Online cohorts and certification for senior engineers, architects and technical leaders.

The decisions that shape your career rarely get pressure-tested at work, and the more senior you get, the harder that becomes. In these 5-week online cohorts, you pressure-test them with senior engineers from other companies, in confidence.

Each week, you apply a framework from a curated QCon talk to a real challenge from your own work, with a chance to publish what you learned on InfoQ.

USD1,470 per cohort.
Most companies reimburse for professional development.
Download our "Convince your boss" template.

Luca Mezzalira

Architecture Cohort Facilitator

Hien Luu

AI Engineering Cohort Facilitator

Luca Mezzalira

Facilitated by senior practitioners

Group

Confidential peer group

QCon

Apply QCon frameworks

QCon

Access 100+ QCon videos

InfoQ

Get published on InfoQ.com

Certification

Earn an InfoQ certification

We’ve helped thousands of senior software engineers, software architects and technical leaders adopt the right patterns & practices for over 20 years.
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Hear from recent graduates.

The single most valuable outcome has been improving how I write and think. I can now articulate trade-offs in a way that improves my proposals at work.

Chinmay Sawaji,
Senior Software Engineer @Klaviyo

This cohort gave me structured time each week to step back and think about what it really means to be an architect.

David Holliday,
Product manager / Product Owner @Munich Re

The Architecture Canvas was a game changer. We've made different decisions because of how we're structuring conversations. It wasn't just theory.

Ian Hockett,
Staff Software Engineer @Exact Sciences

Choose your cohort

Architecture

Distributed systems and resilience patterns, decentralized architectural decisions, platform engineering, and integrating AI into your architecture practice.

Download Syllabus

Date: June 10, 2026

Time: Wednesday, 09:30AM BST

See upcoming cohorts

AI Engineering

RAG and context pipelines, agent design, AI platform and infrastructure decisions, and the evaluation and reliability disciplines that keep AI systems running in production.

Download Syllabus

Date: July 25, 2026

Time: Saturday, 09:00AM PDT

See upcoming cohorts

More Cohorts coming soon

We're adding more cohorts over the coming weeks. To be the first to know when they are live, sign up for our email notifications.

Get email updates

InfoQ online cohort facilitators

Luca Mezzalira

Principal solutions architect

Over the past 20 years, Luca has worked across software architectures from frontend to the cloud. Facilitator for the Architecture cohort.

Hien Luu

Sr. Engineering Manager at Zoox

Hien leads the Machine Learning Platform team at Zoox, powering real production applications. Facilitator for the AI Engineering cohort.

How each week works

Format

1

Watch a curated QCon talk on your own time

2

Join a 4-hour live session with your facilitator and your cohort.

3

Apply frameworks in small-group exercises using real problems.

4

Take away something you can use at work that week.

Weekly homework

Each week, you'll complete a time-boxed exercise applying the session's framework to a real challenge from your work.

Capstone project

Throughout the cohort, you'll also draft a technical article. Each week builds on the last. In Week 5, you present your article to the cohort. The best get published on InfoQ.com

What you'll get.

Applied learning

Use it this week

Apply QCon frameworks to your actual work during 4-hour weekly live sessions.

Senior Peer Groups

Better decisions

Pressure-test your ideas alongside senior peers from diverse companies and industries.

Get published

Get published

Refine and publish a technical capstone article on InfoQ.com under your name.

Get Certified

Get certified

Earn an InfoQ certification as proof of your strategic technical leadership skills.

You'll leave this cohorts able to:

1

Apply frameworks to real problems the week you learn them.

2

Secure buy-in to get technical decisions implemented.

3

See your challenges from outside your organization's perspective.

4

De-risk major technical investments before building them.

5

Publish on InfoQ.com and earn an InfoQ certification.

Most companies reimburse for professional development.
Download our "Convince your boss" template.

Experience

Who this program is for

These online cohorts are for senior engineers and architects who want to make specific decisions better, publish on a platform senior technical people read, and build a peer group that outlasts the 5 weeks.

  • Senior Software Architects
  • Senior Software Engineers
  • Principal Architects
  • Principal Engineers
  • Senior Staff Engineers
  • Engineering Managers
  • AI/ML Engineers
  • Technical Leads
Experience

Frequently asked questions

Why should I join a peer group and not study alone or watching talks?

