edX Online

Learn Kafka with online courses and programs

Apache Kafka is a versatile platform used in many industries and web applications. You can learn Kafka with online courses delivered through edX.

What is Kafka?

Apache Kafka is an event streaming platform designed to handle and deliver massive amounts of data. Originally developed for LinkedIn, Kafka began as an internal system to handle the social media platform’s daily messages. Today, Apache Kafka is an open-source data streaming solution that can take data from multiple sources and deliver that data to consumers.1

Apache Kafka processes data in real time from all kinds of sources: databases, sensors, mobile devices, and more. These event streams are then stored for retrieval, processing, and routing to various destinations. With event streaming, developers can create applications to process online payments, track shipments, predict patient outcomes, and react to customer interactions in real time.2

The Kafka architecture can be scaled up by adding new nodes or servers. Kafka is written in Java and Scala, and Kafka Streams, a Java stream processing library which makes it a natural and intuitive tool for developers already working with these programming languages. This platform is also compatible with other programming languages, making it a versatile and widely used tool.

Kafka’s core APIs allow developers to customize the way that their software operates. For example, the Admin API can manage and inspect Kafka objects while the Producer API writes a stream of events. The Kafka Connect API allows developers to build and run data import and export connectors that read and write event streams to and from external systems. This allows these external systems to integrate with the Kafka platform as well as apps and systems already in place.3

Maximize Your Potential

Sign up for special offers, career resources, and recommendations that will help you grow, prepare, and advance in your career.

Browse online Apache Kafka Courses

Find new interests and advance your career opportunities

Stand out in your field

Use the knowledge and skills you have gained to drive impact at work and grow your career.

Learn at your own pace

On your computer, tablet or phone, online courses make learning flexible to fit your busy life.

Earn a valuable credential

Showcase your key skills and valuable knowledge.

Courses

Related Topics

Kafka tutorial curriculum

Apache Kafka courses can help you to develop the skills that you need to build data pipelines and Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes with the platform. During an Apache Kafka tutorial, you may:

  • Learn how to define data workflows, pipelines, and processes to ensure that you collect the necessary data.

  • Explore how to create and manage ETL, ELT (Extract, Load, Transform), and data pipelines.

  • Understand how to extract and transform data, create an ETL data pipeline, build a batch ETL workflow with Apache Airflow, and create a streaming data pipeline.

  • Implement these concepts with hands-on practice labs.

Jobs that use Apache Kafka

Apache Kafka has over one thousand use cases to date and it can be used to build data pipelines, implement data integration across sources, enable operational metrics, and more. It’s used by companies such as Target, Cisco, and Intuit, and is utilized in the health care, government, transportation, and financial services industries.4

With so many applications for Kafka, data scientists, data developers, and Kafka developers may all use the platform. Qualifications and requirements for a job that uses Kafka will depend on the individual role and the hiring company.

edX offers a variety of educational pathways, including boot camps as well as bachelor's degree programs and even master’s degree programs, for learners interested in advancing their knowledge in a variety of subjects. Find the right course for you.

How to become a Kafka developer online

Aside from a having general understanding of Kafka functionality, a successful Kafka developer should know how to install and maintain this tool, how to set up and configure Kafka brokers, and how to work with many platforms and application stacks.5

If you are interested in adding new skills to your resume, explore how online learning opportunities such as a data analytics boot camp or a bachelor’s degree in computer science can help you build the expertise and experience you need to pursue roles in this field.

More opportunities for you to learn

We've added 500+ learning opportunities to create one of the world's most comprehensive free-to-degree online learning platforms.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Everything You Need to Know About Apache Kafka. (2022). Peerbits. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

    2. Kafka 3.4 Documentation. (2023). Apache Kafka. Retrieved February 28, 2023.

    3. Introduction. (2022). Kafka. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

    4. Powered By. (2022). Kafka. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

    5. What Does a Kafka Developer Do? (2022). FreelancerMap. Retrieved January 2, 2023.