Introduction
Cloud computing is referred to as on-demand access to computer system resources through the internet rather than a physical server. The emergence of cloud computing enables users to remotely access data storage services and computing power without additional hardware in a business location.
With the tremendous potential of cloud computing technology, several companies are undergoing massive transformation by turning towards cloud-based services instead of the contemporary data-centric approach. As a result, various cloud computing roles are emerging in the industry.
Currently, cloud computing expert roles such as cloud architect, developers, DevOps engineers, security engineer are some of the most in-demand job positions in the market. Ideally, with such increasing demand, it is an opportune moment for aspirants and IT professionals looking to enter the industry for a career in cloud computing. Therefore, one must upskill themselves to deep dive into a career full of opportunities and witness rapid career growth with a lucrative salary structure.
Related reading: Top 9 Online Courses to Learn DevOps
1. Cloud Computing Specialization by University of Illinois – Coursera
The course is available on Coursera. This course is available as part of the Master in Computer Science degree or as an independent specialization course offered by the University of Illinois. The course delves into the concepts of cloud computing systems and proceeds towards the concepts on layers and the core concepts on distributed systems inside the cloud environment.
In addition, the learners will cover each layer, such as a middle layer, upper layer, and lower layer concepts concerning cloud applications and networking comprehensively. There is a requirement to complete the capstone project for achieving the specialization certification. The course also includes graded assignments with peer feedback, including several programming assignments.
 The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Computing Concepts Part 1
- Cloud Computing Concepts Part 2
- Cloud Computing Applications
- Cloud Systems and Infrastructure
- Big Data and Applications in the Cloud
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Indranil Gupta, Roy Campbell, Reza Farivar, P. Brighten Godfrey, and Ankit Singla
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 8 Months
User Review: 4.3/5
No. of Reviews: 1298
Price: Free Enrollment (Additional charges for certification may apply for certification)
2. Building Cloud Computing Solutions at Scale Specialization – Coursera
Duke University offers this course on Coursera. The course is one of the highest-rated cloud computing online courses on the platform. In this course, the learners will begin with the foundations of cloud computing infrastructure and move forward to the advanced concepts on serverless technology and virtual machines, including the best practices of DevOps. Furthermore, the learners will explore building effective Microservices with cloud technologies such as Flask and Kubernetes and understand the deployment process in a cloud environment. In addition, the learners will have clarity over various cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud.
Finally, the learners will tackle complex data engineering problems and implement machine learning solutions to apply efficiently. For the capstone project, the learners will build a Flask web application to serve out machine learning predictions.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Computing Foundations
- Cloud Virtualization, Containers, and APIs
- Cloud Data Engineering
- Cloud Machine Learning Engineering and MLOPs
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Noah Gift
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 Months
User Review: 4.6/5
No. of Reviews: 40
Price: Free Enrollment (Additional charges for certification may apply for certification)
3. Special Issues in Cloud Computing Specialization by Georgia Tech – Coursera
The prestigious institution Georgia Tech offers this course on Coursera. In this course, the learners will cover four comprehensive modules and hands-on projects to provide an in-depth experience and build on their programming skills. In addition, the course covers crucial concepts about different layers of cloud computing infrastructure, software-defined networks, distributed runtime systems, application development, and network function virtualization.Â
The course curriculum includes:
Software-Defined Networking
In this module, the learners will be introduced to data center-related networking technologies, mainly software-defined networking, and provide the fundamental understanding of the history behind SDN and essential aspects of networks in a data center. In addition, the learners will understand the data center network architecture and the concepts of traffic engineering.
Cloud System Software
The second module covers the concepts of programming frameworks and their implementation within a cloud environment. In addition, there are several other topics covered in this module, such as scalable distributed data stores, resource management for supporting multi-tenancy and elasticity.
Besides, the learners will explore virtualization techniques in-depth with guided implementation-based practical sessions, where the learners will understand the uses of a distributed runtime system for the Map-Reduce programming framework.
Cloud Applications
The third module of the course includes introductory concepts on the development and support required for cloud-native applications.
In addition, the learners will delve into the best practices required for developing applications, migration of on-premise applications to the cloud platform, and the building blocks and properties required in cloud applications.
The learners will also have exciting concepts about novel cloud applications and gain insights into the geo-distributed computation.
Network Function Virtualization
The final module focuses on providing the concepts of network function virtualization from a system engineer perspective. The learners will understand the proliferation of middleboxes in an enterprise network and the need for virtualized components.Â
Moreover, the learners will understand the details about optimizing operating systems for efficient networking on virtualized hardware and the design decisions. The learners will also cover the challenges and solutions related to scalable systems for providing networking services in data centers.Â
Finally, the course concludes with discussions associated with real-world applications and technologies in the cloud computing ecosystem, followed by hands-on projects for each of the modules that learners must complete to achieve the certificate of completion.
