On the Horizon:
What’s Out There?
IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
What you’ll learn: This Coursera-based program covers Python and SQL, including some machine learning skills with Python. “Kickstart your Career in Data Science & ML. Master data science, learn Python & SQL, analyze & visualize data, build machine learning models.”
Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required, costs $39/month. Based on Coursera’s 10-month completion estimate, the approximate total program cost is $390. A similar program is also available on EdX for $369.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Machine Learning, Python Programming, Data Analysis, Data Visualization (DataViz), Numpy, Pandas, Cloud Databases, Ipython, Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), SQL, Predictive Modelling.
Time commitment: Varies. Coursera suggests the average time to complete this certificate is ten months.
Job Opportunity: “As a Coursera learner who completes the Data Science Professional certificate, you will have special access to join IBM’s Talent Network. Our Talent Network members receive all of the tools you need to land a dream job with IBM — sent directly to your inbox! You will get job opportunities as soon as they are posted, recommendations to apply directly to your skills and interests, and tips and tricks to help you stand apart from the crowd.”
IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate
What you’ll learn: This Coursera-based program covers AI, its applications, and its use cases. You will become familiar with IBM Watson AI services and APIs. “Kickstart your Career with Artificial Intelligence (AI).”
Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required, costs $39/month. Based on Coursera’s 7-month completion estimate, the approximate total program cost is $273.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Watson AI, Application Program Interface (API), Python Programming, Numpy, Pandas.
Time commitment: Varies. Coursera suggests the average time to complete this certificate is seven months.
IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate
What you’ll learn: This Coursera-based program covers the ability to scale Machine Learning on Big Data using Apache Spark. You will build, train, and deploy different types of Deep Architectures, including Convolutional Networks, Recurrent Networks, and Autoencoders.
Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required, costs $39/month. Based on Coursera’s 8-month completion estimate, the approximate total program cost is $312.
Prerequisites: Working Knowledge of Python Programming language, Jupyter Notebooks, and High School Mathematics or Math for Machine Learning.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Apache Spark, Big Data, Spark, Artificial Neural Network, Keras.
Time commitment: Varies. Coursera suggests the average time to complete this certificate is eight months.
University of Colorado Boulder — Master of Science in Data Science
What you’ll learn: This program covers theory and methods of data science, including data structures, programming fundamentals, and statistics. Learn both R and Python programming, the most commonly used languages in data science. Training will emphasize theory and methods as well as the tools of the modern workplace, including Amazon Web Services, the Hadoop file system, and tools like SQL and Apache Spark. Become proficient in Predictive Modeling, Risk Analysis, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, and AI.
Cost: TBD.
Prerequisites: An interdisciplinary, applied data science master’s degree with performance-based admissions and no application process. Enroll right away into a series of three, 1-credit “pathway” courses with a focus on either statistics or computer science. Complete your pathway courses with a B or better to be admitted, all while making direct progress toward your degree.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Python programming, R programming, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Apache Spark, Hadoop, AWS, SQL, Big Data, Spark, Artificial Neural Network, Keras.
Time commitment: About 2 years, 30 short courses for 30 credits, completely online.
What you’ll learn: This program covers understanding artificial intelligence through a combination of both theory and practice. Through a series of interactive lectures and team-based projects, you will explore how machines learn in the form of learning paradigms, how to create autonomous agents that can reason, learn, and act on their own, and how to train and optimize deep neural networks. You’ll also strengthen foundational skills in mathematics that will underpin your work in the field of artificial intelligence. Upon completion of these courses, you will have a strong understanding of the techniques used by practitioners in the field of AI, allowing you to advance your career in AI, work more effectively on machine learning projects, and identify opportunities for how you can apply AI to your current role or company.
Cost: $4,500, not including application fee from ASU.
Prerequisites: Basics of algebra, linear algebra, probability, statistics, calculus, and algorithm design and analysis. Knowledge of programming in Python, ROS, and classical logic is also recommended.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Python programming, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial Neural Network.
Time commitment: About 4–6 months, completely online.
Earn Academic credit: Apply these credits to the Master of Computer Science at Arizona State University to begin the program with 9 of your 30 required credits completed.
