About This Course:

This is the 2nd course in the intermediate undergraduate-level offering in the larger Programming and Data Structures MicroBachelors program. We recommend taking them in order, unless you have a background in these areas already and feel comfortable skipping ahead.

  1. Introduction to Programming in C++
  2. Advanced Programming in C++
  3. Introduction to Data Structures
  4. Advanced Data Structures

These topics build upon the learnings that are taught in the introductory-level Computer Science Fundamentals MicroBachelors program, offered by the same instructor.

This is a self-paced course that continues in the development of C++ programming skills. Among the topics covered is the development of more advanced command-line programs that utilize functions, arrays, and strings to solve problems. Students learn to program in C++ through the lectures and the labs. C++ programming material is presented over eight weeks of interactive lectures with bi-weekly quizzes to assess your understanding of the material Students will experience hands-on practice writing C++ programs through twelve lab challenges.

Students will not only learn to use these more advanced procedural programming functionalities. They will also learn to analyze the computational complexity of their code. Computational complexity theory focuses on classifying computational problems according to their inherent difficulty and relating these classes to each other. A computational problem is a task solved by a computer. A computation problem is solvable by the mechanical application of mathematical steps, such as an algorithm.

A problem is regarded as inherently difficult if its solution requires significant resources, whatever the algorithm used. The theory formalizes this intuition by introducing mathematical models of computation to study these problems and quantifying their computational complexity, i.e., the number of resources needed to solve them, such as time and storage.

What You’ll Learn:

  1. Apply basic searching and sorting algorithms in C++ programming.
  2. Apply single-and multi-dimensional arrays in C++ programming.
  3. Analyze a C++ function to determine it’s computational complexity.

Meet Your Instructors:

Aspen Olmsted

Adjunct Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering Aspen Olmsted is an adjunct faculty member in the New York University Tandon School of Engineering in the Computer Science and Engineering department. Aspen's fulltime job is as an assistant professor and Graduate program director at the College of Charleston. He obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from The University of South Carolina. Before his academic career, he was CEO of Alliance Software Corporation. Alliance Software developed N-Tier enterprise applications for the performing arts and humanities market. Dr Olmsted’s research focus is on the development of algorithms and architectures for distributed enterprise solutions that can guarantee security and correctness while maintaining high-availability. In his Secure Data Engineering Lab, Aspen mentors over a dozen graduate and undergraduate students each year

Itay Tal

Industry Assistant Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering Tel-Aviv University 2005 M.Sc., Computer Science Tel-Aviv University 1998 B.Sc., Computer Science and Mathematics

About This Course:

This is the 1st course in the intermediate, undergraduate-level offering that makes up the larger Programming and Data Structures MicroBachelors program. We recommend taking them in order, unless you have a background in these areas already and feel comfortable skipping ahead.

  1. Introduction to Programming in C++
  2. Advanced Programming in C++
  3. Introduction to Data Structures
  4. Advanced Data Structures

These topics build upon the learnings that are taught in the introductory-level Computer Science Fundamentals MicroBachelors program, offered by the same instructor.

This is a self-paced course that provides an introduction to the C++ programming language. Among the topics covered is the development of command-line programs that utilize different data types, expressions, decision branching, and iteration to solve problems. Students learn to program in C++ through the lectures and the labs. C++ programming material is presented over eight weeks of interactive lectures with weekly quizzes to assess your understanding of the material Students will experience hands-on practice writing C++ programs through ten lab challenges.

Students will experience the development cycle by compiling their C++ programs from human-readable source code to machine-readable object code. They will then link their objects to create an executable that can be run interactively.

What You’ll Learn:

  1. analyze C++ assignments and apply its components in program development
  2. apply basic C++ I/O operations with different data types
  3. design C++ expressions using arithmetic operations (including understanding their limitations, such as integer truncation, round-off error, division by zero, narrowing and widening conversions, casting, precedence, and standard math library functions)
  4. design C++ expressions using relational operators (including understanding floating point equality)
  5. design C++ expressions using logical operators (including short-circuit)
  6. design C++ selection statements (including nested selection)
  7. design C++ repetition statements (including count-controlled versus event-controlled, sentinel-controlled)

Meet Your Instructors:

