NANODEGREE PROGR AM SYLL ABUS

AWS Machine
Learning Engineer

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Overview
The goal of the AWS Machine Learning Engineer (MLE) Nanodegree program is to equip software developers/
data scientists with the data science and machine learning skills required to build and deploy machine
learning models in production using Amazon SageMaker. This program will focus on the latest best practices
and capabilities that are enabled by Amazon SageMaker, including new model design/deployment features
and case studies in which they can be applied to.

Prerequisites
Python programming knowledge, including:
• At least 40 hours of programming experience
• Familiarity with data structures like dictionaries and lists
• Experience with libraries like NumPy and pandas
• Knowledge of functions, variables, loops, and classes
• Exposure to Python through Jupyter Notebooks is recommended
• Experience with constructing and calling HTTP API endpoints is recommended

Basic knowledge of machine learning algorithms, including:

• Basic understanding of the machine learning workflow
• Basic theoretical understanding of ML algorithms such as linear regression, logistic regression,
and neural network
• Basic understanding of model training and testing processes
• Basic knowledge of commonly used metrics for ML models evaluation such as accuracy, precision, recall,
and mean square error (MSE)

Educational Objectives
• Create machine learning models in Sagemaker on datasets cleaned using AWS tools
• Deploy machine learning models to an API endpoint and integrate it into a full workflow
• Solve computer vision and natural language problems using fine-tuned deep neural networks
• Operationalize a machine learning pipeline using SageMaker to allow for training and deployment on
industry-scale problems
• Select a machine learning challenge and propose a possible solution

I N CO L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H

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 Estimated Time: Prerequisites:
5 Months Basic knowledge of
machine learning
algorithms and
python programming

Flexible Learning: Need Help?

Self-paced, so you udacity.com/advisor
can learn on the Discuss this program
schedule that works with an enrollment
best for you. advisor.

*The length of this program is an estimation of total hours the average student may take to complete all required coursework,
including lecture and project time. If you spend about 5-10 hours per week working through the program, you should finish within the
time provided. Actual hours may vary.

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Course 1: Introduction to Machine Learning
In this course, you’ll start learning what machine learning is by being introduced to the high level concepts
through AWS SageMaker. You’ll begin by using SageMaker Studio to perform exploratory data analysis.
Know how and when to apply the basic concepts of machine learning to real world scenarios. Create
machine learning workflows, starting with data cleaning and feature engineering, to evaluation and
hyperparameter tuning. Finally, you’ll build new ML workflows with highly sophisticated models such as
XGBoost and AutoGluon.

In this project, students will apply the knowledge and methods they
learned in the Introduction to Machine Learning course to compete
Course Project : in a Kaggle competition. Using the AutoGluon framework, students
will first train a baseline model, then improve their model through
Predict Bike Sharing
feature engineering and hyperparameter tuning. Finally, they’ll
Demand with AutoGluon submit their optimized model for a public Kaggle rank and write a
report on their findings to showcase their work.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Use AWS SageMaker Studio to access datasets from S3 and

perform data analysis functions using AWS tools
• Perform data analysis and feature engineering with Data
Exploratory Wrangler
LESSON ONE
Data Analysis
• Perform data analysis and feature engineering with Pandas
in SageMaker Studio
• Label new data for a dataset with Sagemaker ground truth

• Design a domain, model, and data outline for a case study

• Build a ML lifecycle and apply it to a dataset
Machine Learning • Differentiate between supervised and unsupervised models
LESSON TWO
Concepts and apply them to an appropriate dataset
• Differentiate between regression and classification methods
and apply them to an appropriate dataset

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 • Load new dataset, create 3 data set types, and identify
features/values in SageMaker

Model • Clean or create new features from a dataset

LESSON THREE Deployment • Train (fit) a regression/classification model using scikit learn
Workflow • Evaluate a trained model using methods like mse, rmse, r2,
accuracy, f1, and precision
• Tune a model’s hyper parameters to achieve a better result

• Train, test, and optimize a linear model, tree-based model,

Algorithms XGBoost model, and AutoGluon Tabular prediction model
LESSON FOUR
and Tools
• Create a model using Sagemaker Jumpstart

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Course 2: Developing Your First ML Workflow
In order to execute on machine learning’s versatile capabilities, we need to have the infrastructure to execute
our ML operations. With the easy availability of managed infrastructure from AWS, we can dynamically create the
necessary resources to train, deploy, and evaluate our models. In this course you will learn how to create general
machine learning workflows on AWS.

