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 Design and Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Model View Controller, Unified Modeling Language, Object Oriented Design, Service Oriented Architecture, API Design, Web Services, Software Design Patterns, Software Design, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Microservices, Restful API, Software Visualization, Code Review, Software Systems, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Software Development, Java, Software Documentation, Application Programming Interface (API)
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.9K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Alberta
Software Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Software Architecture, Unified Modeling Language, Software Design, Software Visualization, Software Systems, Software Development, Software Documentation, Software Design Patterns, Enterprise Architecture, Software Technical Review, Maintainability, Application Deployment, Scalability
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
928 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Software Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Software Design, Scrum (Software Development), Software Engineering, Software Design Patterns, Agile Methodology, Unified Modeling Language, Programming Principles, Application Development, Back-End Web Development, Front-End Web Development, Computer Programming, Integrated Development Environments, Python Programming
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.8K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Software Architecture for Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Service Level, Software Engineering, Database Management, Acceptance Testing, Web Applications, Software Architecture, Performance Testing, Scalability, Microservices, Data Architecture, Data Infrastructure, System Monitoring, Distributed Computing, Application Deployment, Application Development, Prototyping, Predictive Modeling, Web Development, Requirements Elicitation, Big Data
Build toward a degree
3.5
Rating, 3.5 out of 5 stars
100 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Coursera Instructor Network
Cloud Architecture Design Patterns
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Infrastructure, Scalability, Cloud Computing, Software Architecture, Cloud Services, 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
Amazon Web Services
AWS Cloud Solutions Architect
Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudWatch, Data Lakes, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Scalability, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Event-Driven Programming, Cloud Security, Solution Architecture, Data Visualization, Cloud Storage, Data Architecture, Software Architecture, Cloud Computing Architecture, API Gateway, Hybrid Cloud Computing
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.8K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

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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
529 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Full Stack Software Developer
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Istio, Node.JS, Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Kubernetes, Cloud Computing Architecture, Server Side, Application Deployment, React Redux, Cloud Services, Responsive Web Design, Restful API, Django (Web Framework), Object-Relational Mapping, Git (Version Control System), Full-Stack Web Development, Cloud Computing, Jupyter, Engineering Software
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
57K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
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
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, Applicant Tracking Systems
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
93K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Embedded Software and Hardware Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Debugging, Data Structures, System Programming, Microarchitecture, C (Programming Language), Hardware Architecture, Computer Architecture, Integrated Development Environments, Software Design, Maintainability, System Configuration, Peripheral Devices
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
522 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
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), Continuous Integration, Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Linux Commands, Kubernetes, Cloud Computing Architecture, Application Deployment, Test Driven Development (TDD), Gherkin (Scripting Language), Restful API, Git (Version Control System), DevOps, Jupyter, Grafana, Software Engineering, Application Development
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
62K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months