NANODEGREE PROGR AM SYLL ABUS

Agile Software
Development

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Overview
Learn how to build products that deliver continuous value to customers using an Agile approach to
software development. By the end of this program, students will be able to differentiate between
Scrum, Kanban and XP, create an environment that fosters high performing teams, and manage iteration
planning using Agile techniques. Students will also be able to create a release plan for a Minimum Viable
Product, create metrics that show project status, and effectively communicate progress both within and
outside of the development team.

Prerequisites: No prior experience is required, but it is recommended that students are comfortable
with basic computer skills, such as managing files, using third-party online programs, and navigating the
Internet through an online browser.

Estimated Time: Instructional Tools

3 months at Available:
10hrs/week Video lectures,
mentor-led student
community, forums,
project reviews

Flexible Learning: Need Help?

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*The length of this program is an estimation of total hours the average student may take to complete all
required coursework, including lecture and project time. If you spend about 10 hours per week working
through the program, you should finish within the time provided. Actual hours may vary.

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Course 1: Foundations of Agile and Agile
Frameworks
In this course, students will be introduced to The Agile Mindset and how it sets the tone for “Being” Agile versus
just “Doing” Agile. Students will learn to leverage The Agile Manifesto as the foundation for all Agile Frameworks,
as well as identify the practical differences between Agile and Waterfall approaches. Students will then take a deep
dive into Agile Teams and Governance and apply best practices of both in order to deliver immense business value.
By the end of this course, students will master characteristics of three of the more popular Agile Frameworks
being utilized across all industries, which are Scrum, Kanban and XP, as well as apply The Agile Manifesto to deliver
practical value in Agile teams and organizations.

In this project, students will step in as an Agile consultant to help

launch WorldVisitz’s Agile journey. Students will recommend and
define an Agile delivery solution for WorldVisitz executives to replace
Course 1 Project their current inefficient traditional product development processes.
WorldVisitz Mobile App Based on an assessment of the organization, students will prepare
a presentation to convince WorldVisitz leaders of the business value
Agile Delivery Launch and rationale for adopting an Agile framework. Students will also
prepare an Agile onboarding presentation to get the team started on
their Agile journey.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain the Agile Mindset and how it sets the tone for
Being’ Agile versus just ‘Doing’ Agile
• Identify how the Agile Manifesto sets the foundation for all
LESSON ONE Why Agile? Agile Frameworks
• Compare Agile versus the more traditional Waterfall
approach to product development
• Evaluate common misconceptions about Agile

• Recognize the characteristics of a high performing Agile

Team
Build and Evolve • Sustain and enable high performing teams
LESSON TWO
Agile Teams • Identify an Agile team’s core roles, optimal size, structure,
and cross-functional skills
• Apply best practices of Agile Governance

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 • Compare and contrast Scrum, Kanban, and XP
• Evaluate the unique characteristics of the Scrum
framework and appropriate uses
LESSON THREE Agile Frameworks • Evaluate the advantages of the Kanban Framework and its
appropriate uses
• Evaluate the advantages of the XP Framework and its
appropriate uses

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Course 2: Delivering Value with Agile Planning
and Prioritization
The Agile approach to planning is an iterative process that focuses on delivering value to the customer. In
this course, students will be introduced to the high level aspects of agile planning, including product vision
and roadmaps. Students will also learn how to manage requirements at the tactical level, including gathering,
writing, and prioritizing requirements using agile techniques from each of the major frameworks. Finally,
students will learn different approaches to estimating work and how to build release and iteration plans that
help the team continuously deliver value. At the end of the course, students will be equipped with the tools
and techniques they need to apply Agile Planning and Prioritization within a team or organization to deliver
value more efficiently.

In this project, students will create a plan to develop a software

product for the Centers for Disease Control that will help prevent
Course 2 Project the spread of a deadly virus. Students will be given a specific set
Create an MVP Release of criteria to create a plan for the customer. The plan will include
Plan a vision, roadmap, user stories, and a release plan that outlines
the minimum set of features that are needed to make the product
successful and align with business requirements for an MVP.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Describe the benefits of agile planning

• Explain the MVP concept and understand how it’s used in
software development
• Construct a product roadmap
LESSON ONE Agile Planning
• Create user stories that describe product requirements
• Understand the difference between features, epics, and user
stories
• Identify acceptance criteria for user stories

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 • Define the product backlog and explain why it exists
• Explain how each team role uses and interacts with the
backlog
LESSON TWO Prioritization • Manage a backlog and organize it using progressive
elaboration
• Identify and apply different prioritization techniques
• Prioritize a product backlog

• Understand how to control the scope of user stories

• Refine the Definition of Done for user stories
LESSON THREE Scoping • Estimate user stories
• Explain and apply various estimation techniques
• Apply ideal time to estimates