You’ll begin with an introduction to the general principles of machine learning engineering. From there, you’ll learn
the fundamentals of SageMaker to train, deploy, and evaluate a model. Following that, you’ll learn how to create
a machine learning workflow on AWS utilizing tools like Lambda and Step Functions. Finally, you’ll learn how to
monitor machine learning workflows with services like Model Monitor and Feature Store. With all this, you’ll have
all the information you need to create an end-to-end machine learning pipeline.

In this project, students will develop an end-to-end ML

Workflow on SageMaker, Lambda, and Step Functions. Students
Course Project : will showcase their model deployment capabilities with
Build a ML Workflow SageMaker Model Endpoints and Lambda, and their workflow
monitoring capabilities with SageMaker Model Monitor and
on SageMaker Step Functions. At the end of the project, students will be able
to demonstrate building a scalable ML workflow on SageMaker.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Understand the prerequisites

Introduction • Describe key business stakeholders
LESSON ONE
to MLE • Understand the history of MLE
• Describe when to use MLE

• Launch training jobs within SageMaker

SageMaker • Deploy an endpoint that can perform inference on live data
LESSON TWO
Essentials • Evaluate datasets with batch transform jobs.
• Perform custom processing jobs on raw data

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 • Create Lambda functions
• Trigger Lambda functions utilizing both the SDK and other
Designing Your AWS Services
LESSON THREE
Own Workflow
• Design and execute a workflow utilizing State Machines
• Learn about the use cases for SageMaker Pipelines

• Use SageMaker Feature Store to serve and monitor model

data
Monitoring a • Configure SageMaker Model Monitor to generate and track
LESSON FOUR
ML Workflow metrics about our models
• Use Clarify to explain model predictions and surface biases
in models

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Course 3: Deep Learning Topics within
Computer Vision and NLP
As more machine learning products are being deployed, machine learning engineering is becoming a very
important and sought after skill in the industry. Building infrastructures for training, deployment, and
monitoring of deep learning models is different from building other software systems. In this course you will
learn how to train, finetune and deploy deep learning models using Amazon SageMaker.

You’ll begin by learning what deep learning is, where it is used and the tools used by deep learning engineers.
Next we will learn about artificial neurons and neural networks and how to train them. After that we will learn
about advanced neural network architectures like convolutional neural networks and BERT as well as how to
finetune them for specific tasks. Finally, you will learn about Amazon SageMaker and you will take everything
you learned and do them in SageMaker Studio.

In this project, students will be using AWS Sagemaker to finetune a

pretrained model that can perform image classification. Students
Course Project : will have to use Sagemaker profiling, debugger, hyperparameter
Image Classification tuning and other good ML engineering practices to finish this
using AWS SageMaker project. To finish this project, students will have to perform tasks
and use tools that a typical ML Engineer does as a part of their job.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Introduction to • Understand the need and importance of deep learning

Deep Learning
• Learn the history of deep learning and the business
LESSON ONE Topics within
stakeholders in a deep learning project
Computer Vision
and NLP • Learn the tools used by deep learning engineers

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 • Understand the workings of artificial neurons and neural
networks
Introduction to • Understand how to set cost functions and optimizers to train
LESSON TWO
Deep Learning neural networks
• Build and train a neural network on an image classification
task

• Understand how advanced neural network architectures

Common Model like convolutional neural networks and transformer-based
Architecture models work
LESSON THREE
Types and • Finetune a pretrained model on a different task
Fine-Tuning • Understand the important of hyperparameter tuning for
training (and fine-tuning) deep neural networks

• Finetune models for image and text classification using

SageMaker JumpStart
Deploy Deep
LESSON FOUR Learning Models • Debug and profile training jobs using SageMaker Debugger
on SageMaker • Tune hyperparameters when training a model
• Package a model in a Dockerfile for deployment

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Course 4: Operationalizing Machine Learning
Projects on SageMaker
This course covers advanced topics related to deploying professional machine learning projects on
SageMaker. It also covers security applications. You will learn how to maximize output while decreasing
costs. You will also learn how to deploy projects that can handle high traffic, and how to work with
especially large datasets.

