2024 Phase 1

Welcome to Phase 1 of the 2024 MSA programme! This year, the programme is split into two streams (Software Development and Data Science), and Phase 1 consists of Microsoft Learn modules for each stream. For more information, please visit the following links:

• 2024 Programme Launch, a YouTube video that provides an overview of this year's programme
• Frequently asked questions and answers about the programme

The expected workload for Phase 1 of each stream is 3-4 hours per week. As such, we recommend that you use the schedule below to spread out your workload and not try to complete everything in one week.

Phase 2 will build upon the knowledge for Phase 1 of each stream, and placements will be either in Software Development or Data Science. As such, we recommend that you follow one stream only in order to manage your time effectively and build your knowledge and skills within one stream as much as you can in order to stand out to employers.

Contents:

• Getting Started
• Schedule
• Submission
• Key Tools
• Support

Getting Started

To get started with Phase 1:

1. Sign up for the 2024 MSA programme

• Note: Please sign up for the programme using the same email as the Microsoft account you want to use for the programme (if you already have one)

2. Create a Microsoft account if you don't already have one

• Note: Please create an account using the same email that you signed up for the programme with

3. Log in to Microsoft Learn with your Microsoft account
4. Complete all the Microsoft Learn modules listed in the schedule below for your chosen stream

Schedule

The schedule is split into six weeks, and each week is split into the two streams (Software Development and Data Science).

All the Microsoft Learn modules listed below can be found in these Microsoft Learn collections for easy access and completion tracking:

• Software Development collection
• Data Science collection

Week 1

Software Development

1. Introduction to GitHub
2. Write your first C# code
3. Introduction to .NET
4. Create a new .NET project and work with dependencies
5. Interactively debug .NET apps with the Visual Studio Code debugger
6. Create a web API with ASP.NET Core controllers

Data Science

1. Introduction to GitHub in Visual Studio Code
2. Python for beginners (this is a path consisting of several modules - please complete all modules listed in the path)

Week 2

Software Development

1. Get started with web development using Visual Studio Code
2. Learn the basics of web accessibility
3. Introduction to Node.js
4. Create a new Node.js project and work with dependencies
5. Get started with React
6. Working with data and properties in React components
7. React state and events

Data Science

1. Explore and analyze data with Python
2. Data collection and manipulation

• Note: The Excel file link in the module above is broken (as of 16/5/23). Please use this OneDrive link to access the dataset instead.

3. Get started with AI on Azure
4. Introduction to machine learning
5. Introduction to rocket launches

Week 3

Software Development

1. Get started with TypeScript
2. Declare variable types in TypeScript
3. Implement interfaces in TypeScript
4. Develop typed functions by using TypeScript
5. Declare and instantiate classes in TypeScript

Data Science

1. Introduction to data for machine learning
2. Create and understand classification models in machine learning
3. Build classical machine learning models with supervised learning
4. Train and understand regression models in machine learning

Week 4

Software Development

1. Define generics in TypeScript
2. Access external libraries from TypeScript
3. Organize code using TypeScript namespaces

Note: This week contains fewer modules than others, so we recommend you use this opportunity to practice the Software Development skills you've learned so far using other resources you find.

Data Science

1. Build a machine learning model
2. Refine and test machine learning models
3. Train and evaluate classification models
4. Train and evaluate regression models
5. Select and customize architectures and hyperparameters using random forest

Week 5

Software Development

1. Introduction to Transact-SQL
2. Sort and filter results in T-SQL
3. Combine multiple tables with JOINs in T-SQL
4. Modify data with T-SQL
5. Persist and retrieve relational data by using Entity Framework Core

Data Science

1. Confusion matrix and data imbalances
2. Measure and optimize model performance with ROC and AUC
3. Introduction to Azure Machine Learning
4. Explore Azure Machine Learning workspace resources and assets
5. Train a machine learning model with Azure Machine Learning

Week 6

Software Development

1. Build a web API with minimal API, ASP.NET Core, and .NET
2. Build a containerized web application with Docker
3. Build continuous integration (CI) workflows by using GitHub Actions
4. Introduction to software testing concepts
5. Use a database with minimal API, Entity Framework Core, and ASP.NET Core

Data Science

1. Get started building with Power BI
2. Get data in Power BI
3. Clean, transform, and load data in Power BI

Submission

To complete Phase 1 and submit evidence of your completion:

1. Complete all the Microsoft Learn modules listed in the schedule above
2. Download all the key tools listed below
3. Log in to your Microsoft account and take a full-page screenshot of the Microsoft Learn collection that you completed (please complete all the modules if you haven't already).

• Software Development collection
• Data Science collection
• Note: To take a full-page screenshot, you can use this Chrome extension or if you are using Edge or Firefox, you can press Ctrl+Shift+S and then select "Capture/Save full page".

4. Submit this form by 11:59pm, Sunday 26 May: MSA 2024 Phase 1 Submission

Key Tools

Here is a list of all the key tools you will need for the programme, we recommend that you download these before starting Phase 1 so that you can:

• Get familiar with them and gain as much value from the Microsoft Learn modules in Phase 1, which require you to download or use some of them.
• Be well prepared for Phase 2, where you will be actively using these tools.

Both Streams

• Git
  • For version control i.e. keeping track of any changes you make to your code
• Visual Studio (VS) Code
  • A code editor for any language
• GitHub Desktop
  • A graphical user interface (GUI) for Git
  • Note: If you are new to Git and not familiar with command line arguments, feel free to use this GUI for version control instead

Software Development

• Node.js
  • For backend web development
  • After downloading Node.js, please complete this tutorial to set up VS Code: Node.js in VS Code
  • Note: The Node.js Package Manager (npm) is also installed with Node.js, which allows you to use code created by other developers in your own code
• React
  • For frontend web development
  • After downloading React, please complete this tutorial to set up VS Code: React in VS Code
  • Note: You do not need to download anything else if you have downloaded Node.js, but we recommend you follow the steps in the React link above to ensure everything is working correctly
• Visual Studio Community
  • An integrated developer environment (IDE) for the C# language
• .NET 8
  • A framework for developing C# applications

Data Science

• Python
  • A widely used programming language, particularly in Data Science
  • After downloading Python, please complete this tutorial to set up VS Code: Python in VS Code
• VS Code - Data Science Tutorial
  • After completing Microsoft Learn modules about VS Code, we recommend that you complete the tutorial above to check that all your tools are working correctly, and install/fix any that are missing or not working
• Azure Machine Learning
  • An Azure service for doing machine learning in the cloud
  • After completing Microsoft Learn modules about Azure Machine Learning, we recommend that you set up VS Code to use Azure Machine Learning using the link above
• Power BI
  • A Microsoft tool for creating dashboards and visualisations

Support

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact the MSA team via our:

• Discord server
  • Our main and fastest way of getting both technical and non-technical support, post your query in one of the public channels
• Facebook group
  • Post your query in the group after joining, but note that this is primarily monitored by our Marketing team so any technical queries may be delayed
• Messenger chat
  • Use this if would like to contact us privately, but note that this is primarily monitored by our Marketing team so any technical queries may be delayed
• Email
  • Use this if would like to contact us privately, but note that this is primarily monitored by our Marketing team so any technical queries may be delayed