Microsoft today launched two new courses in its online instruction program for programmers: an entry-level software development course and an AI course for more advanced programmers who want to expand their understanding of machine learning.
It's no secret that there aren't enough information scientists and machine learning programmers available to satisfy the present need. It's no real surprise, then, that a number of big businesses have started to teach the principles of these disciplines to their present workers; beginning now, anybody can take the AI courses that Microsoft first developed for its employees.
The Microsoft Professional Program for Artificial Intelligence is available for free on edX.org, though you may also opt to pay for a certification. Each course runs three weeks and begins at the start of the quarter. Unsurprisingly, there is a small focus on Azure along with Microsoft's Cognitive Services here (and you also want an Azure account), but otherwise, the program is agnostic to the operating system you run.
The overall program includes 10 courses which vary from introductions to AI and Python for information science to a class on integrity for AI programmers and a great deal of hands-on use coaching models. Most of the 10 required courses ought to take approximately eight to 16 hours to finish.
Along with the AI class, Microsoft also today announced a similar program for entry-level software programmers. This edX-based program is made up of 13 classes that teach students the basics of software development, with an eye on Python and JavaScript. What's maybe more important than simply teaching those languages, however, is that the path also looks at principles like information structures and the way to use GitHub and other tools to write code professionally.
These two new classes join an increasing number of similar apps in Microsoft's so-called "Professional Program" (the reason they don't only call it the Microsoft Academy is beyond me, however, I am not a marketer...). All these present classes range from front-end growth courses to an application for cloud admins and a course for IT support professionals.