
AWS Academy
Empowering higher education institutions to prepare students for industry-recognized certifications and careers in the cloud
Bridging the gap between industry and academia
As cloud technologies continue to help organizations transform at a rapid pace, employees with the necessary cloud skills are in high demand. According to LinkedIn data, cloud computing is the number one hard skill companies need most.
AWS Academy provides higher education institutions with a free, ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum that prepares students to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud jobs. Our curriculum helps educators stay at the forefront of AWS Cloud innovation so that they can equip students with the skills they need to get hired in one of the fastest-growing industries.
Program Benefits
Institutions

- Become a leader in cloud education
- Develop and retain educators
Educators

- Access innovative cloud courses
- Receive complimentary AWS professional training
- Receive 50% discounts on AWS Certification exams
Students

- Land a well-paid job in one of the fastest-growing industries
- Gain skills hiring managers value
- Receive 50% discounts on AWS Certification exams

Educator and Administrator Testimonials
"I teach AWS Academy Cloud Foundations to graduate students in some of the top programs in the world. I have found that AWS Academy material is ideal for students looking to get hands-on experience with cloud computing.”
Noah Gift, Professor, Duke University

Educator and Administrator Testimonials
“AWS Academy provides well designed and professionally-developed learning materials for our students. Integration of AWS Academy course into our Business Analytics curriculum helps better prepare our students for internships and full time job placements. Students who completed the course have landed full-time jobs at Goldman Sachs, Visa, Bank of America, and many more.”
Kyong Jin Shim, Professor, Singapore Management University

Educator and Administrator Testimonials
“With AWS Academy, we are helping both our students and the local community in Miami by creating the cloud workforce local businesses are looking for. We equip students with the skills and certifications they need to successfully launch careers in cloud computing and help connect them to local employers.”
Antonio Delgado, Dean of Engineering, Technology and Design at Miami Dade College

Educator and Administrator Testimonials
“Cloud computing is one of the most important skills for my students to learn. With AWS Academy, students are able to learn the basic concepts of the cloud, and gain experience with AWS Cloud services in a systematic way.”
Kenji Akae, Educator and Professional Systems Engineer, Toyama College of Business and IT

