Announcing the Udacity AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Nanodegree

I’m excited to share that Udacity has released its AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Nanodegree program (AWS SAA). 

This program is built for learners who want to move beyond memorizing service definitions and instead develop practical architecture judgment: how to design secure, scalable, resilient, high-performing—and cost-efficient—solutions that align with real business constraints. Over roughly 60 hours at an intermediate level, the Nanodegree is structured as five focused courses with hands-on projects designed to reinforce exam readiness with applied, scenario-based practice. 

I had the opportunity to serve as one of four authors alongside the amazing Mike Hammond, Joseph Nicolls, and Ajay Gulani. The course I authored—Course 4, “Design Cost-Optimized Architectures on AWS”—targets a skill that separates good architects from great ones: making intentional tradeoffs between cost, performance, scalability, and operational simplicity. 

In this course, learners work through practical strategies for:

• cost-optimized storage decisions (including tiering, lifecycle policies, and access-pattern alignment),
• compute efficiency (right-sizing, scaling, and pricing model selection),
• database cost optimization (capacity planning, caching patterns, and usage-driven scaling),
• network architecture choices that reduce data transfer and connectivity costs. 

The course culminates in a multi-scenario project that mirrors the work architects do in real environments: identifying cost drivers, proposing improvements, and defending design decisions with clear rationale and measurable outcomes. 

For me, this release is also a meaningful milestone as a learning strategist and technical trainer. I care deeply about “bringing high-tech down to Earth™”—translating complex AWS concepts into clear mental models and repeatable decision frameworks that learners can carry into the exam and into production.

If you’re preparing for the AWS Solutions Architect – Associate exam—or you want a structured path to strengthen your architecture skills—this Nanodegree is now open for enrollment.