In this project, students will start with a machine learning

project that accomplishes computer vision tasks. Students will
Course Project : deploy the project on AWS and add several important features:
Operationalizing an cost minimization, security, and redeployment on a separate
AWS ML Project server. This project will prepare students to successfully deploy
professional projects in industrial applications.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Manage compute • Keep costs low in AWS machine learning projects

resources in • Use spot instances for efficiency
LESSON ONE AWS accounts to
ensure efficient • Turn off resources when they’re not being used
utilization • Check costs to ensure they remain low

Train models • Perform multi-instance training

on large-scale • Use distributed data to improve performance
LESSON TWO datasets using
distributed • Create and interpret manifest files
training • Choose the best data stores for projects

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 • Set up Lambda functions for AWS projects
Construct
pipelines for high- • Configure endpoints for auto-scaling
LESSON THREE
throughput, low- • Set up concurrency for Lambda functions
latency models
• Create feature stores for data imports

Design secure • Resolve security issues using IAM settings

LESSON FOUR machine learning • Set up a virtual private cloud for security
projects in AWS • Manage security in SageMaker

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CAPSTONE PROJECT: Inventory Monitoring at
Distribution Centers
Distribution centers often use robots to move objects as a part of their operations. Objects are carried in
bins where each bin can contain multiple objects. In this project, students will have to build a model that
can count the number of objects in each bin. A system like this can be used to track inventory and make
sure that delivery consignments have the correct number of items.

To build this project, students will have to use AWS Sagemaker and good machine learning engineering
practices to fetch data from a database, preprocess it and then train a machine learning model. This
project will serve as a demonstration of end-to-end machine learning engineering skills that will be an
important piece of their job-ready portfolio.

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Our Classroom Experience
REAL-WORLD PROJECTS
Build your skills through industry-relevant projects. Get
personalized feedback from our network of 900+ project
reviewers. Our simple interface makes it easy to submit
your projects as often as you need and receive unlimited
feedback on your work.

KNOWLEDGE
Find answers to your questions with Knowledge, our
proprietary wiki. Search questions asked by other students,
connect with technical mentors, and discover in real-time
how to solve the challenges that you encounter.

WORKSPACES
See your code in action. Check the output and quality of
your code by running them on workspaces that are a part
of our classroom.

QUIZZES
Check your understanding of concepts learned in the
program by answering simple and auto-graded quizzes.
Easily go back to the lessons to brush up on concepts
anytime you get an answer wrong.

CUSTOM STUDY PLANS

Create a custom study plan to suit your personal needs
and use this plan to keep track of your progress toward
your goal.

PROGRESS TRACKER
Stay on track to complete your Nanodegree program with
useful milestone reminders.

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 Learn with the Best

Matt Maybeno Joseph Nicolls

P R I N C I PA L S O F T WA R E E N G I N E E R SENIOR MACHINE LE ARNING
DATA S C I E N C E A N D M A C H I N E ENGINEER , BLUE HE X AGON
LEARNING
Joseph Nicolls is a senior machine
Matt Maybeno is a principal software learning scientist at Blue Hexagon. With
engineer at SOCi. With a masters in a major in biomedical computation from
bioinformatics from SDSU, he utilizes Stanford University, he currently utilizes
his cross domain expertise to build machine learning to build malware-
solutions in NLP and predictive detecting solutions at Blue Hexagon.
analytics.

Charles Landau Soham Chatterjee

T E C H N I C A L L E A D, M U LT I C L O U D E N G I N E E R
AI/ML GUIDEHOUSE
Soham is an Intel® software
Charles Landau is a developer at innovator and a former deep
Guidehouse, a management consulting learning researcher at Saama
company. Charles holds a MPA from George Technologies. He is currently a
Washington University, where he focused masters by research student at NTU,
on econometrics and regulatory policy, Singapore. His research is on Edge
and holds a BA from Boston University. At Computing, IoT and Neuromorphic
Guidehouse, he supports data scientists Hardware.
and developers working on internal and
client-facing ML platforms.

