DataTalksClub/data-engineering-zoomcamp

Prerequisites

• Basic coding experience
• Familiarity with SQL
• Experience with Python (helpful but not required)

FAQ

A few common questions. For everything else, see the full Data Engineering Zoomcamp FAQ.

Q: Is this course really free? A: Yes. All videos, materials, and homework are free and open-source.

Q: Do I need prior data engineering experience? A: No. You just need basic coding experience and some familiarity with SQL. Python helps but isn't required.

Q: What does "live cohort" mean? Are there live classes? A: No mandatory live classes. All lectures are pre-recorded. "Live" means deadlines, scored homework, a leaderboard, peer review, and certificate eligibility.

Quick Links

• Course materials — GitHub repository
• Video lectures — YouTube playlist
• Documentation — Zoomcamp Logistics · Data Engineering Zoomcamp
• Course platform (deadlines, homework) — courses.datatalks.club
• Slack channel — #course-data-engineering
• Announcements — Telegram
• FAQ — FAQ document

How to Take the Course

There are two ways to follow the course: live and self-paced.

• Start — January 2027 — Anytime
• Lectures — Pre-recorded — Pre-recorded
• Homework — Graded — Available but not scored
• Leaderboard — ✅ Yes — ❌ No
• Peer Review — ✅ Yes — ❌ No
• Certificate — ✅ Yes — ❌ No
• Cost — Free — Free
• Register — Sign up here — Just start learning!
• Follow the materials on GitHub
• Ask questions and share progress in Slack
• Do the homework (self-checked) and build a project for your portfolio

Module 1: Containerization and Infrastructure as Code

• Introduction to GCP
• Docker and Docker Compose
• Running PostgreSQL with Docker
• Infrastructure setup with Terraform