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Building, Optimizing, and Validating Machine Learning Models

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Coursera

Building, Optimizing, and Validating Machine Learning Models

Included with Coursera Plus

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Build and train machine learning models by mapping real-world problems to appropriate ML tasks

  • Optimize and validate models using hyperparameter tuning, cross-validation, and feature analysis

  • Create automated ML pipelines that streamline feature engineering, training, and experimentation

Details to know

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Recently updated!

March 2026

Assessments

15 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Machine Learning Made Easy for Software Engineers Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 9 modules in this course

You will analyze business requirements and translate them into appropriate machine learning task types, ensuring correct problem framing before modeling begins.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment

You will use ML APIs to train and compare multiple algorithms on structured datasets using reproducible workflows.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments

You will evaluate model behavior across algorithm families and justify selection decisions using bias–variance reasoning and performance evidence.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment1 ungraded lab

You will examine default hyperparameters and computational complexity to understand how they influence model behavior and training cost.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 ungraded lab

You will design structured search strategies, run tuning experiments, and interpret cross-validated results to improve model performance.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments

You will benchmark training time, memory usage, and computational cost to select algorithms that meet performance and efficiency goals.

What's included

4 videos1 reading2 assignments1 ungraded lab

You will implement k-fold and stratified validation strategies to generate reliable performance estimates, especially for imbalanced datasets.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment1 ungraded lab

You will interpret feature-importance outputs and SHAP explanations to clearly communicate model behavior to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments

You will construct, tune, and package an automated machine learning pipeline that integrates preprocessing, model training, and optimization into a reusable workflow.

What's included

3 videos2 readings2 assignments1 ungraded lab

Earn a career certificate

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Instructor

Professionals from the Industry
307 Courses 44,329 learners

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Frequently asked questions

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.