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You’ve heard of the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate but one question still remains: is the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate worth it?
I’ve done some research and here’s the short answer:
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is worth it. Made for data engineering beginners, the IBM Data Engineering certificate is worth getting for its 211 hours of broad coverage of data engineering content, hands-on projects with common databases, and ETL tools for an affordable cost of USD $49/month.
Why would I say that this certificate is worth it?
Here are 5 reasons why it’s worth it:
5 Reasons Why the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is Worth It
- Uses Unique Assessment Methods
- Increases Your Exposure to Essential Engineering Skills
- Focuses on Hands-on Practice of Job-Ready Tools
- Online, Flexible, and Self-Paced
- Encourages Working on Data Engineering Projects
Read on for more information on each reason!
1. Uses Unique Assessment Methods
One thing that really makes the IBM Data Engineering certificate worth buying is its use of unique assessment methods!
Most online courses and certificate programs out there are just a bunch of videos and an exam to go through.
But not for the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate!
Throughout the entire certificate program, you’ll be going through a unique blend of assessment methods that can help boost your learning!
Here are some of the assessment methods used:
- Peer-reviewed assignments
- Practice quizzes
- Graded quizzes
- Final exams
Based on experience, learning data engineering can get pretty dry very quickly and videos aren’t enough to keep you motivated to learn!
You might even think that these data certificates might not be actually worth it.
However, with the various assessment methods, you’ll get in the IBM Data Engineering Certificate, you’ll be sure to learn all the content properly!
My personal favorite from this certificate was peer-reviewed assignments.
Here’s the main reason why I found them useful for reinforcing my learning:
Peer-reviewed assignments act as a good learning checkpoint, which ensures that you’re all ready to progress to the next step.
Check out the screenshot below for one of the peer-reviewed projects:
Additionally, you’ll get to review other peer assignments, which can help give you a better idea of how others are doing with their learning too!
Another hidden benefit of the peer-reviewed assignments from the IBM Data Engineering Certificate is that you can’t rush through all the content just for the sake of completing the certificate.
Learning data engineering is not easy, and it requires time and effort into learning the foundation of essential skills.
This feature is unlike the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, which lacks this peer-review assessment type.
Therefore, if you need that extra push to keep a disciplined learning environment, the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is worth getting!
2. Increases Your Exposure to Essential Engineering Skills
Another great reason why this certificate is worth it for data engineering beginners is the exposure it provides you!
Based on my experience, if you’re going to be starting out a career in a new industry, there are lots to be learned but it gets tough because you won’t know where to start.
That’s where the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate would come in handy!
The IBM Data Engineering Certificate would point you in the right direction to learn all the essential skills needed for data engineering.
Here are the skills you’ll learn from the certificate:
- Data Analysis
- Programming
- Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)
- Shell scripting
- Database administration
- Handling data warehouses
- ETL (Extract, transform, load)
- Data pipelines
- Business intelligence analytics (business intelligence tools)
- Big data
- Machine learning
I’m sure that if you’re a beginner, you wouldn’t really know that some of these are extremely ESSENTIAL to becoming a data engineer!
And that’s where the value of going through this certificate program really helps.
As a data engineer, you’ll need to know how to transform and handle structured and unstructured data well to be able to produce clean data.
If you’re looking for a different certificate that’s really useful for learning data analytics skills, you can consider the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate too!
I completed it and found it to be an amazing certificate as well.
Based on my own experience in the data science field, I’m confident that learning these skills would definitely help you go a long way.
Let’s now have a look at how these skills will be taught to you.
3. Focuses on Hands-on Practice of Job-Ready Tools
Learning your new data engineering skills can be so much more fun and engaging through hands-on work!
That’s why the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is great for its involvement in hands-on exercises.
In this certificate, you’re encouraged to code along and use the hands-on labs to learn the tools.
This is a much better approach than simply just watching video lectures.
As data engineering is a HIGHLY technical career, you’ll need to be accustomed to practicing the right essential tools through a hands-on approach!
