This course is part of the Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

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stars
3,954 ratings

Charlie Nuttelman

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Offered By

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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"Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1" is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).  
This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems.  In this course (Part 1), you will: 1) create macros to automate procedures in Excel; 2) define your own user-defined functions; 3) create basic subroutines to interface with the user; 4) learn the basic programming structures in VBA; and 5) automate Excel’s Goal Seek and Solver tools and use numerical techniques to create “live solutions” to solve targeting and optimization problems.

New to computer programming?  The extremely intuitive and visual nature of VBA lends itself nicely to teaching and learning - what a fun way to learn to code!  No prior knowledge in programming nor advanced math skills are necessary yet seasoned programmers will pick up new and creative spreadsheet problem solving strategies.

After you have learned the basics of VBA, each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world.  To pass each module, you'll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment.  This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 1 of 3 in the

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Microsoft Excel Vba
Computer Programming
Problem Solving
Debugging

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 1 of 3 in the

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.85/5 (1,162 Ratings)

Charlie Nuttelman

Senior Instructor

Chemical and Biological Engineering

350,837 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(15,092 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Macro recording, VBA procedures, and debugging

5 hours to complete

14 videos (Total 64 min), 16 readings, 3 quizzes

14 videos

Welcome!2mWhat can you do with Excel/VBA?5mHow the course works2mHow to switch sessions of the course1mWeek 1 preview1mGetting your feet wet4mSaving your files as macro-enabled workbooks57sRecording basic macros8mAbsolute vs. relative referencing during macro recording8mOverview of procedures in VBA8mWhy use Option Explicit?3mDeclaration of variables, data types, and scope of variables8mHow to troubleshoot when your code is not working properly6mAssignment 1 preview and instructions2m

16 readings

Additional Excel/VBA examples10mFor Mac users10mThe power of Excel/VBA3mSubscribe to "Everyday Excel VBA" YouTube Channel!2mThe importance of a Course Certificate and the future of higher education5mAuditing the course vs. purchasing a Course Certificate10m(OPTIONAL) Will Office Scripts replace VBA?10mCourse improvement and my philosophy on learning2mIf an assignment is not showing up for you10mHow to get help2mVBA Tutorial10mOpening macro-enabled workbooks10mWeek 1 files2mNeed to improve your Excel skills?10mAssignment 11hWeek 2 files10m

3 practice exercises

Unlock quiz for Week 1 files2mWeek 1 Quiz10mAssignment 1 Submission1m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

VBA Nuts & Bolts, Part 1

3 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 59 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

11 videos

Week 2 preview1mVBA syntax and expression entry: Part 16mVBA syntax and expression entry: Part 25mA warning about exponentiation and ampersands1mIntroduction to objects, properties, methods, and events7mCommon objects, properties, and methods8mHow to borrow functions from Excel11mExamples, Part 1: Basic input and output in subroutines6mExamples, Part 2: Basic input and output in subroutines4mExamples, Part 3: Basic input and output in subroutines2mAssignment 2 preview and instructions1m

2 readings

Assignment 21h 30mWeek 3 files2m

2 practice exercises

Week 2 Quiz20mAssignment 2 submission1m

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

VBA Nuts & Bolts, Part 2

2 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 26 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Week 3 preview35sHow to make your own user-defined function4mHow to convert a user-defined function to an Excel Add-In2mHow to troubleshoot your user defined functions1mWhy you don't use input and message boxes in functions2mHow to handle basic user error in your subroutines3mAn introduction to modular programming5mRunning a subroutine that resides in another file4mAssignment 3 preview and instructions1m

3 readings

Remember to use your DEBUGGING skills!5mAssignment 31hWeek 4 files2m

2 practice exercises

Week 3 Quiz20mAssignment 3 submission1m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Programming structures in VBA

3 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 95 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

15 videos

Week 4 preview1mHow to implement One-Way If...Then selection structures7mHow to implement Two-Way If...Then selection structures7mAll about the Multi-Alternative If...Then4mVariable iteration loops (Do...Loops)7mValidating user input using a Do...Loop3mCreating a guessing game using a Do...Loop3mAll about fixed iteration (For...Next) loops8mIterating through a Selection vs. a Range10mPutting it all together: Example 15mPutting it all together: Example 27mExample: Highlighting max and min values in a range7mUsing the For Each... Next statement8mWorked mini-project: Searching through high and low temperatures in an Excel workbook8mAssignment 4 preview and instructions3m

2 readings

Assignment 41hWeek 5 files10m

2 practice exercises

Week 4 Quiz20mAssignment 4 submission1m

Reviews

4.8

1127 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM EXCEL/VBA FOR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, PART 1

by PPApr 18, 2020

The pattern of course is really nice.It first teaches all the basic information in video and the assignments are designed in a way that all the taught information are used to solve the assignment.

by NNMar 2, 2020

i highly recommend this course as the content is new and the questions are designed to be challenging but not difficult. It is an excellent introduction course to VBA or programming in general

by LRJul 4, 2018

I'm not one to write reviews - this course is fantastic and a game changer. Prof Nuttelman is a very engaging speaker and makes what could seem a very dry topic come across as interesting, fascin

by MSJan 26, 2018

Great course! I like it goes straight to implementation and is practice-oriented. What could be improved maybe is sound quality of lectures. And maybe it would be great to have some VBA notes in pdf.

View all reviews

About the Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

This Specialization is for learners wishing to dramatically change the way that they use Excel spreadsheets by unleashing the power to automate and optimize spreadsheets using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The first two courses will teach learners the basics of VBA through the use of dozens of educational screencasts and a series of quizzes and in-application programming assignments. Finally, in Part 3 of the course, learners will complete 3 "real world" and somewhat open ended projects, which are graded through peer review.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. 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.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, 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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1

About this Course

Skills you will gain