Aspen Olmsted

Adjunct Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering Aspen Olmsted is an adjunct faculty member in the New York University Tandon School of Engineering in the Computer Science and Engineering department. Aspen's fulltime job is as an assistant professor and Graduate program director at the College of Charleston. He obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from The University of South Carolina. Before his academic career, he was CEO of Alliance Software Corporation. Alliance Software developed N-Tier enterprise applications for the performing arts and humanities market. Dr Olmsted’s research focus is on the development of algorithms and architectures for distributed enterprise solutions that can guarantee security and correctness while maintaining high-availability. In his Secure Data Engineering Lab, Aspen mentors over a dozen graduate and undergraduate students each year

Itay Tal

Industry Assistant Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering Tel-Aviv University 2005 M.Sc., Computer Science Tel-Aviv University 1998 B.Sc., Computer Science and Mathematics

About This Course:

Perhaps the most popular data science methodologies come from machine learning. What distinguishes machine learning from other computer guided decision processes is that it builds prediction algorithms using data. Some of the most popular products that use machine learning include the handwriting readers implemented by the postal service, speech recognition, movie recommendation systems, and spam detectors.

In this course, part of our Professional Certificate Program in Data Science, you will learn popular machine learning algorithms, principal component analysis, and regularization by building a movie recommendation system.

You will learn about training data, and how to use a set of data to discover potentially predictive relationships. As you build the movie recommendation system, you will learn how to train algorithms using training data so you can predict the outcome for future datasets. You will also learn about overtraining and techniques to avoid it such as cross-validation. All of these skills are fundamental to machine learning.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The basics of machine learning
  • How to perform cross-validation to avoid overtraining
  • Several popular machine learning algorithms
  • How to build a recommendation system
  • What is regularization and why it is useful?

Frequently Asked Questions:

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Harvard University and HarvardX are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination or harassment in our program. All members of the HarvardX community are expected to abide by Harvard policies on nondiscrimination, including sexual harassment, and the edX Terms of Service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact harvardx@harvard.edu and/or report your experience through the edX contact form.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructor:

Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi

Ansaf is a Lecturer in discipline of the Computer Science Department at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University. She received her her BS in Computer Science in 1996 from the University of Science and Technology (USTHB), Algeria. She earned her masters and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the University of Orleans (France) in 1999 and 2003 respectively.

About MIT Horizon:

MIT Horizon is an expansive content library built to help you explore emerging technologies. Through easy-to-understand lessons, you’ll be guided through the complexities of the latest technologies and simplified expert-level concepts. Designed for both technical and non-technical learners, you can examine bite-size content that can lead to maximum career outcomes.

For a limited time, gain access to the complete MIT Horizon library.

Register today for exclusive entry.

About this course

This course, part of the Cloud Computing MicroMasters program, focuses on components of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud service model. These components include: compute, storage, network, and auxiliary services. The class will also discuss most popular cloud IaaS deployment architectures.

You will examine these IaaS issues in depth, and then apply the acquired knowledge in 2 lab projects to migrate a website to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) IaaS environment, deploy the necessary infrastructure, install and configure the web server, set up the website, and monitor the deployment in action.

Students get up to $600 AWS credits for the entire program.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course. See Frequently Asked Questions below for further information.

This course is part of the Cloud Computing MicroMaster’s program from UMGC. Upon completion of the program and receipt of the verified MicroMaster’s certificate, learners may then transition into the full UMGC Master’s Program in Cloud Computing Architecture. See the MicroMasters program page for more.

What you’ll learn

  • Cloud service models
  • Compute, storage, network, and auxiliary services in IaaS offerings
  • Typical Iaas deployment architectures
  • Deploying, configuring, and monitoring a website in AWS

Meet your instructors

Patrick Appiah-Kubi

Patrick is the Program Director of Cloud Computing and Networking at University of Maryland Global Campus. He has over 13 years on industry and teaching experience in networks and cloud computing.

Charif El MaMouni

Charif El MaMouni is a Cloud Computing professional with more than fifteen years experience in the Telecommunications and Finance industries with solid technical background in SDLC applied to DevOps, Automation and CICD, coupled with in-depth knowledge of public and private Cloud Infrastructure Architectures and Implementations. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida in addition to AWS Certified Solution Architect, DevOps Architect and PMP.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a student have to apply to and complete the full UMGC degree?

To ensure that your program remains relevant and up-to-date, UMGC sets time limits for completing a program. Students have five (5) consecutive years from the start of the graduate degree to complete their degree. For students who start with a MicroMasters, their “time clock” begins on the date that they complete their last course in the MicroMasters program and receive their Verified Certificate. This means that students should apply to UMGC promptly to begin the degree and have as much time as possible to complete it.

