Get Started with Python

Overview

Class Central Tips

This is the second of seven courses in the Google Advanced Data Analytics Certificate. The Python programming language is a powerful tool for data analysis. In this course, you’ll learn the basic concepts of Python programming and how data professionals use Python on the job. You'll explore concepts such as object-oriented programming, variables, data types, functions, conditional statements, loops, and data structures. Google employees who currently work in the field will guide you through this course by providing hands-on activities that simulate relevant tasks, sharing examples from their day-to-day work, and helping you enhance your data analytics skills to prepare for your career. Learners who complete the seven courses in this program will have the skills needed to apply for data science and advanced data analytics jobs. This certificate assumes prior knowledge of foundational analytical principles, skills, and tools covered in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. By the end of this course, you will: -Define what a programming language is and why Python is used by data scientists -Create Python scripts to display data and perform operations -Control the flow of programs using conditions and functions -Utilize different types of loops when performing repeated operations -Identify data types such as integers, floats, strings, and booleans -Manipulate data structures such as , lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets -Import and use Python libraries such as NumPy and pandas

Syllabus

Hello, Python!

You’ll begin by exploring the basics of Python programming and why Python is such a powerful tool for data analysis. You’ll learn about Jupyter Notebooks, an interactive environment for coding and data work. You’ll investigate how to use variables and data types to store and organize your data; and, you'll begin practicing important coding skills.

Functions and conditional statements

Next, you’ll discover how to call functions to perform useful actions on your data. You’ll also learn how to write conditional statements to tell the computer how to make decisions based on your instructions. And you’ll practice writing clean code that can be easily understood and reused by other data professionals.

Loops and strings

Here, you’ll learn how to use iterative statements, or loops, to automate repetitive tasks. You’ll also learn how to manipulate strings using slicing, indexing, and formatting.

Data structures in Python

Now, you’ll explore fundamental data structures such as lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets, and arrays. Lastly, you’ll learn about two of the most widely used and important Python tools for advanced data analysis: NumPy and pandas.

Course 2 end-of-course project

You will put everything you have learned about Python so far into practice with an end-of-course project. You will select a business problem from a list of options and use the given data to solve the problem. This project is an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and build a professional portfolio you can use to showcase your work to potential employers.