Nigerians interested in obtaining a training in Data science have the opportunity to do so through these Ivy League American universities; and the best thing is that it is online and free.
According to reports, Data science is one of the most in-demand and fastest growing fields in the U.S. For instance, the U.S Bureau of Labour Statistics projected that between 2021 and 2031, the demand for data scientists will grow by 21% because the skill is the most sought-after tech skill and most companies spending on the data scientist who can help grow the company more dynamically.
The median salary for data scientists is $131,490 with the highest 10% of data scientists earning more than $208,000.
Although most data science roles require or value a masters degree, many top universities including some Ivy League universities are offering training for prospective data scientists before committing to a data science masters degree.
Here’s is a list which compiles the top 7 data science courses.
Harvard University: Data Science: Linear Regression
Understanding relationships between two variables is frequently required in data science applications, and linear regression is commonly used to quantify that relationship. This course will teach participants how linear regression was developed and how to examine variable relationships.
This introductory-level course is self-paced and takes eight weeks to complete, with a weekly commitment of one to two hours. Participants can also enroll in the course as part of a professional certificate in data science program, which costs $790.80 to complete. Rafael Irizarry, a biostatistics professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, teaches all nine courses in the professional certificate program.
University of Michigan: Data Science Ethics
The free online course in data science ethics from the University of Michigan emphasizes privacy and informed consent. H. V. Jagadish, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Michigan, is the instructor for this course which takes four weeks to complete and involves three to four hours of weekly commitment. Participants can pay $49 for a certification after the completion of the course.
University of California–Irvine: Intro to Analytic Thinking, Data Science, and Data Mining
Students will learn about the different business problems that may be resolved using data science as well as the ethical issues that must be taken into account while using data in this highly rated course by Fortune. Over the course of four weeks, this course can be completed in around seven hours. Julie Pai, assistant director of technology programs at UC Irvine, and Dursun Delen, a data science instructor are the instructors for the course.
Johns Hopkins University: Data Science in Real Life
Data science in Real Life is a free online course offered by the university where the participants get to learn what perfect data science experiences are like, as well as looking at the challenges data scientist face. The course includes managing quality data and A/B testing. The course can be completed in one week and is 7 hours in duration. Brian Caffo, Roger D. Peng, and Jeff Leek from Bloomberg school of Public Health at John Hopkins university are the facilitators.
Columbia University: Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics
Machine learning enables systems to learn and adapt without instruction. In this course, participants gain knowledge about how to manipulate data, look for patterns within data, and utilize algorithms to search and sort data.
With seven to ten hours of commitment per week, this self-paced course can be completed in around five weeks. The facilitators are Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi, Cliff Stein, and David Blei, all professors at Columbia University. The course is free but unrestricted access to the course is $99.
MIT: Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is offering this course through its MIT’s open courseware platform, which was originally taught and recorded in fall 2016. For free, students can gain access to the course lectures, syllabus, lecture slides and files, assignments, and software.
Before commencing the course however, students should typically take a course in Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python. The introduction to computational thinking and data science course, will then teach students how data and computer science can be used to solve problems and prepares them to complete programming projects.
Duke University: Data Science Math Skills
Math skills are required in order for aspiring students of Data Science. This free online course covers topics like set theory, number lines, algebra, summation and distance formulas, and other data science-related math. This course is also useful to prepare for Mastering Data Analysis in Excel, which is another free online course offered in Duke. It is taught by Daniel Egger, executive in residence of Engineering Management and Paul Bendich, assistant Maths Research professor at Duke university. The course takes four weeks to complete and is 13 hours in total after which you will earn a completion certificate.
