Prerequisites

The Machine Learning Zoomcamp does not require prior ML experience. It does assume general programming literacy.

For general expectations about zoomcamp time commitment, see Before You Start.

Required skills

• Strong programming experience in any major language. Python is what the course uses, but if you are proficient in another language you can pick up Python fundamentals as you go.
• Comfort with the command line, Git, and Docker basics.

You do not need

• Prior machine learning experience. The course takes you from beginner to practitioner.
• Advanced math. Module 1 covers the basic linear algebra you need.
• Prior cloud experience. The course uses AWS for deployment but introduces it from scratch.
• A degree.

Time commitment

• Module-week pace for the curriculum.
• Two weeks of project work followed by one week of peer review (per project).
• Plan for 10 to 15 hours per week.

The earliest you can receive your certificate is after the final project’s peer-review deadline.

Adapting to your background

• Data engineers transitioning to ML: focus on the modeling modules, you can move faster on deployment.
• Infrastructure / SRE backgrounds: you can move faster on deployment modules.
• Career switchers from non-tech fields: lean on study groups, expect to spend extra time on programming basics in module 1.

For dev tools and environment choices, see Environment Setup.