Introduction to Cloud Computing & APIs
Duration
6 weeks
Investment
UGX 650,000
Certificate
Included
Teaching
Live online
Program Introduction
Learn how cloud platforms and application programming interfaces support modern digital services, web applications and AI solutions. Designed for learners in Uganda, East Africa and across Africa, this practical course develops skills in cloud concepts, HTTP, JSON, Python API integration, authentication, rate limits, cost control and building a simple API. Learners complete a locally relevant project that retrieves data from an external service and makes it available through their own API.
Key Features & Benefits
• Beginner-to-intermediate practical instruction • Python-based API development • Guided use of free-tier, notebook and sandbox resources where available • Uganda and East Africa-relevant examples • Public API integration with requests and JSON • Simple API development with FastAPI • API security and secret-management basics • Cloud budget, alert and resource-clean-up practices • Portfolio-ready capstone project
Real-World Applications
• Connect business applications to external services • Build exchange-rate, weather or location tools • Prototype mobile money integrations in an approved sandbox • Create APIs for web and mobile applications • Share data between tourism, agriculture, education, health or e-commerce systems • Prepare Python applications for cloud deployment • Control cloud usage and reduce avoidable costs • Build a foundation for cloud engineering, backend development and applied AI projects
Course outline and learning expectations
This is a tutor-led course. The outline shows what your tutor will cover; teaching materials and examinations are provided directly to enrolled students.
Live online
English (Uganda)
Beginner
University · General Public
What you will learn
- Explain cloud computing and its role in scalable applications and AI services
- Compare cloud free-tier, notebook and sandbox options while recognising their limits
- Describe API requests, responses, endpoints, HTTP methods, status codes and JSON
- Call public APIs with Python and process returned data
- Use query parameters, headers, timeouts and basic error handling
- Protect API keys with environment variables and apply basic authentication practices
- Explain rate limits and apply responsible request-handling techniques
- Build and document a simple REST API with FastAPI
- Use budgets, alerts, quotas and resource clean-up to reduce unexpected cloud costs
- Complete an application that consumes an external API and exposes its own API
Modules
- 1
Cloud computing foundations
Understand what cloud computing is and why it supports scalable digital and AI services
Cloud service conceptsOn-demand computingCompute, storage and networkingIaaS, PaaS and SaaSCloud benefits and trade-offs - 2
Accessible cloud learning environments
Compare practical platforms and select suitable low-cost learning options
Google Cloud Free ProgramAWS Free TierGoogle ColabKaggle notebooksUsage limits and account requirementsSafe account setup - 3
API and JSON foundations
Understand how applications communicate through web APIs
Endpoints and URLsHTTP methodsRequests and responsesStatus codesHeaders and query parametersJSON structuresReading API documentation - 4
Calling public APIs with Python
Retrieve, validate and process external data using Python
Python Requests libraryGET and POST requestsWeather APIsExchange-rate APIsApproved mobile money sandbox APIsTimeouts, errors and response validation - 5
Building a simple API
Create an API that exposes useful data from a Python application
FastAPI project setupRoutes and endpointsPath and query parametersInput validationJSON responsesAutomatic OpenAPI documentationLocal testing - 6
Authentication, keys and rate limits
Access APIs securely and design more reliable integrations
API keysEnvironment variablesBasic authentication conceptsSecret handlingRate limitsRetries and backoffLogging and responsible API use - 7
Cloud costs and deployment safety
Use cloud resources carefully and reduce the risk of unexpected charges
Pricing and metered usageFree-tier limitsBudgets and billing alertsQuotasResource monitoringStopping and deleting unused resourcesPreparing a small API for deployment - 8
API integration capstone
Build and present an application that consumes and provides an API
Select an approved external data sourceRetrieve current UGX exchange-rate dataTransform and validate resultsExpose data through a mini APIAdd documentation and error handlingTest and present the solution
Before you enroll
- Completion of the existing Python Programming course
- Completion of Course:Introduction to Databases & SQL
- Ability to write, run and debug basic Python programs
What you need
- Computer capable of running Python
- Reliable internet connection
- Python 3.10 or later
- Visual Studio Code or another Python editor
- pip and Python virtual environments
- Requests library
- FastAPI and Uvicorn
- Postman or curl
- Git and a GitHub account
- Google account for Colab or Kaggle
- Optional Google Cloud or AWS account used under guided cost controls
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