5 Best Data Science Courses & Certification of 2023 (Online!)

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If you’re looking to start or further your career in data science, then you’re in luck. There are a plethora of courses and certifications available online that can help you do just that.

In this blog post, we will review 5 of the best data science courses and certification programs available online right now. So whether you’re just starting out, or you want to take your data science skills to the next level, there’s something for everyone here!

Let’s get started!

What Are The Best Data Science Courses and Certifications Online?

Choosing the best data science course or certification program can be a daunting task, given the sheer number of options available.

However, don’t worry! We’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of our top five picks.

So without further ado, here are the best data science courses and certifications online:

1. Harvard Data Science Professional Certificate on edX
2. MITx MicroMasters in Data Science on edX
3. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera
4. Stanford Machine Learning Specialization on Coursera
5. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera

Let’s have a deeper look at these data science courses!

1. Harvard Data Science Professional Certificate on edX

Overview:

The Harvard Data Science Professional Certificate program is offered by Harvard University and edX, and it consists of nine online courses that cover a variety of data science topics.

Upon completion of the program, students will receive a professional certificate from Harvard University. This program is ideal for students who want to gain a comprehensive understanding of data science principles and tools.

Key Features:

• Has a flexible and self-paced learning schedule
• Includes real-world case studies
• Includes a capstone project
• Uses R programming as the data science language

Pricing:

$991 USD for the entire program.

However, this pricing may vary depending on promotions on EdX. The certificate pricing is typically reduced to $792.80 USD during promotional sales. Also, considering that this is a one-year-long course, you’ll be getting pretty good value!

Time Commitment:

It will take 208 hours or 1 year to complete the HarvardX Data Science Professional Certificate. The completion time may vary depending on previous programming knowledge, learning speeds, and time commitment. Although EdX suggests completing the certificate in 1 year and 5 months, most can finish earlier.

Bottom Line:

The HarvardX Data Science Professional Certificate is worth it for data science beginners. It is worth getting for its 208 hours of in-depth data science content, credibility, and hands-on projects with real-world case studies using job-ready data science skills for only USD $991.

If you’re looking for a complete and comprehensive package that won’t disappoint, this certificate course is for you!

HarvardX Data Science Certificate: Worth It? (Read This First!)

2. MITx MicroMasters in Data Science on edX

Overview:

The MITx MicroMasters in Data Science is a professional and academic credential offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and edX. It consists of four online courses that cover various data science topics, such as machine learning, big data, statistics, and more.

Upon completion of the program, students will receive a MicroMasters credential from MIT. This program is ideal for students who want to gain an in-depth understanding of data science principles and tools.

Key Features:

• Strong focus on statistics
• Uses structured instructor-led training
• Covers essential machine learning algorithms
• Uses Python programming as the data science language

Pricing:

$1,500 USD for the entire program.

However, considering that this is a MicroMasters program, you’ll be getting much more value from the course. Moreover, you’ll be given premium instructor-led courses instead of just video lectures.

Time Commitment:

It takes 1 year and 6 months to complete the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science.

The MITx Data Science MicroMasters Program is rigorous is as challenging as an actual Master’s degree. The completion time may vary depending on previous programming knowledge, learning speeds, and time commitment.

This program is for serious learners who are willing to commit more time to learn the skills it takes to enter data science.

Bottom Line:

The MITx MicroMasters in Data Science is worth it for intermediate data science learners. It’s a great investment for those who are looking to enter the field of data science or enhance their career prospects. It is worth getting for its Master’s degree level of in-depth, instructor-led content, emphasis on statistics, structured schedule, and MIT branding for only USD $1500.

Although the price tag is quite hefty, the course is definitely worth your time and money.

MIT MicroMasters Data Science Program: 2023 Review

3. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera

Overview:

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera is a comprehensive program that consists of 10 courses. These courses cover various essential data science topics, such as Python programming, machine learning, databases, SQL, and more.

Upon completion of the program, students will receive a certificate from IBM and Coursera. This program is ideal for those who want a flexible but comprehensive introduction to the common tools used by data scientists.

Key Features:

• Has a flexible, self-paced course schedule
• Cheap
• Uses Python as data science programming language
• Good coverage of Machine Learning techniques and data visualization
• Emphasizes applied learning with 5 hands-on data science projects
• Includes a capstone project using real data from the IBM platform

Pricing:

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate costs USD $39/per month.

The certificate is priced on a monthly subscription model. Most certificate learners would require 9-10 months of completion time. However, based on discounts by IBM, a 3-month plan costs only USD $78 and a 6-month plan costs only USD $117.

Based on all the online data science courses I’ve taken so far, the IBM Data Science certificate seems the most cost-effective.

Time Commitment:

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate requires a minimum commitment of approximately 16 hours per week.

