Setup
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will design and implement the foundation of cloud and enterprise architecture. You’ll focus on deploying scalable, secure infrastructure components that enable agility, compliance, and high performance in the enterprise. You’ll leverage tools, such as Docker and cloud platforms, including IBM Cloud and AWS, to design a microservices-based deployment model. You’ll learn to configure secure container registries, deploy images, and architect cloud environments. Further, you will create a data infrastructure blueprint, audit trails, and regulatory reporting. You’ll architect an event-driven architecture that supports real-time alerts to mitigate potential risks. Finally, you’ll estimate computing, storage, and bandwidth needs, aligning resource planning and document hardware, software, and network components across environments to create a complete infrastructure view.
What's included
6 assignments11 plugins
Show info about module content
6 assignments•Total 91 minutes
Checklist: Create an Architectural Diagram and Cloud Setup•14 minutes
Podcast: Recap: Enterprise Architecture and Cloud Setup •0 minutes
System and Database Design
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on designing the core systems architecture, data models, defining the structure, and behavior of key system components to business requirements and regulatory standards. You’ll explore architecture diagrams and UML models to define the roles, interactions, and data flows between core enterprise services. You’ll also identify and recommend appropriate tools, frameworks, and platforms for each architectural layer. In addition, you’ll gain hands-on experience validating solution feasibility through small-scale prototypes and proofs of concept. Finally, you’ll design conceptual and logical entity-relationship diagrams (ERDs), apply normalization up to 3NF, and translate models into SQL DDL scripts.
What's included
6 assignments11 plugins
Show info about module content
6 assignments•Total 91 minutes
Checklist: System Design with Use Case and Sequence Diagram•14 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Proof of Concept (PoC) Reports•2 minutes
Lab: Developing Proof of Concept (PoC) Reports•30 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Database Design, Storage, and Migration•2 minutes
Lab: Enterprise Database Design•30 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Create a Security Architecture Diagram•2 minutes
Lab: Create a Security Architecture Diagram•15 minutes
Podcast: Recap: System and Database Design•2 minutes
System Testing and Deployment Strategies
Module 5•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will focus on validating the systems architecture through testing strategies and deployment planning. You’ll review test plans for completeness, consistency, and alignment with architectural requirements. You’ll explore tools, such as requirements traceability matrix (RTM), test-driven development (TDD), and behavior-driven development (BDD), to verify business logic, system interactions, and user experience flows. You’ll also create configuration and API documentation to support consistent deployments and seamless integrations. Additionally, you’ll design backup and disaster recovery strategies to protect critical systems and ensure business continuity. Finally, you’ll develop CI/CD pipelines, monitoring frameworks, and incident response plans to maintain system reliability and performance.
What's included
6 assignments11 plugins
Show info about module content
6 assignments•Total 91 minutes
Checklist: Test Planning and Case Design Using TDD and BDD •14 minutes
Checklist: CI/CD Deployment and Monitoring Plan•14 minutes
Checklist: Backup and Recovery Plans•14 minutes
Checklist: Configuration Guides •14 minutes
Checklist: API Documentation •14 minutes
Graded Quiz: System Testing and Deployment Strategies•21 minutes
11 plugins•Total 132 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Test Planning and Case Design Using TDD and BDD•2 minutes
Lab: Test Planning and Case Design Using TDD and BDD •15 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: CI/CD Deployment and Monitoring Plan•2 minutes
Lab: Create a CI/CD Pipeline and Monitoring Strategy•15 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: Backup and Recovery Plans•2 minutes
Lab: Designing Backup and Recovery Plans •30 minutes
Lab: Documenting Configuration for Solution Components •30 minutes
Reading: Assignment Overview: API Documentation•2 minutes
Lab: Documenting APIs and Data Flows •30 minutes
Podcast: Recap: System Testing and Deployment Strategies•2 minutes
Final Submission and Evaluation
Module 6•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will complete your systems architect design, from engaging stakeholders to deploying strategies and ensuring compliance alignment. You’ll apply what you learned to create a system blueprint, UML diagrams, ERDs, data flow charts, cloud topology, CI/CD pipelines, and monitoring frameworks. You’ll prepare a document for submission, ensuring that your design vision is clearly communicated and implementation-ready. This submission will serve as a capstone evaluation and a portfolio-ready artifact that you can showcase to potential employers.
What's included
1 app item3 plugins
Show info about module content
1 app item•Total 10 minutes
Project: Final Submission and Evaluation•10 minutes
3 plugins•Total 37 minutes
Reading: Additional Resources•5 minutes
Reading: Overview: How to Present Your Findings•2 minutes
Final Project: Modernizing Digital Banking Operations at a Retail Bank •30 minutes
[Bonus] Career Guidance and Next Steps
Module 7•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this final module, you will shift focus from project execution to career advancement. You’ll reflect on your project experience, refine your professional brand, and prepare to pursue roles in systems architecture. You’ll draft a resume and a cover letter showcasing your skills and regulatory understanding. You’ll explore various career paths in enterprise architecture and practice common but practical interview questions.
What's included
3 videos2 readings5 plugins
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 14 minutes
Guide to Resume Writing•4 minutes
Guide to Developing a Personal Portfolio•6 minutes
Guide to Freelancing and Job Search •4 minutes
2 readings•Total 3 minutes
Congratulations and Next Steps•2 minutes
Team and Acknowledgments•1 minute
5 plugins•Total 38 minutes
Lab: Drafting Systems Architect Resume•15 minutes
Lab: Developing a Personal Portfolio•15 minutes
Reading: Planning a Job Search and Freelance Strategy•0 minutes
Podcast: Common Interview Questions and Tips•3 minutes
Podcast: Course Wrap-Up•5 minutes
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What are the prerequisites for taking this course?
This advanced course is recommended for learners with basic IT knowledge, understanding of systems and solution architects, and familiarity with cloud computing and stakeholder management. Previous experience with stakeholder and project management is helpful but not required. To ensure you have the skills you need to successfully complete this project, we recommend that you have completed all the prior courses in the IBM Systems and Solutions Architect Professional Certificate.
What software and tools will I need?
You will need a laptop or desktop computer with a modern web browser and a reliable internet connection. You should also need to install or access the free version of:
• Lucidchart
• MySQL
• IBM Cloud/AWS
• Microsoft Visio
• Kubernetes
• Visual Studio Code
• Jenkins
• Docker
Who should take this capstone course?
This course is designed for aspiring system architects, system analysts, IT professionals, or engineers seeking to advance their careers by refining their skills in cloud computing, software development, systems engineering, DevOps, and enterprise architecture. It also supports learners transitioning into system architect roles from related fields, such as business analysis, project management, or testing engineering.
What makes this different from other systems and solutions architect courses?
This capstone project provides you with the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge as a systems and solutions architect. You’ll work on creating solution blueprints, system and data models, cloud-native deployment strategies, and security frameworks that align with the regulatory standards, such as KYC, AML, PCI-DSS, and GDPR. They’ll also develop process flow, CI/CD pipelines, and a phased implementation roadmap.
What career opportunities/roles can this program prepare me for?
This course prepares learners for advanced roles, including systems and solutions architecture within enterprise IT environments. You can advance your career as a systems architect, solutions architect, cloud architect, enterprise architect, or DevOps engineer. It also supports career transition roles, such as business analysts, project managers, or test engineers, to related systems and solutions architect roles.
Through this capstone course, you can build a portfolio-ready enterprise architecture showcasing your ability to manager stakeholder requirements, design scalable cloud-native solutions, and align deployments with complaince and security standards.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
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.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?
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.