Top 5 online data science certifications

The demand for data science roles and how getting certified can help you land one

Data science is one of the most in-demand skills according to a recent report by the World Economic Forum - in every country in which they investigated the job market, a majority of their top ten “emerging” roles involved data science in some capacity. Because of the abundance of jobs in this field, understanding how it works and its capabilities will be a boon to your professional development.

Furthermore, proving to potential future employers that you possess the required skills that come with a data science role will become even more important during a job search. That said, the opportunity to develop those data science skills is no longer accompanied by a large barrier to get started, instead, you can take control of your future.

How to get certified online

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen education move online at an unprecedented rate, and now certifications have increasingly moved into the online sphere as well. There are plenty of available options to demonstrate your knowledge without leaving your home, giving you the opportunity to get certified at your own convenience. But with so many certifications out there, it can be hard to know where to begin, so we’ve compiled a list of the top five online data science certifications.

Harvard Professional Data Scientist $793

Powered by edX, this certification makes use of real-world case studies to teach data science, primarily focusing on R. From the basics of data science to machine learning, this certification makes use of questions based on the practical application of what is being taught: movie recommendations, election forecasting, and the financial crisis of 2007-08. This will enhance your real-world problem-solving skills in the eyes of employers.

DataCamp Data Science Professional $29/month

Our certification will test you on the skills required to succeed as a professional data scientist. With a focus on R or Python and SQL, our certification consists of three assessments, a coding challenge, and a case study. During the case study section, you will present to both a technical and non-technical audience which mirrors real world environments.

Once certified, you will get access to our career services team. Our career services team is specialized in helping certified learners land their dream jobs in data science. Whether through tailored career advice, resume reviews, general best practices, or job matching, our team will help position you for success.

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate $40-80/month

Run by IBM and Coursera, IBM’s certification covers the basics of data science while also going into detail on analyzing and visualizing data, primarily using Python. At the end you will complete a practice exercise, giving you something to add to your portfolio and demonstrate your skills to employers.

Excel to MySQL $40-80/month

Run by Duke University and Coursera, this certification will teach you how to answer business questions using data. Consisting of five different courses, this certification will cover the usage of SQL, Tableau, and Excel for business analytics.

Tableau $100 for Desktop Specialist

Tableau offers three different exams (Desktop Specialist, Certified Associate, and Professional) in using its product at various tiers. Each tier offers an ever-increasing collection of rewards such as a lower refresher exam fee. The exam is online and open-book, so if you forget one or two details, don’t sweat it. This certification will test your ability to use Tableau itself and create visualizations, which will enable you to better communicate your findings.

If you feel ready to prove your knowledge, go ahead and take our certification—and if you feel you could do with a bit more practice first, there are plenty of courses and exercises right here on DataCamp!