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Umakishore Ramchandran
Level: Beginner
Duration: 6 Months
User Review: 4.5/5
No. of Reviews: 15
Price: Free Enrollment (Additional charges for certification may apply for certification)
4. Post Graduate Program in Cloud Computing by Caltech – Simplilearn
This program is designed in collaboration with Caltech and is available on Simplilearn. In this course, the learners will gain in-depth knowledge on cloud architecture and its principles and build essential skills to become cloud experts. Furthermore, the learners will cover concepts on designing, planning to build scalable cloud applications.
In addition, the learners will master the skills for implementing the technologies alongside core skill sets to design and deploy dynamically scalable applications on three of the most widely used cloud platforms, namely, Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.
By the end of the course, the learners will have gain mastery over the cloud computing ecosystem with in-depth knowledge on topics such as:
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- Cloud provider selection
- Application migration
- Performance Testing
- Identity Access Management
- Cloud Workloads
- Auto Scaling and Disaster Recovery Solutions
- Web Services and API
- Cloud Migration and Deployment
- Database Management
- Multi-Cloud Deployment
- The course modules are:
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- AWS Solutions Architect
- Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies
- Microsoft Azure Architect Design
- Cloud Computing Capstone Project
- Electives:
- Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator
- Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate
- AWS Developer Associate
- AWS Sysops Associate
- AWS Database Migration
- Google Cloud Platform Architect Training
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Rick Hefner and John R. Wetsch
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Duration: 12 Months
User Review: 4.6/5
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: $4750
5. Become a Cloud Developer Nanodegree Program – Udacity
This course is offered on Udacity. In this course, the learners will explore cloud development’s fundamental concepts and build and deploy production-ready applications at scale using AWS. In addition, the learners will cover concepts such as microservices, Kubernetes clusters, and the use of serverless application technology. The course prerequisites include intermediate-level knowledge in JavaScript, Git and GitHub, and Linux command line basics.
Additionally, the learners are expected to have familiarity with object-oriented programming, web development with HTML and CSS. Experienced reviewers will review all the assignments and the capstone project from the industry.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Foundations
- Full Stack Apps on AWS
- Monolith to Microservice at Scale
- Develop and Deploy a Serverless App
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Kesha Williams, Gabriel Ruttner, Justin Lee, and Ivan Mushketyk
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 months
User Review: 4.4/5
No. of Reviews: 750
Price: $1056 for 4-Month Access/$310.8 per Month
6. Cloud-Native Application Architecture Nanodegree Program – Udacity
This course is offered on the Udacity platform. In this course, the learners will master their running and managing scalable applications in the cloud-native environment.
Additionally, the learners will upskill themselves with open source tools and work on various hands-on industry projects, including ArgoCD, gRPC, and Grafana. Besides, the learners will learn about the essentials of the modern cloud environment, such as releasing an application to a Kubernetes cluster with the help of an automated CI/CD pipeline. The learners will also explore the concepts of Docker and the DockerHub and refactoring microservice capabilities from a monolithic architecture.
The learners will also cover the best practices, industry standards, and design decision concepts in this course. In addition, the course explores the fundamental concepts of observability in distributed systems and provides advanced concepts of STRIDE to threat models for microservice security.
The course prerequisites include a basic understanding of HTTP, Python basics, Git, Linux, and Linux command line. Besides, the learners can gain more from the course if they have some working knowledge of web application development, Docker, and CI/CD pipeline basics.Â
The course modules are:
- Cloud-Native Fundamentals
- Message Parsing
- Observability
- Microservice Security
- Capstone Project
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Kate Gamanji, Justin Lee, Nick Reva, and Jay Smith
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Duration: 4 months
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: $1056 for 4-Month Access/$310.8 per Month
7. MicroMasters Program in Cloud Computing – edX
The University of Maryland offers this course on the edX platform. In this course, the learners will understand cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, and vSphere and their uses to increase productivity in an organization. Furthermore, the learners will explore various infrastructures, namely infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as A Service (PaaS), Software as A Service (SaaS), and build the essential skills required to be a successful developer in the cloud computing environment.
