Data science is an important field that strongly impacts people’s real lives in modern times. So, the need for data science experts is increasingly focused.
With that mind, you can wonder: ‘how to become a professional data scientist?
Updating knowledge through the top ten courses below may be the most helpful solution for you.
Whether paid or free, they provide a wealth of insight into your data skills.
Here are the top ten online data science courses for improving your skills to handle work effectively. This list includes both the most popular free and paid online certificate programs. Let’s see what makes them so special!
1. Introduction Data Science
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: Free
- Provider: Coursera, IBM
Course’s Highlights
Learning and approaching data science is a big challenge for beginners like me. It requires many different skills, mindsets, and persistence at the same time.
I discovered and tested the Introduction Data Science Specializations program from IBM with faith and personal capacity.
It has the most comprehensive overall in my collection, including basic curricula for easy familiarization and mindset development for newcomers.
After more than one month, I have collected and accumulated much helpful knowledge. Although it has not been applied much to my current work, it is a vital part to help support my future development path.
The course has a specific and reasonable schedule that helps students quickly adjust and balance their work.
Unfortunately, it is not helpful to experienced scientists. This course does not include advanced knowledge or real-world projects. It’s simply a perfect first step to making it easy for a new audience to join.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/introduction-data-science
Pros
- Free
- Time to study spirituality
- The most complete overall
- Achieve your desired goal after taking this course
- Develop your projects and build your portfolio
Cons
- Not suitable for experienced people
2. IBM Data Science Professional Certificates
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Duration: Self-paced
- Provider: Coursera, IBM
Course’s Highlights
Introduction Data Science is a course developed and implemented by IBM for students and data science enthusiasts.
It has a diverse number of study programs, including nine separate study programs to provide up-to-date knowledge for learners.
I get tools, open source libraries, SQL, data analytics, Python, databases, predictive modeling, statistical analysis, and computer algorithms.
After testing this program, I feel it is highly worth the investment. The effect brought by the course meets my practical work very well.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/ibm-data-science
Pros
- User-friendly
- Easy access
- Good value for money
- Many special study programs
- Respond well to all student requirements
Cons
- Does not support learner resumes
3. Nanodegree Program Become a Data Scientist
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Duration: 4 months
- Price: $399 access per month
- Provider: Udacity
Course’s Highlights
There are no shortcuts to mastering data science in a short amount of time, but there are some special tricks to help you speed up your learning process.
And what I’m talking about is the Nanodegree Program Become a Data. Its lecture design differs in each topic, with clear separation and high logic.
Accompanying documents are carefully arranged and detailed according to the course schedule to help students easily absorb knowledge. This study program lasts only 4 months, which is much shorter than other courses.
I appreciate the results of this course. Each lecture and document is close to reality relative to current life.
Accordingly, it helps me to understand deeply and apply it more effectively.
Judging further, it hasn’t gone into any depth yet. Therefore, if you want a more advanced professional course, you can consider choosing another model.
Enroll Here: https://www.udacity.com/course/data-scientist-nanodegree–nd025
Pros
- High efficiency
- Real-life learning program
- Many practical projects
- For both beginners and experienced
- Combining machine learning strategies and initiatives
Cons
- Haven’t gone into every little detail yet
4. Fundamental Math for Data Science
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: Free
- Provider: Many different works
Course’s Highlights
Mathematics is a particular category directly related to systems development in data science. So, to master data science, it is more necessary to equip in-depth math knowledge.
And Fundamental Math for Data Science is the best choice for you. Throughout this curriculum are eight specialist math, probability, and statistics lectures.
In addition to helping support the work, it also supports thinking training and high perseverance to endure all difficulties when becoming a talented data scientist. It is a significant course to consolidate advanced math knowledge and develop data science systems.
With each lecture, the authors incorporate practical examples. It makes it easier for students to visualize and better apply what they learn.