AWS Educate

$25 AWS promotional credit for all students; additional $100 AWS promotional credit for students who purchase a Verified Certificate and pass the course IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate? 

No, all students are eligible for the $25 promotional AWS credit in IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive an additional $100 promotional AWS credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS promotional credit? 

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $25 promotional credit code.

What is the AWS exercise? 

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a WordPress site on a cloud-based web server.

If I don’t finish the course do I get to keep the AWS promotional credit? 

Yes.

How do I receive my $100 AWS promotional credit? 

Learners in the verified track who pass the course will receive an additional $100 in AWS Promotional Credit. This extra credit can be accessed through a link that will appear in the course after the subsection of the final exam.

If I am having issues accessing the AWS promotional credits, whom do I contact? 

Please contact AWS Educate at the following link: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/contact-us/. Should there be any issues with the course itself or with the AWS exercise, contact the course team via the course discussion forum.

Are there any geography restrictions for this offer? 

No.

Can I use the credits on anything? 

The credits can be used for most AWS services, but there are some exclusions. See https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/ for restrictions and limitations.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About MIT horizon

MIT Horizon is an expansive content library built to help you explore emerging technologies. Through easy-to-understand lessons, you’ll be guided through the complexities of the latest technologies and simplified expert-level concepts. Designed for both technical and non-technical learners, you can examine bite-size content that can lead to maximum career outcomes.

For a limited time, gain access to the complete MIT Horizon library.

Register today for exclusive entry.

Course Overview:

Virtually all managerial and leadership positions in the digital economy increasingly rely on data-driven decision making. Recent studies have shown companies who adopt “Data-Driven Decision Management” achieve significant productivity gains over other firms.

Having a solid grasp of the end-to-end process of making effective decisions with data will give you an edge, both in performing such analyses yourself, as well as in effectively managing teams of business analysts and data scientists.

In this course, part of both the Digital Leadership and Digital Product Management MicroMasters programs, you will learn the tools and techniques to become a data-driven or “evidence-based” manager.

You will learn the process of reframing a business question as a data question, reasoning about what data might be of assistance and how to obtain it, integrating and cleaning the data, performing the analysis, deriving and communicating insights from the analysis, and building the managerial culture to operate in this way and create competitive advantages from enterprise data.

This course is unique in the sense that it aims squarely at the needs of a manager in an analytically focused enterprise by providing both a hands-on introduction to the concepts, methods and processes of business analytics as well as an introduction to the use of analytics as the basis for creating a competitive advantage.

 

Software Requirements

Completion of this course requires the use of Microsoft Power BI Desktop. Unfortunately, there is currently no version of Power BI Desktop for macOS or Linux operating systems. We encourage learners to secure access to a Windows environment, but if that is not possible, macOS and Linux users can run Power BI Desktop in a virtual Windows environment. The course provides steps for installing such an environment.

What You’ll Learn

  • Key analytic technologies and techniques, e.g. predictive modeling and machine learning, and how these can play a role in managerial decision making
  • How to effectively manage the analytical processes and use the results of these processes as the basis for making informed, evidence-based decisions
  • How companies can use analytics as the basis for creating value

Prerequisites

Elementary college course in statistics.

Meet your instructors

John W. Byers - Pearson Advance

John W. Byers

Professor of Computer Science at Boston University
John is Professor of Computer Science at Boston University and Founding Chief Scientist of Cogo Labs, founded in 2005. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 1997 and his B.A. from Cornell University in 1991.
Chris Dellarocas - Pearson Advance

Chris Dellarocas

Richard C. Shipley Professor of Information Systems at Boston University
Chris is Richard C. Shipley Professor of Information Systems at the Questrom School of Business and Associate Provost for Digital Learning & Innovation at Boston University. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 1996 and his Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in 1989.

Andrei Lapets

Director of Research Development and Research Scientist, Hariri Institute for Computing at Boston University
Andrei is a Research Scientist and Director of Research Development within the Hariri Institute for Computing, Director of the Software & Application Innovation Lab, and Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Computer Science, all at Boston University. He earned his A.B. and S.M. degrees from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Boston University.

About this course

How do you protect the critical data that is increasingly being stored in the cloud? Learn how to build a security strategy that keeps data safe and mitigates risk.