What you’ll learn: This program covers Master AI algorithms, data mining techniques, and predictive analytics. Solve real-world business problems using machine learning
Cost: $4,000, option to pay all at once or in four separate installments.
Prerequisites: You should have undergraduate education or professional experience related to statistics, basic programming (Python), and linear algebra.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Python programming, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial Neural Network.
Time commitment: About 5 months, completely online.
Earn Academic credit: Apply these credits to the Master of Computer Science at Arizona State University to begin the program with 9 of your 30 required credits completed.
Deep Learning AI — Deep Learning Specialization
What you’ll learn: This program covers the foundations of Deep Learning, understand how to build neural networks, and learn how to lead successful machine learning projects. You will learn about Convolutional networks, RNNs, LSTM, Adam, Dropout, BatchNorm, Xavier/He initialization, and more. You will work on case studies from healthcare, autonomous driving, sign language reading, music generation, and natural language processing. You will master not only the theory, but also see how it is applied in industry. You will practice all these ideas in Python and in TensorFlow, which we will teach.
Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required, costs $39/month. Based on Coursera’s 4-month completion estimate, the approximate total program cost is $156.
Prerequisites: Programming experience. The course is taught in Python. We assume you have basic programming skills (understanding of for loops, if/else statements, data structures such as lists and dictionaries). Mathematics: basic linear algebra (matrix vector operations and notation) will help. Machine Learning: a basic knowledge of machine learning (how do we represent data, what does a machine learning model do) will help. If you have taken Andrew Ng’s Machine Learning course on Coursera, you’re good of course!
Skills Gained: Data Science, Python programming, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Tensorflow, Convolutional Neural Network, Artificial Neural Network, Deep Learning, Backpropagation, Hyperparameter, Hyperparameter Optimization, Inductive Transfer, Multi-Task Learning, Facial Recognition System.
Time commitment: About 4months, completely online.
IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
What you’ll learn: This edX-based program covers Python and SQL, including some machine learning skills with Python. “Kickstart your Career in Data Science & ML. Master data science, learn Python & SQL, analyze & visualize data, build machine learning models.”
Cost: $369.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Skills Gained: Data Science, Machine Learning, Python Programming, Data Analysis, Data Visualization (DataViz), Numpy, Pandas, Cloud Databases, Ipython, Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), SQL, Predictive Modelling.
Time commitment: Varies. edX suggests the average time to complete this certificate is 1 year.
Harvard/EdX Professional Certificate in Data Science
What you’ll learn: This EdX-based program covers R, including some machine learning skills, as well as some statistics and workflow skills. It does not appear to include SQL.
Cost: Currently on sale for $441.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Time commitment: One year and five months. Course progress doesn’t carry over from session to session, so it could require more time if you’re not able to complete a course within its course run.
Columbia University — Professional Certificate in Data Science for Executives
What you’ll learn: This EdX-based program covers a practical understanding of the fundamental methods used by data scientists including; statistical thinking and conditional probability, machine learning and algorithms, and effective approaches for data visualization. The Internet of Things (IoT), natural language processing (NLP), audio and video processing to extract useful information from books, scientific articles, twitter feeds, voice recordings, YouTube videos and much more.
Cost: Currently on sale for $267.30.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Time commitment: Four months, 7–10 hours per week.
MITx’s Statistics and Data Science MicroMasters® Program
What you’ll learn: This EdX-based program covers the foundations of data science, statistics, and machine learning. Analyze big data and make data-driven predictions through probabilistic modeling and statistical inference; identify and deploy appropriate modeling and methodologies in order to extract meaningful information for decision making. Develop and build machine learning algorithms to extract meaningful information from seemingly unstructured data; learn popular unsupervised learning methods, including clustering methodologies and supervised methods such as deep neural networks.
Cost: Currently on sale for $1,350.
Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign up and start learning) and no prior knowledge of statistics or programming is required.
Time commitment: One year and two months, 10–14 hours per week.
Earn Academic credit: Learners who successfully complete this MITx MicroMasters program certificate have the opportunity to apply to the MIT Doctoral Program in Social and Engineering Systems (SES) offered through the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS).
In addition, learners who successfully earn the MITx MicroMasters program certificate in Statistics and Data Science are now eligible to earn credit at a number of universities across the globe to fast track their pursuit of a full Master’s degree.
