Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excel and Cognos

Ends in 5 days! Save 40% on your access to 10,000+ programs and make a real impact in your career. Save now.

Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excel and Cognos

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructors: Sandip Saha Joy +1 more

245,334 already enrolled

Included with

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,503 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

93%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,503 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

93%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Create basic visualizations such as line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts using Excel spreadsheets.
Explain the important role charts play in telling a data-driven story.
Construct advanced charts and visualizations such as Treemaps, Sparklines, Histogram, Scatter Plots, and Filled Map Charts.
Build and share interactive dashboards using Excel and Cognos Analytics.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Pivot Tables And Charts
Category: Histogram
Category: Data Analysis
Category: Scatter Plots
Category: IBM Cognos Analytics
Category: Data Visualization Software
Category: Dashboard Creation
Category: Business Intelligence Software
Category: Interactive Data Visualization
Category: Data Presentation
Category: Data Visualization
Category: Data Storytelling

Tools you'll learn

Category: Dashboard
Category: Microsoft Excel
Category: Tree Maps

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

10 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

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

Learn how to create data visualizations and dashboards using spreadsheets and analytics tools. This course covers some of the first steps for telling a compelling story with your data using various types of charts and graphs. You'll learn the basics of visualizing data with Excel and IBM Cognos Analytics without having to write any code.

You'll start by creating simple charts in Excel such as line, pie and bar charts. You will then create more advanced visualizations with Treemaps, Scatter Charts, Histograms, Filled Map Charts, and Sparklines. Next you’ll also work with the Excel PivotChart feature as well as assemble several visualizations in an Excel dashboard. This course also teaches you how to use business intelligence (BI) tools like Cognos Analytics to create interactive dashboards. By the end of the course you will have an appreciation for the key role that data visualizations play in communicating your data analysis findings, and the ability to effectively create them. Throughout this course there will be numerous hands-on labs to help you develop practical experience for working with Excel and Cognos. There is also a final project in which you’ll create a set of data visualizations and an interactive dashboard to add to your portfolio, which you can share with peers, professional communities or prospective employers.

In this module, you will be introduced to the basics of charts and the Excel functions that are used to create basic charts and pivot chart visualizations. By learning how to manipulate these features and creating visualizations, you will begin to understand the important role charts play in telling a data-driven story.

What's included

6 videos5 readings2 assignments

6 videosTotal 31 minutes

Course Intro4 minutes
Introduction to Charts5 minutes
Interview: Using Visualizations to Tell a Data Story4 minutes
Creating Basic Charts in Excel (Line, Pie, and Bar Charts)5 minutes
Introduction to Creating Pivot Tables in Excel8 minutes
Using the Excel PivotChart Feature 6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 77 minutes

Helpful Tips for Course Completion2 minutes
Optional Hands-on Labs on Excel Basics40 minutes
Excel Keyboard Shortcuts5 minutes
Hands-on Lab 1: Creating Basic Charts20 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 42 minutes

Graded Quiz : Visualizing Data using Spreadsheets 30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Visualizing Data using Spreadsheets 12 minutes

In this module, you will learn about creating advanced charts and visualizations and learn about the basics of dashboarding and how to create a simple dashboard using a spreadsheet.

What's included

5 videos4 readings4 assignments

5 videosTotal 31 minutes

Creating Treemaps, Scatter Charts, and Histograms8 minutes
Creating Filled Map Charts and Sparklines6 minutes
Introduction to Dashboards4 minutes
Interview: Using Dashboards to Present Data Results5 minutes
Creating a Simple Dashboard using Excel8 minutes

4 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Hands-on Lab 2: Creating Advanced Charts10 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes
Hands-on Lab 3: Creating a Simple Dashboard with Excel20 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 44 minutes

Graded Quiz: Updating Advanced Charts 12 minutes
Graded Quiz: Creating Dashboards using Spreadsheets 12 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Advanced Charts 8 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Dashboards using Spreadsheets 12 minutes

In this module, you will be introduced to another dashboarding solution called Cognos Analytics. After registering with Cognos Analytics, you will then explore the platform capabilities by creating visualizations, building a simple dashboard, and discovering its advanced features. Optionally, you can explore Google Looker Studio to create visualizations and build dashboards.

What's included

4 videos11 readings4 assignments

4 videosTotal 25 minutes

Cognos Analytics: Introduction and How to Sign Up3 minutes
Navigating in Cognos Analytics8 minutes
Creating a Simple Dashboard in Cognos Analytics7 minutes
Advanced Capabilities in Cognos Analytics Dashboards7 minutes

11 readingsTotal 263 minutes

Hands-on Lab: Getting Started with Cognos Analytics40 minutes
Summary and Highlights1 minute
Hands-on Lab: Different Methods for Creating Dashboard Visualizations with Cognos Analytics 45 minutes
Hands-on Lab: Advanced Dashboard Capabilities in Cognos Analytics45 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes
About this optional lesson with Looker Studio2 minutes
(Optional) : Getting Started with Google Looker Studio10 minutes
Creating Visualizations in Reports using Looker Studio10 minutes
(Optional): Hands-on Lab: Creating and Configuring Visualizations in Reports with Google Looker Studio60 minutes
(Optional) Hands-on Lab: Advanced charts in Looker Studio30 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 38 minutes

Graded Quiz: Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Cognos Analytics 12 minutes
Practice Quiz: Getting Started with IBM Cognos Analytics8 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Dashboards with Cognos Analytics10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating and Configuring Visualizations with Google Looker Studio8 minutes

Congratulations! You have now completed the modules for this course. In this module, you will complete the final assignment that will be graded by the AI-Grading tool or your peers. In the first part of the final assignment, you will use the provided sample data to create some visualizations using Excel for the web. In the second part of the final assignment, you will create some visualizations and add them to a dashboard using Cognos Analytics or Google Looker Studio.

What's included

7 readings1 app item

7 readingsTotal 321 minutes

Final Project Overview10 minutes
Reading: Final Project Submission Guidelines And Deliverables5 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 1: Creating Visualizations Using Excel45 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 2a: Creating Visualizations Using Cognos Analytics175 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 2b: Creating Visualizations Using Google Looker Studio75 minutes
Congratulations and Next Steps10 minutes
Course Credits and Acknowledgements1 minute

1 app itemTotal 30 minutes

AI Graded - Final Project: Submission and Evaluation30 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(1,339 ratings)

Sandip Saha Joy

IBM

5 Courses777,410 learners

Offered by

IBM

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
77.69%
4 stars
17.15%
3 stars
2.77%
2 stars
1.24%
1 star
1.13%

Showing 3 of 4503

Reviewed on Feb 18, 2026

Good course, it was nice being introduced on how to use new software like IBM cognos analytics and googleonlooker . The AI grading system needs to corrected to ensure seamlessness for learners.

Reviewed on Jan 20, 2022

Familiarity with the powerful Cognus program was very good. If you continue this course, good things will surely happen to you. This was the third course I took and it was really great

Reviewed on Mar 18, 2024

In general the course was great. The only thing is that for very beginners is really difficult to grasp even after a few attempts, therefore instructions should be broken down more in detail.

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.