In this course, part of the Cloud Computing MicroMasters program, you will be introduced to industry best practices for cloud security and learn how to architect and configure security-related features in a cloud platform. Case studies and government standard documents will be reviewed to help ensure appropriate levels of security are implemented.

You’ll develop the necessary skills to identify possible security issues in the cloud environment. You will also gain experience with tools and techniques that monitor the environment and help prevent security breaches such as monitoring logs and implementing appropriate security policies.

Students get up to $600 AWS credits for the entire program.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course. See Frequently Asked Questions below for further information.

This course is part of the Cloud Computing MicroMaster’s program from UMGC. Upon completion of the program and receipt of the verified MicroMaster’s certificate, learners may then transition into the full UMGC Master’s Program in Cloud Computing Architecture. See the MicroMasters program page for more information.

What you’ll learn

  • Evaluate security issues with cloud infrastructure
  • Implement cloud features to secure and harden the infrastructure
  • Use tools to analyze system logs to detect possible security or performance problems
  • Review case studies and standard documents on cloud security
  • Understand the use of security policies as part of the overall security strategy of an organization

Meet your instructor

Jeff Tjiputra

Dr. Tjiputra is the Chair of the Cloud Computing Architecture program at University of Maryland Global Campus. He has over fifteen years experience teaching computer and information technology courses including computer networking, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a student have to apply to and complete the full UMGC degree?

To ensure that your program remains relevant and up-to-date, UMGC sets time limits for completing a program. Students have five (5) consecutive years from the start of the graduate degree to complete their degree. For students who start with a MicroMasters, their “time clock” begins on the date that they complete their last course in the MicroMasters program and receive their Verified Certificate. This means that students should apply to UMGC promptly to begin the degree and have as much time as possible to complete it.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate?

AWS discontinued promotional credits for students and now use $100 AWS educate starter. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive a sign-up credit of $100 and an additional $100 AWS Educate credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS educate starter credit?

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate starter account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $100 starter credit.

What is the AWS exercise?

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a WordPress site on a cloud-based web server.

If I don’t finish the course do I get to keep the AWS educate credit?

Yes, but your account will not be recredited.

How do I receive my $100 AWS educate starter credit?

Learners in the verified track who pass the course will receive an additional $100 in AWS educate starter Credit upon completion of the course. This extra credit can be accessed through a link that will appear in the course after the subsection of the final exam.

If I am having issues accessing the AWS educate starter credits, whom do I contact?

Please contact AWS Educate at the following link: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/contact-us/. Should there be any issues with the course itself or with the AWS exercise, contact the course team via the course discussion forum.

Are there any geography restrictions for this offer?

No.

Can I use the credits on anything?

The credits can be used for most AWS services, but there are some exclusions. See https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/ for restrictions and limitations

AWS Educate

$25 AWS promotional credit for all students; additional $100 AWS promotional credit for students who purchase a Verified Certificate and pass the course IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate? 

No, all students are eligible for the $25 promotional AWS credit in IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive an additional $100 promotional AWS credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS promotional credit? 

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $25 promotional credit code.

What is the AWS exercise? 

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a WordPress site on a cloud-based web server.

If I don’t finish the course do I get to keep the AWS promotional credit? 

Yes.

How do I receive my $100 AWS promotional credit? 

Learners in the verified track who pass the course will receive an additional $100 in AWS Promotional Credit. This extra credit can be accessed through a link that will appear in the course after the subsection of the final exam.

If I am having issues accessing the AWS promotional credits, whom do I contact? 

Please contact AWS Educate at the following link: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/contact-us/. Should there be any issues with the course itself or with the AWS exercise, contact the course team via the course discussion forum.

Are there any geography restrictions for this offer? 

No.

Can I use the credits on anything? 

The credits can be used for most AWS services, but there are some exclusions. See https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/ for restrictions and limitations.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About This Course:

This course, part of the Cloud Computing MicroMasters program, focuses on components of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud service model. These components include: compute, storage, network, and auxiliary services. The class will also discuss most popular cloud IaaS deployment architectures.

You will examine these IaaS issues in depth, and then apply the acquired knowledge in 2 lab projects to migrate a website to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) IaaS environment, deploy the necessary infrastructure, install and configure the web server, set up the website, and monitor the deployment in action.

Students get up to $600 AWS credits for the entire program.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course. See Frequently Asked Questions below for further information.

