Artificial Intelligence on Microsoft Azure: Machine Learning and Python Basics

Entry requirements

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

There are no specific entry requirements for this credential but it’s a hands-on course, so some basic Python skills, knowledge of and experience in C# or Creative Studio, and experience working with data from Excel, databases, or text files, would help you to hit the ground running.

Machine learning leans heavily on mathematics, so a high-school level of maths and basic understanding of statistics is also highly advantageous.

You should be willing to learn through exploration and hands-on practice.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This microcredential is for professionals who’d like to boost their employability and build AI career skills needed to plug the AI skills gap.

This may include:

• Applied machine learning specialists and engineer
• AI analyst
• AI statistician
• AI researcher or scientist
• Artificial intelligence engineer or developer
• Data and AI architect
• Business intelligence analyst

Gaining Microsoft Role-Based Azure certification by passing the two additional exams (included in the course price) will open the door to Microsoft Azure administrative and AI engineer roles.

Months of entry

February, September

Course content

Explore Azure’s AI functionality and learn Python basics for machine learning in this fully online 12-16 week course

Offered through a collaboration with Microsoft, this microcredential will teach you the fundamentals of AI and provide you with the skills to design and build an AI solution using Microsoft Azure. We will prepare you for the Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-100) certification; the cost of this microcredential includes vouchers for this exam.

Take your first steps towards an AI career

Artificial intelligence is one of the key drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Accordingly, artificial intelligence skills are frequently listed among the most in-demand workplace skills in the current and future job market, as organisations seek to harness AI to revolutionise their operations.

While in-demand tech skills are changing, employers are faced with a shortfall of qualified candidates.

On this microcredential, you’ll address this challenge by developing key AI skills that can serve as the first steps towards becoming an AI engineer, business analyst, or AI professional.

Build an AI solution with Microsoft Azure

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform, used by more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies.

As well as learning to use this advanced Azure AI functionality, you’ll get the latest Microsoft Azure training, gaining a detailed introduction to the core services on offer. These skills will boost your employability beyond just AI or machine-learning jobs.

Develop Python AI skills

Machine learning drives the predictive models at the heart of artificial intelligence. You’ll build key data science and machine learning skills, using the popular Python programming language.

This machine learning credential covers basic Python for data science, data science research methods, and machine learning for Python.

Develop an AI chatbot in Microsoft Azure

The culmination of this AI course will be an introduction to Azure Cognitive Services, which you’ll use to create your own chatbot. Using LUIS (Language Understanding), you’ll discover how to use machine learning to improve your chatbot using natural-language processing.

By the end of the microcredential you’ll have a solid understanding of the practical skills needed for AI and machine learning jobs.

Will I earn a Microsoft Role-based Azure certification?

Yes. If you successfully complete this microcredential, you’ll receive a voucher to sit a separate exam to earn the Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-100) certification.

Industry statistics

• Median base salary
  £45,000
  UK job openings/month
  1,724

Source: Glassdoor's Best Jobs (2020)

What skills will you learn?

• Azure Cloud Portal administration
• Azure Cognitive Services
• Azure machine learning models
• Python programming
• Machine learning algorithms
• Statistics for AI
• Mathematics for AI
• Chatbot development and LUIS integration
• Microsoft bot framework

What you will achieve

By the end of the microcredential, you’ll be able to...

• Explore fundamentals of navigation of Microsoft Azure Administration portal
• Apply the principles of machine learning and the use of Python and Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services to work with Text, Speech, Images and Videos
• Produce and manipulate Python Lists, Numpy arrays and build custom plots on real data
• Design and develop good data collection strategies to putting results in context
• Develop Azure Cognitive Service Accounts
• Design and develop chat bots on Azure Cognitive Services
• Develop an implementation of integration of LUIS into a bot

Information for international students

This course is taught fully online so is suitable to be studied anywhere in the world.

Fees and funding

NA

Assessment