• Explain the relationship between release and iteration

planning
• Identify the outcomes of release and iteration planning
• Plan an MVP that delivers value incrementally by using
Release and techniques such as continuous integration and continuous
LESSON FOUR delivery
Iteration Planning
• Explain and apply timeboxes
• Apply the Scrum framework to plan a release and a sprint

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Course 3: Progress, Communication, and
Organizational Agility
In this course, students will learn how to communicate project progress and status through information
radiators, guide and direct organizational agility through the use of metrics and how to create those
metrics, and differentiate between patterns to mimic and anti-patterns to avoid. Students will also learn
how to identify and mitigate risk, and build an internal team communication strategy and an external
communication strategy that work effectively for the relevant stakeholder audience.

In this project, students will learn how to plan, organize, monitor,

and display project information at a glance. Students will create a
Course 3 Project Big Visual Information Radiator (BVIR) that can be used by anyone
involved in an Agile project to review project goals, work completion
Report Agile Project status, metrics, risks and target completion date. Students will learn
Status with a Big Visual how to use techniques such as appropriate use of burn-up and
Information Radiator burn-down charts, prioritization of user stories, identifying risks,
and calculating velocity. Students will also learn how to effectively
communicate project status and appropriate key metrics to a senior
management audience within a corporation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain the importance of using metrics in Agile

• Differentiate between outputs and outcomes
• Calculate a Velocity
• Determine the Lead Time and Cycle Time
LESSON ONE Agile Metrics
• Monitor the status of Work in Progress (WIP)
• Estimate when work should be completed
• Identify escaped defects and how to handle them
appropriately

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 • Identify the different parts of the continuous improvement
process that lead to a sustainable development level
• Differentiate between patterns and antipatterns of the
continuous improvement process
• Effectively apply Agile thinking to reach sustainable
Measuring development
LESSON TWO Progress and • Run a retrospective to effectively identify what went well,
Impact what didn’t go well, and what can be improved
• Effectively prioritize the next steps to improve on the lessons
learned and add it to the backlog
• Use the appropriate chart type to build an IR to communicate
a specific metric
• Create a BVIR to effectively communicate project status

• Determine the impact risk would have on a project

• Effectively communicate how technical debt impacts a project
• Apply Agile techniques to mitigate technical debt effectively
LESSON THREE Identifying Risks
• Identify failure patterns and implement mitigation strategies
• Use testing techniques early to keep an Agile project on
schedule

• Differentiate between metrics that should be shared

internally vs. externally
• Create a BVIR to communicate project status to the relevant
team/stakeholders effectively
• Correctly determine the status of the current in-progress
Agile project
LESSON FOUR
Communication • Effectively implement tools to communicate across remote
teams
• Build a communication strategy for an internal team and for
external parties
• Build trust using Agile techniques between team members to
encourage transparency in communication

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Our Classroom Experience
REAL-WORLD PROJECTS
Build your skills through industry-relevant projects. Get
personalized feedback from our network of 900+ project
reviewers. Our simple interface makes it easy to submit
your projects as often as you need and receive unlimited
feedback on your work.

KNOWLEDGE
Find answers to your questions with Knowledge, our
proprietary wiki. Search questions asked by other students
and discover in real-time how to solve the challenges that
you encounter.

STUDENT HUB
Leverage the power of community through a simple, yet
powerful chat interface built within the classroom. Use
Student Hub to connect with your technical mentor and
fellow students in your Nanodegree program.

WORKSPACES
See your code in action. Check the output and quality of
your code by running them on workspaces that are a part
of our classroom.

QUIZZES
Check your understanding of concepts learned in the
program by answering simple and auto-graded quizzes.
Easily go back to the lessons to brush up on concepts
anytime you get an answer wrong.

CUSTOM STUDY PLANS

Work with a mentor to create a custom study plan to suit
your personal needs. Use this plan to keep track of your
progress toward your goal.

PROGRESS TRACKER
Stay on track to complete your Nanodegree program with
useful milestone reminders.

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Learn with the Best

Hasnain Rizvi Mark Ginise

S E N I O R AG I L E CO A C H AG I L E E N G I N E E R A N D COA C H
Dr. Hasnain Rizvi is an Agile Mark Ginise leads Agility training for
Transformation thought leader and has the federal government. He has taught
trained over 25,000 professionals globally. Agility to DoD programs, and worked
He is a trainer and adjunct professor for as an internal change agent for Federal
Global 2000 clients, universities, and Government agencies. His specialties
organizations including The University include Agile transformations, DevSecOps,
of British Columbia, Southern Alberta cloud migrations, and technology
Institute of Technology, and Steinbeis education. He enjoys the beach, his
School of International Business and children, and traveling.
Entrepreneurship.

