DeepLearning.AI Data Engineering Professional Certificate Course Syllabus
Full curriculum breakdown — modules, lessons, estimated time, and outcomes.
This professional certificate program provides a comprehensive introduction to data engineering with a cloud-first approach, designed for beginners. Over approximately 16-20 weeks, learners will progress through hands-on modules covering data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and infrastructure automation using AWS, Apache Airflow, dbt, and Terraform. The curriculum emphasizes real-world applications, culminating in a capstone project where learners build and deploy a production-level data pipeline. Consistent practice is encouraged to master in-demand skills.
Module 1: Introduction to Data Engineering
Estimated time: 15 hours
- Understand the data engineering lifecycle and core responsibilities
- Explore different data storage types and processing models
- Learn about cloud data architectures and infrastructure
- Discover tools and technologies used in modern data engineering
Module 2: Data Ingestion and Storage
Estimated time: 25 hours
- Collect and store data efficiently and securely
- Work with file formats such as JSON, CSV, and Parquet
- Ingest data from APIs, logs, and databases
- Use AWS services including S3, RDS, and DynamoDB for scalable storage
Module 3: Data Transformation with Airflow and dbt
Estimated time: 35 hours
- Build data pipelines using Apache Airflow
- Automate data cleaning and transformation workflows
- Integrate dbt for modeling and transforming data in warehouses
- Apply modular and test-driven approaches to pipeline development
Module 4: Data Orchestration and Infrastructure as Code
Estimated time: 35 hours
- Write Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform
- Provision and manage cloud data platforms on AWS
- Monitor and orchestrate workflows in production environments
- Implement DataOps principles and deployment strategies
Module 5: Capstone Project
Estimated time: 30 hours
- Design and build a production-level data pipeline
- Incorporate ingestion, transformation, and orchestration tools
- Deploy infrastructure using Terraform and AWS services
Module 6: Final Project
Estimated time: 20 hours
- Implement monitoring and error-handling in data workflows
- Document architecture and deployment process
- Present a complete technical solution using cloud-based tools
Prerequisites
- No prior experience required
- Basic understanding of programming concepts recommended
- Familiarity with cloud computing concepts helpful but not required
What You'll Be Able to Do After
- Design and manage scalable data systems on AWS
- Build and automate data pipelines using Airflow and dbt
- Provision cloud infrastructure using Terraform
- Solve business problems with robust data workflows
- Deploy production-ready data pipelines with monitoring and error handling