In the Software Design and Architecture Specialization, you will learn how to apply design principles, patterns, and architectures to create reusable and flexible software applications and systems. You will learn how to express and document the design and architecture of a software system using a visual notation.
Practical examples and opportunities to apply your knowledge will help you develop employable skills and relevant expertise in the software industry.
Software Design and Architecture Specialization
Mindful Strategies for Quality Software. Think like an expert architect and create quality software using design patterns and principles.
Offered By
About this Specialization
16,703
16,703Skills you will gain
Software ArchitectureJavaSoftware Design PatternObject-Oriented Programming (OOP)
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.
There are 4 Courses in this Specialization
Course1
Object-Oriented Design
4.7
(532 ratings)
This course takes Java beginners to the next level by covering object-oriented analysis and design. You will discover how to create modular, flexible, and reusable software, by applying object-oriented design principles and guidelines. And, you will be able to communicate these designs in a visual notation known as Unified Modelling Language (UML).
You will be challenged in the Capstone Project to apply your knowledge of object-oriented design by evolving and documenting the Java codebase for an Android application with corresponding UML documentation.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• Apply the Class Responsibility Collaborator (CRC) technique to analyze and design the object-oriented model for a problem.
• Explain and apply object-oriented modeling principles and their purpose (e.g., abstraction, encapsulation, decomposition, generalization).
• Explain and apply different types of inheritance
• Explain the difference between association, aggregation, and composition dependencies.
• Express object-oriented models as Unified Modeling Language (UML) class diagrams.
• Translate between UML class diagrams and equivalent Java code.
• Apply design guidelines for modularity, separation of concerns, information hiding, and conceptual integrity to create a flexible, reusable, maintainable design.
• Explain the tradeoff between cohesion and coupling.
Course2
Design Patterns
4.7
(338 ratings)
This course extends object-oriented analysis and design by incorporating design patterns to create interactive applications. Through a survey of established design patterns, you will gain a foundation for more complex software applications. Finally, you will identify problematic software designs by referencing a catalog of code smells.
You will be challenged in the Capstone Project to redesign an existing Java-based Android application to implement a combination of design patterns. You will also critique a given Java codebase for code smells.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• Demonstrate how to use design patterns to address user interface design issues.
• Identify the most suitable design pattern to address a given application design problem.
• Apply design principles (e.g., open-closed, dependency inversion, least knowledge).
• Critique code by identifying and refactoring anti-patterns.
• Apply the model-view-controller architectural pattern.
Course3
Software Architecture
4.5
(176 ratings)
The way that software components — subroutines, classes, functions, etc. — are arranged, and the interactions between them, is called architecture. In this course you will study the ways these architectures are represented, both in UML and other visual tools. We will introduce the most common architectures, their qualities, and tradeoffs. We will talk about how architectures are evaluated, what makes a good architecture, and an architecture can be improved. We'll also talk about how the architecture touches on the process of software development.
In the Capstone Project you will document a Java-based Android application with UML diagrams and analyze evaluate the application’s architecture using the Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM).
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• Compare and contrast the components, connections, protocols, topologies, constraints, tradeoffs, and variations of different types of architectural styles used in the design of applications and systems (e.g., main program and subroutine, object-oriented, interpreters, pipes and filters, database centric, event-based).
• Describe the properties of layered and n-tier architectures.
• Create UML ipackage, component, and deployment diagrams to express the architectural structure of a system.
• Explain the behaviour of a system using UML activity diagrams.
• Document a multi-application system with a layered architecture.
Course4
Service-Oriented Architecture
4.4
(135 ratings)
Based on an understanding of architectural styles, you will review architectures for web applications, then explore the basics of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) in two approaches: Web Services (WS*) and Representational State Transfer (REST) architecture.
In the Capstone Project you will connect a Java-based Android application with Elasticsearch, a web service with a REST application programmer interface (API).
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• Describe SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) to structure web-based systems.
• Explain WS* services (i.e., SOAP over HTTP, WSDL, UDDI, BPEL).
• Apply REST architecture (i.e., JSON over HTTP, URI).
• Identify REST design principles.
• Create a system using REST interfaces.
• Apply microservice architecture.
Instructor
Kenny Wong
Associate ProfessorComputing Science, Faculty of Science
About University of Alberta
UAlberta is considered among the world’s leading public research- and teaching-intensive universities. As one of Canada’s top universities, we’re known for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the refund policy?
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Each of the four courses in the Specialization are designed to be completed in 4 weeks; the entire Specialization can be completed in 16 weeks. On average there is one assignment per week for the first 8 weeks (occasionally a week without an assignment will be followed by a week with two assignments). The last 8 weeks average fewer than one assignment per week.
Depending on capacity to complete assignments, we expect learners to finish any of the courses in 3 – 5 weeks.
What background knowledge is necessary?
Familiarity with object-oriented programming structures is essential. Basic Java programming knowledge is expected. Assignments and quizzes will require coding in Java. The capstone application will require you to use Android Studio, an integrated development environment.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
If you are intending to complete the entire specialization, it is highly recommended to take the courses in order as material presented in early courses will be referred to in later courses. If you are interested in specific courses, each course can be taken as a standalone course, provided that you are familiar with the content of previous courses.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
Software Design Architecture courses are not eligible for university credit.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
You will be able to create better software applications and systems that are reusable, flexible, and maintainable, because your software will follow established design principles, patterns, and architectures. You will also be able to communicate to others your software designs and architectures through industry standard visual notations.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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