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

When it comes to Computing, hardware refers to the physical parts of a device that users interact with such as a keyboard, hard drive, or monitor. This is in contrast to software, which are the operating systems, applications, and other virtual computing programs that help users carry out tasks. Hardware can be created and manufactured by big tech names, such as Microsoft or Apple, or by hobbyists and smaller companies using Arduino, embedded-systems software, and other tools. Learning about hardware is important to making computer-based technologies functional for our everyday lives, as well as critical for maintaining and repairing them.

What jobs can you get by learning about hardware?

Given the many applications of hardware studies—from security, to product design, to the IoT—jobs in hardware are varied depending on whatever specialty learners want to explore. Opportunities in Computer Hardware Engineering in particular can expect their field to grow a steady five percent through 2026 —as fast as average. However, Engineers going the IoT route can expect to enter a market estimated to reach a value of USD 1256.1 billion by 2025 . Related roles that can enjoy this lucrative market include Embedded Systems Engineer, Raspberry Pi Developer, Arduino Developer, and others.

How can online courses help you learn about hardware?

Hardware courses offered through Coursera equip learners with knowledge in hardware description languages such as VHDL and Verilog; design methods; embedded architectures; software that can manipulate hardware; 3D printing hardware; IoT applications; hardware security; and more. Lessons on hardware are taught by instructors from major tech names and universities, including University of Colorado, University of Illinois, EIT Digital, University of Maryland, and other organizations. Learners can enjoy exploring hardware with instructors specializing in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Mathematics, and other disciplines. Course content on hardware is delivered via video lectures, hands-on projects, readings, quizzes, and other types of assignments.

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

The skills and experience you might need to already have before starting to learn hardware are understanding the basics of how software and hardware intersect in devices, computers, operating systems, embedded systems, and assorted data structures. You might want to have some engineering aspects in your background and skills or work experience in hardware components and operating systems. You might be familiar with how embedded devices are impacting manufacturing in the Internet of Things, and you might want to also know about wireless sensor networks.

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

The kind of people best suited for roles in hardware are mainly people who are interested in computers, are technologically oriented, or have an engineering or computer science background, gained either in online courses, internships, or on-the-job training. Understanding hardware is for those who want to know about physical components, like computers, monitors, peripherals, 3D printing equipment, and embedded systems. The people best suited for roles in hardware may also likely have knowledge of programming languages like Java, Python, C, C+, and Verilog, key languages for computer engineers.

What types of places hire people with a background in hardware?

Common career paths for someone in hardware are generally working for a technology company, manufacturing firms, or even a large institution like a college university or online distribution service. You may start either in software or hardware environments and then extend your background of engineering skills or computer science skills to move into areas of installation and maintenance of computers, servers, circuit boards, routers, printers, and similar areas.

What topics can I study that are related to hardware?

Some of the topics related to hardware that you can study include machine learning, cloud networks, systems architecture, network security, computer maintenance, and data storage. These topics may bring a fuller understanding to you when trying to tackle all the information available about hardware for computers and devices. When learning about hardware, you could spend equal amounts of time studying these and other topics related to the computer and system machinery industries.

What are the benefits of taking an online Hardware course?

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

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

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Hardware, 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 Hardware Courses - Learn Hardware Online

Packt

Application deployment and management with Intune

Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Intune (Mobile Device Management Software), Application Deployment, Group Policy, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Applications, Mobile Security, Enterprise Security, Identity and Access Management, Configuration Management

Packt

Dive Into Ansible - From Beginner to Expert in Ansible

Skills you'll gain: Ansible, YAML, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Devops Tools, CI/CD, Shell Script, Docker (Software), Amazon Web Services, Linux Servers, Automation, Command-Line Interface, Configuration Management, JSON

Status: Free

Coursera Instructor Network

Leveraging Llama2 for Advanced AI Solutions

Skills you'll gain: Technical Management, Generative AI, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Applied Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Performance Tuning, Solution Design

Packt

Network Configuration, Network Services, & System Management

Skills you'll gain: Peripheral Devices, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Mac OS, TCP/IP, System Configuration, Network Protocols, Network Administration, Remote Access Systems, Systems Administration, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Computer Networking, Servers, Hardware Troubleshooting, System Software, Operating Systems, Data Sharing, Cloud Management, Cloud Services, Encryption

Status: Free

Coursera Instructor Network

Master Electric Vehicle Tech: Software Skills

Skills you'll gain: Basic Electrical Systems, Hardware Troubleshooting, Systems Architecture, Electronic Systems, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Embedded Systems, Systems Integration, Debugging, Performance Tuning, Real Time Data

Google Cloud

Running a MongoDB Database in Kubernetes with StatefulSets

Skills you'll gain: Kubernetes, MongoDB, Docker (Software), Containerization, Scalability, Cloud Platforms, NoSQL, Google Cloud Platform

Whizlabs

Getting Started with Chef Cookbooks

Skills you'll gain: Chef (Configuration Management Tool), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Unit Testing, Verification And Validation, Software Installation, System Configuration, Cloud Security, Maintainability, Configuration Management, Development Environment, Security Testing, Debugging

Packt

Foundations of IT Fundamentals

Skills you'll gain: Application Development, Operating Systems, Python Programming, System Configuration, Linux, Web Applications, System Software, Business Technologies, Software Installation, Information Technology, Microsoft Windows, Software Development, Computer Programming

IBM

IBM Storage Scale Administration

Skills you'll gain: Performance Tuning, Linux Administration, Systems Administration, Software Installation, System Monitoring, Servers, Linux, Data Storage Technologies, System Configuration, Data Security, Event Monitoring, Configuration Management, Encryption

Status: Free

Amazon Web Services

Configure and Deploy AWS Client VPN

Skills you'll gain: VPN Clients, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Amazon Web Services, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Network Protocols, Network Security, Remote Access Systems, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Command-Line Interface, Control Panels, End User Training and Support, Endpoint Security

Google Cloud

Getting Started with Terraform for Google Cloud - Français

Skills you'll gain: Terraform, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Management, Cloud Storage, Virtual Machines, Configuration Management

Packt

LPIC-1 Linux Administrator (101-500)

Skills you'll gain: Command-Line Interface, Linux Administration, Package and Software Management, Linux, Unix Commands, Linux Servers, Linux Commands, OS Process Management, File Systems, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Software Installation, Unix, File Management, Service Management, Authorization (Computing), Systems Administration, Data Storage, Operating Systems, System Configuration

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Explore the Hardware Course Catalog

Application deployment and management with Intune

Dive Into Ansible - From Beginner to Expert in Ansible

Leveraging Llama2 for Advanced AI Solutions

Network Configuration, Network Services, & System Management

Master Electric Vehicle Tech: Software Skills

Running a MongoDB Database in Kubernetes with StatefulSets

Getting Started with Chef Cookbooks

Foundations of IT Fundamentals

IBM Storage Scale Administration

Configure and Deploy AWS Client VPN

Getting Started with Terraform for Google Cloud - Français

LPIC-1 Linux Administrator (101-500)

Hardware learners also search

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Hardware

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

What jobs can you get by learning about hardware?‎

How can online courses help you learn about hardware?‎

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

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

What types of places hire people with a background in hardware?‎

What topics can I study that are related to hardware?‎

What are the benefits of taking an online Hardware course?‎

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

Other topics to explore