What is infrastructure, and why is it important to learn about?

Infrastructure is a term that encompasses all of the basic systems that businesses, communities, or entire states and countries rely on for their regular functioning. Traditionally, infrastructure refers to physical systems such as transportation networks, water pipes and sewage treatment facilities, and the electricity grid. This type of infrastructure is fundamentally important for living our lives in the modern world, and the design and maintenance of these systems is a central concern of city planning. In recent years, infrastructure has also come to mean the computing systems and network architecture that organizations of all kinds rely on for their information technology (IT) needs. IT infrastructure used to consist mostly of on-premise system components and hardware like computers, servers, and local area networks (LANs). However, today’s IT systems increasingly rely on cloud computing infrastructure to provide scalable and secure services such as data storage and compute resources.

What kinds of careers can I have with a background in infrastructure?

If you want to help guide the development of the physical infrastructure systems that are essential to our daily lives, there are several career paths you can consider. Civil engineering careers are an opportunity to oversee the design and construction of infrastructure such as bridges, dams, and power plants. If you want to work on the business side of developing these projects and making sure they are economically sustainable, you may study project finance. And, if your interest is in determining which kinds of infrastructure systems are needed and where to build them, you should look into a career in city planning. On the other hand, if your interest is in information technology (IT) infrastructure systems, you can pursue a career in system administration. These important personnel are responsible for the design, installation, cybersecurity, and day-to-day operation of the IT systems that organizations rely on, from on-premise intranets to cloud-based resources. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , network and system administrators earn a median annual salary of $83,510, and typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Can I learn about infrastructure by taking online courses on Coursera?

Yes! Regardless of whether your interest is in the physical infrastructure systems that are essential to modern life or the IT infrastructure that is nearly as essential to the modern workplace, Coursera offers courses and Specializations spanning multiple courses to fit your needs. You can learn about physical infrastructure design, finance, and even emerging “smart city” systems from world-class universities like Università Bocconi and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne or from leading engineering software company Autodesk. Similarly, if your interest is in IT infrastructure, you can learn from top-ranked schools like University of Minnesota, New York University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or from leading IT service and cloud computing providers like Google Cloud. No matter how you choose to learn, Coursera lets you view course materials and complete assignments on a flexible schedule so that you can build these valuable infrastructure skills while continuing your existing work, family, or school life.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn infrastructure?

The skills and experience that you might need to already have before starting to learn infrastructure include working with computers and servers, hardware equipment, technology systems and processes, tech vendors, and service providers. When we describe infrastructure, we are referring generally to the implementation and operations of all technology infrastructures in a company or organization. This oversight of all crucial operations may cover data center operations, network and server services, service monitoring, workstation management, storage, and related software. So having skills in these areas or prior work experience would be valuable for you before starting to learn infrastructure.

How do I know if learning infrastructure is right for me?

You may know if learning infrastructure is right for you if you care deeply about getting computer systems and controls in order, and keeping them that way. If you’re an organized person who strives for routine in your daily work processes, then working with systems infrastructure may be a good fit for you. The work in infrastructure involves maintaining reliable computers and systems in a multi-user environment. This work applies to both small and large organizations. You may even learn about setting up cloud infrastructure setups, in both small and large organizations. Ultimately, if you want to work with tools to manage computers, user information, and user productivity, then learning infrastructure may be a good career fit for you.

What topics can I study that are related to infrastructure?

To learn more about infrastructure, you might want to pursue similar topics, like network systems, legacy interfaces, data storage and retrieval, and business software. Having a fuller understanding of these areas may help you in your future work to support your company’s infrastructure goals. If you can, you might also want to know the physical components of hardware, storage systems, data centers, and data warehousing.

What kind of people are best suited for work that involves infrastructure?

The kind of people who are best suited for work that involves infrastructure are organized, analytical professionals who may have had background experience working in computer systems, network support, security management, network systems, and business systems. People who work in infrastructure can generally handle complex issues and challenges, can multitask easily, and are often driven to solve problems when it comes to network integrity and systems management.

What are the benefits of taking an online Infrastructure course?

