Cloud Computing means delivering computing services through the internet, which includes storage, database, software, and analytics. The recent pandemic, the growing use of consumer data, and the advent of AI have significantly increased the demand for cloud computing. There is a large market for cloud computing across the globe, especially in the US. Due to this, there has been a recent rise in the number of students wanting to study cloud computing in the US.
Within the IT industry, cloud computing is a thriving domain. It is a lucrative career option in which you get a chance to acquire top-notch technical and analytical knowledge which will help you in landing a good job that has an impressive salary. The demand for cloud-based services is on the rise, especially in the US.
Studying for a master’s in cloud computing in the USA builds up a strong base required for a career in cloud models and services. A course of MS in cloud computing in the US is for 2 years. Through this blog, we will get to know about the top cloud computing programs offered by universities in the US.
List of the Top Cloud Computing Programs in the USA
When deciding to pursue studies in cloud computing, selecting a university for it plays a major role. The USA has some of the best universities in the world which are highly ranked and are known for their cloud computing programs. Let us have a look at the universities in the USA, which offer the best cloud computing programs.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Capella University
- George Washington University
- Stanford University
- University of Texas at Austin
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Arizona State University
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It provides two programs on cloud computing:
- Cloud & DevOps: Continuous Transformation
- Cloud Data Analytics Transformation
The online course on cloud computing is known as the Cloud & DevOps: Continuous Transformation. It focuses on equipping students with a knowledge base for understanding technologies like DevOps and Cloud Computing with the help of real-life examples and case studies. It has been designed in a way to get an understanding of how Cloud Computing can transform the digital space and the methodologies involved in various software designs.
Students will be able to distinguish the pros and cons of using various applications like Serverless and Cloud Native. You will acquire the skills needed to enhance security and performance in a software design with the help of a better cloud infrastructure. This course will provide an insight into the future of cloud computing.
Duration of course– 8 week
Tuition Fee– US $2900
The Cloud Data Analytics Transformation program will teach the foundation and techniques used in data visualization, data science, and data engineering using modern data tools and technologies, especially cloud services. It comprises six individual courses:
- Fundamentals of Data Visualization– Learning the basics of using tools like Tableau, Google Data Studio, HTML/JavaScript, and Python R.
- Fundamentals of Data Engineering– Getting to know about the basics of modern data platforms like data storage models, big data, databases, and data connectivity.
- Fundamentals of Data Science– The Jupyter Notebook Paradigm with Google Colab will be used to create Python and R data science solutions.
- Application of Data Visualization Techniques like Data Studio and Tableau will be taught.
- Application of Data Engineering Techniques will focus on practical skills required for real-world analytics scenarios by using advanced data modeling.
- Application of Data Science Techniques– This will teach students to analyze data for preparing data in real-world scenarios like Reinforcement Learning and Computer Vision to name a few.
This program aims to provide students with different approaches to data connection based on the tools and environment at an organization.
Duration of course– 4 weeks
Tuition Fee– US $7450
University website–
2. Stevens Institute of Technology
The Stevens Institute of Technology is located in Hoboken, New Jersey. It was founded in 1870 and is one of the oldest technological universities in the USA. As per the U.S. News and World Report, Stevens University is ranked at the 15th position in the US for “Best Online Graduate Information Technology Programs”.
Among the various schools of Stevens Institute of Technology, under the Charles V. Schaefer, Junior School of Engineering and Science, the Computer Science program is highly ranked. It offers various courses on cloud computing. Students interested in enterprise computing can enroll themselves in the university’s Enterprise and Cloud Computing Graduate Certificate program. There are three courses to choose from in this certificate course, they are:
- CS 526- Enterprise and Cloud Computing
- CS 549- Distributed Systems and Cloud Computing
- Cs 594- Enterprise and Cloud Security
This course is about getting to know about enterprise applications, integration, and service-oriented architectures (SOA). Under this program, students will understand the distribution process of computing, its reliability, and security. You will get to learn skills required in the operating systems, databases, and systems programming for enterprise computing, and learn how to administer server back-ends, a part of modern service-oriented architectures (SOA).
Scholarship– Exceptional Academic Merit Scholarship is given to students who have done well in their academics. This involves a reward of $5000 with partial/full coverage of tuition fees.