Educator and Administrator Testimonials
“We incorporated the AWS Academy curriculum into our cloud computing module and launched a summer program for students looking to study AWS. The courses and the AWS skills they teach help enhance the employability of our students. On a personal level, my work with AWS Academy is one of the main reasons I was promoted to Senior Lecturer at my institution.”
Gokop Goteng, Queen Mary University of London
About the Curriculum
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Cloud Foundations
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Developing
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Architecting
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Operations
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Machine Learning
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Data Analytics
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Cloud Foundations
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AWS Academy Cloud Foundations
This introductory course provides a detailed overview of cloud concepts, AWS core services, security, architecture, pricing, and support. It contains 20 hours of course content and prepares students to pursue an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud FoundationsE x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner -
Developing
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AWS Academy Cloud Developing
This intermediate-level course will help students gain technical expertise in development with cloud technologies. It will also help them prepare for the AWS Certified Developer - Associate certification exam. Upon completion, students will be able to develop with the AWS SDK and identify best practices for building and deploying applications in the AWS Cloud. This course contains approximately 40 hours of content delivered through lectures and hands-on labs.
We recommend that students take AWS Academy Cloud Foundations or equivalent before taking this course.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud FoundationsE x a mAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerCourseAWS Academy Cloud DevelopingE x a mAWS Certified Developer - Associate -
Architecting
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AWS Academy Cloud Architecting
This intermediate-level course covers the fundamentals of building IT infrastructure on AWS and helps students gain the skills they need to pursue the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification. This course contains approximately 40 hours of content delivered through lectures, hands-on labs, and project work.
We recommend that students take AWS Academy Cloud Foundations or equivalent before taking this course.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud FoundationsE x a mAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerCourseAWS Academy Cloud ArchitectingE x a mAWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate -
Operations
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AWS Academy Cloud Operations
This intermediate-level course will prepare students to pursue in-demand DevOps, support, and cloud operations roles at the entry level. It will also help them prepare for the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate exam. Through case studies, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, students will learn how to troubleshoot various scenarios and automate deployments of networks and systems on AWS. This course contains approximately 40 hours of content delivered through lectures and hands-on labs.
We recommend that students take AWS Academy Cloud Foundations or equivalent before taking this course.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud FoundationsE x a mAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerCourseAWS Academy Cloud OperationsE x a mAWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate -
Machine Learning
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AWS Academy Machine Learning Foundations
This introductory course introduces students to the concepts and terminology of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). By the end of this course, students will be able to select and apply ML services to resolve business problems. They will also be able to label, build, train, and deploy a custom ML model. This course contains approximately 20 hours of content delivered through lectures, hands-on labs, and project work.
CourseAWS Academy Machine Learning Foundations -
Data Analytics
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AWS Academy Data Analytics
These lab exercises teach students how to conduct Big Data analysis with practical, real-world examples. The labs and learning resources are designed to supplement an institution’s existing data analytics courses and provide students with hands-on experience working with data at scale. Geared toward students interested in pursuing careers in data analysis, AWS Academy Data Analytics requires a strong foundation in IT concepts and skills, and it contains seven-and-a-half hours of content.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud FoundationsE x a mAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerLabsAWS Academy Data Analytics
How to Join
Participation Criteria
AWS Academy membership begins at the institution level. Institutions that meet following criteria can apply:
- Institution offers accredited degree, diploma, certificate, or continuing education programs.
- Applicant is authorized to act as the Central Point of Contact (CPOC) for the institution they represent or can provide the name and contact information of someone who can act in this capacity.
Getting Started
Once the application is accepted, the institution:
- Accepts program Terms & Conditions
- Nominates one or more educators for educator accreditation
- Proposes a class delivery plan
Is your institution already a member? Visit the AWS Academy portal »
AWS Academy Member Institutions
Educator Accreditation
To teach our courses, educators must earn AWS Academy educator accreditation. Educators receive complimentary training and professional development as they pursue AWS Certification and AWS Academy accreditation.
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Student Spotlight
“AWS has given me a competitive advantage in terms of employment. Cloud computing skills are becoming more and more crucial to many industries, so having to experiment with services offered by the biggest cloud computing service provider was key to my success.”
Steve Muland, Graduate, Durban University of Technology in South Africa

Student Spotlight
“My current project is securing the Internet of Things, and it includes artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. The next step is to implement these techniques in the cloud. Taking an AWS Academy course was really helpful in putting all the knowledge together. It gave me hands-on experience and a better understanding of the cloud computing, so I could see the big picture when designing and improving my algorithm.” -
Hadeel Saleh Alrubayy, PhD Candidate, Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom

Student Spotlight
“Completing the AWS Academy Cloud Operations course not only helped me prepare for the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate, but it also helped raise my confidence in my ability to architect, automate, and optimize cloud environments. The labs included with the program were an invaluable resource, and I attribute my success on the exam to the hands-on experience gained from those labs. With more and more systems transitioning to cloud models, it’s imperative to learn the world’s most ubiquitous cloud computing platform, and AWS Academy will jump start your learning and set you up for success!”
Sky Resendez, Western Governors University
AWS Academy Insights
Employers
The Latest from AWS Academy
The challenges of higher education around the world are widely known and lamented: rising tuition costs that reduce the perceived return on investment, challenges with equity and accessibility, and the growing gap between the needs of employers and the skills of graduates.
To protect the health and safety of their students and faculty, higher education institutions around the world have made a quick and essential shift from in-person to online classes.
We are in an exciting era of higher education. Digital native students are arriving in our classrooms armed with deep and broad experience with technology. And now, the COVID crisis is pushing us all to teach online, giving us a chance to think big and bold about what we view as the future of education in the modern era.
Do you have questions?
For more information, please visit the FAQ or contact us directly.