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// AIINFRA 101 · Semester 1

Development Environments & Tools

The practical developer toolkit for building AI projects

A hands-on introduction to the developer toolkit behind modern AI work: a professional Python setup, VS Code, Git and GitHub, reproducible environments and package management (venv, conda, and the modern uv), the Jupyter and data-science stack (NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn), deep-learning tooling (PyTorch), testing and code quality, a first look at containers and cloud development environments, and a preview of experiment tracking with MLflow. Students finish able to build, version, and share AI projects and leave with a portfolio.

Contact hours54 hrs
Credit equivalent3-unit
PrerequisiteAIINFRA 100
Length16 weeks
01 / outcomes

Outcomes

Course objectives

  1. Configure and customize a professional AI development environment (VS Code, extensions, Python).
  2. Write, debug, and structure Python code for AI applications.
  3. Use Git and GitHub for version control and collaborative development (branching, pull requests).
  4. Manage reproducible environments and packages with venv, conda, and modern tooling (uv).
  5. Use the core Python data-science/ML toolchain (NumPy, pandas, Jupyter, scikit-learn) and preview experiment tracking (MLflow).

Student learning outcomes

  • Configure and customize a professional AI development environment
  • Write, debug, and structure Python code for AI applications
  • Use Git and GitHub for version control and collaboration
  • Manage reproducible environments and packages (venv, conda, uv)
  • Use the Python data-science/ML toolchain and preview experiment tracking
02 / schedule

16-week schedule

Wk 01
Introduction to AI Development Environments
Orients students to the AI developer toolkit and sets up their first professional development environment.
Wk 02
Python for AI — Fundamentals
Covers core Python fundamentals needed to write, run, and debug code for AI applications.
Wk 03
Development Environment Customization (VS Code)
Customizes VS Code with extensions and settings to build an efficient, professional AI coding setup.
Wk 04
Version Control Fundamentals with Git
Introduces Git fundamentals for tracking changes and versioning AI project code.
Wk 05
Advanced Git for AI Development
Builds on Git fundamentals with advanced workflows suited to AI development projects.
Wk 06
Collaborative Development with GitHub
Uses GitHub for collaborative development, including branching and pull requests.
Wk 07
Environment & Package Management (venv, conda, uv)
Teaches reproducible environment and package management using venv, conda, and the modern uv tool.
Wk 08
Jupyter Ecosystem & Midterm
Introduces the Jupyter ecosystem for interactive AI development; this week includes the course midterm.
Midterm · covers Wks 1–7
Wk 09
The Python Data Science Stack (NumPy & pandas)
Covers the Python data science stack, focusing on NumPy and pandas for data handling.
Wk 10
Machine Learning Libraries (scikit-learn)
Introduces machine learning libraries in Python, centered on scikit-learn.
Wk 11
Deep Learning Development Tools (PyTorch)
Introduces deep learning development tooling using PyTorch.
Wk 12
Testing & Quality Assurance for AI
Covers testing and quality assurance practices for AI code and projects.
Wk 13
Containerization for AI Development (Docker)
Introduces containerization for AI development using Docker.
Wk 14
Cloud Development Environments
Explores cloud development environments such as Codespaces and Colab for AI work.
Wk 15
Deployment Prep & Experiment Tracking (MLflow)
Prepares projects for deployment and previews experiment tracking with MLflow.
Wk 16
Final Project & Portfolio Development
Students complete a final capstone project and build a portfolio showcasing their work.
Capstone
03 / tools

Tools & frameworks

Languages
Python 3.11+
Editor/IDE
VS CodeVS Code extensions
Version Control
GitGitHub
Environment & Package Management
venvcondauv
Notebooks & Data Science Stack
JupyterNumPypandasscikit-learn
Deep Learning, Containers & Cloud
PyTorchDockerGitHub CodespacesGoogle ColabMLflow

What this course trains you for

Software Developers$179,292 median
Computer Occupations, All Other$138,203 median

CA median wages, 2024–34 projections (EDD/OEWS). See the full labor-market dashboard on the program overview.