Vincent High
AGILE DELIVERY &
T R A N S F O R M AT I O N L E A D
Vincent is a Scrum Master, Agile Instructor,
and currently serves as an Agile Delivery
Lead at a top US bank. Throughout
his career he has served as a Scrum
Master and Agile Coach within start-
ups, large corporations, and non-profit
organizations. In his spare time he enjoys
watching old movies with family.

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All Our Nanodegree Programs Include:

EXPERIENCED PROJECT REVIEWERS

REVIEWER SERVICES

• Personalized feedback & line by line code reviews

• 1600+ Reviewers with a 4.85/5 average rating
• 3 hour average project review turnaround time
• Unlimited submissions and feedback loops
• Practical tips and industry best practices
• Additional suggested resources to improve

TECHNICAL MENTOR SUPPORT

MENTORSHIP SERVICES

• Questions answered quickly by our team of

technical mentors
• 1000+ Mentors with a 4.7/5 average rating
• Support for all your technical questions

PERSONAL CAREER SERVICES

C A R E E R CO A C H I N G

• Personal assistance in your job search

• Monthly 1-on-1 calls
• Personalized feedback and career guidance
• Access to Udacity Talent Program used by our
network of employers to source candidates
• Advice on negotiating job offers
• Interview preparation
• Resume services
• Github portfolio review
• LinkedIn profile optimization

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Frequently Asked Questions
PROGR AM OVERVIE W

WHY SHOULD I ENROLL?

Companies are looking to deliver better products faster and more efficiently,
and they’re looking to professionals with the Agile skillset to lead that
transformation -- according to KPMG, 68% of organizations surveyed indicated
“faster product delivery” as their reason for adopting Agile practices. That’s
why jobs that involve Agile development skills are projected to grow 7.3 percent
over the next 10 years, with a median salary of around $103,000, according to
Burning Glass.

In the Agile Software Development Nanodegree program, you’ll build the

skills you need to guide the delivery of high value products with top notch
software development teams. By the end of the program, you’ll be able to
differentiate between popular Agile frameworks, create an environment
that fosters high performing teams, manage iteration planning using Agile
techniques, and more. Graduates of the program will be in-demand at a wide
range of companies looking to adopt or improve their use of Agile development
practices.

WHAT JOBS WILL THIS PROGRAM PREPARE ME FOR?

Students who graduate from the Agile Software Development Nanodegree
program can find success across a variety of different roles, including:

• Delivery Lead
• Agile Delivery Lead
• Engineering Manager
• Project Manager or Agile Project Manager
• Scrum master
• Product Owner
• Product Manager
• and many others...

HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS PROGRAM IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Agile team leaders are a critical piece of many high performing development
operations - they plan and prioritize work, protect the team from obstacles,
and ensure consistent delivery. If you’re someone who likes to identify and
solve problems so your team can focus on execution, or someone who
likes to create and refine the structures and processes that enable a team
to succeed, or just someone who is interested in learning how to add more
rigor and organization to your project management, then the Agile Software
Development Nanodegree program is a great fit.

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FAQs Continued
ENROLLMENT AND ADMISSION

DO I NEED TO APPLY? WHAT ARE THE ADMISSION CRITERIA?

There is no application. This Nanodegree program accepts everyone,
regardless of experience and specific background.

WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR ENROLLMENT?

No prior experience with Agile Software Development is required. You will
need to be comfortable with basic computer skills, such as managing files,
using third-party online programs, and navigating the Internet through an
online browser.

TUITION AND TERM OF PROGR AM

HOW IS THIS NANODEGREE PROGRAM STRUCTURED?

The Agile Software Development Nanodegree program is comprised of
content and curriculum to support three projects. Once you subscribe to a
Nanodegree program, you will have access to the content and services for the
length of time specified by your subscription. We estimate that students can
complete the program in three (3) months, working 5-10 hours per week.

Each project will be reviewed by the Udacity reviewer network. Feedback will
be provided and if you do not pass the project, you will be asked to resubmit
the project until it passes.

HOW LONG IS THIS NANODEGREE PROGRAM?

Access to this Nanodegree program runs for the length of time specified in
the payment card above. If you do not graduate within that time period, you
will continue learning with month to month payments. See the Terms of Use
and FAQs for other policies regarding the terms of access to our Nanodegree
programs.

CAN I SWITCH MY START DATE? CAN I GET A REFUND?

Please see the Udacity Program Terms of Use and FAQs for policies on
enrollment in our programs.

W H AT S O F T WA R E A N D V E R S I O N S W I L L I N E E D F O R T H I S P R O G R A M ?

WHAT SOFTWARE AND VERSIONS WILL I NEED IN THIS PROGRAM?

There are no specific hardware or software requirements for this program,
other than those outlined on Udacity’s general Technology Requirements
page.

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