The Technology Learning Journey · after the core
After the core: specialise
The 100 core modules teach how technology really works. A specialisation is where you go deep in one career path, using the tools and patterns that path relies on.
There are thirteen career paths in six families, and more can be added over time. Pick the kind of work you want to learn.
All thirteen paths include lessons, quizzes, three portfolio projects, a capstone and a final path test.
How to unlock a path
You can read every path guide before choosing. Pass the core final examination (200 questions, 500 marks) with 70% or more to unlock specialisation learning.
Take the core final examination → Read about the practical assessment (TCA-100)
The tech ecosystem at a glance
All 13 paths on one screen, grouped by the kind of work they do. Tap any path to open its guide.
The Creator Roles
User-facing
- Frontend Developer · course ready
- Mobile App Developer · course ready
- UI/UX Product Designer · course ready
The Infrastructure Roles
System-facing
- Backend Developer · course ready
- Cloud / DevOps Engineer · course ready
The Intelligence and Data Roles
Insight-facing
- Data Analyst / Engineer · course ready
- AI / ML Engineer · course ready
The Guardians and Strategists
Protecting and planning
- Cybersecurity Specialist · course ready
- Software Architect / Tech Lead · course ready
The Growth and Operations Roles
Business-facing
- Digital Marketing (Growth and Analytics) · course ready
- Digital Automation (Workflow and RevOps) · course ready
Everyday Tech Integrations
Devices and trust
- IoT and Smart Systems Engineer · course ready
- Blockchain and Trust Infrastructure Engineer · course ready
Compare the paths: time, computer and practice
Times are realistic estimates, not measured averages. Every path runs on your own laptop with invented data; paid accounts, real devices and real participants are optional extras. Each path guide has the full setup.
| Path | Time | Suggested computer | How you practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend Developer | ≈ 130 to 140 hours about 14 to 17 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 8 GB memory and 2 GB free disk | A Next.js practice shop on your computer, with a pretend order API. |
| Mobile App Developer | ≈ 128 to 138 hours about 13 to 18 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 8 GB memory and 2 GB free disk | An Expo app on your computer, with a practice server; a phone is optional. |
| UI/UX Product Designer | ≈ 120 to 130 hours about 12 to 16 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 1 GB free disk | A browser prototype and practice research sessions; real participants are optional. |
| Backend Developer | ≈ 125 to 135 hours about 13 to 17 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 8 GB memory and 2 GB free disk | Node.js services with PostgreSQL, Redis and a practice sign-in server, all on your computer. |
| Cloud / DevOps Engineer | ≈ 120 to 135 hours about 12 to 17 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 8 GB memory and 5 GB free disk | Docker, Terraform and Prometheus on your computer; no cloud account needed. |
| Data Analyst / Engineer | ≈ 120 to 130 hours about 12 to 16 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 1 GB free disk | Python, DuckDB and dbt on invented shop data. |
| AI / ML Engineer | ≈ 120 to 130 hours about 12 to 16 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 1 GB free disk | Python on invented parcel data and practice help pages; no hosted AI model needed. |
| Cybersecurity Specialist | ≈ 120 to 130 hours about 12 to 16 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 200 MB free disk | A Python practice clinic app, with its settings snapshots and logs; no traffic to real systems. |
| Software Architect / Tech Lead | ≈ 130 to 140 hours about 13 to 18 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 100 MB free disk | A Node.js practice monolith with its deploy and incident records. |
| Digital Marketing (Growth and Analytics) | ≈ 125 to 135 hours about 13 to 17 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 1 GB free disk | A practice shop site and invented A/B data; no analytics account needed. |
| Digital Automation (Workflow and RevOps) | ≈ 115 hours about 12 to 14 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 8 GB memory | n8n with a payment, inbox and CRM simulator, all on your computer. |
| IoT and Smart Systems Engineer | ≈ 135 to 145 hours about 14 to 18 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 500 MB free disk | A simulated board, sensor, battery and broker in Python; real hardware is optional. |
| Blockchain and Trust Infrastructure Engineer | ≈ 130 to 140 hours about 13 to 18 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week | 4 GB memory and 500 MB free disk | Hardhat's local network with test accounts; no real money. |
Which core levels to revisit before each path (table and list)
Every path assumes the whole core. A dot (●) marks the levels most useful to revisit before you start that path; it doesn't mean that level unlocks it.
