Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

You will not receive university credit from the University of Virginia for completing these courses.

What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?

Upon completing this Specialization you will be able to

Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

Can I just enroll in a single course?

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

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.

Can I take the course for free?

No, you cannot take this course for free. 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. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

IBM & Darden Digital Strategy Specialization

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University of Virginia Darden School Foundation

IBM & Darden Digital Strategy Specialization

Get ahead with key business and technical skills. Understand how current technologies are changing industry and create strategy to transform your business

Instructors: Michael Lenox

9,219 already enrolled

Included with

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6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

(513 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

(513 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand the value of data and how the rapid growth of technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing are transforming business.

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

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

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Advance your subject-matter expertise

Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
Earn a career certificate from University of Virginia Darden School Foundation

Specialization - 6 course series

This Specialization was designed to combine the most current business research in digital transformation and strategy with the most up-to-date technical knowledge of the technologies that are changing how we work and do business to enable you to advance your career. By the end of this Specialization, you will have an understanding of the three technologies impacting all businesses: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data science. You will also be able to develop or advance a digital transformation strategy for your own business using these technologies. This specialization will help managers understand technology and technical workers to understand strategy, and is ideal for anyone who wants to be able to help lead projects in digital transformation and technical and business strategy.

Applied Learning Project

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Course 1 13 hours

What you'll learn

Explain the fundamental concepts and applications of AI in various domains.
Describe the core principles of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks, and apply them to real-world scenarios.
Analyze the role of generative AI in transforming business operations, identifying opportunities for innovation and process improvement.
Design a generative AI solution for an organizational challenge, integrating ethical considerations.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Robotics

Category: Risk Mitigation

Category: Business Logic

Category: Generative AI

Category: Responsible AI

Category: Natural Language Processing

The Strategist's Challenge

Course 2 5 hours

What you'll learn

Develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation

Skills you'll gain

Category: Competitive Analysis

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Strategic Decision-Making

Category: Organizational Strategy

Category: Market Analysis

Category: Case Studies

Category: Business Modeling

Category: Analysis

Category: Business Analysis

Category: Market Dynamics

Category: Value Propositions

Introduction to Data Analytics

Course 3 11 hours

What you'll learn

Explain what Data Analytics is and the key steps in the Data Analytics process
Differentiate between different data roles such as Data Engineer, Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Business Analyst, and Business Intelligence Analyst
Describe the different types of data structures, file formats, and sources of data
Describe the data analysis process involving collecting, wrangling, mining, and visualizing data

Skills you'll gain

Category: Statistical Analysis

Category: Data Cleansing

Category: Data Analysis

Category: Big Data

Category: Data Collection

Category: Data Presentation

Category: Data Transformation

Category: Apache Spark

Category: Data Lakes

Category: Apache Hadoop

Category: Data Visualization

Category: Data Warehousing

Category: Data Science

Category: Apache Hive

Category: Analytics

Category: Statistical Visualization

Category: Data Mart

Category: Microsoft Excel

Introduction to Cloud Computing

Course 4 12 hours

What you'll learn

Define cloud computing and explain essential characteristics, history, the business case for cloud, and the emerging technologies enabled by cloud
Describe the cloud service models- IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and cloud deployment models- Public, Private, Hybrid; explain cloud infrastructure components
Explain emerging Cloud related trends including HybridMulticloud, Microservices, Serverless, Cloud Native, DevOps, and Application Modernization
List and describe services of popular cloud platforms including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and others

Skills you'll gain

Category: Cloud Infrastructure

Category: Hybrid Cloud Computing

Category: Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS)

Category: Cloud Storage

Category: Cloud Deployment

Category: Cloud Computing

Category: Cloud Services

Category: DevOps

Category: Cloud Security

Category: Emerging Technologies

Category: Microservices

Category: Virtual Machines

Category: Cloud Computing Architecture

Category: Serverless Computing

Category: Cloud Platforms

Introduction to Digital Transformation Part 1

Course 5 4 hours

What you'll learn

Understand the “digital transformation stack” - infrastructure, technology, business functions, and strategy

Skills you'll gain

Category: Digital Transformation

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Competitive Analysis

Category: Business Transformation

Category: Technology Strategies

Category: Business Technologies

Category: Product Lifecycle Management

Category: Emerging Technologies

Category: Business Economics

Category: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)

Category: Innovation

Category: Data Strategy

Category: Business Solutions

Introduction to Digital Transformation Part 2

Course 6 4 hours

What you'll learn

This course was designed to further your understanding of digital transformation so you can leverage digitization to improve business function performance. You'll learn how to build out your core digital infrastructure, with a focus on cloud computing, data integrity and digital platforms. You'll explore how digitization is transforming various business functions and organization units and learn how to