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 Bradford Tuckfield
I N D E P E N D E N T CO N S U LTA N T

Bradford does independent

consulting for machine learning
projects related to manufacturing,
law, pharmaceutical operations,
and other fields. He also writes
technical books about programming,
algorithms, and data science.

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All Our Nanodegree Programs Include:

EXPERIENCED PROJECT REVIEWERS

REVIEWER SERVICES

• Personalized feedback & line by line code reviews

• 1600+ Reviewers with a 4.85/5 average rating
• 3 hour average project review turnaround time
• Unlimited submissions and feedback loops
• Practical tips and industry best practices
• Additional suggested resources to improve

TECHNICAL MENTOR SUPPORT

MENTORSHIP SERVICES

• Questions answered quickly by our team of

technical mentors
• 1000+ Mentors with a 4.7/5 average rating
• Support for all your technical questions

PERSONAL CAREER SERVICES

C AREER SUPPORT

• Resume support
• Github portfolio review
• LinkedIn profile optimization

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Frequently Asked Questions
PROGR AM OVERVIE W

WHY SHOULD I ENROLL?

This program is designed to help you take advantage of the growing need
for skilled machine learning professionals. Prepare to meet the demand for
qualified engineers that can build and deploy machine learning models in
production.

WHAT JOBS WILL THIS PROGRAM PREPARE ME FOR?

The skills you will gain from this Nanodegree program will qualify you for
jobs in several industries as countless companies are trying to incorporate
machine learning into their practices.

HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS PROGRAM IS RIGHT FOR ME?

The course is for individuals who are looking to advance their engineering
careers with cutting-edge machine learning skills.

ENROLLMENT AND ADMISSION

DO I NEED TO APPLY? WHAT ARE THE ADMISSION CRITERIA?

No. This Nanodegree program accepts all applicants regardless of
experience and specific background.

WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR ENROLLMENT?

A well-prepared learner has:
• At least 40 hours of programming experience
• Familiarity with data structures like dictionaries and lists
• Experience with libraries like NumPy and pandas
• Knowledge of functions, variables, loops, and classes
• Exposure to Python through Jupyter Notebooks is recommended
• Experience with constructing and calling HTTP API endpoints is
recommended

Students should also have:

• Basic knowledge of machine learning algorithms, including:
• Basic understanding of the machine learning workflow
• Basic theoretical understanding of ML algorithms such as linear
regression, logistic regression, and neural network
• Basic understanding of model training and testing processes
• Basic knowledge of commonly used metrics for ML models evaluation
such as accuracy, precision, recall, and mean square error (MSE)

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FAQs Continued
IF I DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO ENROLL, WHAT SHOULD
I DO?
Students who do not feel comfortable in the above may consider taking
Udacity’s Introduction to Programming or Intermediate Python to obtain
prerequisite skills.

TUITION AND TERM OF PROGR AM

HOW IS THIS NANODEGREE PROGRAM STRUCTURED?

The AWS Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree program consists of
content and curriculum to support 5 projects. We estimate that students
can complete the program in 5 months working 5-10 hours per week.

Each project will be reviewed by the Udacity reviewer network. Feedback

will be provided and if you do not pass the project, you will be asked to
resubmit the project until it passes.

HOW LONG IS THIS NANODEGREE PROGRAM?

Access to this Nanodegree program runs for the length of time specified
above. If you do not graduate within that time period, you will continue
learning with month to month payments. See the Terms of Use and
FAQs for other policies regarding the terms of access to our Nanodegree
programs.

CAN I SWITCH MY START DATE? CAN I GET A REFUND?

Please see the Udacity Nanodegree program FAQs for policies on
enrollment in our programs.

SOF T WARE AND HARDWARE

WHAT SOFTWARE AND VERSIONS WILL I NEED IN THIS PROGRAM?

There are no software and version requirements to complete this
Nanodegree program. All coursework and projects can be completed
via Student Workspaces in the Udacity online classroom. Udacity’s basic
tech requirements can be found at https://www.udacity.com/tech/
requirements.

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