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There are 5 modules in this course
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to fundamental components of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI & ML) infrastructure. You will explore the critical elements of AI & ML environments, including data pipelines, model development frameworks, and deployment platforms. The course emphasizes the importance of robust and scalable design in AI & ML infrastructure.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Analyze, describe, and critically discuss the critical components of AI & ML infrastructure and their interrelationships.
2. Analyze, describe, and critically discuss efficient data pipelines for AI & ML workflows.
3. Analyze and evaluate model development frameworks for various AI & ML applications.
4. Prepare AI & ML models for deployment in production environments.
To be successful in this course, you should have intermediate programming knowledge of Python, plus basic knowledge of AI and ML capabilities, and newer capabilities through generative AI (GenAI) and pretrained large language models (LLM). Familiarity with statistics is also recommended.
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the essential elements of AI/ML infrastructure, focusing on the components and processes that underpin effective ML and AI systems. This module will cover the critical aspects of infrastructure required to support robust AI/ML applications, from data handling to model deployment. By the end of this module, you'll have a solid foundation in AI/ML infrastructure, equipping you with the knowledge to contribute to and manage AI/ML projects effectively.
What's included
14 videos18 readings9 assignments
Show info about module content
14 videos•Total 68 minutes
Introduction to the AI/ML engineering advanced professional certificate program•4 minutes
Introduction to the foundations of AI/ML infrastructure•4 minutes
A day in the life of an AI/ML engineer•4 minutes
Getting started with Jupyter Notebooks in Azure Machine Learning Studio•6 minutes
Introduction to AI/ML infrastructure•6 minutes
Data sources and pipelines, frameworks, and platforms•5 minutes
Introduction to data sources and pipelines•5 minutes
Examples of data sources and pipelines•6 minutes
Introduction to model development approaches and frameworks•5 minutes
Introduction to deployment platforms•5 minutes
Importance of deployment platforms•5 minutes
Features and requirements for effective deployment•6 minutes
Practice activity: Setting up your environment in Microsoft Azure•30 minutes
Walkthrough: Setting up your environment in Microsoft Azure (Optional)•0 minutes
Selecting the right model deployment strategy in Microsoft Azure•15 minutes
Practice activity: Selecting the right model deployment strategy in Microsoft Azure•45 minutes
Walkthrough: Justifying your choice of model selection (Optional)•0 minutes
Course syllabus: Foundations of AI and Machine Learning Infrastructure•15 minutes
The structure and role of data sources and pipelines explained•10 minutes
In-depth exploration of data sources and pipelines•10 minutes
Model development frameworks and their applications explained•10 minutes
Key considerations in selecting a model development framework•10 minutes
Practice Activity: Selecting an appropriate framework for a complex business issue•45 minutes
Explication of framework selection•10 minutes
A practical guide: Deploying AI/ML models•15 minutes
Practice activity: Deployment platforms•30 minutes
Walkthrough: The predictive maintenance business problem (Optional)•0 minutes
9 assignments•Total 117 minutes
Graded quiz: AI/ML applications•30 minutes
Reflection: Setting up your environment in Microsoft Azure•3 minutes
Reflection: Selecting the right model deployment strategy in Microsoft Azure•3 minutes
Practice activity: Matching components to functions•15 minutes
Knowledge check: Components of AI/ML infrastructure•30 minutes
Knowledge check: Data sources and pipelines•20 minutes
Reflection: Framework selection •3 minutes
Knowledge check: Deployment platforms•10 minutes
Reflection: Deployment platforms•3 minutes
Data management in AI/ML
Module 2•7 hours to complete
Module details
This module delves into the sophisticated techniques and best practices required for effective data acquisition, cleaning, and preprocessing in the context of AI and ML. Emphasizing the importance of data integrity and security, this module will equip you with the skills needed to manage data sources for various applications, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) in large language models (LLMs) and traditional ML systems. You will also learn how to ensure data security throughout the AI development life cycle. By the end of this module, you'll be proficient in advanced data acquisition, cleaning, and preprocessing techniques, and will have a solid understanding of data security best practices, enabling you to manage data effectively and securely in AI development.
