If you want to enter the exciting world of software development, this Software Engineering Foundations Specialization is for you. No prior degrees or knowledge of programming or application development are necessary. Software Developers are in great demand earning a median salary of US$110,140 per year according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The field is growing at a rate of 22% making it a great time to start a career in software engineering. The self-paced courses in this program provide the foundations to prepare for a wide range of IT & software development related careers, including web development, mobile application development, front-end, back-end, and full stack application development, software testing & quality assurance (QA), as well as DevOps engineering. This specialization is full of engaging videos, hands-on labs, and real-world projects that explore fundamental programming principles and foundations of design, architecture, and deployment; the software development lifecycle; Git and GitHub repositories; using the Linux terminal and creating Bash shell scripts to automate a variety of tasks; and coding with the Python programming language. The program is suitable for those new to software engineering or for those who would like a review of software engineering fundamentals. It prepares you with an introduction to the culture, technology, and job-ready skills needed to become successful in software engineering.
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Applied Software Engineering Fundamentals Specialization
Build the foundation of your career in Software. Develop hands-on experience with Git, GitHub, Linux, and Python, and learn the fundamentals of Software Engineering.
Instructors: Abhishek Gagneja
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What you'll learn
Describe software development and related technologies; outline approaches to deployment architectures; and summarize career options in the field.
Explain the role of version control and collaborative coding in SDLC & DevOps; Create GitHub repositories and use branching with Git commands.
List and execute commonly used Linux commands, utilize pipes and redirection, create simple shell scripts using BASH, schedule jobs using Cron.
Create, package, and deploy Python applications using knowledge of programming constructs, libraries, APIs and web services.
Overview
Skills you'll gain
What’s included
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Specialization - 5 course series
What you'll learn
Explain the principles of software engineering, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), and software development tools, technologies, and stacks
Differentiate between programming language types and apply basic programming constructs such as loops, conditionals, and functions using Python
Summarize key software architecture and design approaches, including common architectural and deployment patterns
Outline the roles, skills, and career paths in software engineering
Skills you'll gain
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.
Skills you'll gain
What you'll learn
Describe the Linux architecture and common Linux distributions and update and install software on a Linux system.
Perform common informational, file, content, navigational, compression, and networking commands in Bash shell.
Develop shell scripts using Linux commands, environment variables, pipes, and filters.
Schedule cron jobs in Linux with crontab and explain the cron syntax.
Skills you'll gain
What you'll learn
Develop a foundational understanding of Python programming by learning basic syntax, data types, expressions, variables, and string operations.
Apply Python programming logic using data structures, conditions and branching, loops, functions, exception handling, objects, and classes.
Demonstrate proficiency in using Python libraries such as Pandas and Numpy and developing code using Jupyter Notebooks.
Access and extract web-based data by working with REST APIs using requests and performing web scraping with BeautifulSoup.
Skills you'll gain
What you'll learn
Describe the steps and processes involved in creating a Python application including the application development lifecycle
Create Python modules, run unit tests, and package applications while ensuring the PEP8 coding best practices
Build and deploy web applications using Flask, including routing, error handling, and CRUD operations.
Create and deploy an AI-based application onto a web server using IBM Watson AI Libraries and Flask
Skills you'll gain
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Build toward a degree
When you complete this Specialization, you may be able to have your learning recognized for credit if you are admitted and enroll in one of the following online degree programs.¹
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Frequently asked questions
The specialization requires 60-75 hours of effort to complete. Working 8-10 hours a week, it can be completed within 2-3 months.
This specialization is for those looking to increase their knowledge of software engineering and assumes basic computer / IT literacy skills.
It is recommended that you complete the courses in the order in which they occur in the Specialization. Course 4 is a pre-requisite for Course 5.
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Financial aid available,
¹ Median salary and job opening data are sourced from Lightcast™ Job Postings Report. Content Creator, Machine Learning Engineer and Salesforce Development Representative (1/1/2024 - 12/31/2024) All other job roles (9/1/2024 - 9/1/2025)