Here’s a summary of all the tools you’ll pick up from completing the IBM Data Engineering Certificate:
| Data Engineering Tool | What Is It Used For? | Is it Common? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Python | Data analysis | Yes |
| 2 | SQL | Database | Yes |
| 3 | Jupyter Notebook | Data analysis | Yes |
| 4 | Watson Studio | Data science platform | No |
| 5 | MySQL | Database | Yes |
| 6 | PostgreSQL | Database | Yes |
| 7 | Linux | Scripting | Yes |
| 8 | Bash Shell Scripting | Scripting | Yes |
| 9 | Apache Airflow | Building pipelines, ETL | Yes |
| 10 | Apache Kafka | Building pipelines, ETL | Yes |
| 11 | IBM Db2 Warehouse | Data warehouse | No |
| 12 | IBM Cognos Analytics | Business intelligence | No |
| 13 | MongoDB | NoSQL database | Yes |
| 14 | Apache Cassandra | NoSQL database | Yes |
| 15 | IBM Cloudant | NoSQL DBaaS | No |
| 16 | Hadoop | Big data | No |
| 17 | Docker | Virtual container | Yes |
| 18 | Apache Spark | Big data | Yes |
| 19 | Elyra | Machine learning | Yes |
| 20 | SparkML | Machine learning | Yes |
| 21 | IBM Watson Machine Learning | Machine learning | No |
As you can see from the long list of tools above, you’ll get to learn a lot of technical data engineering skills!
Here’s what I really liked about the tools taught in this certificate – it covers all essential tools across data analysis, databases, ETL, big data, and machine learning.
I also find this certificate useful for learning how to manage relational databases since they are common among company data stacks.
If you’re also aspiring to learn about data engineering like me, then you’ll find that this course is really worth it for the number of tools you’ll get to learn + get ample hands-on practice on them!
If you’re planning to learn more machine learning tools, you can also consider the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate also!
In fact, many of the tools you’ll get to learn in the IBM Data Engineering Certificate are among the top 20 data engineering tools used in top tech companies.
Therefore, I’d recommend following all the practical exercises and code along with the video lectures to maximize your learning of these job-ready tools!
However, some of the software and tools taught in the course might not be in much use anymore or are not that common at all!
That’s because the data engineering space moves really fast!
Either way, the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate equips and trains you well for a data engineer career.
If you’re looking for a similar alternative data career, the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate might be useful to become a data analyst!
4. Flexible and Self-Paced
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is hosted on Coursera, which is one of my favorite learning platforms.
Here are some benefits of having the IBM Data Engineering Certificate on Coursera:
- 100% Online
- Flexible
- Self-Paced
100% Online: With a fully online certificate program, you can earn the certificate from any country across the world! You’ll only require basic internet access.
Flexible: The content is delivered in a flexible manner. This means you’re able to start the program at any time, without having to wait for any scheduled enrollment dates.
Self-Paced: Having a certificate that’s self-paced is really helpful for both beginners and advanced data engineers.
Those who are new to some topics can slow down and rewatch the videos and the advanced ones can speed the learning up!
This makes the certificate really flexible BUT remains structured in learning.
Here’s a summary of the course structure of the certificate:
| Course Title | Approx. Hours of To Complete | Hours of Video Content | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Data Engineering | 12 hours | 4 hours, 10 minutes |
| 2 | Python for Data Science, AI & Development | 22 hours | 2 hours, 17 minutes |
| 3 | Python Project for Data Engineering | 10 hours | 7 minutes |
| 4 | Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS) | 16 hours | 2 hours, 46 minutes |
| 5 | Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python | 37 hours | 2 hours, 16 minutes |
| 6 | Hands-on Introduction to Linux Commands and Shell Scripting | 12 hours | 1 hour, 49 minutes |
| 7 | Relational Database Administration (DBA) | 18 hours | 2 hours, 26 minutes |
| 8 | ETL and Data Pipelines with Shell, Airflow and Kafka | 14 hours | 1 hour, 53 minutes |
| 9 | Getting Started with Data Warehousing and BI Analytics | 15 hours | 1 hour, 55 minutes |
| 10 | Introduction to NoSQL Databases | 18 hours | 3 hours, 33 minutes |
| 11 | Introduction to Big Data with Spark and Hadoop | 15 hours | 3 hours, 12 minutes |
| 12 | Data Engineering and Machine Learning using Spark | 7 hours | 38 minutes |
| 13 | Data Engineering Capstone Project | 15 hours | 5 minutes |
| Total | 211 hours | 27 hours, 7 minutes |
As you can see from the table above, this course is about 211 hours long and without a flexible schedule, this would not be possible to complete!
