What is software architecture?

Software architecture describes a computing system or program's structure, as well as the decisions that are made about how software systems are organized and how structural elements are selected. It integrates elements like object-oriented analysis and design, web service, and representational state transfer (REST), to create software applications and systems that are flexible and reusable. There are five patterns in software architecture, including layered, event-driven, microkernel, microservices, and space-based.

What benefits will I gain if I learn software architecture?

Learning software architecture is essential for building systems that will last. You'll discover techniques for building software that's flexible and scalable all while making informed design decisions that allow you to execute safer, faster, better software and for less money. You'll receive training in programming, systems design and development operations, all of which allow you to progress in your career or enter a new industry. You'll get skills in software development and gain the ability to execute solutions and lead a team of software engineers.

What are typical careers that use software architecture?

Typically, software architects study software architecture. There's a fair amount of variance in the titles you'll see. Other job titles you might encounter include application architects, enterprise architects, solutions architects, and technical architects. For some, it's the next step in their careers after becoming a senior developer. For anyone who wants to enter the field directly, there are entry-level positions to get you started. Software architects commonly work in an office environment, although you may have remote work opportunities available to you as well. If this is a career you're interested in, expect to spend the majority of your work time sitting in front of a computer.

What kind of people are best suited for roles in software architecture?

People ideally suited for working in software architecture have a mixture of solid technical skills and leadership qualities because working in software architecture requires taking the technical lead on projects. While project managers deal with resources and scheduling, the software architect makes technical decisions, organizes the team, and contributes to planning activities around the architecture. Other traits that are useful to have include design skills, programming skills, and a background in or a good understanding of the software development process. Having knowledge of the business domain is also helpful since it provides insight into the requirements that will have to be considered to create solutions that best solve the problem.

What are the benefits of taking an online Software Architecture course?

Online Software Architecture courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Software Architecture skills. Choose from a wide range of Software Architecture courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Software Architecture courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Software Architecture, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Software Architecture Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Software Architecture Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
University of Alberta
Software Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Unified Modeling Language, Systems Architecture, Software Design, Software Visualization, Solution Architecture, Software Systems, Software Development, Software Documentation, Service Oriented Architecture, Software Design Patterns, Enterprise Architecture, Maintainability, Application Deployment, Scalability, Databases
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
927 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Alberta
Software Design and Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Model View Controller, Unified Modeling Language, Object Oriented Design, Service Oriented Architecture, API Design, Systems Architecture, Web Services, Software Design Patterns, Software Design, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Microservices, Restful API, Software Visualization, Code Review, Solution Architecture, Software Systems, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Software Development, Java
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.9K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Software Architecture for Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Service Level, Performance Testing, Software Engineering, Data Architecture, Web Applications, Software Architecture, Scalability, Systems Architecture, Functional Requirement, Distributed Computing, Databases, Microservices, Acceptance Testing, Application Deployment, Predictive Modeling, Application Development, Application Performance Management, Software Testing, System Design and Implementation, Big Data
Build toward a degree
3.5
Rating, 3.5 out of 5 stars
99 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Software Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Development Environment, Engineering Software, Software Design, Software Development Tools, Software Engineering, Program Development, Systems Development, Software Documentation, Software Design Patterns, Software Development Methodologies, Unified Modeling Language, Integrated Development Environments, Programming Principles, Application Development, Agile Methodology, Python Programming
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.6K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Coursera Instructor Network
Cloud Architecture Design Patterns
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Infrastructure, Scalability, Cloud Computing, Cloud Platforms, Software Architecture, Cloud Services, Cloud Applications, Cloud Security, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Load Balancing, Serverless Computing, Software Design Patterns, Microservices, Event-Driven Programming
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
27 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Minnesota
Software Development Lifecycle
Skills you'll gain: User Story, Agile Software Development, Software Design Patterns, Design Thinking, Software Development Methodologies, Software Design, Agile Methodology, Agile Project Management, Process Mapping, Software Engineering, Kanban Principles, Software Development Life Cycle, Software Quality Assurance, Application Security, Scrum (Software Development), Object Oriented Design, Software Architecture, User Experience Design, Software Quality (SQA/SQC), Requirements Analysis
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
9.7K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

What brings you to Coursera today?

Start my career

Change my career

Grow in my current role

Explore topics outside of work

Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Google
Google UX Design
Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Storyboarding, Wireframing, User Experience Design, UI/UX Research, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, Presentations, User Research, Figma (Design Software), Design Reviews, Persona (User Experience), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Mobile Development, User Story, Cross Platform Development, Data Ethics, Usability, Interviewing Skills, Professional Development
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
92K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Full Stack Software Developer
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Istio, Software Development Life Cycle, Node.JS, Cloud Computing Architecture, Server Side, Application Deployment, React Redux, Kubernetes, Cloud Services, Restful API, Django (Web Framework), Software Architecture, Object-Relational Mapping, Git (Version Control System), Full-Stack Web Development, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Cloud Computing, Jupyter, Engineering Software
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
56K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Software Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Software Design Patterns, Requirements Analysis, Software Architecture, Acceptance Testing, Software Development Methodologies, Unified Modeling Language, Software Development Life Cycle, Configuration Management, Software Quality Assurance, Debugging, Software Design, Process Driven Development, Software Engineering, Software Testing, Object Oriented Design, Functional Requirement, Data Modeling, Systems Design, Project Management, Project Planning
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
520 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Fundamentals of Software Architecture for Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Service Level, Software Engineering, Software Architecture, Data Architecture, Distributed Computing, Microservices, Transaction Processing, Software Design, Database Systems, Blockchain, Maintainability, Big Data, Data Structures, Test Driven Development (TDD), Continuous Integration, System Monitoring
Build toward a degree
3.5
Rating, 3.5 out of 5 stars
86 reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Literacy, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Data Cleansing, Rmarkdown, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Validation, Ggplot2, Tableau Software, Sampling (Statistics), Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Stakeholder Communications, LinkedIn, Interviewing Skills, Professional Development
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
171K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM DevOps and Software Engineering
Skills you'll gain: User Story, CI/CD, Istio, Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Software Development Life Cycle, Continuous Integration, Linux Commands, Cloud Computing Architecture, Application Deployment, Test Driven Development (TDD), Gherkin (Scripting Language), Jenkins, Kubernetes, Restful API, DevOps, Git (Version Control System), Jupyter, Grafana, Software Engineering, Application Development
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
61K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months