Online Microcredential in IT & Computer Science

AWS: Solutions Architect 

Learn best practices and strategies to guide the implementation of cloud services on AWS with OU AWS Academy experts.

540 enrolments

Created by

The Open UniversityThe Open University

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In collaboration with

AWSAWS

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Learn to optimise the use of AWS Cloud and position yourself for career success

Designing available, cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, and scalable cloud solutions is a valuable and highly sought-after skill. On this microcredential you’ll learn how to architect and deploy secure and robust applications on AWS technologies.

Prepare yourself for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification

This course provides a unique learning experience, featuring AWS Academy Cloud Architecting – a course developed and maintained in collaboration with AWS, and taught by AWS Academy accredited educators.

You will explore architectural design principles based on customer requirements and learn to optimise the use of the AWS Cloud by understanding AWS services and how these services fit into cloud-based solutions.

Discover how to design good cloud architecture on AWS

As well as learning best practices and strategies to guide the implementation of cloud services through case studies, you’ll also build a variety of infrastructures via guided, hands-on, self-paced virtual labs.

You’ll access your learning via FutureLearn and by setting up a free account on the AWS Academy’s platform. Throughout the course, you’ll take part in weekly activities to support and consolidate your learning. At the end of the course, you’ll submit an assessment which is marked and graded by academic experts from The Open University.

Develop your cloud capabilities with The Open University in collaboration with the AWS Academy

Designed by leading experts from The Open University’s AWS Academy, you’ll develop industry-recognised skills and gain insights from experts to put the concepts into practice.

This course will enable you to prepare for one of the highest paying IT certifications, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate. And, once you successfully complete this microcredential, you’ll receive a 50% discount voucher towards your AWS certification.

What skills will you learn?

  • Optimising Cloud Storage 
  • Understanding best practice in architecting Cloud solutions 
  • Build resilient Cloud architectures
  • Designing AWS Cloud architectures
  • Automating Cloud configurations
  • Securing Cloud infrastructure

What you will achieve

By the end of the microcredential, you’ll be able to...

  • Design cloud architectures based on established principles and best practices 
  • Configure AWS services to make infrastructure scalable, reliable and highly available 
  • Demonstrate how AWS managed services can enable greater flexibility and resilience in a cloud infrastructure 
  • Demonstrate how AWS can improve the performance and reduce the cost of a cloud infrastructure 
  • Evaluate the AWS Well-Architected Framework to improve cloud architectures

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

To study this undergraduate microcredential you will ideally have:

  • A working knowledge of distributed systems 
  • Familiarity with general networking concepts 
  • A working knowledge of multi-tier architectures 
  • Familiarity with cloud computing concepts  
  • AWS Academy Cloud Foundations (ACF) or equivalent experience 

The course material does not assume that learners are currently working. Past experiences will be just as relevant.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This microcredential would benefit anyone working in a comprehensive range of globally relevant Digital Technologies disciplines related to cloud computing, including:

  • Cloud Architect 
  • Solutions Architect 
  • Systems Engineer 
  • Systems Analyst 
  • AWS Solutions Architect

The course has a global focus and delivers transferable skills for diverse sectors and organisations.

Syllabus

What happens before, during, and after your microcredential

  • Before learning

    You’ll have access to our online welcome area where you’ll be able to read any information relating to your microcredential.

    Prior to joining this course, it would be useful for learners to have some fundamental understanding of Python, JSON or other programming languages.

  • Course

    From 23 Oct 2023

    AWS: Solutions Architect

    Learn best practices and strategies to guide the implementation of cloud services on AWS with OU AWS Academy experts.

    10 weeks

    10 hours per week

  • After learning

    Your submitted assessment will be marked and graded by academic experts from The Open University. You’ll continue to have ongoing access to the course materials.

    You will be ready to take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam.

What you will receive

10 UK credits at Undergraduate level from The Open University and a Certificate

Academic credits are awarded on passing the final assessment. These will be at undergraduate level 6 of the Framework for Higher Education (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) / level 10 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.

A Certificate of Completion and Digital Badge from AWS Academy

Viewing all the labs and passing each of the weekly knowledge checks and the final assessment with 80% or higher, will earn you a certificate of completion and a digital badge.

Learn more about this organisation

Additional benefits

A 50% off voucher for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam if you successfully complete this course.

What is a microcredential?

Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.

Learn online with expert instructors

Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.

Complete project-based assessments

Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.

Earn a professional credential

Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.

Advance further in your career

Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.

Career-focused learning by The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

This microcredential is in collaboration with AWS

The AWS Academy provides higher education institutions with a cloud computing curriculum that prepares students to pursue industry-recognised certifications and in-demand cloud jobs.

Delivered by experts

Dr Amel Bennaceur is an engineer, researcher, and educator in Computing. She is an Associate Professor at The Open University. She published 30+ papers in top journals and conferences.

Enthusiastic about teaching digital, network engineering & cybersecurity - been doing it for a very long time. Also: iconoclast, herder of geeks, nerds & enthusiasts.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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When would you like to start?

Enrolment for this microcredential is closed. We aim to run our microcredentials every few months. Register to find out more about this microcredential and future start dates.

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    FAQ

    We can accept payments made by card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) or PayPal via our online system.

    You will have 14 days from the day the course starts to apply for a refund. If this Microcredential has any non-refundable costs they will be stated in the ‘Overview’ section above. You can find more information in our cancellation and refund policy.

    Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and timezone.

    There may be live events as part of your studies, but these will be recorded and can be watched afterwards if you aren’t online for the live broadcast.

    No, microcredentials are designed to be taken anywhere in the world. You won’t need the right to study in the country where the university offering the microcredential is based.

    Microcredentials are stand-alone courses designed to meet specific learner and employer needs. Those awarded by The Open University have academic credit value at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, and, if appropriate, this may be used towards selected Open University qualifications. For more details, including eligible qualifications, visit The Open University’s Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications page.

    The credit awarded may potentially be used at another university, subject to the agreement of the receiving institution.

    Want to know more? Read the microcredential FAQs, or contact us.