The learners will also understand the fundamental concepts related to legal and compliance issues, cloud security, and risk mitigation, including the industry standards and best practices. In addition, the learners will cover every concept with hands-on sessions to understand the implementation, configuration, and management of cloud technologies.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Computing for Enterprises
- Cloud Computing Infrastructure
- Cloud Computing Engineering and Management
- Cloud Computing Security
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Charif El MaMouni, Jarrod Jordan, and Patrick Appiah-Kubi
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 8 months
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: $1076
8. Cloud Computing Practitioner with AWS Academy Cloud Foundations – FutureLearn
This course is offered by Coventry University in collaboration with AWS Academy on the Futurelearn platform. In this course, the learners will be covering complex concepts on cloud computing, its technologies, AWS core services, cloud security, cloud architecture, pricing, and support.
The course also includes practical lab sessions in an AWS cloud environment. In addition, the learners will understand the capabilities of cloud applications and explore various advanced concepts required to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam. Furthermore, the course provides several business problems with use cases for learners to evaluate and build cloud computing products and services to meet the organizational goals and objectives.
Moreover, the learners will be well-equipped with cloud computing principles and the knowledge for selecting appropriate components and architecture for business problems. Finally, the learners will also explore the concepts of secure migration to the cloud and deploying cloud-based business functions. Additionally, the course provides 15 UK academic credits by Coventry University.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Computing Business and Technology Fundamentals
- Cloud Computing Practitioner
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Jens Soeldner and Nick Romney
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 12 weeks
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: $1009
9. Microsoft Azure for .NET Developers-Cloud Patterns and Architecture – Pluralsight
The course is available on Pluralsight. This course provides advanced topics on building systems in the cloud and the essential skills to write highly available, scalable, and resilient applications and services.
In this course, the learners will also cover various architectural approaches required for building cloud applications and understand how Azure services and resources fit in these architectures. Furthermore, the learners will understand Azure’s typical architecture and the design pattern of resilient systems from a disaster recovery perspective.
Finally, the learners will cover the concept of performance of the scalable systems to meet the business demand.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Architecture in the Cloud
- Cloud Patterns for Resiliency
- Cloud Patterns for Scalability
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Matt Tester
Level: Advanced
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
User Review: 5/5
No. of Reviews: 50
Price: 10-Day Free Trial (Charges applicable after Trial. Price available on Sign-Up)
10. Become a Cloud DevOps Engineer Nanodegree Program – Udacity
This course is offered on the Udacity platform. The nano degree programs are equivalent to the specialization courses on other platforms. In this course, the learners will cover the concepts on design and deployment of infrastructure as a code and understand how to build and monitor CI/CD pipelines as per different deployment strategies.
Additionally, the learners will explore the concepts of deploying scalable microservices using Kubernetes. The course prerequisites include familiarity with web development using HTML and CSS, object-oriented programming, and command-line basics.
At the end of the course, the learners will have complete knowledge of working in the Agile environment and operationalize infrastructure at scale, including delivering applications and services and high velocity.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Cloud Foundations
- Deploy Infrastructure as Code (IAC)
- Build CI/CD Pipelines, Monitoring, and Logging
- Microservices at scale using Kubernetes
- Capstone
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Kesha Williams, Carlos Rivas, Noah Gift, and Byron Sommardahl
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 months
User Review: 4.6/5
No. of Reviews: 700
Price: $1056 for 4-Month Access/$310.8 per Month
11. Google Cloud Product Fundamentals for AWS Professionals by Google – Pluralsight
The course is available on Pluralsight. In this course, the learners will be introduced to the core capabilities of Google Cloud and its associated technologies for networking, computation, storage, and database. It is suitable for AWS system administrators and solution architects or SysOps Administrators that have a working knowledge of AWS features and setup.
In addition, the learners will understand how to configure the Google cloud products with hands-on lab sessions to master the practical requisites to work within the Google Cloud Platform. Furthermore, the learners will learn about the functionality of big data and machine learning in the cloud environment and the uses of virtual machines. In addition, the learners will understand how applications work in the cloud platform, including the essential concepts on containers, Kubernetes engine, and hybrid and multi-cloud and its advantages.
At the end of the course, the learners will have clarity over the Google cloud platform, the cloud architecture, and various technologies required for the smooth functioning of the cloud applications.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Introduction to Google Cloud
- Getting Started with Google Cloud
- Virtual Machines in the Cloud
- Storage in the Cloud
- Containers in the Cloud
- Applications in the Cloud
- Developing and Deploying and Monitoring in the Cloud
- Big Data and Machine Learning in the Cloud
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Industry Professionals from Google
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 3 hours and 51 minutes
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: 10-Day Free Trial (Charges applicable after Trial. Price available on Sign-Up)
12. AWS Cloud Architect Nanodegree Program – Udacity
This online course is available on Udacity. The course covers critical concepts on cloud computing strategies in the AWS cloud platform and provides learners with concepts on planning, designing, and implementing secure cloud infrastructure in AWS.
