What is the best online data science course for beginners?

Start your data science career with the best online courses for beginners, designed to equip you with essential skills and practical knowledge.

data science

Data Science is one of the fastest-growing fields, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasting a 36% increase in job opportunities from 2023 to 2033.

As a beginner, gaining expertise in this area can lead to a stable and fulfilling career. However, many newcomers face challenges in learning the complexities of data science, including different tools and methodologies involved. Additionally, applying theoretical knowledge to real-world problems can be daunting, leading to missed opportunities.

So, what’s the best way to overcome these hurdles? Investing your time in a high-quality online data science course tailored for beginners can give you the skills you need to succeed.

In this blog, we’ll highlight the best online data science courses and key factors to consider when selecting one.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Data Science Course

Selecting the right data science course is essential to your learning journey. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a course in data science:

1. Course Structure, Duration, and Flexibility: A well-structured course will help beginners to learn well. Courses with foundational topics such as Python, statistics, machine learning, and data visualization will be beneficial. Flexibility in learning, such as learning anytime, anywhere, and which have a relevant duration.

To learn these topics for free, check out our selection of free courses.

2. Instructor Experience and Industry Recognition: The course should have a faculty of industry experts with relevant data science experience.

3. Access to Resources, Projects, and Mentorship: Courses that provide real-world projects, industry-relevant case studies, and access to mentors can enhance practical knowledge.

4. Certification and Placement Support: Look for courses that offer credible certification and assist with job placement, especially for those aiming to start their career in data science.

The Best Online Data Science Courses for Beginners

There are many online data science courses available but Great Learning stands out in its practical focus, effective methods of teaching students, and comprehensive curriculum designed to equip beginners with essential skills.

Now, let’s discuss how Great Learning is ideal for learners who begin their learning journey from scratch. 

Why Great Learning Stands Out for Data Science

At Great Learning, the emphasis is on delivering an industry-aligned education that prepares learners for real-world challenges. Here’s why Great Learning’s Data Science course is an excellent fit for beginners in data science:

1. Comprehensive Curriculum
Great Learning offers a structured curriculum that covers everything from basic programming and statistics to advanced machine learning and deep learning techniques. 

  • The curriculum is designed so that students can learn anytime from anywhere. 
  • The curriculum covers more than 15 tools and languages and has 225+ hours of learning content.

2. Industry-Aligned Projects
Learners at Great Learning engage with projects modeled on real-world scenarios, helping them build portfolios that showcase their skills.

  • The course comes with hands-on case studies with projects covering different industries.
  • Projects like hotel booking cancellation prediction, machine learning maintenance, online course provider data analysis, diet case study, and many more are covered in the course.
  • Popular and essential languages and tools like, Python, SQL, tableau, pandas, R, Matplotlib, SciPy and many more are also covered.

3. Hands-On Learning
Beyond lectures, learners participate in interactive sessions where they can apply their knowledge. The learning environment encourages students to solve problems and be creative and collaborative.

  • With one-on-one mentorship weekly by experts, sessions can help students to clear their doubts.
  • Networking with people of similar interests grows your professional network.
  • Also, there is dedicated program support, which helps students understand and learn better.

If you’re interested in getting more detailed information about the courses, you can download the brochure here. It provides an in-depth look at the curriculum and learning outcomes.

Great Learning Data Science Programs and Benefits

Great Learning have a variety of programs which aligns to the different learners’ needs.

1. Post Graduate Program in Data Science with Gen AI

This program is ideal for those looking to start a career in data science or upskill themselves. It covers everything from Python Programming to data modeling, and graduates receive a recognized certificate that opens doors to various opportunities. 

Program Highlights:

  • Flexibility to learn anytime and anywhere, with 5 months of course duration.
  • The industry-ready curriculum covers basic to advanced topics.
  • Postgraduate certificate from Great Lakes, dedicated placement assistance, Real- world case studies.
  • Confirmed interview opportunities, personalized assistance with dedicated program managers, and Mock interviews.
  • After course completion, the average salary hike is 85%, with 43 LPA being the highest CTC.
  • With 3,300+ hiring companies, the average CTC after 3-4 years of the program is 17.45 LPA, with a 550% hike for experienced professionals and a 320% hike for freshers. 

2. PGP in Data Science and Business Analytics

This program is a postgraduate program in data science and business analytics, which has an industry ready curriculum to make your learnings easy, and to enable you in getting into data science and business analytics field.

