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

Explore the Infrastructure Course Catalog

Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
Decision Making and Governance of Natural Disaster Risk
Skills you'll gain: Feasibility Studies, Risk Management, Risk Analysis, Risk Mitigation, Business Risk Management, Governance, Financial Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Prioritization, Investments, Decision Making, Project Management, Public Policies
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
40 reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google
Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security
Skills you'll gain: Network Security, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Network Administration, Hardening, TCP/IP, Cyber Attacks, Network Architecture, Computer Networking, Cloud Computing, Firewall, Network Infrastructure, Network Model, Network Protocols, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Encryption
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
5.8K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
IBM
IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity
Skills you'll gain: IT Service Management, Cloud Computing, Governance Risk Management and Compliance, Information Technology Infrastructure Library, Malware Protection, Identity and Access Management, Linux, Incident Response, Networking Hardware, TCP/IP, Cybersecurity, Network Security, Network Protocols, Threat Modeling, Linux Servers, Cloud Security, Operating Systems, Endpoint Detection and Response, NIST 800-53, Regulatory Compliance
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
21K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
IBM
IBM Applied DevOps Engineering
Skills you'll gain: CI/CD, Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Istio, Continuous Integration, Agile Software Development, Application Deployment, Test Driven Development (TDD), Gherkin (Scripting Language), Kubernetes, Jenkins, DevOps, Code Coverage, OpenShift, Cloud Applications, Containerization, Agile Methodology, Behavior-Driven Development, Secure Coding, Grafana, System Monitoring
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.8K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
IBM
Cloud Application Development Foundations
Skills you'll gain: Node.JS, Cloud Computing Architecture, Server Side, Cloud-Native Computing, React Redux, Cloud Services, NoSQL, MongoDB, React.js, Web Design and Development, Agile Methodology, Front-End Web Development, JavaScript Frameworks, Cloud Security, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), HTML and CSS, Cloud Infrastructure, Restful API, Web Development, Back-End Web Development
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
9.6K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Amazon Web Services
AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
Skills you'll gain: Amazon Web Services, Amazon CloudWatch, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Cloud Services, Cloud Computing, Cloud Infrastructure, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Cloud Management, Cloud Security, Amazon S3, Cloud Computing Architecture, System Monitoring, Data Migration, Scalability
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
IBM IT Scrum Master
Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Agile Software Development, User Story, Sprint Retrospectives, Agile Methodology, DevOps, Kanban Principles, Development Environment, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Hardware, Agile Project Management, Software Architecture, Software Design, Sprint Planning, Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Computing, Backlogs, Cloud-Native Computing, Scrum (Software Development)
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
8.6K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Amazon Web Services
AWS Cloud Technology Consultant
Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Amazon CloudWatch, AWS CloudFormation, Software Development Life Cycle, CI/CD, Amazon Web Services, Professional Networking, IT Automation, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Extract, Transform, Load, DevOps, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Software Architecture, Cloud Computing Architecture, Amazon DynamoDB, Cloud Infrastructure, Web Applications, Leadership Development
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.3K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Amazon Web Services
AWS Cloud Solutions Architect
Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudWatch, Data Lakes, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Scalability, Cloud Infrastructure, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Event-Driven Programming, Cloud Security, Solution Architecture, Data Visualization, Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Solutions, Data Architecture, Amazon Redshift, Software Architecture
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.4K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Amazon Web Services
AWS Fundamentals
Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Scalability, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Event-Driven Programming, Solution Architecture, Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Solutions, Data Migration, Identity and Access Management, Cloud Storage, API Gateway, Cloud Management, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Security
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.2K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
LearnQuest
Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101)
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Platforms, Cloud Computing, Cloud Services, Cloud Infrastructure, Public Cloud, Cloud Storage, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Serverless Computing, Hybrid Cloud Computing, Microsoft Azure, Software As A Service, Private Cloud, Virtual Machines, Platform As A Service (PaaS), Docker (Software)
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
6.4K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Google Cloud
Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP
Skills you'll gain: Data Pipelines, Dataflow, Google Cloud Platform, Real Time Data, Data Lakes, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Dashboard, Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Cloud Storage, Big Data, Tensorflow, Unstructured Data, Data Integration, Data Storage, Data Processing, Data Visualization Software, Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, Cloud Computing
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months