This course is part of the Cloud Computing MicroMaster’s program from UMGC. Upon completion of the program and receipt of the verified MicroMaster’s certificate, learners may then transition into the full UMGC Master’s Program in Cloud Computing Architecture. See the MicroMasters program page for more.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Cloud service models
  • Compute, storage, network, and auxiliary services in IaaS offerings
  • Typical Iaas deployment architectures
  • Deploying, configuring, and monitoring a website in AWS

Meet Your Instructors:

Patrick Appiah-Kubi

Patrick is the Program Director of Cloud Computing and Networking at University of Maryland Global Campus. He has over 13 years on industry and teaching experience in networks and cloud computing.

Charif El MaMouni

Charif El MaMouni is a Cloud Computing professional with more than fifteen years experience in the Telecommunications and Finance industries with solid technical background in SDLC applied to DevOps, Automation and CICD, coupled with in-depth knowledge of public and private Cloud Infrastructure Architectures and Implementations. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida in addition to AWS Certified Solution Architect, DevOps Architect and PMP.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does a student have to apply to and complete the full UMGC degree?

To ensure that your program remains relevant and up-to-date, UMGC sets time limits for completing a program. Students have five (5) consecutive years from the start of the graduate degree to complete their degree. For students who start with a MicroMasters, their “time clock” begins on the date that they complete their last course in the MicroMasters program and receive their Verified Certificate. This means that students should apply to UMGC promptly to begin the degree and have as much time as possible to complete it.

AWS Educate

$25 AWS promotional credit for all students; additional $100 AWS promotional credit for students who purchase a Verified Certificate and pass the course IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate? 

No, all students are eligible for the $25 promotional AWS credit in IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive an additional $100 promotional AWS credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS promotional credit? 

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $25 promotional credit code.

What is the AWS exercise? 

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a WordPress site on a cloud-based web server.

If I don’t finish the course do I get to keep the AWS promotional credit? 

Yes.

How do I receive my $100 AWS promotional credit? 

Learners in the verified track who pass the course will receive an additional $100 in AWS Promotional Credit. This extra credit can be accessed through a link that will appear in the course after the subsection of the final exam.

If I am having issues accessing the AWS promotional credits, whom do I contact? 

Please contact AWS Educate at the following link: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/contact-us/. Should there be any issues with the course itself or with the AWS exercise, contact the course team via the course discussion forum.

Are there any geography restrictions for this offer? 

No.

Can I use the credits on anything? 

The credits can be used for most AWS services, but there are some exclusions. See https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/ for restrictions and limitations.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About this course

Organizations are increasingly moving their critical information and assets to the cloud.

In this course, part of the Cloud Computing MicroMasters program, you will learn the essentials of cloud computing, including Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Platform As A Service (PaaS), Software As A Service (SaaS), and other “X as a service” platforms.

You will explore how the cloud can support businesses by increasing productivity and effectiveness.

This course is part of the Cloud Computing MicroMaster’s program from UMGC. Upon completion of the program and receipt of the verified MicroMaster’s certificate, learners may then transition into the full UMGC Master’s Program in Cloud Computing Architecture. See the MicroMasters program page for more information.

What you’ll learn

  • Investigate various cloud computing technologies and providers including public, private and hybrid clouds
  • Analyze the applications of cloud technologies to business
  • Develop strategies to enhance organizational effectiveness using cloud technologies
  • Evaluate the cost benefits of cloud adoption

Meet your instructors

Patrick Appiah-Kubi

Patrick is the Program Director of Cloud Computing and Networking at University of Maryland Global Campus. He has over 13 years on industry and teaching experience in networks and cloud computing.

Jarrod Jordan

Mr. Jarrod Jordan is an Adjunct Faculty at University of Maryland Global Campus and Webster University and currently serves as a Cybersecurity Manager for the United States Army Cyber Protection Brigade (USACPB). His career spans over 18 years working in the Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence industries. Mr. Jordan’s experiences as a practitioner extends throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community to include the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).

Frequently asked questions

How long does a student have to apply to and complete the full UMGC degree?