| Path | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L6 | L7 | L8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend Developer | no | revisit | no | revisit | no | no | no | no |
| Mobile App Developer | no | revisit | no | revisit | no | no | no | no |
| UI/UX Product Designer | no | revisit | no | revisit | no | no | no | no |
| Backend Developer | no | no | no | revisit | revisit | no | no | revisit |
| Cloud / DevOps Engineer | revisit | no | no | no | no | revisit | no | no |
| Data Analyst / Engineer | no | no | revisit | no | revisit | no | no | no |
| AI / ML Engineer | no | no | revisit | no | revisit | no | revisit | no |
| Cybersecurity Specialist | revisit | no | no | no | no | revisit | no | no |
| Software Architect / Tech Lead | revisit | revisit | revisit | revisit | revisit | revisit | revisit | revisit |
| Digital Marketing (Growth and Analytics) | no | revisit | no | no | revisit | no | revisit | no |
| Digital Automation (Workflow and RevOps) | no | no | revisit | revisit | no | no | no | no |
| IoT and Smart Systems Engineer | revisit | no | revisit | no | no | revisit | no | no |
| Blockchain and Trust Infrastructure Engineer | no | no | revisit | no | no | revisit | no | revisit |
Levels: L1 Digital Foundations · L2 Web Development Basics · L3 Programming Skills · L4 Full-Stack Applications · L5 Databases and Data · L6 Cloud, DevOps and Security · L7 Artificial Intelligence · L8 Advanced Architecture
The same, path by path
- Frontend Developer: revisit L2 Web Development Basics and L4 Full-Stack Applications.
- Mobile App Developer: revisit L2 Web Development Basics and L4 Full-Stack Applications.
- UI/UX Product Designer: revisit L2 Web Development Basics and L4 Full-Stack Applications.
- Backend Developer: revisit L4 Full-Stack Applications, L5 Databases and Data and L8 Advanced Architecture.
- Cloud / DevOps Engineer: revisit L1 Digital Foundations and L6 Cloud, DevOps and Security.
- Data Analyst / Engineer: revisit L3 Programming Skills and L5 Databases and Data.
- AI / ML Engineer: revisit L3 Programming Skills, L5 Databases and Data and L7 Artificial Intelligence.
- Cybersecurity Specialist: revisit L1 Digital Foundations and L6 Cloud, DevOps and Security.
- Software Architect / Tech Lead: revisit all eight levels.
- Digital Marketing (Growth and Analytics): revisit L2 Web Development Basics, L5 Databases and Data and L7 Artificial Intelligence.
- Digital Automation (Workflow and RevOps): revisit L3 Programming Skills and L4 Full-Stack Applications.
- IoT and Smart Systems Engineer: revisit L1 Digital Foundations, L3 Programming Skills and L6 Cloud, DevOps and Security.
- Blockchain and Trust Infrastructure Engineer: revisit L3 Programming Skills, L6 Cloud, DevOps and Security and L8 Advanced Architecture.
Explore each family
The Creator Roles
User-facing
Frontend Developer
Choose this path if you want to build the screens people tap and click, and make them fast and usable for everyone.
You see it daily: Every website and web app you open in a browser, from online shopping to booking a train ticket.
What you'll build: An accessible set of six components (buttons, fields, dialogs and more) styled from design tokens, that works by keyboard and screen reader.
Course ready · 10 modulesMobile App Developer
Choose this path if you want to build phone apps that work offline, save battery and feel natural to touch.
You see it daily: The apps on your phone: messaging, maps, ride-hailing and payments.
What you'll build: An app that keeps working offline and syncs changes with a practice server when the connection returns.
Course ready · 10 modulesUI/UX Product Designer
Choose this path if you want to find out what people need and design screens that feel obvious to use, before code is written.
You see it daily: Ordering food in three taps, banking apps that feel less frustrating than others, and the way an app quietly guides your eyes with colours, small animations and layout.
What you'll build: A usability study reported honestly from the kit's five practice sessions, and the design changes it led to. Testing with real people is an optional extra.
Course ready · 10 modulesThe Infrastructure Roles
System-facing
Backend Developer
Choose this path if you want to build the servers, APIs and databases that store data safely and answer every request.