Having such a long 13-course certificate, the flexibility Coursera provides is most beneficial to the following groups of people:
- Students
- Data analysts/scientists with a day job
- Anyone with a 9-5 work schedule
If you belong to any of those above, then this certificate is perfect for you!
Here’s why:
You’ll be able to slot in the 211 hours of learning content in between your lessons if you’re a student or after your work ends if you have a 9-5 job!
With such flexibility, you’ll have no problems completing the certificate while pursuing your other current commitments.
5. Encourages Working on Data Engineering Projects
The most likely reason you’ll land a job after completing this professional certificate is going to be because of the projects you’ve done during the program!
The IBM Data Engineering Certificate encourages you to work on projects that a data engineer faces on a daily basis in their jobs.
Here’s a list of the projects you’ll get to work on in this certificate:
| Course Title | Data Project | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Data Engineering | – |
| 2 | Python for Data Science, AI & Development | – |
| 3 | Python Project for Data Engineering | ETL project using Python |
| 4 | Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS) | Database design and management project |
| 5 | Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python | City of Chicago SQL project |
| 6 | Hands-on Introduction to Linux Commands and Shell Scripting | Linux shell scripting project |
| 7 | Relational Database Administration (DBA) | Database administration project |
| 8 | ETL and Data Pipelines with Shell, Airflow and Kafka | Building ETL pipelines for a real-world scenario |
| 9 | Getting Started with Data Warehousing and BI Analytics | Data warehouse set-up & analytics dashboard project |
| 10 | Introduction to NoSQL Databases | Scenario-based NoSQL project |
| 11 | Introduction to Big Data with Spark and Hadoop | – |
| 12 | Data Engineering and Machine Learning using Spark | Apache Spark end-to-end ETL and ML project |
| 13 | Data Engineering Capstone Project | Overall data engineering lifecycle project |
As you can see from the summary above, this certificate guides you through a WHOPPING 10 data engineering projects!
Check out this screenshot below of one of the projects in the certificate:
Sounds exciting right?
As a strong believer in projects, I’m very sure that by the end of these 10 projects, your data engineering skills will be sharpened and ready to tackle real job challenges!
I’d recommend taking advantage of these projects from the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate to accelerate your learning to become a data engineer!
Did you know that projects are really beneficial for you?
Here are 4 benefits of having projects to consolidate learning in data engineering:
- Honing your engineering skills
- Creating a product that you own
- Learning to do self-learning
- Boost your self-confidence
I personally love to use projects to summarize my learning whenever I learn something new!
The more you practice with projects, the more confidence you get in data engineering.
And I’m sure your future employers would feel more confident in your abilities too.
In fact, within the data domain, projects are easily shareable and added to your portfolio for any prospective employers to look through.
Some common places to upload your projects include Github and LinkedIn.
You might even get a message or comment from a potential employer for your impressive project work.
And that’s why having projects in the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is worth it!
Related Questions
How Much Does the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate Cost?
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate costs USD $49/month. Since most learners can complete it in only 9 months, the certificate will cost $441 in total. The certificate is priced in 3 ways: a subscription of $49/month or a fixed price of a 3-month plan at only USD $98 or a 6-month plan at USD $147.
There are currently 2 ways to pay for the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate:
- Monthly Subscription of $49/month
- One-time fee of $98 for 3 months of access
- One-time fee of $147 for 6 months of access
Here’s what Coursera showed me when I tried to enroll:
This pricing is a little bit tricky since IBM suggests that the certificate would take 15 months to complete and that doesn’t fall under any of the one-time payments.
