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FutureLearn

Introduction to Data Science for Business

via FutureLearn

Overview

Launch a career as a data scientist

Traditionally data was mainly collected from single or very few sources, classed as ‘structured’ and simple to analyse. Enter the era of ‘big data’. Data is now being generated from a plethora of sources at unprecedented volumes and this significant rise in unstructured data has created challenges that are driving the demand for data science skills worldwide.

On this four-week course, you’ll gain a foundational knowledge of data science for business applications, which can act as a launchpad to set you on an exciting career path to becoming a successful data scientist.

Discover the business value of data science

This course will show you the business value of data science, from data security to predicting market trends. You’ll also delve into the data science life cycle and how to identify and frame business needs to solve problems.

Explore the scientific approach to data science

Data science is a multidisciplinary domain that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to draw knowledge and insights from unstructured data.

During the second week, you’ll dive deeper into solving business problems with data. You’ll learn how to design a structured thinking problem, build a hypothesis, and then test it to discover a solution to a business need.

Learn to use spreadsheets for data analysis and visualisation

The second half of this course will introduce you to data analysis, data visualisation and using Excel to perform and display your analysis.

You’ll explore the different functions of Excel and how to create formulas and build charts. You’ll then learn the communication frameworks to help you communicate your insights to stakeholders in a concise and engaging way.

This course is designed for anyone interested in a career in data science. It will also be useful to anyone looking to understand how data science teams can play a role in enhancing business performance.

Syllabus

  • The business value of data science
    • Welcome to the course
    • Introduction to data science
    • Data science in business
    • Data analytics
  • Scientific approach to data science
    • Data science as a science
    • Generating a hypothesis
    • Hypothesis testing
  • Performing data analysis
    • Introduction to data analysis
    • Fundamentals of spreadsheets
    • Performing data analysis using Excel
  • Data visualisation using spreadsheets
    • Introduction to data visualisation
    • Visualising data using Excel
    • Communicating insights
    • Ethics in data science

Taught by

Charlie Travis

Reviews

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