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Data analytics is a powerful skill to learn. Taking a data analytics course can offer numerous benefits, whether you’re just starting out in the field or looking to enhance your career.
Overall, data analytics courses can provide you with valuable skills, open up numerous career opportunities, and give you the tools you need to navigate the data-driven world effectively.
Data analytics helps you uncover valuable insights so you can make better business decisions.
If you’re a business leader looking to boost operations or a marketer aiming to understand consumer behavior, mastering data analytics is essential.
Key Takeaways
- Data analytics courses can provide numerous benefits for beginners and seasoned professionals.
- Investing in online data analytics courses helps you boost your skills as well as enhances your career prospects.
- The best courses for data analytics depend on your current skill level, learning style, and specific areas of interest.
- To become a certified data analyst, you must acquire the necessary skills through education or practical experience and then pursue certification.
Why Do You Need A Data Analytics Course?
In today’s competitive job market, data analytics skills can make all the difference. Employers are looking for employees who can turn data into actionable intelligence, encouraging innovation and growth.
That’s why investing in online data analytics courses not only helps you boost your skills but also enhances your career prospects. By improving your analytics skills, you’re better able to evaluate information, spot biases, and make decisions.
Simply put, whether you’re new to data analysis or a seasoned data analyst professional, taking data analytics courses online is a great step toward realizing your career goals.
Top 4 Data Analytics Courses
Here are four of the best data analytics courses to help you begin a career in the field or improve your skills:
| Course | Provider | Duration | Cost | Prerequisites | Key Features |
| Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate | Coursera (Google) | ~6 months (10 hrs/week) | $49 per month | None | Foundational skills, hands-on projects, case study, Google career certificate |
| Data Analytics Short Course | CareerFoundry | Five 15-minute lessons | Free | None | Introductory, real dataset analysis, 5 convenient lessons |
| Cornell Data Analytics Certificate Program | Cornell University | 9 weeks (3-5 hrs/week) | $3,900 | Business background preferred | Scientific/statistical methods, three courses, certificate from Cornell |
| IBM Introduction to Data Analytics | Coursera (IBM) | ~10 hours | $49 per month | Basic computer literacy, high school math | Fundamentals, five modules, hands-on project, introduction to roles of data analyst, scientist, and engineer |
Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Offered through Coursera, the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is a Google data analytics certification program that aims to provide you with the foundational skills needed for an entry-level position in data analysis.
This Google analytics certification program covers various aspects of data analysis, including data cleaning, analysis, visualization, and interpretation, using such tools as spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, and R.
In addition to receiving training from experts and participating in hands-on projects, you’ll complete a case study to demonstrate your new skills to potential employers.
This data analyst course consists of a series of modules that provide hands-on experience and practical knowledge in data analytics.
When you complete the program, you’ll receive a certificate from Google that can be valuable if you’re trying to find out how to become a data analyst or start a career in a related field.
This eight-course program is suitable for beginners.
- Duration: Approximately six months (10 hours per week)
- Prerequisites: No degree or prior experience is required
- Cost: $49 per month
Data Analytics Short Course
The Data Analytics Short Course from CareerFoundry is one of several free data analytics courses that offer an introduction to data analytics.
This course covers everything from the various types of data analytics roles to a summary of the skills and tools you’ll have to develop if you want to pursue a career in this field.
During this course, you’ll analyze a real dataset to solve a business problem, beginning with data cleaning, then finishing up with visualizations and final insights.
When you sign up, you’ll get access to five lessons, each about 15 minutes long. You can complete them at your convenience.
This is an effective way to determine whether you really want to pursue a career in data analytics before you commit to any paid courses or training programs.
- Duration: Five 15-minute lessons.
- Prerequisites: Since this course is aimed at beginners, you don’t need a background in data or technology.
- Cost: Free
Cornell Data Analytics Certificate Program
The Cornell Data Analytics Certificate Program is geared to individuals already working in business who want to add some data training to their skill sets. After completing the course, students will receive a certification from Cornell University.
In this course, you’ll learn scientific and statistical methods for data analysis via video instruction as well as hands-on exercises to prepare you to make sound, evidence-based business decisions.
This online data analytics program is split into three separate courses of three weeks each:
- Understanding and visualizing data
- Implementing scientific decision-making
- Using predictive analysis
This course is perfect for analysts, executives, functional managers, consultants, and any professional who uses data to make business decisions.
- Duration: Nine weeks with three to five hours of study per week.
- Prerequisites: Business background preferred
- Cost: $3,900 (you have the option to make three monthly payments of $1,350).
IBM Introduction to Data Analytics
The IBM Introduction to Data Analytics, a beginner-level course offered through Coursera, provides an introduction to data analysis, the role of a data analyst, and the tools used in this job. This course will teach you what data analytics is and the key steps in the data analysis process.
You’ll also learn the different types of data structures, file formats, and sources of data. In addition, this course will teach you about the skills and responsibilities of a data analyst and offer tips and advice on how to begin a career in the field.
This course also helps you understand the differences between the roles of data scientists, data engineers, and data analysts.
There are five modules in this course:
- What is data analytics?
- The data ecosystem
- Gathering and wrangling data
- Mining and visualizing data and communicating results
- Career opportunities and data analysis in action
After you complete this course, you will understand the fundamentals of the data analysis process, including gathering, cleaning, analyzing, and sharing data. You will also be able to communicate your insights using visualizations and dashboard tools.
Additionally, you’ll complete a final project that will determine if you understand the course material and offer a real-life scenario of data analysis tasks.
- Duration: The course takes approximately 10 hours to complete, and you can learn at your own pace.
- Prerequisites: Basic computer literacy, high school level math, and access to a modern web browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. No prior data analysis, spreadsheet, or computer science experience is required.
- Cost: $49 per month
The Bottom Line: Which Data Analytics Course to Сhoose?
Each course has its own strengths, such as hands-on projects, peer interaction, or focus on specific tools or industries.
Depending on your learning style, career goals, and the specific tools or areas you’re interested in, you might find one of these courses particularly well-suited to your needs.
Always consider the course content, the reputation of the instructors or institution, and reviews from past students before making a decision.
FAQs
What are the best courses for data analytics?
Is a data analytics certificate worth it?
Is a data analytics degree hard to obtain?
How do you become a certified data analyst?
References
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate (Coursera)
- Become A Data Analyst (CareerFoundry)
- Data Analytics Cornell Certificate Program (eCornell)
- Introduction to Data Analytics (Coursera)
