The iSchool is entering its second semester offering Amazon Web Services (AWS) Academy opportunities, led by an AWS Educate Faculty Member, professor Mike Fudge.
Prof. Michael Fudge
As an AWS Academy member institution, the Syracuse University iSchool has access to AWS Academy cloud computing curriculum, developed and maintained by AWS. Using AWS cloud resources, students and faculty can get hands-on experience using the cloud. It also provides higher-ed institutions with training programs tailor-made for students on the basics of the AWS cloud. The training is more expansive than the public courses they offer online, and any student or faculty member who completes the training has the option to take a certification exam. If they pass the exam, they earn a certificate proving they have job-ready skills using Amazon cloud.
The AWS Academy course is self-paced. For students who are part of the AWS Academy at the iSchool, Fudge arranges weekly meetups for participants to interact and discuss the curriculum with other students taking the course. Fudge says he’s trying to find new ways for the students to converse and ask questions virtually so everyone can take the course at their own pace, but not lose access to all of the interesting conversations surrounding the course work. Toward the end of the semester, Fudge helps students prepare for the exam with study guides and practice tests.
As of now, the AWS Academy course does not count as college credit but would be in addition to regular coursework. However, passing the exam and earning the certificate is a great way for iSchool students to stand out when applying for jobs and internships. “When you get your AWS Cloud Foundations, that can go on a resume, and that is something a lot of employers are looking for, out of both technical, and non-technical students,” says Fudge. “Just about everything we do nowadays touches the cloud, whether an application uses part of the cloud, or you’re doing a brand new application.”
The AWS Academy is open to students and faculty members from all schools at Syracuse. “We can all benefit from a base cloud certification,” says Fudge, “as a business student, you might need to do some cost management for the cloud…and understanding the capability of cloud providers goes a long way. As an engineer, you might build things in the cloud, so you need to understand the services that are available and how to use them.”
For students interested in learning more about the AWS Academy, they can email Mike Fudge.
