What is functional programming?

Functional programming is a coding language in which everything is in a mathematical function style. It is used on various applications and can be implemented on your daily programming tasks. Functional programming is becoming widespread in the industry and is crucial to learn because it is adaptable to the new data world.

Why is it important to learn about functional programming?

It's important to learn about functional programming because you will have knowledge that will let you have a boost in your career. Functional programming enables you to write programs with higher-order functions, design immutable data structures, and minimize side effects. Another reason to learn functional programming is because it is adaptive to the data world and is a key tool to have with new innovations and when working with big data.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before learning functional programming?

To learn functional programming, you should already have some programming experience and experience in other programming languages like Javascript. You should also have some understanding of using the command line and have programs ready to use in order to apply this skill. Having experience in programming will allow you to have an easier understanding of functional programming and be able to use your prior knowledge in this new programming language.

How can online courses help me learn functional programming?

Online courses can help you learn functional programming by offering practical experience with Guided Projects and assignments. It gives you detailed lectures, readings, and assignments to help you gain an understanding of topics like the fundamentals of functional programming, Scala, Python, and graphic design. Online courses also allow you to have the flexibility and learn on your own time giving you a chance to review and practice the material learned.

What are the benefits of taking an online Functional Programming course?

Online Functional Programming courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Functional Programming skills. Choose from a wide range of Functional Programming courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Functional Programming courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Functional Programming, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Functional Programming Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Functional Programming Course Catalog

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Functional Programming in Scala
Skills you'll gain: Scala Programming, Apache Spark, Apache Hadoop, User Interface (UI), Distributed Computing, Programming Principles, Big Data, Software Design, Data Structures, Software Design Patterns, Functional Design, Data Manipulation, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Heat Maps, Data Visualization Software, Interactive Data Visualization, Computer Programming, Data Processing, Performance Tuning, Algorithms
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
11K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Functional Programming Principles in Scala
Skills you'll gain: Scala Programming, Programming Principles, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Functional Design, Software Design Patterns, Computer Programming, Data Structures, Software Engineering, Javascript, Algorithms, Computational Thinking
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
8.2K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Vanderbilt University
Functional Programming with Java and Threads
Skills you'll gain: Java Programming, Programming Principles
4.1
Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
12 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Functional Programming Principles in Scala (Scala 2 version)
Skills you'll gain: Scala Programming, Programming Principles, Data Structures, Functional Design, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Software Design Patterns, Computer Programming, Algorithms
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
61 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
University of Washington
Programming Languages, Part A
Skills you'll gain: Software Installation, Programming Principles, Other Programming Languages, Functional Design, Computer Programming, Ruby (Programming Language), Theoretical Computer Science, Software Design
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Functional Program Design in Scala
Skills you'll gain: Computer Programming, Programming Principles, Scala Programming, Theoretical Computer Science
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
3.1K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Johns Hopkins University
Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Shiny (R Package), Rmarkdown, Exploratory Data Analysis, Regression Analysis, Leaflet (Software), Version Control, Statistical Analysis, R Programming, Data Manipulation, Data Cleansing, Data Science, Statistical Inference, Predictive Modeling, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Visualization, Machine Learning Algorithms, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Probability & Statistics, Knitr
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
51K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of London
Object Oriented Programming
Skills you'll gain: Pseudocode, C++ (Programming Language), Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Object Oriented Design, Computer Programming, Development Environment, Programming Principles, Debugging, Data Structures, Algorithms, Interactive Design, Program Development, Data Modeling, Test Data, User Interface (UI), Command-Line Interface, Statistical Programming, Development Testing, Transaction Processing, File Management
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
209 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
University of Michigan
Python for Everybody
Skills you'll gain: Web Scraping, Data Processing, Relational Databases, JSON, Database Design, SQL, Network Protocols, Databases, Web Services, Restful API, Programming Principles, Data Cleansing, Data Structures, Data Storytelling, Data Collection, Computer Programming, Python Programming, Data Manipulation, Development Environment, Computational Thinking
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
276K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of California, Santa Cruz
Go and C++: Programming in Two Successor Languages of C
Skills you'll gain: C++ (Programming Language), Go (Programming Language), Data Structures, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Object Oriented Design, Software Design Patterns, Debugging, Unit Testing, Algorithms, C (Programming Language), Program Development, Software Design, Computer Programming, Programming Principles, Graph Theory, Software Testing, File Management, Artificial Intelligence, Integration Testing, System Programming
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
2.4K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of California, Irvine
Programming with Google Go
Skills you'll gain: Go (Programming Language), Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Algorithms, JSON, OS Process Management, Distributed Computing, Data Structures, Data Import/Export, System Programming, Development Environment, Software Design, Programming Principles, Remote Access Systems, Computer Programming, Operating Systems, File Management, Program Development
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
2.9K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of London
C++ Programming: Classes and Data
Skills you'll gain: C++ (Programming Language), Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Object Oriented Design, Programming Principles, Data Structures, Computer Programming, Data Modeling
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
54 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks