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⇱ Git Essentials for Beginners | Coursera


Git Essentials for Beginners

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

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

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

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Identify the core components of Git and explain its purpose in version control.

  • Describe the differences between branching, merging, and stashing in Git workflows.

  • Install Git on various operating systems and set up repositories for project tracking.

  • Resolve merge conflicts and optimize commit history using Git’s advanced features.

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Assessments

9 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Mastering GitHub for Developers and DevOps Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • 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

There are 21 modules in this course

This course features Coursera Coach — your interactive learning companion that helps you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress.

Build a strong foundation in Git, the version control system used by developers and teams around the world. Designed for beginners, this hands-on course guides you step by step from core concepts to practical workflows, giving you the confidence to manage projects, track changes, and collaborate effectively. You’ll begin by installing Git on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu, learning how Git works under the hood and why version control is essential in modern software development. Through practical exercises, you’ll master fundamental operations such as adding and editing files, staging and committing changes, and navigating repository history with ease. As you progress, you’ll explore Git’s powerful features, including branching, merging, rebasing, and stashing. You’ll practice working with remote repositories, resolving conflicts, and organizing your project history in a clean, professional way. Each module blends explanation with hands-on tasks so you not only understand Git conceptually, but learn how to apply it to real personal and professional projects. By the end of this course, you will have: - Installed and configured Git across major operating systems. - Managed files, commits, and repository history with confidence. - Worked with branches, merges, rebases, and stash operations. - Resolved conflicts and handled changes safely and efficiently. - Collaborated with remote repositories and contributed to shared projects. - Gained the practical skills to use Git in professional development workflows. This course is ideal for beginners, aspiring developers, and anyone new to version control. No prior Git experience is required — just a desire to learn how to manage and organize your code like a professional.

In this module, we will introduce the foundational concepts of Git and its importance in version control. You’ll get a clear roadmap of the topics covered in the course, ensuring you understand the tools and skills that will be developed throughout.

What's included

1 video1 reading

1 videoTotal 2 minutes
  • Course Overview2 minutes
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • Introduction to the Course 'Git Essentials for Beginners'10 minutes

In this module, we will delve into the basics of version control systems, exploring what they are and why they are essential for modern software development. You’ll learn about different types of VCS, the origins of Git, and why it stands out as the go-to solution for version control in the tech landscape.

What's included

6 videos

6 videosTotal 15 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • What is a Version Control System3 minutes
  • VCS Types5 minutes
  • Little History1 minute
  • What is Git? Why Git?3 minutes
  • Git Landscape3 minutes

In this module, we will guide you through the process of installing Git across different platforms and configuring it for your development environment. You’ll explore core Git concepts such as initializing repositories, making your first commit, and cloning repositories, laying a strong foundation for practical version control.

What's included

11 videos1 assignment

11 videosTotal 40 minutes
  • Overview2 minutes
  • Git Installation - Ubuntu 20.041 minute
  • Git Installation - MAC1 minute
  • Git Installation - Windows 103 minutes
  • Git Completion4 minutes
  • Git Configuration5 minutes
  • Git Help2 minutes
  • Initializing a Git Repository and ".git" Folder3 minutes
  • My First Commit8 minutes
  • Git Clone4 minutes
  • A Note on Commit Messages6 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 115 minutes

In this module, we will dive deep into Git’s architecture, covering its three essential stages—working directory, staging area, and repository. You’ll learn about crucial concepts like the HEAD pointer, hash values, and how to manage files within Git. Additionally, we’ll explore key commands such as Git diff and efficient ways to add and commit changes.

What's included

11 videos

11 videosTotal 66 minutes
  • Module Overview2 minutes
  • Git Architecture (three Stages) and Workflow9 minutes
  • Hash values (SHA-1)7 minutes
  • The HEAD Pointer10 minutes
  • Add and Edit Files7 minutes
  • Move, Rename and Delete Files3 minutes
  • View Changes6 minutes
  • Single Step to Add and Commit2 minutes
  • "add" Dry-Run2 minutes
  • Git Diff - Part 17 minutes
  • Git Diff - Part 211 minutes

In this module, we will focus on handling changes in Git, covering how to undo file modifications, amend commits, and roll back commits if needed. You’ll also learn to clean up your working directory by removing untracked files, ensuring a clean and organized project history.