Because the real work happens when you have to defend the trade-offs in your own context. This cohort gives you the confidential peer group and an experienced facilitator to do that work, and you'll earn the InfoQ certification as a result.

How will I gain access to the online cohort sessions?

Participants who registered for the online cohorts will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to join the sessions. This email will be sent out during the week prior to the start of the cohort, so be sure to check your inbox (and spam folder, just in case!) for the access information.

Who is this cohort for?

This is for senior software practitioners with at least 5 years of experience who are involved in setting technical strategy.

What are the criteria for receiving the certification?

Certification is awarded based on two factors: consistent attendance and active participation in the live sessions, and the successful completion of the group Capstone project.

Why a cohort instead of just watching the talks?

Because the real work happens when you have to defend the trade-offs in your own context.

This cohort gives you the confidential peer group and expert mentorship to do that work, and you'll earn an InfoQ certification as a result.

Is this just another course?

This programme assumes you already have deep technical expertise. Each week is structured around a real decision you are working on, not a case study. The focus is the skills that senior engineers find hardest to get from inside their own organisation: pressure-testing decisions with peers, articulating tradeoffs to stakeholders, and making the kind of decisions that are difficult to reverse.

What is the weekly time commitment?

Each weekly session is a 4-hour deep-dive workshop. This is a significant time investment because we are not just watching talks.

We are undertaking the challenging, practical work of applying these frameworks to real-world challenges alongside your senior peer group.

What are the technical requirements for participation?

To ensure an optimal experience, you will need:

  • A stable internet connection: High-speed access for video conferencing.
  • Zoom: The latest version of the Zoom desktop client.
  • Slack: Access to our private workspace for peer networking and coordination.
  • A laptop or desktop: While mobile devices are supported, a computer is highly recommended for collaborative work and session participation.
How is the program structured?

The program consists of five live sessions held over five weeks. Each weekly session lasts four hours. In addition to weekly practical assignments (2–3 hours/week), participants join a private Slack workspace for peer discussion and collaborate in small groups to produce a Capstone article for publication on InfoQ.com.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept PayPal and major credit cards. A payment charged to your credit card or Paypal account is processed directly by us in the funds stated on the website. Please note that QCon and InfoQ are trademarked and wholly-owned brand of C4Media Inc., which is located in Canada. Customers outside Canada or cards denominated in other currencies may incur foreign transaction or exchange fees from their issuing bank. C4Media does not control nor collect these fees.

Who can I contact for questions relating to payment?

You can contact us for any payment questions at payments@qconferences.com.

Do you offer in-person cohorts as well?

Yes, in-person cohorts are offered at select QCon conferences, such as QCon London and QCon San Francisco.

Do you offer a template to help convince my boss?

We've developed a template you can use to explain to your boss how you can benefit from the cohort participation.

What is the Cancellation and Refund policy?

Registration fees are not refundable.

What are the Terms of Participation?

The Terms of Participation can be found at https://certification.qconferences.com/terms-conditions.

What is the Privacy Policy, and how is my data being protected?

QCon does not sell attendee lists or provide your contact details to data brokers. If you receive unsolicited emails claiming to offer QCon attendee data, these are not authorized by us. Should you feel that someone is using the QCon name in an inappropriate or misleading way, please email us at certification@qconferences.com.

At the event, sponsors can only access your contact information if you choose to share it by allowing them to scan the QR code on the back of your badge. This is entirely your decision, and no sponsor can access your details without your active participation.

For full details, see our Policy Notice.

Can I register as a freelancer or self-employed professional?

Yes. The program is open to freelancers and the self-employed. When registering, simply enter your trading name or "Independent" in the Company Details section.

What is the code of conduct?

We are dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive experience for everyone. Our Code of Conduct can be found at https://certification.qconferences.com/code-conduct.

Who is behind the InfoQ Online Certification Program?

The InfoQ Online Certification is a collaborative initiative between InfoQ and QCon, designed to help professionals advance their expertise in modern software development.

What is InfoQ?

InfoQ is a practitioner-driven community news site focused on facilitating the spread of knowledge and innovation in professional software development.

Are scholarships or complimentary seats available?

We do not offer scholarships or complimentary seats for the InfoQ Certification at this time. Should this change for future cohorts, we will announce it via our official channels.

Be the first to know when enrollment opens

Join the waitlist to get early access and scheduling updates for your preferred cohort.

We'll only email you with relevant updates about this program and our conferences.

Experience