Getting Started

For the cross-course onboarding (registration, account setup, calendar, newsletter), read Joining a Cohort first.

This page covers the Data Engineering Zoomcamp specifics.

Star the GitHub repository

github.com/DataTalksClub/data-engineering-zoomcamp

Star it so you can find it later. All course material is here. See Resources for the repo structure.

Join the DE Slack channel

After joining the DataTalks.Club Slack workspace, find:

#course-data-engineering

This is where DE-specific announcements, homework discussions, project Q+A, and the live-session links go. Use threads when replying.

t.me/dezoomcamp - announcement-only channel. Telegram is the most reliable place to catch important updates because Slack is busy.

Telegram announcements are auto-reposted to Slack, so you do not strictly need it.

Pre-recorded module lectures and live session recordings live on the DataTalks.Club YouTube channel. For all DE playlists (main + cohort-specific), see Resources.

Set up your environment

The DE Zoomcamp uses Docker, Terraform, GCP, and Python. See Environment Setup for the choices you need to make (local vs Codespaces vs GCP VM, GCP signup, OS-specific notes).

You can start before the cohort begins to get setup out of the way.

Start Module 1

Begin with Docker, Postgres, and Terraform. Module 1 gets two weeks because environment setup can be challenging.

For what each module covers, see Curriculum.

Where to look next

Prerequisites - what you need to know before starting.
Curriculum - the modules.
Environment Setup - GCP, Docker, OS notes.
Project - the final project rubric.
Resources - all DE-specific links in one place.
Q+A - DE-specific frequently asked questions.
Learning in Public - hashtag for DE is #dezoomcamp.