Software Development

Learn more about the skills and certifications you need for a career as software or DevOps engineer, mainframe developer, QA tester, and more.

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[Featured Image] A businessman who has learned how to become a DevOps engineer sits at his desk and works on a laptop, helping his software development team plan project requirements and infrastructure.

How to Become a DevOps Engineer

In this role, you’ll help plan project requirements and infrastructure on a software development team. Learn which skills and education you’ll need to become a DevOps engineer, plus the average salary you can expect.

October 17, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A woman wears a headset and looks at a computer monitor, thinking while she deals with her team's technical debt.

What Is Technical Debt: A Guide

If you’ve ever borrowed money, you know about debt. But what about the term “technical debt,” which is familiar to the software community? Learn more about the concept and its costs in development.

October 14, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A programmer using go programming language works at his desk, with multiple computers filled with code in front of him.

What Is Go Programming Language and What Is It Used For?

The Google programming language, commonly known as Go, is popular among developers. Explore the Go programming language’s unique strengths and its pros and cons before discovering a few tips on how to become proficient in coding with it.

October 14, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A businessman who has learned how to become a DevOps engineer sits at his desk and works on a laptop, helping his software development team plan project requirements and infrastructure.

How to Become a DevOps Engineer

In this role, you’ll help plan project requirements and infrastructure on a software development team. Learn which skills and education you’ll need to become a DevOps engineer, plus the average salary you can expect.

October 17, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A woman wears a headset and looks at a computer monitor, thinking while she deals with her team's technical debt.

What Is Technical Debt: A Guide

If you’ve ever borrowed money, you know about debt. But what about the term “technical debt,” which is familiar to the software community? Learn more about the concept and its costs in development.

October 14, 2024

Article

Explore popular software development courses

IBM

Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Development Environment, Software Engineering, Software Architecture, Software Design, Programming Principles, Unified Modeling Language, Agile Methodology, Software Development, Scrum (Software Development), Web Development, Cloud Development, Integrated Development Environments, Application Development, Back-End Web Development, Front-End Web Development, Computer Programming, Python Programming

4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews

Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Status: AI skills

IBM

Skills you'll gain: Istio, Node.JS, Software Development Life Cycle, Kubernetes, Unit Testing, Object-Relational Mapping, Cloud Computing Architecture, Server Side, Application Deployment, React Redux, Cloud Services, Cloud-Native Computing, OpenShift, Git (Version Control System), Full-Stack Web Development, HTML and CSS, Cloud Computing, Jupyter, Generative AI, Interviewing Skills

Build toward a degree

4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
55K reviews

Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Microsoft

Skills you'll gain: CI/CD, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), GitHub, Database Management, C# (Programming Language), HTML and CSS, SQL, ASP.NET, Load Balancing, Continuous Integration, Version Control, Relational Databases, Git (Version Control System), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Continuous Delivery, Scalability, Full-Stack Web Development, Programming Principles, Graph Theory, User Interface (UI)

4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
117 reviews

Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

[Featured Image] A software engineer sits at a desk and uses the rubber duck debugging method to help her company's software

How to Solve Coding Problems with Rubber Duck Debugging

Make finding the errors in your code a little more fun with rubber duck debugging. Learn more about the rubber duck debugging approach, how it started, why programmers use it, and how to follow it.

October 11, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] After earning game development degrees, two game designers work on a video game featuring virtual reality.

Game Development Degrees and Alternatives in 2025

Explore the options you will have with a game development degree, such as video game development and design, by reviewing the educational requirements to start a career in the field.

October 7, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A professional sits at her desk and uses software as a service to have a video conference with colleagues on one computer screen while consulting data on her second computer screen.

What Is Software as a Service? Definition and Examples

Software as a service refers to accessing cloud-based software through the internet, such as Netflix, Zoom, and Google Docs, instead of via a local download. Keep reading to discover the benefits of SaaS to both users and software vendors.

October 5, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A smiling automation engineer sits at her desktop computer and looks at a colleague off-camera.

Automation Engineer Career Guide

Automation engineers help streamline processes to make the workplace more efficient. Explore more about an automation engineer career and what you’ll need to start one.

October 4, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Young software programmers discuss the merits of GitLab vs. GitHub while looking at a computer screen in a workspace with plenty of windows.

GitLab vs. GitHub: Which to Choose?