You see it daily: Your login working, your order being saved and your payment going through, all behind the scenes.
What you'll build: An orders API that checks sign-in tokens from a practice OAuth2 and OpenID Connect server, with shared rate limits and automated tests.
Course ready · 10 modulesCloud / DevOps Engineer
Choose this path if you want to automate how software is tested, released and kept running for many users.
You see it daily: Apps that stay online during a big sale or a cricket final, and updates that arrive without the app going down.
What you'll build: A small environment created entirely from Terraform files on your own computer (Docker), that can be torn down and rebuilt on demand.
Course ready · 10 modulesThe Intelligence and Data Roles
Insight-facing
Data Analyst / Engineer
Choose this path if you want to clean raw records and turn them into reliable reports and dashboards that answer real questions.
You see it daily: Sales reports, "most popular" lists, and the dashboards that tell a business what is working.
What you'll build: An automated pipeline that loads messy raw data, cleans it and refreshes on a schedule.
Course ready · 10 modulesAI / ML Engineer
Choose this path if you want to train and test models that predict, classify or generate, and check that they are fair and reliable.
You see it daily: Chat assistants, "you may also like" suggestions, photo search and spam filters.
What you'll build: A model trained and tested on a realistic practice dataset, with honest accuracy figures.
Course ready · 10 modulesThe Guardians and Strategists
Protecting and planning
Cybersecurity Specialist
Choose this path if you want to find weaknesses in systems you're responsible for, fix them with proof, and respond calmly when something goes wrong.
You see it daily: One-time passwords, fraud alerts from your bank, and the padlock in your browser's address bar.
What you'll build: An authorised security assessment of a practice clinic app's settings, packages and headers, written up as a professional report.
Course ready · 10 modulesSoftware Architect / Tech Lead
Choose this path if you want to decide how a whole system fits together, write down the trade-offs, and guide the team that builds it.
You see it daily: Huge platforms like banking or ride-hailing that keep working smoothly as millions more people join.
What you'll build: A decision record comparing architecture options for a practice project, backed by its deploy and incident data.
Course ready · 10 modulesThe Growth and Operations Roles
Business-facing
Digital Marketing (Growth and Analytics)
Choose Digital Marketing if you want to find which campaigns bring enquiries and customers, and prove what really works.
You see it daily: The ads you see, the search results that appear first, and the email reminding you about something left in your cart.
What you'll build: Analytics and tracking that send nothing until a visitor accepts, built to the consent principles in DM4 (not legal advice).
Course ready · 10 modulesDigital Automation (Workflow and RevOps)
Choose Digital Automation if you want each enquiry assigned, followed up and recorded automatically.
You see it daily: The instant confirmation email and invoice after you order, and the message telling you it has shipped.
What you'll build: A workflow that receives webhooks from a practice payment gateway and updates the CRM and accounts.
Course ready · 10 modulesEveryday Tech Integrations
Devices and trust
IoT and Smart Systems Engineer
Choose this path if you want small devices to sense the physical world and send reliable readings to software.
You see it daily: Smartwatches tracking your heart rate, tap-to-pay cards, automatic home thermostats, connected security cameras and smart traffic lights.
What you'll build: Firmware for a battery-powered sensor that sleeps between readings, with a year-long power budget worked out on a simulated board.
Course ready · 10 modulesBlockchain and Trust Infrastructure Engineer
Choose this path if you want to build shared records that several parties can check, where unauthorised changes are detectable.
You see it daily: Digital identity checks, automatic smart contracts, tracking exactly where an organic product came from, and cross-border digital payments.
What you'll build: A smart contract with tests and your own review against common attacks.
Course ready · 10 modulesHow the specialisations work
- Each path opens once you pass the core final examination with 70% or more. Until then, you can read its guide to plan ahead.
- Each ready path has ten modules grouped into focus areas, with lessons, quizzes, three portfolio projects, a capstone and a 40-question path test, in the same Learn, Practise, Check, Build rhythm as the core.
- On the test site, you can track your completion and self-check your projects. The ProLearners Certificate of Completion and mentor review are planned.
- Tool names change over time. The ideas behind them are what we teach first, so your skills stay useful when the tools move on.