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Introduction to Data Analytics for Business

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Introduction to Data Analytics for Business

This course is part of Advanced Business Analytics Specialization

Instructor: David Torgerson

196,554 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,185 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

3,185 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Describe the information lifecycle from events in the real world to business actions
Recognize the types of events and characteristics that are often used in business analytics
Explain how the data is captured by source systems and stored using both traditional and emergent technologies
Gain familiarity with relational databases and learn how to use a simple but powerful language called SQL to extract analytical data sets of interest

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Relational Databases

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Advanced Business Analytics Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This course will expose you to the data analytics practices executed in the business world. We will explore such key areas as the analytical process, how data is created, stored, accessed, and how the organization works with data and creates the environment in which analytics can flourish.

What you learn in this course will give you a strong foundation in all the areas that support analytics and will help you to better position yourself for success within your organization. You’ll develop skills and a perspective that will make you more productive faster and allow you to become a valuable asset to your organization. This course also provides a basis for going deeper into advanced investigative and computational methods, which you have an opportunity to explore in future courses of the Data Analytics for Business specialization.

Module details

Welcome to week 1! In this module we’ll learn how to think about analytical problems and examine the process by which data enables analysis & decision making. We’ll introduce a framework called the Information-Action Value chain which describes the path from events in the world to business action, and we’ll look at some of the source systems that are used to capture data. At the end of this course you will be able to: Explain the information lifecycle from events in the real world to business actions, and how to think about analytical problems in that context , Recognize the types of events and characteristics that are often used in business analytics, and explain how the data is captured by source systems and stored using both traditional and emergent technologies, Gain a high-level familiarity with relational databases and learn how to use a simple but powerful language called SQL to extract analytical data sets of interest, Appreciate the spectrum of roles involved in the data lifecycle, and gain exposure to the various ways that organizations structure analytical functions, Summarize some of the key ideas around data quality, data governance, and data privacy

What's included

9 videos4 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

9 videosTotal 58 minutes

Introduction to the Course3 minutes
Introduction to the Specialization1 minute
0. Introduction to Data & Analysis in Real World1 minute
1. Thinking about Analytical Problems6 minutes
2. Conceptual Business Models7 minutes
3. The information-Action Value Chain (Part 1)10 minutes
4. The information-Action Value Chain (Part 2)11 minutes
5. Real World Events and Characteristics8 minutes
6. Data Capture by Source Systems10 minutes

4 readingsTotal 22 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support1 minute
Week 1 Lecture Slides10 minutes
Week 1 Quiz Answer Key10 minutes
You can now start part 1 of the final assignment!1 minute

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 1 Quiz30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

What is more important for a data analyst to understand, the business or analytical methods?10 minutes
What are some of the challenges you might find in communicating the results of your analysis?10 minutes

In this module we’ll learn about the technologies that enable analytical work. We’ll examine data storage and databases, including the relational database. We’ll talk about Big Data and Cloud technologies and ideas like federation, virtualization, and in-memory computing. We’ll also walk through a landscape of some of the more common tool classes and learn how these tools support common analytical tasks.

What's included

7 videos3 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

7 videosTotal 72 minutes

0. Introduction - Analytical Technologies2 minutes
1. Data Storage and Databases13 minutes
2. Big Data & the Cloud15 minutes
3. Virtualization, Federation, and In-Memory Computing9 minutes
4. The Relational Database14 minutes
5. Data Tools Landscape11 minutes
6. The Tools of the Data Analyst9 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Week 2 Lecture Slides10 minutes
Week 2 Quiz Answer Key10 minutes
You can now start part 2 of the final assignment!10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 2 Quiz30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Information tools used at different organizations10 minutes
Different approaches to building a relational database10 minutes

In this module we’ll learn how to extract data from a relational database using Structured Query Language, or SQL. We’ll cover all the basic SQL commands and learn how to combine and stack data from different tables. We’ll also learn how to expand the power of our queries using operators and handle additional complexity using subqueries.

What's included

7 videos3 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

7 videosTotal 56 minutes

0. Introduction - Data Extraction Using SQL2 minutes
1. Introduction to SQL9 minutes
2. Aggregating and Sorting Data in SQL12 minutes
3. Extracting Data from Multiple Tables11 minutes
4. Stacking Data with UNION Command5 minutes
5. Extending SQL Queries Using Operators11 minutes
6. Using SQL Subqueries6 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Week 3 Lecture Slides10 minutes
Week 3 SQL Assignment Answer Key10 minutes
You can now start part 3 of the final assignment!10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

SQL Coding Assignment20 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Advantages and shortcomings of accessing data using SQL10 minutes

In this module we focus on the people and organizations that work with data and actually execute analytics. We’ll discuss who does what and see how organizational structures can influence efficiency and effectiveness. We’ll also look at the supporting rules & processes that help an analytical organization run smoothly, like Data Governance, Data Privacy, and Data Quality.

What's included

6 videos2 readings1 assignment1 peer review2 discussion prompts

6 videosTotal 63 minutes

0. Introduction to Real World Analytical Orgs2 minutes
1. Analytical Organizations – Roles12 minutes
2. Analytical Organizations – Structures12 minutes
3. Data Governance9 minutes
4. Data Privacy17 minutes
5. Data Quality11 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Week 4 Lecture Slides10 minutes
Week 4 Quiz Answer Key10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 4 Quiz30 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 180 minutes

Final Course Assignment180 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Issues with roles and organizational structures around analytics10 minutes
Data privacy issues10 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(959 ratings)

David Torgerson

University of Colorado Boulder

3 Courses250,393 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

Learner reviews

5 stars
73.93%
4 stars
21.01%
3 stars
3.23%
2 stars
0.72%
1 star
1.09%

Showing 3 of 3185

Reviewed on Mar 25, 2021

This course was startling for someone without a coding background, however I realized at the end that I truly walked away with a better understanding of the course curriculum, like SQL.

Reviewed on Apr 29, 2022

Great experience in getting started with Data Analytics. A very detailed course which walks you through analytical tool SQL and how you can extract data for the purpose of analysis.

Reviewed on Nov 22, 2020

Overall I liked it. I would like to see more SQL practice and maybe a built-in tool to write SQL that shows where errors can be shown along with suggestions on how to fix the errors.

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