Tuition Fees– US $44,494
UniversityWebsite–https://www.stevens.edu/program/Enterprise-Cloud-Computing-graduate-certificate
3. Capella University
Capella University situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a private for-profit online university, built in 1993. It offers both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in cloud computing, which are:
- Network and Cloud Computing
- Enterprise Network and Cloud Computing
Under the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, the Network and Cloud Computing course students learn to plan, design, configure, troubleshoot, and administer networks in various types of cloud infrastructure enterprises.
Topics like cloud migration, cloud and server administration, internetworking architecture design, Linux administration, and system assurance and security will be covered. After completion of this course, a student can go on to have a career in the field of cloud and network administration. Under the Network and Cloud Computing course, you will be studying the following topics:
- IT4157- Internetworking Architecture
- IT4525- Cloud Computing Fundamentals
- IT4545- Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Management
- IT4575- Linux Operating Systems
- IT4803- System Assurance Security
Duration of course– 30 weeks
Tuition Fees– US $172.43
Under the Master of Science in Information Technology, the Enterprise Networks and Cloud Computing Course a student will learn how an enterprise network operates within the data centers and learn how to apply cloud computing infrastructure and architecture in a professional environment. Under this particular course, a student will be getting to study the following courses:
- ISTM 5110- Strategic Management of Information Technology
- ISTM 5112- Global Network Policy, Regulation and Governance
- ISTM 5114- Enterprise Network Analysis, Architecture and Design
- ITEC 5050- Cloud Architecture and Distributed Systems
- ITEC 5060- Cloud Application Deployment and Operations
Based on the ongoing trends, this online course will help you how to plan, design, implement, and contribute to transition processes. Through this, you will understand about network governance and security issues.
Duration of course– 18 months
Tuition Fees– US $34,320
University Website–
4. George Washington University
The George Washington University, located in Washington DC was founded in the year 1821. Cloud Computing Management at George Washington University is a culmination of three departments across the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS): computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and engineering management and systems engineering.
The School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) which is a part of George Washington University offers two courses on cloud computing. They are:
- Graduate Certificate in Cloud Applications and Information Technology
- Master of Engineering in Cloud Computing Management
The Graduate Certificate in Cloud Applications and Information Technology course trains students in learning, designing, and applying cloud architecture and policies. Students will learn how to make use of cloud-managed services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that help a business to innovate. Under this course, you will study the following:
- ISTM 6213- Cloud Applications
- ISTM 6225- Cloud Formations
- ISTM 6216- Mobile Application Development
A student needs to select one elective course from the ones mentioned below:
- ISTM 6203- Managing Cloud Security
- ISTM 6214- Foundation of Artificial Intelligence
- ISTM 6217- Internet of Things Management
- ISTM 6218- Business Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Duration of course– 12-18 months
The Master of Engineering in Cloud Computing Management is a STEM-designated program. It is an online program that addresses business and technical issues while managing an IT infrastructure in a cloud-based environment. Students will study various issues like strategy, security, data analytics, and delivery of microservices in several cloud computing models.
Under the Master of Engineering in Cloud Computing Management, you will get to study the following courses:
- CSCI 6012- Cybersecurity and Privacy
- CSCI 6018- Cloud Applications Architecture
- ECE 6132- Secure Cloud Computing
- EMSE 6540- Management of Information and Systems Security
- EMSE 6543 Managing the Protection of Information Assets and Systems
- EMSE 6544- Auditing, Monitoring, and Intrusion Detection for Information Security Managers
- EMSE 6820- Program and Project Management
- SEAS 6411- Management and Compliance in Cloud Computing
- SEAS 6412- Cloud Migration Strategy
- SEAS 6413- Cloud and Big Data Management
This course has been formulated in a manner to provide students with knowledge about how to transform important business operations needed in cloud computing.
Duration of course– Minimum 1 year
Scholarship– The Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships are offered by George Washington University for students who wish to study an MS in Cloud Computing. You need to have an excellent academic record and be eligible as per the university’s admission requirements. A student gets a discount of 25-75% on tuition fees for the entire duration of the course.
Tuition Fees– US $36,495
University website–
5. Stanford University
Established in the year 1885, Stanford University is located in Stanford, California, US. It is known worldwide for its path-breaking contribution to the field of computer science and cloud technologies. It provides an online course for non-technical people who wish to have an understanding of Cloud Computing known as the Non-Techie Starter Series: Cloud Computing course. It covers essential concepts and terminologies related to cloud computing which does not require any programming or technical expertise.