To ensure that your program remains relevant and up-to-date, UMGC sets time limits for completing a program. Students have five (5) consecutive years from the start of the graduate degree to complete their degree. For students who start with a MicroMasters, their “time clock” begins on the date that they complete their last course in the MicroMasters program and receive their Verified Certificate. This means that students should apply to UMGC promptly to begin the degree and have as much time as possible to complete it.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About this course

The exciting field of Cloud Computing is rapidly changing how businesses operate today. Cloud computing provides rapid access to shared pools of resources, such as: compute, storage, networks, applications, services, or libraries using an on-demand, utility-based model. The characteristics of a cloud computing model include: self-service, network access, resource pools, rapid elasticity, and metered resource usage. As with any large-scale shift, new skills and processes must be learned and implemented to overcome management challenges. Existing business processes, workflows, and policies must be adapted to account for this new technology.

This course, part of the Cloud Computing MicroMasters program, focuses on commonly encountered management issues with the adoption and implementation of cloud computing. Examples include: Cloud migration, Cloud Requests for Proposals, Cloud Service Level Agreements, and other business process compliance issues.

You will examine these issues in depth, then review industry best practices and other case studies to develop the techniques that address and mitigate them. Business processes such as procurement, vendor management, and end-user management are also covered.

Students get up to $600 AWS credits for the entire program.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course. See Frequently Asked Questions below for further information.

This course is part of the Cloud Computing MicroMaster’s program from UMGC. Upon completion of the program and receipt of the verified MicroMaster’s certificate, learners may then transition into the full UMGC Master’s Program in Cloud Computing Architecture. See the MicroMasters program page for more.

What you’ll learn

  • Cloud migration processes and issues
  • Business processes to implement cloud solutions
  • Industry standard cloud technologies, standards, and best practices
  • Cloud vendors managements

Meet your instructor

Patrick Appiah-Kubi

Patrick is the Program Director of Cloud Computing and Networking at University of Maryland Global Campus. He has over 13 years on industry and teaching experience in networks and cloud computing.

Jarrod Jordan

Mr. Jarrod Jordan is an Adjunct Faculty at University of Maryland Global Campus and Webster University and currently serves as a Cybersecurity Manager for the United States Army Cyber Protection Brigade (USACPB). His career spans over 18 years working in the Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence industries. Mr. Jordan’s experiences as a practitioner extends throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community to include the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).

Frequently asked questions

How long does a student have to apply to and complete the full UMGC degree?

To ensure that your program remains relevant and up-to-date, UMGC sets time limits for completing a program. Students have five (5) consecutive years from the start of the graduate degree to complete their degree. For students who start with a MicroMasters, their “time clock” begins on the date that they complete their last course in the MicroMasters program and receive their Verified Certificate. This means that students should apply to UMGC promptly to begin the degree and have as much time as possible to complete it.

Verified students receive $100 AWS educate starter account credit, when they sign up. Students who complete and use up their $100 will receive additional credits after completing the course.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate?

AWS discontinued promotional credits for students and now use $100 AWS educate starter. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive a sign-up credit of $100 and an additional $100 AWS Educate credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS educate starter credit?

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate starter account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $100 starter credit.

What is the AWS exercise?

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a W

AWS Educate

$25 AWS promotional credit for all students; additional $100 AWS promotional credit for students who purchase a Verified Certificate and pass the course IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems.

Is this offer just for students who purchase a Verified Certificate? 

No, all students are eligible for the $25 promotional AWS credit in IT Fundamentals for Business Professionals: Enterprise Systems. If you purchase a Verified Certificate you will receive an additional $100 promotional AWS credit upon successfully passing the course.

How do I receive my AWS promotional credit? 

To take advantage of this benefit, you must first create an AWS Educate account by clicking on the link located in lesson 3 before the exams. Once registered, you will be provided with a $25 promotional credit code.

What is the AWS exercise? 

This optional activity, which does not count towards the course’s final grade, will introduce you to the world of cloud computing through the creation of a WordPress site on a cloud-based web server.

If I don’t finish the course do I get to keep the AWS promotional credit? 

Yes.

How do I receive my $100 AWS promotional credit? 

Learners in the verified track who pass the course will receive an additional $100 in AWS Promotional Credit. This extra credit can be accessed through a link that will appear in the course after the subsection of the final exam.

If I am having issues accessing the AWS promotional credits, whom do I contact? 

Please contact AWS Educate at the following link: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/contact-us/. Should there be any issues with the course itself or with the AWS exercise, contact the course team via the course discussion forum.

Are there any geography restrictions for this offer? 

No.

Can I use the credits on anything? 

The credits can be used for most AWS services, but there are some exclusions. See https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/ for restrictions and limitations.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About This Course:

Learn how to statistically analyze data with the Six Sigma methodology using inferential statistical techniques to determine confidence intervals and to test hypotheses based on sample data. You will also review cause and effect techniques for root cause analysis.

