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
-
Cloud Foundations
-
Developing
-
Architecting
-
Operations
-
Machine Learning
-
Data Analytics
-
Data Centers
-
Learner Labs
-
Cloud Foundations
-
AWS Academy Cloud Foundations
This introductory course is intended for students who seek an overall understanding of cloud computing concepts, independent of specific technical roles. It provides a detailed overview of cloud concepts, AWS core services, security, architecture, pricing, and support.
AWS Academy Introduction to Cloud: Semester 1In this introductory course, students will explore AWS services and technologies, and how they can support businesses across the globe. Students will also learn to build on the AWS Management Console, examine successful cloud implementations, and apply their knowledge to cloud-based scenarios.
AWS Academy Introduction to Cloud: Semester 2Extending upon the concepts from AWS Academy Introduction to Cloud: Semester 1, students will continue to explore cloud computing services, applications, and use cases. Students will dive deeper into cloud computing best practices and learn how the cloud helps users develop a global infrastructure at scale by leveraging innovative technologies.
Recommended progression option 1CourseAWS Academy Cloud Foundations
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerRecommended progression option 2CourseAWS Academy Introduction to Cloud: Semester 1
CourseAWS Academy Introduction to Cloud: Semester 2
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner -
Developing
-
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 Foundations
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
CourseAWS Academy Cloud Developing
E x a mAWS Certified Developer - Associate -
Architecting
-
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 Foundations
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
CourseAWS Academy Cloud Architecting
E x a mAWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate -
Operations
-
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 Foundations
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
CourseAWS Academy Cloud Operations
E x a mAWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate -
Machine Learning
-
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.
AWS Academy Machine Learning for Natural Language ProcessingThis intermediate-level course is designed for students who are pursuing careers that require machine learning knowledge. Students will learn how to describe the terms in the natural language processing (NLP) ecosystem; identify how to use NLP in business; and indicate the range of problems, tasks, and solutions with NLP.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Machine Learning Foundations
CourseAWS Academy Machine Learning for Natural Language Processing
ResourcesAWS Resources and additional hands-on experience
E x a mAWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty -
Data Analytics
-
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 Foundations
E x a mAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
LabsAWS Academy Data Analytics -
Data Centers
-
AWS Academy Engineering Operations Technicians (EOT)This course provides an overview of the fundamental concepts and skills required for the Engineering Operations Technician role in a Data Center environment. Students will learn about topics such as data center basics, data center physical infrastructure, electrical fundamentals, and data center batteries and generators.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud Foundations
CourseAWS Academy Engineering Operations Technicians (EOT)AWS Academy Data Center Technician (DCT)This course is designed to help students develop technical expertise in data center operations. Although this is a foundational course, students should possess a general knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering concepts.
Recommended progressionCourseAWS Academy Cloud Foundations
CourseAWS Academy Data Center Technician (DCT) -
Learner Labs
-
AWS Academy Learner Labs
Long-running hands-on lab environments where educators can bring their own assignments and invite their students to get experience using select AWS Services.
What can you do with AWS Academy Learner Labs?
- Create a class for your students
- Invite your students
- Assign your own projects
- View a student’s workspace
- View analytics including time and money spent
AWS Academy Learner Labs – Foundation vs. Associate
AWS Academy offers two types of Learner Labs – Foundation for students learning the basics and Associate for more complex assignments.
AWS Academy Learner Lab - Foundation
- Available to all AWS Academy educators that complete our Educator Orientation course
- Access to more than 40 AWS services
AWS Academy Learner Lab - Associate
- Available to accredited educators
- Educators must be accredited to teach at least one AWS Academy Associate level course in order to create an AWS Academy Associate Level Learner Lab
- Includes access to over 100 AWS services
Educator access levels
Foundation Services
- When educators are nominated to teach they are enrolled in AWS Academy Cloud Foundations and AWS Academy Machine Learning Foundations as students for self-study and preparation
- AWS Academy Foundation Level educators can teach AWS Academy Cloud Foundations and AWS Academy Machine Learning Foundations courses
- Access to AWS Academy Learner Lab - Foundation Services
- Optional: AWS Academy Foundation Level Educators can request a voucher to take an AWS Certification Exam
Associate Services
- Educators can teach the AWS Academy Associate Level course they are accredited for (AWS Academy Cloud Developing, AWS Academy Architecting, AWS Academy Cloud Operations, AWS Academy Data Analytics)
- Educators can teach the AWS Academy Foundation Level courses (AWS Academy Cloud Foundations, AWS Academy Machine Learning)
- Access to AWS Academy Learner Lab – Associate Services
- Access to AWS Academy Learner Lab – Foundation Services
- AWS Academy Educators request and receive a discounted exam voucher for each AWS Certification exam they opt to pursue
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 Associate Level courses, educators must earn AWS Academy educator accreditation*. Educators receive complimentary training and professional development as they pursue AWS Certification and AWS Academy accreditation.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
*Accreditation process applicable only for Associate courses — no certification required for Foundation Level, but is recommended.
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 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.