Under this, students will be first introduced to the Cloud Computing program. You will study the growth of cloud computing, its history, background, and basic cloud architecture. Then you will go on to learn about the Cloud service models like IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service).
A comparative study of prominent cloud offerings by Amazon Web Service, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud computing will be done. You will get to know about the various trends in cloud computing and will be given an insight into the advantages and applications of cloud computing. Apart from this real-life examples and case studies will be looked at to know about the well-known cloud service providers.
This course has been designed for people working in HR, finance, marketing, operations, or any other non-technical field to gain a thorough understanding of how the Cloud works and is used by firms and individuals to increase their productivity.
Duration of course– 10 week
Tuition fees– US $1400
University website–
6. University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
The University of Texas was founded in 1813 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, US. UT Austin offers a Postgraduate course in Cloud Computing which was ranked 6th in the category of ‘Executive Education’ in 2022 as per the Custom Programs by Financial Times.
The course focuses on making the students understand how cloud computing came into being, its basics, and the concept of elasticity in the cloud pricing model. It then goes on to teach the specifics of computing, storage, and network components within AWS (Amazon Web Services) and how to make cloud cost projections using the AWS cost calculator. It further discusses cloud-managed services like managed databases, caching, messaging, and serverless functions.
It also teaches students about deployment and monitoring on public clouds, containerization, and DevOps concepts. Students will learn about infrastructural services on Azure and about using PaaS on Azure. It will help students acquire the skills needed to use AI applications in Cloud. With the acquired skills and knowledge through the Postgraduate course in Cloud Computing from UT Austin, you will be able to have a successful career in the field of cloud computing.
Duration of course– 6 months
Tuition fees– US $3800
University website–https://onlineexeced.mccombs.utexas.edu/online-cloud-computing-course
7. Illinois Institute of Technology
The Illinois Institute of Technology was established in 1890 in Chicago, Illinois, US. It offers a Certificate in Distributed and Cloud Computing course. Topics taught in this course include parallel/distributed computing, distributed real-life systems, data-intensive computing, and advanced computer architecture. The curriculum involves the following segments:
- CS 451- Introduction to Parallel and Distributed Computing- A general introduction to the design and implementation of parallel and distributed systems.
- CS 546- Parallel and Distributed Processing covers general issues of parallel and distributed processing from a user’s perspective.
- CS 550- Advanced Operating Systems- Involves studying about concepts like interprocess communication, distributed processing, replication and consistency, fault tolerance, synchronization, and file systems.
- CS 552- Distributed Real-Time Systems and its basic concepts are studied.
- CS 553- Cloud Computing- Students will get to know about several topics and technologies related to cloud computing.
- CS 554- Data-intensive Computing teaches about several research topics like distributed data-intensive computing, covering topics in cluster computing, grid computing, supercomputing, and cloud computing.
- CS 570- Advanced Computer Architecture involves selective study of the ongoing experimental computer systems.
This program has been formulated to understand the use of upcoming cloud computing technologies in creating top-class services and applications.
Duration of course– A student needs 9 credit hours to complete the program.
Scholarship– The Graduate Pathway Scholarship is given to students who are a part of any of the master’s programs at Illinois Tech University. Meritorious students are eligible to get this scholarship that covers the tuition cost of their first two consecutive semesters of the master’s program.
Tuition fees– It has a ‘pay as you go’ option for paying the tuition fees for the course. In this students need to pay for the courses they are about to opt for in the upcoming term.
University Website–https://www.iit.edu/academics/programs/distributed-and-cloud-computing-certificate
8. Arizona State University
The Arizona State University was established in 1885 in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, Arizona, US. As per the QS World University Ranking by Subject 2024, its Computer Science and Information Systems program is ranked at the 155th position in the U.S. Under this program, a course on MS-BA Cloud Computing is offered by the W.P. Carey School of Business, a part of the Arizona State University. This course will focus upon:
- Enterprise Data Analytics
- Python for Data Analysis
- Descriptive and Predictive Analysis
- Machine Learning in Business
- Business Process Analytics
- Cloud Architecture and Strategy
By studying this course on MS-BA Cloud Computing at Arizona State University, students will become familiar with the cloud computing infrastructure and services. It will help them to gain practical knowledge of the way IT tools and techniques and cloud-based services are being used by firms. The program has been formed in a way that you get a strong grip on the basics of modern enterprise systems, data, and analytics related to cloud computing.