This certificate is best suited for learners who want a flexible but comprehensive introduction to data science. The time commitment is reasonable and the price is very cheap compared to other data science courses.

It will take 9-10 months to complete the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate with about 5-10 hours of commitment per week. This will vary depending on having a previous data science background, and personal learning speeds.

Although IBM suggests an 11-month completion time of 4 hours/week, most finish the program earlier.

Bottom Line:

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate is best for beginner data science learners. It’s a great investment for those who want to learn data science basics and get started with a career as a data scientist.

The certificate is affordable and has a flexible, self-paced course schedule. The program emphasizes applied learning with hands-on projects.

Overall, the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate is a great introduction to fundamental data science concepts and is worth your time and money. I’d recommend this to anyone with zero background in programming who wants to learn data science for the first time.

IBM Data Science Certificate: Worth It? (Read THIS First!)

4. Stanford Machine Learning Specialization on Coursera

Overview:

As one of the latest online data science courses out there, the Stanford Machine Learning Specialization by Andrew Ng should not be missed as well!

It is the refreshed version of one of the best data science courses available – the original Stanford Machine Learning course.

The Stanford Machine Learning Specialization consists of 3 courses covering the most fundamental machine learning algorithms used in AI. Designed to be beginner-friendly and in-depth, this data science specialization is a must-take for aspiring data scientists or data analysts!

Key Features:

• Beginner-friendly
• Has in-depth coverage of machine learning algorithms
• Hands-on tutorials to implement machine learning algorithms from scratch
• Uses Python as the programming language
• Includes a final project where you can apply your skills to a real-world problem

Pricing:

Monthly Subscription: $49/month

However, financial aid from Coursera is also available for this specialization course. If you’re unable to afford the course, I’d recommend applying for it.

Time Commitment:

This specialization course would require a minimum of 10 hours per week, over the span of about 3-4 months.

Bottom Line:

The Stanford Machine Learning Specialization is best for beginner to intermediate data science learners who want to learn more about machine learning algorithms and deep learning. The course is priced reasonably, and financial aid is available if needed.

The specialization course covers a lot of ground, from neural networks to linear regression to decision trees, so be prepared to commit at least a few hours per week for this one!

However, it would be well worth your time as you’ll come out of it with a strong understanding of machine learning algorithms!

5. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera

Overview:

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera is a great data science course for those who want to learn data analytics from one of the best tech companies in the world – Google!

This certificate program consists of four courses that cover the fundamentals of data analysis, SQL, and working with BigQuery (Google’s cloud-based database service).

By the end of the program, you’ll be able to analyze data and draw insights from it using various open-source and Google tools. You’ll also be able to use SQL to query databases and build visualizations to present your findings!

Check out my impressions of this course in my video:

Key Features:

• Learn from Google experts
• Covers the fundamentals of data analytics and data visualization
• You’ll learn essential tools like R, SQL, and BigQuery
• Hands-on projects to practice your skills

Pricing:

Monthly Subscription: $39/month

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate costs USD $98. The Google Data Analytics Certificate is charged based on 2 ways: a monthly subscription at $39/month and a fixed cost of $98 for 3 months or $117 for 6 months. However, since most learners complete it in 3 months, the certificate will cost $98 in total.

However, financial aid from Coursera is also available for this course. If you’re unable to afford the course, I’d recommend applying for it as well.

You can get this data analytics Certificate and thousands of other courses through Coursera Plus as well! They’re having a promotion right now, so that makes it all the more worth it. Use my link below for the discount.

Time Commitment:

This course would require a minimum of 5-10 hours per week, over the span of about 2-3 months.

This will vary depending on having previous data background and learning speeds. Although Google suggests a 6 month completion time, most finish the program earlier.

I personally completed the program much earlier, within 2 and a half months. That’s because I had some background in using spreadsheets and R programming.

Bottom Line:

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is worth it for beginner data science learners who want to learn from one of the best tech companies in the world. The course is priced reasonably, and financial aid is available if needed.

A Google Data Analytics certificate is worth getting for its credibility, 174 hours of learning content, and career resources with connections to 130 US employers, for an affordable cost of USD$39/month.

This online certificate actually helped me land a job as a data analyst and subsequently, a data scientist too! That’s why I can’t recommend this data science course enough.

Google Data Analytics Certification: An Honest Review (2023)

Conclusion

If you want to learn data analytics and don’t mind spending a few hours per week on the course, then I’d recommend signing up for it! You’ll definitely learn a lot and come out of it with some new skills!

These are just five of the best data science courses and certifications that are available online. If you’re looking to get started in data science, I highly recommend taking one (or more!) of these courses!

They’ll give you the skills and knowledge you need to be successful in the field.

Thanks for reading!