Enroll Here: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/paths/fundamental-math-for-data-science
Pros
- Easy access and learning
- In-depth and practical lectures
- Many interesting examples
- Include 8 highly specialized lectures
- The best data science math program
Cons
- Lack of flexibility for study time.
5. Data Science Specialization
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: Free
- Provider: Coursera, Johns Hopkins University
Course’s Highlights
Streamlining study time and personal work is always challenging for a data professional like me. Until I found ‘Johns Hopkins University’, everything worked out fine. This curriculum comprises various lectures, separated by engaging content, and explicitly scheduled according to your work plan.
You can completely change and adjust it to suit your work. As a longtime computer engineer, it is a luxury for me to take a complete data science course.
But my professional perceptions have improved significantly when participating in the program. I attended most of the lessons and applied what I learned to complete my work well.
This course is specifically for beginners. It is full of lectures to provide the basics of data science.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/jhu-data-science
Pros
- Flexible study time
- Lots of interesting content
- Mixed with practical examples
- Especially for beginners
Cons
- Less interaction with instructors
6. Data Science and Machine Learning
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Duration: Includes 84 lessons (10 hours 38 minutes)
- Price: Free
- Provider: Skillshare, Frank Kane
Course’s Highlights
If you already have some programming or coding experience, this course will teach you advanced techniques to become a talented data scientist.
This comprehensive course comprises 68 lectures lasting nearly 11 hours with topics around Python code practice.
With more than 5 years of experience, I appreciate the effectiveness of this course. It is full of different learning topics with the right plan and arrangement to help learners absorb in-depth knowledge quickly.
After graduating from this challenging course, I improved my coding speed. I even received an invitation to collaborate on a big data project from my instructor at his company, which was indeed an opportunity worth trying.
Enroll Here: https://www.skillshare.com/en/classes/Data-Science-and-Machine-Learning-with-Python-Hands-On/1263657127
Pros
- Best for those with experience
- Includes 68 different lectures
- Impressive lesson design
- Quickly improve professional skills
Cons
- Requires intense concentration
7. Data Science The Big Picture
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: $19 per month
- Provider: Pluralsight, Matthew Renze
Course’s Highlights
The more intensive the course, the higher the tuition fee will be. Understanding this, I scoured for days and tried various paid online data analysis programs.
And the ‘Data Science The Big Picture’ is the most impressive one. It’s the premier learning program for professionals at an affordable price.
My preconceptions about the cheap course disappeared after directly participating in this program. It includes advanced skill-oriented lectures for students to help them increase their monthly income.
Each lesson is designed as a video with total parallel attachments to support active learners. Accordingly, you can easily rewind and rewind many times for convenience in tracking and absorbing knowledge.
Enroll Here: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/data-science-big-picture
Pros
- Low price
- High efficiency
- For the experienced
- Full documentation included
- Design lessons in the form of videos
Cons
- Some knowledge is a bit confusing
8. Python for Data Science
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: Free
- Provider: Dataquest
Course’s Highlights
This course will continue your Python for data science journey. Specific programs help to clean and analyze text data efficiently.
Plus, it makes it straightforward for you to distinguish between Python concepts and object-oriented programming clearly. And finally, you’ll have the skills you need to do your dream job well.
In my personal opinion, this program is the most impressive and the most student-friendly.
It allows us to open an era of strange and familiar knowledge to arouse learners’ inner excitement. From there, acquiring knowledge will also be much easier.
This course is especially suitable for intermediate data analysts and above. In other words, beginners may find it difficult and time-consuming given its number of advanced lectures.
Enroll Here: https://www.dataquest.io/course/python-for-data-science-intermediate/
Pros
- Student-friendly
- High efficiency
- Designed for the experienced
- Many advanced skills needed
- The curriculum helps to create excitement
Cons
- Challenging to reach beginners
9. Fundamentals of Statistics for Data Science Training
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Duration: 2 days
- Price: $1,950
- Provider: Learning Tree
Course’s Highlights
Fundamentals of Statistics for Data Science Training includes many lectures and complete materials to make it easier for each student to absorb.