You will learn how to perform correlation and regression analyses in order to confirm the root cause and understand how to improve your process and plan designed experiments.

You will learn how to implement statistical process control using control charts and quality management tools, including the 8 Disciplines and the 5 Whys to reduce risk and manage process deviations.

To complement the lectures, learners are provided with interactive exercises, which allow learners to see the statistics “in action.” Learners then master statistical concepts by completing practice problems. These are then reinforced using interactive case studies, which illustrate the application of the statistics in quality improvement situations.

Upon successful completion of this program, learners will earn the TUM Lean and Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification, confirming mastery of Lean Six Sigma fundamentals to a Green Belt level. The material is based on the American Society for Quality (www.asq.org) Body of Knowledge up to a Green Belt Level. The Professional Certificate is designed as preparation for a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt exam.
 

What You’ll Learn:

  • To identify process problems and perform a root cause analysis using cause and effect diagrams and regression analysis.
  • To analyze data using inferential statistical techniques, including confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.
  • To test and quantitatively assess the impact of different improvement options using the design of an experiment.
  • To test for the significance of effects using an Analysis of Variance.
  • To implement control mechanisms for long-term monitoring using control charts for both quantitative and qualitative measurements.
  • To apply the Six Sigma methodology for the Analyze, Improve and Control phases in your work or research.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who offers this program?
The Professional Certificate Program Six Sigma and Lean: Quantitative Tools for Quality and Productivity is offered by edX and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

How many courses are in the program?
There are three courses in this program:
Course1 QPLS1x – Six Sigma: Define and Measure
Course2 QPLS2x – Six Sigma: Analyze, Improve, Control
Course3 QPLS3x – Lean Production

Do I need to take the courses in order?
The courses should be completed sequen tially, but it is not required that they are completed in any particular order. However, as Course2 QPLS2x – Six Sigma: Analyze, Improve, Control builds on the material in Course1 QPLS1x – Six Sigma: Define and Measure, we strongly recommend that you take QPLS1x before you take QPLS2x.

Which certification do I earn for this course?
You will earn the Verified Certificate forCourse2 QPLS2x – Six Sigma: Analyze, Improve, Control.

What certificates do I earn with this program?
Upon successful completion of this program, learners will earn both the edX Professional Certificate for the program and the TUM Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. In order to achieve the TUM Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification it is mandatory to complete all 3 courses in the program and achieve a Verified Certificate in each. Then, automatically, you will earn the edX Professional Certificate and the TUM Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification.
The TUM LSSYB is based on the American Society for Quality (www.asq.org) Body of Knowledge up to a Green Belt Level. The Professional Certificate is designed as preparation for a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt exam.

What is the passing grade for the course?
An overall average for all homework sets and peer-review assignments of 70% is required to pass the course.

Do I need to achieve 70% on each homework?
No, you need an average grade for all homework sets and peer-review assignments of 70%. This means you can do poorly or miss a homework set as long as you do well enough on other homework sets to achieve 70% overall.

How do I receive the edX Professional Certificate for this program?
The Professional Certificate will be available from your dashboard after the end of the course.

How do I receive the TUM Lean SixSigma Yellow Belt Certification for this program?
If you have earned the Verified Certificate for all three courses in the program, then you will receive the edX Professional Certificate and the TUM Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. These will be sent to you by email.
— For those finishing all courses by October 31, you will receive your certificate before November 31.
— For those finishing all courses by February 28, you will receive your certificate before March 31.
— For those finishing all courses by June 30, you will receive your certificate before July 31.

When you have passed all three courses with a verified certificate and received the edX Professional Certificate, you can also include in your CV that you have achieved the TUM Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, TUMLSSYB .

Meet Your Instructors:

Martin Grunow

Martin Grunow is a professor of production and supply chain management at Technische Universität München and an adjunct professor at Technical University Denmark, where he previously held a professorship in Operations Management. Earlier, he worked at Technical University Berlin and in the R&D department of Degussa, a multinational company producing special chemicals. His research interests are in production and logistics management with a focus on the process, electronics and automotive industries. He has coauthored more than 100 publications amongst others in International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Production Research, European Journal of Operational Research, CIRP Annals, Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, and OR Spectrum. For the latter two journals, he also acts as an editor. Martin Grunow has been on the program committee and track organizer of more than 30 international conferences and is an associate member of The International Academy of Production Engineering.