What's included
9 videos19 readings7 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 47 minutes
Overview of data sources•6 minutes
Methods for acquiring data•6 minutes
Importance of data cleaning and preprocessing•5 minutes
Hear from an expert: The value of consistent taxonomy•3 minutes
Introduction to RAG•5 minutes
Best practices for maintaining efficient data sources for RAG•5 minutes
Hear from an expert: Security considerations when working with data•6 minutes
Summary: Data management in AI/ML•6 minutes
Hear from an expert: Industry exemplar•5 minutes
19 readings•Total 310 minutes
Tools and libraries for data acquisition: a focus on SQL•15 minutes
Practice Activity: Setup of a Basic Data Scraper in Python•45 minutes
Walkthrough: Setup of a local python data scraper (Optional)•0 minutes
Practice Activity: Fetch a Document Using a Python Web Scraper•25 minutes
Walkthrough: Fetch a Document Using the Python Web Scraper (Optional)•0 minutes
Manage Missing Values, Outliers, Normalize, and Transform Data•15 minutes
Practice activity: Setup a local data cleaning and preprocessing tool•45 minutes
Walkthrough: Setup of a data preprocessing tool (Optional)•0 minutes
Practice activity: Apply the preprocessing tool to a dummy dataset for ML application•30 minutes
Walkthrough: Data cleaning and preprocessing (Optional)•0 minutes
Discussion: Data cleaning and preprocessing outliers•10 minutes
Comparison of data sources for RAG and traditional ML pipelines•20 minutes
Error identification in data collection•20 minutes
How to identify errors in data collection (Optional)•0 minutes
The importance of data security in AI development•10 minutes
Common data security practices•10 minutes
Real-world case studies of data breaches•10 minutes
Practice activity: Auditing ML code for security vulnerabilities•55 minutes
Walkthrough: Auditing ML code for security vulnerabilities (Optional)•0 minutes
7 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Graded quiz: Data management in AI/ML•30 minutes
Reflection: Local set up of basic scraper in Python•3 minutes
Reflection: Fetching a document using the Python web scraper•3 minutes
Reflection: Setting up of a local data cleaning and preprocessing tool•3 minutes
Reflection: Data cleaning and preprocessing•3 minutes
Knowledge check: Best practices in data security•15 minutes
Reflection: Auditing ML code for security vulnerabilities•3 minutes
Considering and selecting model frameworks
Module 3•9 hours to complete
Module details
This module offers a comprehensive exploration of popular ML frameworks, libraries, and pretrained LLMs. You will gain hands-on experience with these tools, learning to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and select the most suitable ones based on specific project needs.
By the end of the module, you'll be equipped to implement basic models and adapt their framework choices to optimize performance for diverse applications.
What's included
7 videos18 readings5 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 41 minutes
Key features and use cases for frameworks and models•6 minutes
Applicability of pretrained LLMs•5 minutes
Guide to implementing a simple model in TensorFlow•6 minutes
Guide to implementing a simple model in PyTorch•6 minutes
Criteria for selecting frameworks based on project needs•6 minutes
Summary: Selecting a framework•5 minutes
Hear from an expert: Industry exemplar•6 minutes
18 readings•Total 430 minutes
Introduction to popular ML frameworks•10 minutes
Overview of pretrained LLMs•10 minutes
Practice activity: Selecting and justifying a framework •60 minutes
Walkthrough: Selecting and justifying a framework (Optional)•0 minutes
Strengths and weaknesses of various ML frameworks•15 minutes
Comparison of ML frameworks•10 minutes
Real-world case studies of ML frameworks•10 minutes
Discussion: Strengths and weaknesses of your selected framework •10 minutes
Introduction to implementing models•10 minutes
Apply pretrained LLMs for specific tasks•10 minutes
Practice activity: Implementing a model•90 minutes
Walkthrough: Implementing a model (Optional)•0 minutes
Best practices for adapting frameworks to projects•10 minutes
Real-world case studies of framework selection and its impact on industry projects•10 minutes
Practice activity: Selecting a framework for a phantom project•85 minutes
Walkthrough: Framework selection based on project needs (Optional)•0 minutes
Practice activity: Implementing a model for business deployment•90 minutes
Walkthrough: Implementing the model for the business (Optional)•0 minutes
5 assignments•Total 42 minutes
Graded quiz: Selecting a framework•30 minutes
Reflection: Selecting and justifying a framework•3 minutes
Reflection: Implementing a model•3 minutes
Reflection: Framework selection based on project needs•3 minutes
Reflection: Implementing the model for the business•3 minutes
Considerations when deploying platforms
Module 4•7 hours to complete
Module details
This module provides a detailed exploration of the critical aspects of deploying ML models into production environments. You will learn to identify the key features of deployment platforms, prepare models for real-world use, implement version control for reproducibility, and evaluate platforms based on their scalability and efficiency.
