Cloud Masters Curriculum

Phase 1: Blended Program (First 18 Months)

During the first 18 months, students are introduced to advanced coding, cloud computing fundamentals, and interdisciplinary topics from AI, data science, leadership, game design, and web-mobile app development.

Year 1: Advanced Coding + Cloud Computing Foundations (Months 1–12)

Months 1–6: Coding Techniques, Cloud Computing Basics, and Cross-Disciplinary Learning

• LeetCode and Interview Preparation:

  • Weekly coding practice using platforms like LeetCode, focusing on data structures, algorithms, and real-world coding problems from Google, Facebook, Tesla, and OpenAI.

  • Key topics: Graph theory, recursion, dynamic programming, hash tables, and system design.

  • Mock coding interviews for hands-on preparation.

• Introduction to Cloud Computing:

  • Cloud computing fundamentals: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS).

  • Overview of public cloud platforms: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

  • Real-world project: Set up a cloud environment, deploy a simple web application, and configure autoscaling and load balancing on a cloud provider.

• Cloud Storage and Databases:

  • Introduction to cloud storage solutions: Object storage (Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage) and block storage.

  • Cloud databases: Relational (Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL), NoSQL (DynamoDB, Firebase), and data warehousing (Redshift, BigQuery).

  • Real-world project: Implement a cloud-based storage solution, configure database instances, and store data from a web or mobile application.

• Blending with AI, Data Science, and Leadership:

  • AI in the Cloud: Using cloud platforms for AI and machine learning model deployment (AWS SageMaker, Google AI Platform).

  • Leadership in Cloud Operations: Managing cloud-based infrastructure and leading teams for cloud application development.

  • Real-world project: Deploy a machine learning model on the cloud and use cloud resources to scale the model based on real-time data.

Months 7–12: Advanced Cloud Technologies and Automation

• Cloud Networking and Security:

  • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Subnetting, VPN, and hybrid cloud architecture.

  • Cloud security best practices: Identity and Access Management (IAM), encryption, and monitoring.

  • Real-world project: Design a secure, highly available cloud network architecture with firewall rules, VPN connections, and access controls for a cloud-based app.

• Serverless Architectures:

  • Introduction to serverless computing (AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Functions).

  • Building serverless applications: Event-driven architectures, Function as a Service (FaaS).

  • Real-world project: Build a serverless application that reacts to user events (e.g., image processing or chat service).

• Cloud Automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC):

  • Automating infrastructure management with tools like Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, and Ansible.

  • Implementing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab, or GitHub Actions.

  • Real-world project: Create an automated cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and set up a CI/CD pipeline for seamless app deployment.

• Blending with Leadership, Game Design, and AI:

  • Leadership in Cloud Automation: Leading teams to automate infrastructure and cloud operations.

  • AI for Cloud Management: Using AI for predictive scaling and automated cloud resource optimization.

  • Real-world project: Build a fully automated cloud infrastructure with predictive scaling and monitoring, using AI for optimization.

Year 2: Specialization in Cloud Computing (Months 13–18)

Months 13–18: Advanced Cloud Development and Operations

• Cloud-Native Development and Microservices:

  • Architecting cloud-native applications with microservices.

  • Managing microservices with Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and Amazon ECS.

  • Real-world project: Build a microservices-based cloud-native application (e.g., an e-commerce platform) with containerized components and orchestration using Kubernetes.

• DevOps and Cloud Operations:

  • Implementing DevOps practices in cloud environments: Continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure monitoring.

  • Cloud monitoring and observability: CloudWatch, Prometheus, and Grafana.

  • Real-world project: Create a cloud-based DevOps pipeline with monitoring and real-time alerting for a production-level application.

• Cloud Security and Compliance:

  • Advanced cloud security techniques: Multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption at rest and in transit, intrusion detection, and DDoS protection.

  • Compliance frameworks: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2.

  • Real-world project: Implement a secure cloud infrastructure with encryption, MFA, and automated compliance checks for a web application that handles sensitive data.

• Blending with Leadership, Startups, and AI:

  • Cloud-Driven Startups: How startups leverage cloud to scale quickly and efficiently.

  • AI and Big Data in the Cloud: Building data lakes, AI pipelines, and using cloud platforms for large-scale data processing.

  • Real-world project: Build an AI-powered cloud-based product for a startup, incorporating big data analytics and scalable architecture.

Phase 2: Specialization and Real-World Applications (Months 19–36)

Months 19–30: Specialization in Advanced Cloud Topics

During this phase, students focus on deepening their cloud computing knowledge through specialized topics and hands-on projects.

Specialization Option 1: Cloud-Native Development and Kubernetes

• Mastering Kubernetes for cloud-native app development.

• Advanced container orchestration and service mesh with Istio and Linkerd.

• Real-world project: Build and manage a large-scale, containerized application using Kubernetes, with service mesh integration for monitoring and security.

Specialization Option 2: Serverless and Event-Driven Architectures

• Advanced serverless design patterns, event sourcing, and CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation).

• Real-world project: Create a complex serverless application with event-driven architecture, such as a real-time data processing pipeline or a serverless e-commerce backend.

Specialization Option 3: Cloud Security and Compliance

• Advanced security for cloud environments, including end-to-end encryption, secure multi-cloud architectures, and zero trust models.

• Compliance automation for different regulatory frameworks.

• Real-world project: Build a highly secure, multi-cloud infrastructure for a financial services or healthcare app, focusing on encryption, data privacy, and compliance.

Specialization Option 4: DevOps and Infrastructure Automation

• Advanced DevOps workflows with Kubernetes, GitOps, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

• Implementing continuous delivery with automated testing, deployment, and rollback strategies.

• Real-world project: Design a cloud DevOps pipeline with fully automated infrastructure deployment, monitoring, and rollback features.

Phase 3: 6-Month Live Project (Months 31–36)

Live Capstone Project (6 Months)

• Real-World Cloud Project: Students will work on a live project in collaboration with industry partners or as a part of a startup initiative, developing real-world solutions using cloud technologies.

• Team Collaboration: Students will collaborate in teams to design, deploy, and scale cloud solutions to solve real-world challenges.

• Project Examples:

  • Building a scalable cloud-native application for e-commerce, incorporating microservices, serverless functions, and DevOps automation.

  • Developing a secure cloud infrastructure for a healthcare or financial application, focusing on compliance, data privacy, and encryption.

  • Creating a cloud-based AI platform for real-time data processing and predictive analytics, using big data technologies and scalable cloud services.

• Project Phases:

  • Phase 1 (Months 31–32): Research, architecture design, and setting up the cloud environment.

  • Phase 2 (Months 33–34): Development and deployment of the cloud solution, with iterative testing and optimization.

  • Phase 3 (Months 35–36): Final deployment, scaling, monitoring, and presentation to industry stakeholders or investors.

Program Outcomes:

• Mastery of advanced cloud computing techniques, including cloud-native development, DevOps, serverless architectures, and multi-cloud strategies.

• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and tools like Kubernetes, Terraform, and Jenkins.

• Ability to design, build, and deploy scalable, secure cloud infrastructures for real-world applications.

• Expertise in leading cloud projects, automating cloud operations, and ensuring cloud security and compliance.

• Completion of a live, real-world cloud project, demonstrating the ability to solve complex industry problems using cloud technologies.