FutureLearn

Introduction to Data Science for Business (FutureLearn)

Offered by FutureLearn,

Build a solid foundation in data science and learn how to analyse data and communicate insights in a business environment. Launch a career as a data scientist. We are in the era of ‘big data’. According to a Forbes article published in 2018, around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data were being generated each day globally.

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On this four-week course, you’ll gain a foundational knowledge of data science for business applications, acting as a launchpad to help you become a successful data scientist.
Discover the business value of data science
Traditionally, data was collected from a single source in a standard format, classed as ‘structured’ data. But with data now being collected from various sources in different forms, known as unstructured data, data scientists are becoming increasingly in demand.
This course will show you the value of data science to any business, 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 of this course, 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 all 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 how to use 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.

Syllabus

Week 1: The business value of data science
Week 2: Scientific approach to data science
Week 3: Performing data analysis
Week 4: Data visualisation using spreadsheets

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Explain the business value of data science
Apply the scientific method to business problems to take an analytical approach to define and test hypotheses
Perform basic data analysis using spreadsheets
Create data visualisations to support data analysis and communicate insights with diverse stakeholders.

Who is the course for?
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.

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