The learners will understand how to create scalable applications and design high availability infrastructure, emphasizing security, scalability, and cost-optimization. Furthermore, the learners will explore various architectures and the best practices for building strategies for secure access to cloud services and infrastructures.
The course prerequisites include the experience of working with HTML and CSS, object-oriented programming, Linux, working knowledge in apps development or managing cloud infrastructure deployed using AWS.
In addition, the learners are expected to have some hands-on experience using compute, networking, storage, and database AWS services. Besides, some familiarity with web application architecture is beneficial for this course.
 The course curriculum includes:
- Design for Availability, Reliability, and Resiliency
- Design for Performance and Scalability
- Design for Security
- Capstone
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Tom Verbiscer, Leslie Bell, and Mehdi Razvi
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Duration: 3 months
User Review: 4.6/5
No. of Reviews: 200
Price: $792 for 3-Month Access/$310.8 per Month
13. Become a Cloud Developer – LinkedIn Learning
The course is available on LinkedIn Learning. In this course, the learners will learn from the fundamental concepts to the advanced topics in the entire learning path. This cloud developer learning path includes several online training courses covering all the necessary topics to become a cloud developer.
The learners will cover backup and storage, cloud infrastructures, microservices, and web services. In addition, the learners will gain essential knowledge on various cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud and understand the standard features across all cloud-based services.
The course also covers core concepts on migration to the cloud and the differences between public, private, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud operations.Â
The course’s learning path includes:
- Cloud Computing Careers and Certifications: First Steps
- Learning Cloud Computing: Core Concepts
- Learning Cloud Computing: Public Cloud Platforms
- Choosing a Cloud Platform for Developers: AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform
- Learning AWS for Developers
- Azure: Understanding the Big Picture (2020)
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Lynn Langit, David Linthicum, Xian Ke, Bear Cahill, and Walt Ritscher
Level: Beginner
Duration: 10 hours
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: 1-Month Free Trial (Charges applicable after Trial. Price available on Sign-Up)
14. Become a Hybrid Cloud Engineer Nanodegree Program – Udacity
The course is offered in collaboration with NutaniX on Udacity. In this course, the learners will understand the cutting-edge technologies, infrastructure software in cloud computing.
The learners will explore various aspects of the hybrid cloud’s design, deployment, and management of infrastructure and applications. Next, the learners will delve into the concepts of on-premise private cloud automation and build their practical skills for the cloud technologies required to design hybrid cloud applications.
The course prerequisites include familiarity with the Command line on Linux and Windows, virtual machine, primary web servers, and basics of database and SQL.Â
The course curriculum includes:
- Modern Private Cloud Infrastructure
- On-Premise Private Cloud Automation
- Public and Hybrid Cloud Management
- Capstone
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Mark Lavi and Cees van Eijk
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Duration: 3 months
User Review: NA
No. of Reviews: NA
Price: $792 for 3-Month Access/$310.8 per Month
15. Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101) – Coursera
Learn Quest offers the course on Coursera. In this course, the learners will cover the fundamental concepts of cloud computing. In addition, the concepts on storage services, support, cloud economics, levels of managed infrastructure, and Azure services will be covered in-depth.
In addition, the learners will also explore various deployment models used in the cloud environment and the hosting scenarios associated with the deployment process.
Finally, the learners will also compare some of the existing cloud platforms and discuss the future of cloud computing.Â
The course modules are:
- What is Cloud?
- Levels of Managed Service
- Deployment Models
- Hosting and Cloud Platforms
- The Future of Cloud Computing Platforms
COURSE DETAILS:
Instructor: Jim Sullivan
Level: Beginner
Duration: 9 hours
User Review: 4.5/5
No. of Reviews: 5230
Price: Free Enrollment (Additional charges for certification may apply for certification)
Conclusion
The exciting field of cloud computing has witnessed tremendous growth potential in the past few years. This technology has transformed the way businesses operate and has shaken up traditional infrastructures, including people looking to reinvent their careers.Â
Recent trends highlight that over 90% of the companies are shifting their infrastructures and services to the cloud environment. However, with such a rapid transformation, specialized roles related to cloud computing are left unfilled.
Thus, it is essential for aspirants and experienced developers aiming for a career in cloud computing to understand the cloud technologies and various cloud platforms and have strong programming skills and knowledge to leverage technologies to increase business productivity and efficiency.Â
In addition, programming skills alongside the knowledge of various infrastructures is a necessity. Therefore, one must look to upskill themselves from some of the top courses available on the online platform today that can offer theoretical and practical skills and an industry-recognized certificate that can enable job seekers to attain some of the most exciting career opportunities and career growth.