Holly Ott

Holly Ott is a professor of Production Management and IT Systems at the University of Rosenheim Applied Sciences and Management, a senior lecturer at the Technical University of Munich and an adjunct professor at Singapore Management University (Singapore), IE Business School (Madrid) and Syracuse University (New York). She holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia and has worked for twelve years in quality and supply chain management in the USA, Europe and Asia for Siemens, Motorola, IBM and Infineon. Her work has been in the areas of device simulation, electrical and reliability testing, and quality and supply chain management. She holds a International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (ICGB) and is a member of the American Society for Quality (asq.org). Holly is the program chair for the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association's Supply Chain Forum and academic director of the TUM Case Centre.

Learner Testimonials

“I did not have any prior knowledge of Quality Management but have always known the value, importance, and job demand related to this topic. I am very glad that i enrolled for this course, although i have to put little extra efforts and time to understand the material but i am very thankful to Dr. Holly Ott for her special teaching skills to explain every topic in a simple way and with practical examples. I also appreciate the guest speakers and their expertise in the subject. I plan to complete all the three courses of this certificate program as soon as i can. I am into my very first course and within couple of weeks i was motivated to look into CSSGB (Certified Six Sigma Green Belt), as I know CSSGB is going to be very useful for professional advancement. I believe if i understand these three Quality Management courses my foundation to study for CSSGB with be solid. My Humble Gratitude to the entire MOOC team and EdX team and many more who are behind the scene to provide us best education from the top most educational institutes.”

--Asha Grover

“This is my second time around using statistics. In Define and Measure I was able to learn how to apply statistics to define problems in in factories and industries. And the ability to measure the results to start an improvement process. I love the instructors who lectured the course. They all have such a breadth of knowledge. My goal after completing this series is to get certified through ASQ to get my Green Belt. I feel confident that this series will lead to that goal.”

--Previous student

“If you are new to Six Sigma like me, this course will greatly expand your skills and knowledge. The course includes many examples, practical exercises, real life case studies, and guest lecturers. These help to reinforce concepts, apply the math, and master the topics.”

--David Rozene

“One of the best online course for 6 sigma. This course has helped me professionally as well as personally, whether taking a decision or solving a problem raised. Very well-articulated, elaborately explained with proper usage of tools and most importantly usage of formulae & examples for numerical problem solving. Discussion forum to share and learn from your peers and getting your doubts clearly by the staff, who promptly reply to every query posted. Thank you everyone who structured this course as is and my best wishes for your future endeavors.”

--Murali Dhepalli

“I did not have any prior knowledge of Quality Management but have always known the value, importance, and job demand related to this topic. I am very glad that i enrolled for this course, although i have to put little extra efforts and time to understand the material but i am very thankful to Dr. Holly Ott for her special teaching skills to explain every topic in a simple way and with practical examples. I also appreciate the guest speakers and their expertise in the subject. I plan to complete all the three courses of this certificate program as soon as i can. I am into my very first course and within couple of weeks i was motivated to look into CSSGB (Certified Six Sigma Green Belt), as I know CSSGB is going to be very useful for professional advancement. I believe if i understand these three Quality Management courses my foundation to study for CSSGB with be solid. My Humble Gratitude to the entire MOOC team and EdX team and many more who are behind the scene to provide us best education from the top most educational institutes.”

--Asha Grover

“This is my second time around using statistics. In Define and Measure I was able to learn how to apply statistics to define problems in in factories and industries. And the ability to measure the results to start an improvement process. I love the instructors who lectured the course. They all have such a breadth of knowledge. My goal after completing this series is to get certified through ASQ to get my Green Belt. I feel confident that this series will lead to that goal.”

--Previous student

“If you are new to Six Sigma like me, this course will greatly expand your skills and knowledge. The course includes many examples, practical exercises, real life case studies, and guest lecturers. These help to reinforce concepts, apply the math, and master the topics.”

--David Rozene

“One of the best online course for 6 sigma. This course has helped me professionally as well as personally, whether taking a decision or solving a problem raised. Very well-articulated, elaborately explained with proper usage of tools and most importantly usage of formulae & examples for numerical problem solving. Discussion forum to share and learn from your peers and getting your doubts clearly by the staff, who promptly reply to every query posted. Thank you everyone who structured this course as is and my best wishes for your future endeavors.”

--Murali Dhepalli