Top 7 Data Science Courses

Introduction

 

Data science is one of the most popular and in-demand areas of study today and since all big and small companies are adopting data science, it is one of the most sought out career options as well. There is no lack of data in today’s date as it is being produced in massive quantities from everywhere. 

 

At this point, a question may arise in our minds out of genuine curiosity, what is the purpose of data science? Well, all the raw structured and unstructured data collected from the world requires processing that will make it more decipherable, and data science does exactly that, it involves different studies, processes, and tools that extract relevant information from raw data. There are many applications of data science in the field of finance, education, healthcare, public relations, risk management, etc. 

 

Learning data science is a commitment as it is a vast field of study and involves a lot of disciplines and algorithms that one needs to master before trying to analyze and polish data. 

 

A data scientist must have enough knowledge of statistics, mathematics, data engineering, advanced computing, and data visualizations to efficiently go through all the information and find out the insights which are relevant for the company. 

 

Learning data science is a time-consuming activity but there are many courses in the market today (both online and offline) that can help any novice understand and learn the basics of data science. 

 

(Must read: Applications of data science)

 

In this article, we have listed out the top 7 best data science online courses from different educational platforms that can help anyone master the field of data science.

 

Best Data Science Courses

 

Given below are the top seven Data science courses available in the market today:

 

1. Data Science Specialization by JHU (Coursera):

 

This specialization provided by Coursera is one of the most popular and highly rated courses. It is provided by Johns Hopkins University and covers all the concepts and tools required to learn data science. 

 

• Educators: Jeff Leek, Roger D. Peng, and Brian Caffo
• Completion time: 11 months (Recommended pace: 7 hours/week)
• Enrollment fee: Rs. 3636/ month (INR)
• Rating: 4.5/5

 

This specialization has 10 courses under it that cover all the topics under Data Science and the skills that one can gain through it are Github, Machine learning, R Programming, Regression Analysis, Data Science, R studio, Data analysis, Debugging, Data Manipulation, REGEX, Cluster analysis, and Data cleansing. 

 

The best thing about this course is it also covers the basics of statistics, which is generally missing in other data science courses. To start with this course, one should have some basic programming knowledge (not necessarily R) and some understanding of Algebra. This specialization is one of the best courses available online for data science enthusiasts. 

 

 

2. Machine Learning, Data Science, and Deep Learning with Python (Udemy):

 

This is yet another specialization provided by Udemy based on the Python programming language. This covers all the topics of machine learning, data science, Tensorflow, artificial intelligence, and neural networks. One can also learn data visualization techniques with Seaborn and MatPlotLib and can get hands-on practical experience of machine learning with MLLib Apache Spark.

 

• Educators: Frank Kane
• Completion time: 16 hours ( Approx.)
• Enrollment fee: Rs.8,640 (INR)
• Rating: 4.6/5

 

Some of the major topics covered in this course are Neural Networks and Deep Learning with Keras and TensorFlow, Transfer Learning, Image classification and recognition, Sentiment analysis, Regression analysis, Multiple Regression, Random Forests and Decision Trees, Collaborative Filtering, Reinforcement Learning, Support Vector Machines, Hyperparameter Tuning, etc. 

 

One will also learn to classify sentiments, images, and data using deep learning concepts, but one must have prior experience in programming and some basic understanding of mathematics. 
 

 

3. Professional Certificate in Data Science from Harvard (edX):

 

This is an online data science certificate program provided by Harvard University. It is a very reputed program in edX consisting of 9 courses within it, that teaches several data science skills using R programming. It also covers Machine Learning and gives practical knowledge of the subject using real-life examples and case studies. 

 

• Educators: Rafael Irizarry
• Completion time: 1 year 5 months (Recommended 2-3 hours per week)
• Enrollment fee: Rs.57,924 (INR)
• Rating: 4.9/5

 

On completion of this course, one will have a grasp on basic fundamental R programming skills, practical experience of statistical concepts like probability, inference, and modeling, hands-on learning of tidyverse, including data visualization with ggplot2 and data wrangling with dplyr. 

 

One will also learn to use data science tools such as Unix/Linux, git and GitHub, and Rstudio. Apart from that, machine learning algorithms are also implemented and real-life case studies are taught in this course. Upon completion, one will be able to work on any Data science or data analysis project on their own.
 

