
IBM
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, Model Evaluation, SQL, Unsupervised Learning, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Transformation, Supervised Learning, Jupyter, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Data Literacy, Plotly, Data Mining, Generative AI, Professional Networking, Data Import/Export
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

IBM
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Storytelling, Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Plotly, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Interactive Data Visualization, Generative AI, Model Evaluation, SQL, Data Transformation, Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization, IBM Cognos Analytics, Excel Formulas, Professional Networking, Data Import/Export, Microsoft Excel, Python Programming
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Model Deployment, PySpark, Azure Synapse Analytics, Feature Engineering, Data Pipelines, Power BI, Apache Spark, Databases, Microsoft Azure, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Lakes, Databricks, NoSQL, Data Visualization Software, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Cloud Management, Data Governance, Performance Tuning, Big Data, Large Language Modeling
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Visualization, Exploratory Data Analysis, Regression Analysis, Feature Engineering, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Sampling (Statistics), Data Ethics, Logistic Regression, Model Evaluation, Data Visualization Software, Descriptive Statistics, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Tableau Software, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Data Science, Machine Learning, Interviewing Skills, Python Programming
Build toward a degree
Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Microsoft
Skills you'll gain: Excel Macros, Prompt Engineering, Microsoft Excel, Data Cleansing, Excel Formulas, Pivot Tables And Charts, Microsoft Copilot, Dashboard, Forecasting, Data Presentation, Data Storytelling, Data Processing, Data Visualization Software, Data Manipulation, Data Visualization, Data Preprocessing, Data Quality, Statistical Analysis, Data Transformation, Data Analysis
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Rmarkdown, Data Literacy, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Data Cleansing, Data Validation, Ggplot2, R (Software), Tableau Software, Sampling (Statistics), Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, LinkedIn, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Data Structures, Interviewing Skills, Applicant Tracking Systems
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Ethics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Analytics, Workflow Management, Business Analytics, Data Science, Project Design, Data Visualization Software, Project Management, Communication, Stakeholder Communications
Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Data Literacy, Data Mining, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Data Analysis, Data Science, Digital Transformation, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Skills you'll gain: SQL, Jupyter, Data Literacy, Data Mining, Data Modeling, Relational Databases, Stored Procedure, Model Deployment, Databases, Data Science, Big Data, Computer Programming Tools, Query Languages, GitHub, Data Preprocessing, Data Cleansing, R (Software), Cloud Computing, Data Analysis, Python Programming
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

University of Pittsburgh
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Analysis, NumPy, Probability Distribution, Matplotlib, Statistics, Pandas (Python Package), Data Science, Probability & Statistics, Probability, Statistical Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Data Analysis, Linear Algebra, Predictive Analytics, Statistical Methods, Mathematics and Mathematical Modeling, Applied Mathematics, Python Programming, Machine Learning, Logical Reasoning
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

Johns Hopkins University
Skills you'll gain: Shiny (R Package), Rmarkdown, Model Evaluation, Regression Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Inference, Predictive Modeling, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Machine Learning Algorithms, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Machine Learning, Data Presentation, Data Visualization, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Modeling, R Programming, Machine Learning, GitHub
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

University of Colorado Boulder
Skills you'll gain: User Story, New Product Development, Real-Time Operating Systems, Model Based Systems Engineering, Model Evaluation, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Failure Analysis, Sustainable Business, Data Mining, Delegation Skills, Object Oriented Design, Sampling (Statistics), Proposal Writing, Supplier Management, Accountability, Data Ethics, Sustainability Reporting, Database Design, Generative AI, Sustainable Design
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Though they sound similar, data science certificates and certifications are actually different from one another.
Data science Professional Certificates are awarded to individuals who have completed a specific course of study. For example, once you complete the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, you’ll be awarded a certificate that you can put on your resume to highlight your training and skills to potential employers.
Data science professional certifications, meanwhile, are awarded to individuals who have passed a specific exam like Microsoft’s Azure Data Scientist Associate certification. Usually, certifications are pursued by individuals with prior work experience and some may even require that test-takers have worked a certain number of years in the field to qualify.
Obtaining a data science Professional Certificate can help you stand out to potential employers by highlighting your training and relevant job skills. As a holder of the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, for example, you’d possess a certificate that shows you’ve completed a 10-course curriculum that covers such foundational concepts as Python, SQL, data analysis, data analytics, and machine learning models.
Coursera offers a variety of data science courses, specializations, and Professional Certificates that each award a certificate upon completion.
The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate offers a beginner-friendly crash course in foundational data science topics like Python, SQL, data visualization, data analysis, and even machine learning. The University of Michigan’s Applied Data Science with Python Specialization, meanwhile, teaches intermediate-level learners how to use Python toolkits to apply statistical, machine learning, information visualization, text analysis, and social network analysis to their datasets. In the University of Colorado’s Data Science Graduate Certificate, finally, you’ll develop skills in data science and gain knowledge of statistical analysis, data mining, and machine learning from one of the nation’s top-ranked Tier 1 research institutions.
None!
Coursera has numerous beginner-friendly data science courses, specializations, and Professional Certificates that don’t require you to have any special knowledge to start them. While math and programming skills could certainly help, programs like the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate and the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate assume that you don’t possess such knowledge before starting them and will introduce you to relevant topics as you work through each module.
Read more: 7 Skills Every Data Scientist Should Have
A data science certificate could prepare you for entry-level data analytics roles like data analyst, marketing analyst, and business intelligence analyst. Depending on your prior work experience, you may also qualify for more advanced positions like data scientist, data architect, and data engineer.
Read more: Data Science Jobs Guide: Resources for a Career in Tech