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URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/api-development-and-model-serving

⇱ API Development and Model Serving | Coursera


API Development and Model Serving

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

March 2026

Assessments

3 assignments

Taught in English

Build your Software Development expertise

This course is part of the Open Generative AI: Build with Open Models and Tools Professional Certificate
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate from Coursera

There are 3 modules in this course

The API Development and Model Serving course is designed for developers, engineers, and technical product builders who are new to Generative AI but already have intermediate machine learning knowledge, basic Python proficiency, and familiarity with development environments such as VS Code, and who want to engineer, customize, and deploy open generative AI solutions while avoiding vendor lock-in.

The course teaches learners how to deploy and expose generative AI models through robust and scalable APIs. Beginning with FastAPI, learners design and implement REST endpoints for model inference, focusing on schema design, authentication, rate limiting, and error handling. The course then introduces the Model Context Protocol (MCP), comparing it with traditional API approaches and demonstrating how function calling and tool integration can extend model capabilities. In the final module, learners address scaling and performance, applying containerization with Docker, asynchronous request handling, load balancing, and monitoring techniques. Practical exercises also cover tunneling and remote access using ngrok for rapid prototyping. By the end, learners will have built a production-ready API with clear documentation and the ability to support both REST and MCP-inspired integration patterns, equipping them with the tools to serve generative AI applications efficiently and reliably.

Learn how to build practical REST APIs that turn your models into usable services. You will create inference endpoints, design request and response schemas, and implement authentication, rate limiting, and error handling to keep your APIs secure and reliable. By the end, you will have hands on experience developing a FastAPI service that teammates and applications can call seamlessly, a core skill for production ML engineers.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment1 ungraded lab

1 videoβ€’Total 9 minutes
  • Your First Model API with FastAPIβ€’9 minutes
2 readingsβ€’Total 19 minutes
  • Code Demonstration Transcriptsβ€’4 minutes
  • Core FastAPI Patterns for AI APIsβ€’15 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Designing a Reliable APIβ€’30 minutes
1 ungraded labβ€’Total 60 minutes
  • Build and test Your First FastAPI Endpointβ€’60 minutes

Explore how Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables models to connect directly with tools and systems. You’ll compare MCP with traditional APIs, implement function calling, and practice integrating MCP into FastAPI endpoints. These skills show you how to extend models beyond simple outputs, giving them the ability to take real actionsβ€”a capability increasingly expected in applied AI systems.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment1 ungraded lab

3 videosβ€’Total 25 minutes
  • From APIs to Tool Use: How MCP Fits Inβ€’7 minutes
  • From APIs to Tool Use: MCP in Practiceβ€’10 minutes
  • How to Make Your API MCP-Readyβ€’8 minutes
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • The Essentials of MCP and Tool Patternsβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 30 minutes
  • Picking the Right Integration β€’30 minutes
1 ungraded labβ€’Total 60 minutes
  • Build Your First MCP-Enabled Toolβ€’60 minutes

Learn how to prepare APIs for production by making them scalable and resilient. You’ll use Docker to containerize services, apply asynchronous request handling, and configure load balancing to support real workloads. You’ll also monitor performance and optimize bottlenecks, gaining the practical skills to ensure your model APIs stay reliable when demand grows.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment

3 videosβ€’Total 18 minutes
  • Scaling Your Model API with Dockerβ€’8 minutes
  • Monitoring and Optimizing API Performanceβ€’7 minutes
  • Podcast: From Prototype to Production: Your API Skills in Actionβ€’3 minutes
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Containerize and Run Your First Model APIβ€’10 minutes
  • Core Strategies for Scaling APIsβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 60 minutes
  • End-to-End Scaling & Load Management Checkβ€’60 minutes

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