By the end of this module, you will be equipped to effectively deploy ML models in production environments, manage their lifecycle with version control, and select the most suitable deployment platforms based on scalability and efficiency considerations.
What's included
7 videos16 readings6 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 43 minutes
Key features to consider in deployment platforms•6 minutes
Introduction to Microsoft Azure•8 minutes
Preparing models for deployment•5 minutes
Additional steps to prepare a model for production deployment•6 minutes
Importance of version control •5 minutes
Ensuring reproducibility•5 minutes
Summary: Platform deployment•8 minutes
16 readings•Total 330 minutes
Best practices for packaging and containerizing models•10 minutes
Tools and frameworks for model deployment•10 minutes
Instructions: Preparing a model for deployment•10 minutes
Practice activity: Preparing a model for deployment•60 minutes
Walkthrough: Preparing a model for deployment (Optional)•0 minutes
Tools and practices for version control (Git, DVC)•20 minutes
Implementing version control for reproducibility•30 minutes
Practice activity: Implementing version control for reproducibility •30 minutes
Walkthrough: Implementing version control for reproducibility (Optional)•0 minutes
Criteria for evaluating deployment platforms•10 minutes
Real-world case studies of successful AI/ML deployments•10 minutes
Practical tips on choosing the right platform for specific project needs•10 minutes
Practice activity: Selecting a deployment platform for a dummy project•60 minutes
Reflection: Supporting your platform choice•3 minutes
AI/ML concepts in practice
Module 5•6 hours to complete
Module details
This module offers an in-depth exploration of the evolving role of AI/ML engineers within corporate environments. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the responsibilities associated with this role, including data management, framework selection, deployment, version control, and cloud considerations. The module also emphasizes the integration of infrastructure and operations to optimize outcomes and provides strategies for networking and finding mentorship within the AI/ML community.
By the end of this module, you will have a clear understanding of the AI/ML engineer's evolving role in the corporate landscape, the key operational priorities for effective infrastructure management, and strategies for building a professional network and finding valuable mentors in the field.
