NANODEGREE PROGR AM SYLL ABUS

Data Structures &

Algorithms

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Overview
In this course you will learn data structures and algorithms by solving 80+ practice problems. You will begin
each course by learning to solve defined problems related to a particular data structure and algorithm. By
the end of each course, you would be able to evaluate and assess different data structures and algorithms for
any open-ended problem and implement a solution based on your design choices.

Estimated Time: Prerequisites:

4 Months at Python and Basic
10hrs/week Algebra

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Course 1: Supervised Learning
Get an overview of your program. Meet your instructors, and refresh your python skills. Learn the
framework to deconstruct any open-ended problem and then understand the concepts of time and space
complexity, essential tools for evaluating different data structure & algorithms.

Course Project : Deconstruct a series of open-ended problems into smaller

Unscramble Computer components (e.g, inputs, outputs, series of functions).
Science Problems

LEARNING OUTCOMES

LESSON ONE INTRODUCTION

LESSON TWO PYTHON REFRESHER

LESSON THREE HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

LESSON FOUR BIG O NOTATION

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Course 2: Data Structures
Learn different data structures that can be used to store data. Implement different methods used to
manipulate these data structures and examine the efficiency. Understand the advantages and applications
of different data structures. Learn how to approach open ended problems (either in interviews or in real-
world scenarios) and select appropriate data structures based on requirements.

Solve a series of open-ended practice problems such as LRU Cache,

Course Project
Private Blockchain, File Recursion and many more. Hone your
Show Me the Data skills to identify and implement appropriate data structures and
Structures corresponding methods which meet given constraints.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

COLLECTION DATA STRUCTURES (LISTS,

LESSON ONE
ARRAYS, LINKED LISTS, QUEUES, STACK)

LESSON TWO RECURSION

LESSON THREE TREES

LESSON FOUR MAPS AND HASHING

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Course 3: Basic Algorithms
Learn and implement basic algorithms such as searching and sorting on different data structures and
examine the efficiency of these algorithms. Use recursion to implement these algorithms and then learn how
some of these algorithms can be implemented without recursion. Practice selecting and modifying these
algorithms for a variety of interview problems.

A series of real-world open ended problems such as request routing

Course Project
for web server, search-term auto-completion
Problems vs. Algorithms and Fibonacci heap which train you to apply suitable data structures
and algorithms under different context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

LESSON ONE BINARY SEARCH

LESSON TWO SORTING ALGORITHMS

LESSON THREE DIVIDE & CONQUER ALGORITHMS

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Course 4: Advanced Algorithms
Build on your algorithm skills by learning more advanced algorithms such as brute-force greedy algorithms,
graph algorithms, and dynamic programming, which optimizes recursion by storing results to sub problems.

In this project, you will build a route-planning algorithm like the one
Course Project used in Google Maps to calculate the shortest path between two
points on a map. You will first select and implement appropriate
Route Planner
data-structure to represent points on a map and then implement the
A* algorithm to find shortest path.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

LESSON ONE GREEDY ALGORITHMS

LESSON TWO GRAPH ALGORITHMS

LESSON THREE DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING

LESSON FOUR LINEAR PROGRAMMING

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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,
connect with technical mentors, 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 fellow students in your
Executive 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

Preschedule your study times and save them to your
personal calendar to create a custom study plan. Program
regular reminders to keep track of your progress toward
your goals and completion of your program.

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

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Learn with the Best

Brynn Claypoole Abe Feinberg

I N S T R U C TO R
CO N T E N T D E V E LO P E R
Brynn is a former Udacity employee who Abe is a Content Developer at Udacity
worked as Lead Data Analyst at Udacity and previously taught university courses
before joining Facebook as Data Engineer. in psychology and computer science. He
Currently, she is working as software loves both learning and teaching, and has
engineer with 10x Genomics. a particular passion for breaking down
difficult concepts and making them easier
to master.

Kyle Stewart-Franz
CO N T E N T D E V E LO P E R
Kyle has developed projects for a variety
of Udacity’s Nanodegree programs, such
as Self-Driving Car Engineer, Robotics, and
Blockchain. Kyle, a self-taught developer,
is always striving towards creating great
learning experience for students.

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All Our Nanodegree Programs Include:

EXPERIENCED PROJECT REVIEWERS

RE VIE WER 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

M E N TO R S H I P S E R V I C E S

• 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
• 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?

Whether you want to be a web developer, a machine learning engineer, or a data
scientist, having a deep understanding of Data Structures and Algorithms is
essential to acing job interviews and becoming a successful software engineer.
As Linus Torvalds famously said, “Bad programmers worry about the code. Good
programmers worry about data structures and their relationships”.

The Data Structures and Algorithms Nanodegree program will help you excel at
solving everything from well-defined problems, like how to calculate the efficiency
of a specific algorithm, to more open-ended problems, like building your own
private blockchain or writing a web-crawler.

You’ll work on over 80 exercises and four real-world projects so that you can get
the hands-on practice required to learn how to implement appropriate solutions
based on your design choices.

WHAT JOBS WILL THIS PROGRAM PREPARE ME FOR?

While this course is not designed to prepare you for a specific job, after
completing this program, you will have had extensive practice solving data
structures and algorithm problems to help you prepare for the data structures
and algorithms part of coding interviews.

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

If you are looking to improve your skills in data structures and algorithms -- to
prepare for the technical portion of job interviews, to improve your software
engineering skills, etc. -- then this Nanodegree program will provide you with
extensive practice with defined and open-ended problems so that you learn how
to implement the appropriate solution based on your design choices.

ENROLLMENT AND ADMISSION

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

No. This Nanodegree program accepts all applicants regardless of experience and
specific background.

WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR ENROLLMENT?

To optimize your chances of success in the Data Structures and Algorithms
Nanodegree program, you should have the following knowledge:
• Intermediate Python programming
• Basic algebra

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FAQs Continued
IF I DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO ENROLL, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you are new to programming, we recommend the Introduction to
Programming Nanodegree program.

TUITION AND TERM OF PROGR AM

HOW IS THIS NANODEGREE PROGRAM STRUCTURED?

The Data Structures and Algorithms Nanodegree program is comprised of
content and curriculum to support four (4) projects. We estimate that students
can complete the program in four (4) months working 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 Nanodegree program FAQs for policies on enrollment in
our programs.

S O F T WA R E A N D H A R D WA R E

WHAT SOFTWARE AND VERSIONS WILL I NEED IN THIS PROGRAM?

• Python 3
• A code/text editor, such as vim, Sublime Text, Atom, or VSCode
• A web browser
• A command line interface, such as Terminal (on Mac) or Git Bash (on
Windows)

Hardware Requirements:

A modern personal computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux, with a high-

speed Internet connection.

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