Program Highlights:

  • Get flexibility to study whenever and wherever you choose, with a course length of 12 months.
  • The curriculum is crafted to prepare you for the industry, covering a wide range of topics from the basics to advanced techniques.
  • Get dual certificates from UT Austin and Great Lakes, and dedicated placement assistance.
  • Real-world case studies on projects like:
    • AIRBNB: Theme augmented property segmentation and recommendation.
    • Computer vision-based license plate detection for automated vehicle parking management systems.
  • Confirmed interview opportunities, personalized assistance with dedicated program managers, and Mock interviews.
  • After course completion, the average salary hike is 50%, with 43 LPA being the highest CTC.

3. Master of Data Science

This is an online master’s program in data science for those interested in upskilling their careers and getting hands-on experience. It is a collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin and Deakin University.

Program Highlights:

  • Flexibility to learn anytime and anywhere, with 12+12 months of course duration.
  • Get a global master’s degree at 1/10th the cost as compared to a 2-year master’s.
  • A postgraduate certificate and a degree from Deakin University and the University of Texas at Austin, Dedicated placement assistance, and real-world case studies.
  • Confirmed interview opportunities, personalized assistance with dedicated program managers, and Mock interviews.
  • After the course is completed, the average salary hike is 50%.
  • With 3300+ hiring companies, you also get resume building, mock interviews, and access to curated jobs.

4. MS in Data Science

This program is ideal for those looking to start a career in data science or upskill themselves. This program is in collaboration with Northwestern University.

Program Highlights:

  • With an 18-month course duration, you have the flexibility to learn at your own convenience, anytime and anywhere.
  • Structured curriculum to meet industry standards, covering topics from basic through advanced levels.
  • Gets the most elite master’s degree from Northwestern University.
  • 225+ hrs of Content, with 10+ tools and languages like Python, SQL, R programming, Machine Learning, Pandas, Predictive Modeling and many more. 
  • !00% live classes, Capstone project to showcase your acquired knowledge.
  • Get one-to-one mentorship, access to job boards, and Dedicated career assistance for enrolled students. 

5. Free Data Science Courses

Great Learning offers free data science courses that provide solid fundamentals for those just starting out and looking for a cost-effective way to learn and explore the field. You can begin learning without any financial commitment. Below are some great free courses:

  1. Data Science Foundations covers all the basics and fundamentals you need to know to get started with data science.
  2. Probability for Data Science, since probability is a very important topic that needs to be learned, you can start learning today.
  3. SQL for Data Science, handling databases comes in handy when you have a large set of data. You can learn SQL for free.

How to Enroll For a Data Science Course With Great Learning?

To get started on Great Learning with data science, you can follow the following steps: 

  1. Get familiar with the website, understand the types of courses offered, and make your own choices. For example, a PG course or a Masters program.
  1. You can go to the explore tab and select data science for all the courses. Each course offers different sets of benefits, and you can compare and find the one you need on the platform itself.
  1. Once done, Choose the desired course, open the course page and follow up on all the course details. 
  1. Enrolling in a course on Great Learning is a very simple and easy process. Just fill up the form you get after clicking on the Download brochure button. And you will be on the right track to learning from the best faculties in the world.

Conclusion

While considering the factors for selecting the best online data science course for beginners, it is clear that Great Learning provides the right combination of flexibility, tutor-led support, and real-world application. 

Great practical learning owing to real-world assignments and projects, America’s most proficient academic curriculum, and an engaging teaching-learning environment make Great Learning an ideal platform for those wishing to make a transition to the data science domain.

FAQs

Q. Can I learn if I am a total beginner?

A. Yes, Great learning offers courses for all the levels of career, you can start with the beginner courses, then move on to the advanced gradually.

Q. What skills will I learn in a typical data science course?

A. A comprehensive data science course covers Data manipulation, Data visualization, Statistics, Probability, EDA(Exploratory Data Analysis), Machine learning fundamentals, Python, SQL, etc.

Q. Do I need to know anything before starting a data science course?

A. No, in many courses topics are beginner friendly, which covers basic computer science skills and a willingness to learn from your side is helpful.

Q. How long do online data science courses take to complete?

A. Different courses have different duration, a course can range anywhere from few weeks to several months, depending on the depth and the level of the course.

Q. Can I get a job after completing an online course?

A. Completing a course will help you to gain relevant skills needed for entry-level data science jobs, but practical experience and projects are also important for grabbing a good job in the data science field.

→ Explore this Curated Program for You ←

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Great Learning Editorial Team
The Great Learning Editorial Staff includes a dynamic team of subject matter experts, instructors, and education professionals who combine their deep industry knowledge with innovative teaching methods. Their mission is to provide learners with the skills and insights needed to excel in their careers, whether through upskilling, reskilling, or transitioning into new fields.

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