My recommendation: Go for the monthly payment of $49/month.
In fact, the certificate might take an even shorter amount of time to complete.
Read more on that below.
How Long Will it Take to Complete the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate?
It will take around 12 months to complete the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate. The certificate content is heavy and requires committing to learning. This varies based on previous knowledge, learning speeds, and time commitment. Although IBM suggests a 15-month completion time, most can finish earlier.
The IBM Data Engineering Certificate is tough, with 211 hours of content and 13 heavy courses to go through.
That’s why it takes time and commitment to learn!
However, I’m certain that this effort that you put in to learn and grow yourself would pay off!
It typically takes years to become a data engineer, so a 12-month long certificate would be considered pretty short.
I’d still say that the certificate would be worth it!
Is The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate Easy?
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is not easy. The certificate covers many basic to advanced topics in data engineering that beginners would not find easy. The certificate is also 13-course long and requires dedication and commitment to learning. However, it is still worth getting for its quality.
If you’re planning to begin a career in data engineering you should already know that the path would not be easy.
But committing to learning even when things are not easy is when you’ll really stand out from the rest!
In fact, by taking on this certificate, you’re already on an easier path, since you’ll be getting guidance from the certificate and the learning community in there!
You can also consider learning data analytics first and work toward getting into data engineering.
Is The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate Hard?
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is hard. The certificate covers many basic to advanced topics in data engineering that beginners would find hard. The certificate is also 13-course long and requires dedication and commitment to learning. However, it is still worth getting for its quality.
The IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate has really heavy content and many courses to complete (13 in total).
Therefore, I would suggest that this certificate is only for those who are serious about achieving their career goals.
If that’s you and you’re up for the challenge, then the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is very worth your time and money.
Who Should Take the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate?
Aspiring data engineers, students, and current data analysts/scientists looking for a career change should take the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate. Anyone who needs the flexibility of self-paced online learning should also take it. However, the certificate is also a good refresher for data engineers.
Designed with complete beginners in mind, the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate is open to anyone who doesn’t have any prior data engineering experience at all!
However, this certificate may come across as quite daunting and grueling for first-timers.
Despite being tough and daunting, I’d say that this certificate is still worth getting even if you’re new.
That’s because you’ll be getting lots of hands-on activities and projects to help boost your confidence!
Final Thoughts
And that’s all for this review of the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate! I hope it has been helpful for you.
If it has helped you, I’d really appreciate it if you use my affiliate link to purchase the certificate. It comes at no extra cost to you and it really helps to support my writing on this site.
Thanks for reading!
Some Professional Certificates You Might Like:
- Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
- Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate
- IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
- IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate
- Meta Marketing Analytics Professional Certificate
Sources
My Favorite Learning Resources:
My Recommended Learning Platforms!
| Learning Platform | What’s Good About the Platform? | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coursera | Certificates are offered by popular learning institutes and companies like Google & IBM |
| 2 | DataCamp | Comes with an integrated coding platform, great for beginners! |
| 3 | Pluralsight | Strong focus on data skills, taught by industry experts |
| 4 | Stratascratch | Learn faster by doing real interview coding practices for data science |
| 5 | Udacity | High-quality, comprehensive courses |
My Recommended Online Courses + Books!
| Topic | Online Courses | Books | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data Analytics | Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate | – |
| 2 | Data Science | IBM Data Science Professional Certificate | – |
| 3 | Excel | Excel Skills for Business Specialization | – |
| 4 | Python | Python for Everybody Specialization | Python for Data Analysis |
| 5 | SQL | Introduction to SQL | SQL: The Ultimate Beginners Guide: Learn SQL Today |
| 6 | Tableau | Data Visualization with Tableau | Practical Tableau |
| 7 | Power BI | Getting Started with Power BI Desktop | Beginning Microsoft Power BI |
| 8 | R Programming | Data Science: Foundations using R Specialization | Learning R |
| 9 | Data Visualization | – | Big Book of Dashboards |