What's included
9 videos16 readings4 assignments1 peer review
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 56 minutes
Overview of the AI/ML engineer's responsibilities•6 minutes
Typical Tasks and Projects•7 minutes
Hear from an expert: Data quality in the corporate setting•4 minutes
Balancing model development, deployment, and maintenance•8 minutes
Hear from an expert: Understanding the problem before building AI solutions•5 minutes
Summary: AI/ML concepts in practice•9 minutes
Course summary•7 minutes
Example: Pitching to the C-suite•8 minutes
Congratulations on completing the course!•2 minutes
16 readings•Total 192 minutes
Required skills and competencies•10 minutes
Practice activity: Role-playing as a hiring manager•60 minutes
Walkthrough: The decision-making process (Optional)•0 minutes
Prioritizing tasks and managing workflows•10 minutes
Ensuring AI/ML systems are scalable, reliable, and functional•10 minutes
Practice activity: Prioritizing tasks as an AI/ML engineer•30 minutes
Walkthrough: Prioritizing tasks as an AI/ML engineer (Optional)•0 minutes
Importance of networking and professional relationships•7 minutes
Strategies for finding and connecting with mentors in the field•7 minutes
Benefits of mentorship for career growth and development•6 minutes
Practice activity: Creating a networking action plan for the AI/ML industry•25 minutes
Walkthrough: How to create a successful networking plan (Optional)•0 minutes
Further reading resources•10 minutes
Introduction to industry journals, blogs, and conferences•10 minutes
Recommendations for further development•7 minutes
Walkthrough: Preparing for a pitch to the C-suite (Optional)•0 minutes
4 assignments•Total 39 minutes
Graded quiz: AI/ML concepts in practice•30 minutes
Reflection: The role of AI/ML engineers in a corporate context•3 minutes
Reflection: Key priorities for AI/ML engineers•3 minutes
Reflection: Networking and mentorship•3 minutes
1 peer review•Total 45 minutes
Course assignment: Drafting your pitch to the C-suite•45 minutes
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What will I actually learn in this AI/ML infrastructure course?
You’ll learn how AI and ML systems move from raw data to production, with a strong focus on data pipelines, framework choice, and deployment. It starts with the core parts of an AI/ML environment, then builds into data management, model preparation, and platform decisions for real workflows. You’ll apply that through guided activities such as comparing model options for customer churn and preparing a model for deployment.
Do I need to know Python before taking this course?
Yes, intermediate Python is part of the recommended background. The course uses Python in activities like web scraping, data cleaning, and model work, so it doesn’t spend much time teaching the language itself. Basic familiarity with AI and ML concepts is also expected, and some statistics plus awareness of newer GenAI ideas will make the material easier to follow.
Is this course beginner-friendly for AI/ML infrastructure?
It’s a good fit if you already have some Python and a basic sense of how AI/ML models work. The course is intermediate and spends more time on infrastructure, deployment, and framework decisions than on beginner-level coding or math review. If you’re starting from zero, a more introductory course will likely feel easier.
How long does it take to complete this course?
Plan for about 36 hours total, or roughly four weeks at around 9 to 10 hours a week. The pace is manageable if you move steadily through the lessons and readings, then leave time for practice activities and quizzes. The course includes lessons, readings, quizzes, guided exercises, and a peer-reviewed pitch assignment.
Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?
Yes, there’s hands-on work, but it’s mostly guided practice rather than one large project. You’ll do activities such as setting up an Azure environment, building a basic Python scraper, implementing a simple model, and packaging a model for deployment. That makes the course useful if you want to apply each idea as you learn it, not just read about infrastructure choices.
What skills and topics are covered in this course?
The course focuses on the parts of AI/ML work that surround and support model building. You’ll cover data sourcing and preprocessing, framework selection, deployment planning, version control, and the security and scalability issues that matter in production. It also looks at how AI/ML engineers make technical decisions in business settings and explain those choices clearly.
What can I actually do after finishing this course?
After finishing, you should be able to map out an AI/ML workflow from data sourcing through deployment and explain the tradeoffs behind your choices. You’ll be able to compare frameworks, prepare a model for production, and judge which platform fits a project’s needs. For example, you could take a business case like customer churn or predictive maintenance and outline the data pipeline, model approach, and deployment plan.
Is this course more focused on theory or hands-on learning?
It leans more toward concept-first learning with guided practice than toward open-ended project work. You’ll get hands-on exercises throughout, but they mainly reinforce how AI/ML systems move from data to deployment in real settings.
Why would I choose this course over other AI/ML courses?
This course is a strong choice if you want AI/ML from a production and infrastructure angle, not just a model-training angle. It connects data management, framework selection, deployment, version control, and stakeholder communication, with many examples centered on Microsoft Azure workflows. If you want to understand how AI/ML systems are built, managed, and explained in a real business context, this course is a better fit than a model-only introduction.