What's included

5 videos

5 videosTotal 28 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • Rollback File Changes4 minutes
  • Amend Commits9 minutes
  • Rollback a Commit11 minutes
  • Remove Untracked Files3 minutes

In this module, we will explore how to control which files Git tracks by using the .gitignore file. You’ll learn to prevent unnecessary files from cluttering your repository, how to handle empty directories, and the nuances of ignoring files that are already tracked in Git.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment

4 videosTotal 20 minutes
  • Module Overview2 minutes
  • Ignoring Files11 minutes
  • Track Empty Directories3 minutes
  • Ignore Tracked Files5 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 215 minutes

In this module, we will explore the power of Git branches, which allow for parallel development and feature isolation. You’ll learn how to create and manage branches, switch between them, and merge changes back into the main codebase. Additionally, we will introduce a Git prompt script to streamline branch-related operations.

What's included

7 videos

7 videosTotal 38 minutes
  • Module Overview2 minutes
  • Understanding Branches4 minutes
  • Create Branches and Switch10 minutes
  • Rename Branches3 minutes
  • Delete Branches5 minutes
  • Merging Branches10 minutes
  • Git Prompt Script4 minutes

In this module, we will focus on the concept of tagging in Git, a useful feature for marking important points in your project history. You’ll learn how to create and manage tags, explore the structure of the tags folder in .git, and understand how to re-tag or replace old tags. We’ll also cover how to checkout tags and navigate the detached HEAD state.

What's included

6 videos

6 videosTotal 26 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • What are Tags? (and Types)3 minutes
  • Create, List and Delete Tags10 minutes
  • Tags folder in ".git"5 minutes
  • Retagging/Replacing Old Tags2 minutes
  • Checkout Tags and Detached HEAD6 minutes

In this module, we will explore how to create and use Git aliases, a powerful feature that allows you to shorten long or repetitive commands. You’ll learn how to configure aliases for common operations and review a sample list to optimize your Git workflow. This will help you work faster and more efficiently with Git commands.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment

3 videosTotal 9 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • Git Aliases6 minutes
  • Git Alias Sample List2 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 315 minutes

In this module, we will cover the process of working with remote repositories, including cloning them and reviewing the cloned content. Additionally, you’ll dive into commit log filtering, learning how to efficiently search and filter through the log history in order to track changes, authors, or specific commits in your projects.

What's included

6 videos

6 videosTotal 18 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • Clone a Remote Repository2 minutes
  • Review the Cloned Repo3 minutes
  • Commit Log Filtering - Part 16 minutes
  • Commit Log Filtering - Part 23 minutes
  • Commit Log Filtering - Part 33 minutes

In this final module, we will review the essential concepts and skills covered in the course, from Git basics to advanced features like branching, tagging, and remote repository management. You’ll also receive recommendations on what to explore next to continue your Git journey and deepen your version control expertise.

What's included

1 video

1 videoTotal 1 minute
  • Congratulations and What's Next?1 minute

In this module, we will provide an overview of advanced Git operations, focusing on merging, branching strategies, stashing changes, and the rebase command. These techniques will help you manage complex workflows, maintain cleaner commit histories, and improve collaboration in version-controlled projects.

What's included

1 video1 assignment

1 videoTotal 2 minutes
  • Course Overview2 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 415 minutes

In this module, we will explore the various types of merges in Git, including fast-forward and 3-way merges and provide demos to help visualize the processes. You’ll learn how to handle merge conflicts when they arise, using both simple scenarios and real-world demos to ensure you can resolve conflicts confidently and efficiently in your projects.

What's included

6 videos

6 videosTotal 35 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • Merging Types7 minutes
  • Fast Forward Demo9 minutes
  • 3-Way Merge Demo9 minutes
  • Simple Merge Conflicts2 minutes
  • Merge Conflicts Demo7 minutes

In this module, we will focus on the challenges that arise when working with multiple branches, particularly branching conflicts. You’ll learn about proven branching strategies that help avoid conflicts and maintain a smooth development workflow, ensuring seamless collaboration within teams.