Duration of course– 16 months
Tuition Fees–
(a)For Residents- $48,121
(b) For Non-Residents- $75,005
(c) For International Students- $78,610
University website–https://wpcarey.asu.edu/masters-programs/business-analytics/cloud-computing-track
Documents Required for Studying Cloud Computing in the US
Here are some of the basic documents that a student needs to seek admission at a university in the US for a cloud computing program.
- A bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA between 2.7 to 3.0. The program may or may not be in Computer Science.
- Valid Passport and Visa
- GRE scores, if necessary.
- At least two LORs (Letter of Recommendation)
- A Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Resume/CV
- At least one Calculus Score must be passed
- For international students, it is compulsory to show their proficiency in the English language. Mention whether you have taken the TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE/ Duolingo test, your overall score, and marks in each section of the test. Usually, students are required to have a minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS and 80 on the TOEFL iBT.
Reasons to study MS in Cloud Computing from the US
Having a certified degree in cloud computing from a university in the US helps in building up your job profile. While there are several reasons why you might be interested in studying cloud computing, a few common reasons are:
- Studying from Highly Ranked Universities- The USA has some of the top-ranked universities in the world which are best known for their computer science and information technology departments. These universities provide some of the best programs to study cloud computing. Also, it allows students to get a chance to learn from an experienced faculty and get access to advanced technology and resources.
- Exceptional Growth- Cloud computing is in high demand these days. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Standards predicts a 14% growth in the cloud computing industry which will further increase the demand for cloud computing professionals and experts, across all sectors.
- Strong Industry Ties- Most of the US universities that have a course on cloud computing are also well-connected with some of the industry giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. These well-built connections further help the students get internships and jobs at these big companies.
- Job Security- Companies rely heavily on cloud infrastructure and services. This has led to an increase in the demand for skilled cloud professionals who are offered higher pay due to their specialized expertise in this domain. This results in a stable job market in the field of cloud computing.
- Wide scope in Research- USA being a flagbearer in the cloud computing industry, offers students several research opportunities. It gives students a chance to bring in to use the theoretical knowledge gained from their coursework to practical use. Students get to be a part of various innovation programs in the field of cloud computing.
- Better Learning Experience- The education system in the US provides the best environment that facilitates both theoretical and practical knowledge, incorporating the latest technologies. This helps students build up a strong foundation needed for a career in cloud computing.
Job Opportunities in Cloud Computing
Across the globe, Cloud Computing is a thriving industry. It is a dream of many students to study in the USA, especially a course in Cloud Computing. By studying cloud computing in the USA, you get a chance to be presented as a more qualified candidate in front of prospective employers. Job opportunities in the field of cloud computing are immense in the USA. If you also wish to pursue a career in cloud computing, here are some of the popular jobs related to Cloud Computing:
- Cloud Developer designs, develops, and maintains cloud computing applications.
- Cloud Architect looks after a firm’s cloud computing strategy.
- Cloud Product Manager launches and does the marketing of cloud-based products and services.
- Cloud Sales Executive sells cloud services and solutions to customers.
- Cloud Network Engineer implements and designs computer and information networks.
- Cloud Administrator is involved with a company’s cloud computing services.
- Cloud Security Analyst detects and protects an organization from cyber attacks.
- Cloud Consultant helps businesses to use cloud computing to leverage their operations to their full potential.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is a thriving field within the IT industry in which an individual gets a chance to showcase his/her technical and analytical prowess. With the increasing demand for cloud-based services in the world, there is a growing demand for cloud computing programs that train individuals in this field. Recently, it has been seen that several students wish to pursue a career in cloud computing as it has enormous potential and is a high-paying job. Many students aspire to study in the USA, especially when it comes to studying cloud computing. The US has some of the world’s best cloud computing programs which are highly ranked and our taught at recognized universities.
Planning to go to the USA for higher studies involves many crucial decisions- the foremost being choosing a university for your choice of course. During this process, you might need the help and expertise of study abroad consultants who can help you with the admission process. Also, if you feel like you require any guidance when it comes to writing an SOP (Statement of Purpose), you can contact some professional SOP writers who provide the best SOP writing services in India. We, at Contentholic, are one of the best SOP writers in India who provide several SOP and LOR writing services which have been recognized by several media houses. So, do feel free to reach out to us and we will try our best to provide you with the SOP writing services.
