Source: outlookindia.com (IANS, June 12, 2020)
Udacity and Microsoft Launch Azure Machine Learning Scholarship Programme
US-based online learning platform Udacity announced a partnership with Microsoft in June 2020 to provide scholarships for a new Machine Learning Nanodegree programme focused on Microsoft Azure. The initiative was designed to expand the pool of data science professionals equipped to work with Azure cloud services, targeting both beginners and those looking to advance existing skills.
How the Two-Phase Programme Works
The scholarship programme is structured in two sequential phases, with the second phase reserved for top performers from the first.
Phase One: Foundation Course (10,000 Seats)
- Capacity: Up to 10,000 applicants
- Duration: Two months
- Course title: Introduction to Machine Learning on Azure
- Approach: Low-code experience, making it accessible to learners without deep programming backgrounds
- Community support: Participants are supported by a community channel moderated by Udacity
- Goal: Complete the prerequisites required for the full Nanodegree programme
A standout feature of the foundation course is Azure Labs, which lets students work on projects directly inside live Azure environments from within the Udacity classroom — removing the friction of setting up personal Azure accounts to complete hands-on exercises.
Phase Two: Full Nanodegree Scholarship (Top 300 Performers)
- Eligibility: Top 300 performers from Phase One
- Award: Full scholarship to the Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree programme
- Focus: Advanced, in-depth machine learning engineering skills on the Azure platform
Application Window
Applications for the programme opened on June 10, 2020 and were scheduled to close on June 30, 2020. The programme was open to candidates seeking to build or deepen skills in Azure cloud services and machine learning.
What the Partnership Aims to Achieve
Julia White, Corporate Vice President of Azure Marketing at Microsoft, described the intent behind the collaboration:
“Through our collaboration with Udacity to offer low-code and advanced courses on Azure Machine Learning, we hope to expand data science expertise as experienced professionals will truly be invaluable resources to solving business problems.”
— Julia White, Corporate Vice President, Azure Marketing, Microsoft
Udacity CEO Gabriel Dalporto also highlighted the opportunity for professionals looking to grow their skill sets:
“Udacity’s training programme for Azure machine learning presents an amazing opportunity for those looking to further expand their skill set.”
— Gabriel Dalporto, CEO, Udacity
Why This Matters for DevOps and Cloud Engineers
Machine learning is an increasingly critical capability for DevOps and cloud engineering teams. Integrating ML pipelines into CI/CD workflows, automating infrastructure scaling based on predictive models, and working with data science teams on Azure-hosted workloads are all becoming standard expectations. Programmes like this lower the barrier of entry for engineers who want to understand or build ML solutions on Azure without requiring a deep mathematics background, thanks to the low-code emphasis in Phase One.
The Azure Labs feature is particularly relevant for practitioners: working in a real cloud environment — rather than a sandboxed simulation — means the skills and troubleshooting experience gained are directly transferable to production work.
Note: This programme was announced in June 2020. Application deadlines and scholarship availability will have passed. Check Udacity’s website and Microsoft Learn for current Azure Machine Learning training offerings and scholarship opportunities.