This course provides an introduction to programming and the Python language. Students are introduced to core programming concepts like data structures, conditionals, loops, variables, and functions. This course includes an overview of the various tools available for writing and running Python, and gets students coding quickly. It also provides hands-on coding exercises using commonly used data structures, writing custom functions, and reading and writing to files. This course may be more robust than some other introductory python courses, as it delves deeper into certain essential programming topics.
Introduction to Python Programming
This course is part of Introduction to Programming with Python and Java Specialization
Instructor: Brandon Krakowsky
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What you'll learn
Identify core aspects of programming and features of the Python language
Understand and apply core programming concepts like data structures, conditionals, loops, variables, and functions
Use different tools for writing and running Python code
Design and write fully-functional Python programs using commonly used data structures, custom functions, and reading and writing to files
Skills you'll gain
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There are 4 modules in this course
This first module covers an intro to programming and the Python language. We’ll start by downloading and installing the necessary tools to begin programming and writing code in Python. After learning how to print to the console, we’ll get an understanding of Python’s basic data types, and how to do simple math. We’ll follow up by creating our first Python script, and learn how to define and assign variables, while controlling the flow of our program using conditionals. We’ll also learn how to get input from the user, including some very basic error checking. Let’s get started!
What's included
42 videos11 readings4 assignments2 programming assignments
We’ll start this module with a brief intro to lists, one of Python’s most commonly used data structures. We’ll learn just enough to get us started with loops, which are used to repeat a process or run a block of code multiple times. We’ll get into functions, which are blocks of organized code used to perform a single, related action. We’ll review some of Python’s built-in functions and learn how to design our own user-defined functions to use as building blocks in our own programs. Along the way, we’ll learn best practices for documenting our code for 2 different audiences: The users who are using our code and want to understand it at a high level, and the programmers who are reading it and want to know how it works.
What's included
31 videos2 readings3 assignments1 programming assignment
In this module, we’re going to start using PyCharm, another IDE for writing and running Python code. It has enhanced features that go way beyond the limited functionality of IDLE, and it’s also an industry standard. After revisiting lists, including more advanced usage of the commonly used sequence, we’ll take a deep dive into two other very important data structures : sets and tuples. We’ll learn how they can be leveraged to both store and manipulate information. And while we already have some experience working with strings, this module will explore the intricacies and more powerful functionality of strings.
What's included
16 videos3 readings3 assignments1 programming assignment
There are multiple ways of loading and storing data in Python. Information can be saved in dictionaries, a data structure that is extremely useful for storing multiple attributes (or data points) about a single thing. Data can also be stored in external files and then loaded into Python. This module will allow us to work with dictionaries in a variety of ways and to interact with the local file system by opening, reading from, and writing to, external files. With these added skills, you’ll begin to get a better sense of the dynamic power of Python and how it can be easily integrated with other systems.
What's included
17 videos3 readings3 assignments1 programming assignment
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University of Pennsylvania
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University of Leeds
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Frequently asked questions
No, definitely not! This Specialization is intended for anyone who has an interest in problem solving and wants to learn introductory Python or Java. No prior computer science or programming experience is required.
The only math that learners will need for this Specialization is arithmetic and basic concepts in logic.
This course is the first in the Introduction to Programming with Python and Java Specialization. If you enjoyed it, we recommend Courses 2, 3 and 4 in the series!
If you would like to learn the fundamentals of computer science beyond the basics of programming, consider applying to the Master of Computer and Information and Technology (MCIT) at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League computer science master’s program for people without a computer science background. For an on-campus experience, explore here. If you prefer an online setting, apply to MCIT Online. In fact, the lectures in this series are also used in the online degree program! The Specialization certificate will be viewed favorably by the admissions committee, so be sure to mention it when you apply.