Online Infrastructure courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Infrastructure skills. Choose from a wide range of Infrastructure courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Infrastructure courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Infrastructure, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Infrastructure Courses - Learn Infrastructure Online

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Hybrid and Multicloud - 日本語版

Skills you'll gain: Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Google Cloud Platform, Multi-Cloud, Hybrid Cloud Computing, Cloud Computing, General Networking, Network Infrastructure, Network Routing, Wide Area Networks, Cloud Security, Network Administration, Network Security, Scalability

Google Cloud

Gemini for DevOps Engineers - 한국어

Skills you'll gain: DevOps, IT Infrastructure, Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Artificial Intelligence, CI/CD, Generative AI, Containerization

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Network Architecture - Português

Skills you'll gain: Network Architecture, Network Planning And Design, Cloud Computing Architecture, Network Infrastructure, Network Troubleshooting, Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), Network Security, Network Routing, Google Cloud Platform, Network Performance Management

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Fundamentals - 日本語版

Skills you'll gain: Network Monitoring, Google Cloud Platform, Network Troubleshooting, Computer Networking, Network Infrastructure, Cloud Services, Network Performance Management, Virtual Machines, Network Analysis, Virtualization and Virtual Machines

Google Cloud

App Deployment, Debugging, and Performance - 日本語版

Skills you'll gain: Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Applications, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Application Deployment, Cloud Computing, Platform As A Service (PaaS), Application Development, Application Performance Management, Debugging, Containerization

Google Cloud

Gemini for Cloud Architects - 한국어

Skills you'll gain: Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Application Deployment, Cloud Infrastructure, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Cloud Computing, Shell Script

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Routing and Addressing - Português Brasileiro

Skills you'll gain: Google Cloud Platform, Network Routing, Network Performance Management, Network Monitoring, Network Troubleshooting, TCP/IP, Network Architecture, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Network Administration, Cloud Computing, Service Level, Cloud Security

Google Cloud

Vector Search and Embeddings - 日本語版

Skills you'll gain: Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Google Cloud Platform, Cloud API, Application Programming Interface (API), Cloud Computing, Cloud Services

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Fundamentals - Português

Skills you'll gain: Network Monitoring, Google Cloud Platform, General Networking, Network Troubleshooting, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Network Infrastructure, Cloud Infrastructure, System Monitoring, Virtual Machines, Network Analysis, Service Level

Google Cloud

Networking in Google Cloud: Network Security - Português

Skills you'll gain: Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDoS) Attacks, Network Security, Continuous Monitoring, Cloud Security, Proxy Servers, Google Cloud Platform, Infrastructure Security, Identity and Access Management, Threat Detection, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Hardening, Firewall, Network Monitoring, Network Troubleshooting

Google Cloud

Gemini for Network Engineers - 繁體中文

Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Google Cloud Platform, Network Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Computing, Virtual Machines, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Network Architecture

Google Cloud

Gemini for Security Engineers - 日本語版

Skills you'll gain: Cloud Security, Generative AI, Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Computing, Security Testing, Application Deployment, Security Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, System Configuration

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Networking in Google Cloud: Hybrid and Multicloud - 日本語版

Gemini for DevOps Engineers - 한국어

Networking in Google Cloud: Network Architecture - Português

Networking in Google Cloud: Fundamentals - 日本語版

App Deployment, Debugging, and Performance - 日本語版

Gemini for Cloud Architects - 한국어

Networking in Google Cloud: Routing and Addressing - Português Brasileiro

Vector Search and Embeddings - 日本語版

Networking in Google Cloud: Fundamentals - Português

Networking in Google Cloud: Network Security - Português

Gemini for Network Engineers - 繁體中文

Gemini for Security Engineers - 日本語版

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In summary, here are 10 of our most popular infrastructure courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Infrastructure

What is infrastructure, and why is it important to learn about?‎

What kinds of careers can I have with a background in infrastructure?‎

Can I learn about infrastructure by taking online courses on Coursera?‎

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn infrastructure?‎

How do I know if learning infrastructure is right for me?‎

What topics can I study that are related to infrastructure?‎

What kind of people are best suited for work that involves infrastructure?‎

What are the benefits of taking an online Infrastructure course?‎

What Infrastructure courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?‎

Other topics to explore