Education
We prepare people across disciplines to design, operate, regulate, study, and govern digital infrastructure.
The GDI Certificate at UC Berkeley
The first university program to introduce students to the technical, economic, legal, environmental, and social dimensions of the global internet’s infrastructure, including data centers and subsea telecommunications cables.
Launched in 2025 by the Berkeley Center for New Media, the certificate was created in partnership with Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) and the SubOptic Foundation, and brings together students from more than 70 academic disciplines.
At a glance
- Three core courses, plus specialized electives
- Online and asynchronous, so you can join from anywhere
- Each course runs six weeks, about 60 hours of work
- Project-based, with guest lecturers from industry
- No prerequisites, and open to every field
- Offered each summer, May to August
Core courses
Digital Infrastructure 101: The Hidden Foundations of the Internet
The “what” course. What is digital infrastructure, and how do its parts connect? Data centers, subsea and terrestrial cables, interconnection, last-mile networks, and how cloud and AI are changing them.
How to Build a Global Internet
The “how” course. How is digital infrastructure financed, designed, sited, and built? Business models, site selection, cooling, energy, stakeholder engagement, permitting, and network route design.
TechWars: Security, Geopolitics, and Resilience
The “where” course. What shapes infrastructure in different parts of the world? Outages, security, subsea cable protection, data sovereignty, regulation, and grid connection.
Electives
Architectures of the Cloud
Data center architecture, drawing on civil engineering, architecture, design, and operations.
Digital Infrastructure for Space
New infrastructure in space and the emerging role of satellite ecosystems.
Speculative Infrastructures
Creative practices for imagining networks, using image-based AI to envision the future of infrastructure.
From Code to Carbon
Sustainability, ESG metrics, and leadership for a sustainable transition.
Keeping the Internet Alive
Operations and maintenance across a data center’s lifecycle, from commissioning to decommissioning.
The Human Network
Stakeholder mapping and community engagement for new infrastructure.
Created with industry partners
The certificate was developed with organizations that share the field’s workforce needs.
Add the logos currently on the home page: iMasons, SubOptic Foundation, DCD, TeleGeography, National Data Centre Academy.Beyond the certificate
Fellowships and early careers
Fellowship cohorts connect students and early-career professionals to employers, mentors, and a global alumni network.
Policymaker education
Short intensives for public-sector leaders, grounded in the Institute’s research.
Community and technical college pathways
Curriculum and exchanges that open careers in the sector beyond four-year degrees.
From classroom to career
Industry Affiliates help identify skills needs, guest lecture, and offer internships and jobs, so graduates have a visible route into the sector.