The course will cover some of the basics of statistics for data science training, which is the best way to start your new journey to your passion.
Being a person with a weak capacity in statistics, I chose this program to improve my knowledge and skills for my current and future work.
The effectiveness of the course surprised me. With the effort of completing the full attachment, I can master the concepts and put them to work with ease.
Yet, the high price can be a significant barrier for high school students as not everyone can afford to pay that much for an online course.
Enroll Here: https://www.learningtree.com/courses/introduction-to-statistics
Pros
- High efficiency
- Many references
- Attach real projects
- Best to start with data analysis
- Provide complete knowledge of statistics and data science
Cons
- Expensive
10. Introduction to Data and Data Science
Specifications:
- Difficulty: Beginners
- Duration: 22 high-quality videos (2 hours)
- Price: Free
- Provider: 365 Data Science, Martin Ginchev and Iliya Valchanov
Course’s Highlights
Are you worried about accessing an introductory data science course? Do not be too afraid because the appearance of Introduction to Data and Data Science will surprise you.
The authors have created the course with a completely new lecture system, logically arranged according to the previously planned plan. From there, it helps to access and understand more profoundly and achieve higher results.
This course includes 22 high-quality videos that fully explain the terminology related to the field of data science. They are accommodating for beginners.
For a more experienced one, it is also possible to refer to the information from the course on some advanced terminology.
The course will provide practical tasks to reinforce what you’ve learned during your studies. Accordingly, it helps you visualize what you know and effectively use it in practice.
Enroll Here: https://365datascience.com/courses/intro-to-data-and-data-science/
Pros
- Easy access
- Course value
- Includes 22 high-quality videos
- There are helpful practice programs
- Detailed and in-depth lectures
Cons
- Need to plan on a specific time in advance
Learning Guide
For data science courses, we must consider whether their value and effectiveness suit us. After the end of the new study program, you will only get commensurate results. I recommend some key things below for you to pick the one you like, including difficulty, format, cost, and course materials.
Difficulty
First, consider the level of the course. If you are a beginner, prioritize choosing a system that covers the basics and builds on additional advanced concepts.
Meanwhile, highly specialized programs with more advanced topics will be suitable for those who already have experience in data science.
Format
The course format is the most crucial factor when deciding on any course.
A highly flexible and self-paced course allows you to work efficiently through the material on a personalized schedule.
In short, based on your specific duration and work schedule, you can find the desired course.
Cost
Carefully consider the cost of the course. Data science training programs can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Based on personal income, we easily successfully choose a suitable and practical course.
Course Materials
For me, a course with many useful materials is a great choice to help me be more active in learning and acquiring knowledge.
If you like hands-on lessons, the course includes many real-life projects that are a comprehensive solution to develop your talents further.
FAQs
Can I master data science in 3 months?
I think 3 months is tough for us to master data science. Some specific programs require a longer time to fully disseminate concepts and skills to participants.
If you want to master data science, taking the introductory courses takes at least 6 months.
Which field is best for data science?
The best fields for data science include:
- Computer Scientist
- Computer engineer
- Data Architect
- Enterprise Architect
- Business analyst.
Does Google hire data scientists?
In Google’s operating system, data scientists are to work at several different job ladders. You will likely work in the standard software engineer position with a solid technical background.
Which skills are required for a data scientist?
The technical skills required to become a data scientist include the following:
- Math
- Program
- Data processing
- Statistical analysis
Is data science a stressful job?
It is a highly complex job. To become a professional data scientist, you must first be a person of high persistence.
The ability to analyze data and think systems are also essential factors required to quickly bring you to the top of this challenging task.
Conclusion
Data science is a vast field to study and pursue. If you are interested in it and want to develop more in the future, our list above are the perfect recommendations for your requirements.
Finally, Specializations Introduction Data Science is the perfect suggestion for saving costs and getting the most beneficial knowledge.
If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below. Thank you for following this post!