 

4. Introduction to Data Science (Metis):

 

This course is taught live by a data scientist of a top company. Originally designed by Sergey Fogelson, who is the vice president of analytics and measurement sciences of Viacom, this course covers all the topics under data science. The unique thing about this course is, it is the only live course available. 

 

• Educators: Changes with every session
• Completion time: 6 weeks
• Enrollment fee: $ 750
• Rating: 4.9/5 on SwichUp and 4.8/5 on CourseReport

 

The curriculum of this course includes Statistics, data analysis, and visualization, supervised/Unsupervised learning and model evaluation, feature selection, feature engineering and data pipelines, advanced supervised/unsupervised learning, advanced model evaluation, and data pipelines. As prerequisites, one will require to have a basic idea of Python, algebra, and statistics. 

 

Metis also offers a distinct live online course called Beginner Python and Math for Data Science, which focuses on learning Python, statistics, probability, linear algebra, and calculus for data science.

 

 

5. MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science (edX):

 

This is also another detailed and high-rated specialization provided by edX with five courses in the series covering all the topics of machine learning, data science, and statistics. 

 

This is one of the best courses for learning big data analytics and it helps the students get a good understanding of making data-driven predictions using probabilistic modeling and statistical inference.

 

Educators: Several experts from MITx

Completion time: 1 year 2 months ( recommended: 10-14 hours/week)

Enrollment fee: Rs. 98,635

Rating: N/A

 

This course covers topics from Probabilistic models, data analysis in social science, statistical fundamentals, machine learning with python, big data analysis, deep neural networks, and clustering methodologies. 

 

To start this course, one should be proficient in python programming, mathematical reasoning, and college-level calculus. Students who complete this specialization can apply for jobs such as system analyst, data analyst, and data scientist. They will also gain practical experience with both unsupervised and supervised learning approaches. 

 

 

6. Data Science Professional Certificate by IBM (Coursera):

 

This IBM Data Science Certification Program, which is provided through the Coursera platform, is designed to help students and professionals prepare for careers in data science. With extensive hands-on and practical study, you will learn data science and machine learning topics. This program consists of 10 courses. 

 

• Educators: Many educators from IBM
• Completion time: 11 months ( recommended: 3  hours/week)
• Enrollment fee: Rs. 2894/ month
• Rating: 4.7/5

 

This is a beginner-level course and covers the following data science topics in detail – fundamentals of data science, open-source tools, and libraries, data science methodology, Python programming, working knowledge of databases and SQL, data analysis and visualization with Python, basics of machine learning followed by applied data science capstone project that help the learners to get real-life experience. It uses open-source tools like Jupyter Notebooks, zeppelin, Rstudio, and IBM Watson. Python libraries are also used to generate data visualizations. 
 

 

7. Applied Data Science with Python Specialization by the University of Michigan (Coursera):

 

This intermediate-level Coursera Data Science program was created by four University of Michigan professors. Its goal is to teach learners with a rudimentary understanding of programming how to manipulate and interpret data effectively. It is divided into five courses that provide data science approaches, techniques, and abilities using the Python computer language.

 

• Educators: Christopher Brooks, Kevyn Collins-Thompson, V.G. Vinod Vydiswaran, Daniel Romero
• Completion time: 5 months ( recommended: 7  hours/week)
• Enrollment fee: Rs. 3636/ month
• Rating: 4.5/5

 

One must have basic knowledge of the python programming language. Statistical analysis, machine learning, information visualization, text analysis, and social network analysis are all covered in this program. It explains how to analyze data using popular Python toolkits including pandas, matplotlib, scikit-learn, NLTK, and network. 

 

Introduction to Data Science with Python, Applied Plotting, Charting & Data Representation with Python, Applied Machine Learning with Python, Applied Text Mining with Python, and Applied Social Network Analysis with Python are the five courses. To get the specialized certificate, students must finish all five courses.

 

Conclusion

 

Data Science is a very promising career for people from technical backgrounds. It is also one of the most demanding job options in today’s date as it is a very complex and difficult subject to study and master. 

 

The specializations and courses mentioned in this article are a few of the best online classes available in the market provided by reputed universities and taught by experts with vast experience. 

 

If someone wants to study data science, they can consider taking one of these courses for easy access to all materials, detailed theoretical knowledge, and hands-on practical experience.