While GitLab and GitHub offer similar capabilities for your development project, the two programs have unique features and use cases. Discover which version control program is right for your project below.

October 2, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Two software programmers engage in test-driven development as they sit in front of computer screens.

What Is Test-Driven Development?

Learn what test-driven development is, what the development cycle looks like, and how you can start learning this exciting skill.

October 2, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Four members of a DevOps team discuss their CI/CD pipeline and how to refine the team’s overall strategy.

What Is CI/CD?

CI/CD stands for continuous integration and continuous delivery or deployment. Discover why CI/CD is important for DevOps teams and how to start a career in this growing field.

October 1, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] After learning what is javascript used for, a young woman programmer sits at her desk in casual clothing, working on code on a computer in an office.

What Is JavaScript Used For?

JavaScript is a versatile tool that adds interactivity to web pages and creates animations, among other uses. Explore JavaScript in more detail, including how the programming language works and what you can do with it below.

September 30, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Before working in video game development, two designers standing over their desks discussing character creation need to know what unity is.

What Is Unity?

Unity is a popular development platform for creating video games, animations, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) content. Discover how to use Unity to create video games and other content for gaming platforms and the internet.

September 30, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A programmer using go programming language works at his desk, with multiple computers filled with code in front of him.

What Is Go Programming Language and What Is It Used For?

The Google programming language, commonly known as Go, is popular among developers. Explore the Go programming language’s unique strengths and its pros and cons before discovering a few tips on how to become proficient in coding with it.

October 14, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A software engineer sits at a desk and uses the rubber duck debugging method to help her company's software

How to Solve Coding Problems with Rubber Duck Debugging

Make finding the errors in your code a little more fun with rubber duck debugging. Learn more about the rubber duck debugging approach, how it started, why programmers use it, and how to follow it.

October 11, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] After earning game development degrees, two game designers work on a video game featuring virtual reality.

Game Development Degrees and Alternatives in 2025

Explore the options you will have with a game development degree, such as video game development and design, by reviewing the educational requirements to start a career in the field.

October 7, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A professional sits at her desk and uses software as a service to have a video conference with colleagues on one computer screen while consulting data on her second computer screen.

What Is Software as a Service? Definition and Examples

Software as a service refers to accessing cloud-based software through the internet, such as Netflix, Zoom, and Google Docs, instead of via a local download. Keep reading to discover the benefits of SaaS to both users and software vendors.

October 5, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] A smiling automation engineer sits at her desktop computer and looks at a colleague off-camera.

Automation Engineer Career Guide

Automation engineers help streamline processes to make the workplace more efficient. Explore more about an automation engineer career and what you’ll need to start one.

October 4, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Young software programmers discuss the merits of GitLab vs. GitHub while looking at a computer screen in a workspace with plenty of windows.

GitLab vs. GitHub: Which to Choose?

While GitLab and GitHub offer similar capabilities for your development project, the two programs have unique features and use cases. Discover which version control program is right for your project below.

October 2, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Two software programmers engage in test-driven development as they sit in front of computer screens.

What Is Test-Driven Development?

Learn what test-driven development is, what the development cycle looks like, and how you can start learning this exciting skill.

October 2, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Four members of a DevOps team discuss their CI/CD pipeline and how to refine the team’s overall strategy.

What Is CI/CD?

CI/CD stands for continuous integration and continuous delivery or deployment. Discover why CI/CD is important for DevOps teams and how to start a career in this growing field.

October 1, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] After learning what is javascript used for, a young woman programmer sits at her desk in casual clothing, working on code on a computer in an office.

What Is JavaScript Used For?

JavaScript is a versatile tool that adds interactivity to web pages and creates animations, among other uses. Explore JavaScript in more detail, including how the programming language works and what you can do with it below.

September 30, 2024

Article

[Featured Image] Before working in video game development, two designers standing over their desks discussing character creation need to know what unity is.

What Is Unity?

Unity is a popular development platform for creating video games, animations, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) content. Discover how to use Unity to create video games and other content for gaming platforms and the internet.

September 30, 2024

Article

Software development covers a wide variety of skills and careers, from programming to quality assurance to DevOps. With so many options and opportunities available, it can be tricky to know where to start. On Coursera, you'll find expert resources to support your goals, whether you're just starting out or are ready to take the next step in your career. Explore software development topics, including:

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)