Python Programming — Associate

What you'll learn

Course modules

1. 01

   Why Python, and how to think like a programmer

   Python's role in modern international tech hiring, what makes the language different from spreadsheets and other tools, the three habits that separate fast learners from those who plateau, and how to set up a working Python development environment in 2026.

   ~150min
2. 02

   Variables, data types, and the atoms of Python

   Variables as labels for values, the four most-used built-in types (int, float, str, bool), type conversion, the operators that combine values, f-strings for modern string formatting, reading input from the user, and the conventions that make Python readable.

   ~150min
3. 03

   Control flow: making programs that decide and repeat

   if/elif/else for branching logic, for loops for processing collections, while loops for condition-driven repetition, break and continue for fine-grained control, and how nested control flow shapes real-world programs.

   ~150min
4. 04

   Data structures: lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets

   When to reach for each of Python's four built-in collection types, list slicing and methods, tuple immutability and unpacking, dictionary lookups for the 'given X find Y' pattern, sets for deduplication and set arithmetic, and the trap of shared references between mutable objects.

   ~150min
5. 05

   Functions, error handling, and writing code that lasts

   Defining functions with parameters and return values, default arguments, returning multiple values, docstrings, scope, why functions matter for maintainability, the try/except pattern for error handling, raising your own exceptions, and the shape of professional Python code.

   ~150min
6. 06

   Working with files and the standard library

   Reading and writing text, CSV, and JSON files using context managers; date and time handling with datetime and zoneinfo; modern path manipulation with pathlib; the most-used standard library modules (collections, itertools, functools, re, logging) and when to reach for each.

   ~150min
7. 07

   APIs, HTTP requests, and external data

   Making HTTP requests with the requests library, parsing JSON responses, handling status codes (200, 4xx, 5xx, 429), authentication patterns including Square-style Bearer tokens, rate limit handling with exponential backoff, keeping API keys out of source code, and walking deeply nested JSON safely.

   ~150min
8. 08

   A complete project: building a working tool start to finish

   Integrated case study: a multi-currency invoice processing tool for a fictional New York consultancy. Walks every prior module's lessons through the natural flow of building a real working script — decomposition, function design, file I/O, API calls, error handling, structured output, and the 'return data plus problems' pattern that separates production code from beginner code.

   ~150min