What's included

2 videos

2 videosTotal 7 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • Branching Strategies6 minutes

In this module, we will explore the concept of stashing, which allows you to temporarily save uncommitted changes without losing your current work context. Through detailed demos, you’ll learn different stashing techniques and how to apply them in real-world development scenarios. Additionally, we’ll cover how to create a branch directly from a stash to preserve work while shifting focus.

What's included

7 videos1 assignment

7 videosTotal 44 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • What is Stashing?4 minutes
  • Stash Demo 110 minutes
  • Stash Demo 28 minutes
  • Stashing Techniques - Part 17 minutes
  • Stashing Techniques - Part 25 minutes
  • Creating a Branch from a Stash8 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 515 minutes

In this module, we will dive into the concept of rebasing, a powerful Git feature used to streamline commit history and maintain a clean project timeline. You’ll learn when and why to use rebasing, and how it differs from merging, and follow along with a demo to practice performing a rebase in real-world scenarios.

What's included

3 videos

3 videosTotal 19 minutes
  • Module Overview1 minute
  • What is Rebasing?8 minutes
  • Rebase Demo11 minutes

In this module, we will introduce advanced Git features such as searching through commit history, rewriting past commits, and using the reset command. These skills will empower you to maintain an organized and efficient project history while managing changes and correcting errors with confidence.

What's included

1 video

1 videoTotal 1 minute
  • Course Overview1 minute

In this module, we will focus on Git's powerful searching capabilities, particularly using the git grep command. You’ll learn how to search for specific content within your project and apply advanced filtering to streamline your search process, making it easier to navigate large or complex code repositories.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment

3 videosTotal 19 minutes
  • Overview1 minute
  • Git Grep - Part 18 minutes
  • Git Grep - Part 211 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 615 minutes

In this module, we will explore how to rewrite Git history to improve the clarity and organization of your project. You’ll learn how to update the last commit and use the rebase command to squash multiple commits, drop unnecessary ones, and reorder commits to create a cleaner project history. These skills are essential for maintaining a professional and coherent commit timeline.

What's included

7 videos

7 videosTotal 38 minutes
  • Overview1 minute
  • What is "Rewriting History"?5 minutes
  • Update the Last commit6 minutes
  • Rebase - Part 19 minutes
  • Rebase - Part 2 (Squash)8 minutes
  • Rebase - Part 3 (Drop Commit)4 minutes
  • Rebase - Part 4 (Reorder Commits)6 minutes

In this module, we will break down the Git reset command, focusing on its three types: soft, mixed, and hard. You’ll learn when and how to use each type of reset to manage changes in your repository, allowing you to adjust your work while maintaining control over your project history and files.

What's included

2 videos1 assignment

2 videosTotal 14 minutes
  • Overview1 minute
  • Reset - Soft, Mixed, and Hard13 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes
  • Assessment 715 minutes

In this final module, we will summarize the key lessons from this course, including advanced techniques like search, history rewriting, and resetting. You’ll receive guidance on how to continue developing your Git expertise, preparing you to handle complex version control challenges with confidence.

What's included

1 video1 reading2 assignments

1 videoTotal 1 minute
  • Congrats1 minute
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • Conclusion to the Course 'Git Essentials for Beginners'10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 75 minutes
  • Full course assessment60 minutes
  • Full Course Practice Assessment15 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can preview the first video and view the syllabus before you enroll. You must purchase the course to access content not included in the preview.

If you decide to enroll in the course before the session start date, you will have access to all of the lecture videos and readings for the course. You’ll be able to submit assignments once the session starts.

Once you enroll and your session begins, you will have access to all videos and other resources, including reading items and the course discussion forum. You’ll be able to view and submit practice assessments, and complete required graded assignments to earn a grade and a Course Certificate.

If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Course Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Course Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

This course is currently available only to learners who have paid or received financial aid, when available.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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