Data Science refers to the credentials that help validate a student or professional’s skills and expertise in the field of data science. There are various types of data science certifications available in the market, offered by various institutes, universities, vendors, tech firms, online learning platforms, and certification bodies. Certifications can be designed for different levels of experience, different data science platforms, different tools and technologies, or can be entirely suitable for a particular industry only. It is a good decision to get certified with the best data science certification courses to enhance skills and take a data science career to the next level. However, it can be a daunting task to find the right certification program.
Therefore, in this comprehensive guide, we discuss some of the best data science certifications and different factors to consider before choosing the right one. So, let’s get started.
Best Data Science Certifications
Mentioned below are some of the top data science certification courses available that can enhance your data science skills and help you improve your employability.
1. Certified Lead Data Scientist (CLDS™): USDSI®
The United States Data Science Institute (USDSI®) offers this advanced-level data science certification program designed for mid-level professionals with 2+ years of experience in the field of science, technology, engineering, or management.
This certification helps to validate the candidate’s skills and expertise in efficiently building data science projects. The CLDS™ professionals can develop world-class data science designs and applications and manage any end-to-end project. According to their research, the demand for skilled and certified data scientists will increase by 28% with an annual average salary of $100,000 and this will be a perfect credential to earn to grab the upcoming opportunities.
CLDS™ is a self-paced online program that can be completed within 4-25 weeks. Professionals get access to a well-structured resource center consisting of ebooks, HQ lecture videos, practice codes, and use cases to prepare for the exam.
2. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
It is a comprehensive program that helps aspiring data scientists make their foundation in data science strong by providing a detailed course curriculum on the fundamental concepts of data science that will help them successfully walk on their data science career journey.
The course is offered on several online platforms including edX and Coursera. Designed for beginners, it helps learners with the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret datasets with the help of the right tools and technologies to extract meaningful insights and assist in data-driven decision-making.
3. Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics: MIT
The MIT xPRO Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics is an online data science program designed to provide budding data science professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge required to transform data into actionable insights.
Some key features of this certification program are:
- Industry-recognized learning as it is taught by MIT faculty and top industry experts and ensures the learners receive the most updated and relevant knowledge in data science and analytics.
- Covers a broad range of topics including data wrangling, data visualization, statistical modeling, machine learning, AI, etc.
- Learners get to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world problems
- Self-paced learning program
- Career support from MIT
4. Google Professional Data Engineer
It is a highly sought-after certification program that helps validate a professional’s skills and expertise required to design, develop, and manage data pipelines and infrastructure on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
It is a perfect certification option for students and professionals looking to demonstrate their ability to collect, process, and analyze large volumes of data using GCP tools and services.
Before you enroll in this certification program, it is recommended that you have a strong knowledge of programming languages like Python or Java and experience with data analysis tools like SQL or Hadoop. Having experience in working with cloud computing platforms like AWS or Azure can be an added advantage.
5. Professional Certificate in Data Science: Harvard University
The Professional Certificate in Data Science offered by Harvard University is a detailed data science certification program designed for beginners who want to master skills and knowledge to pursue a career in data science. It is a 12-month program offered through HarvardX which is an online learning platform of Harvard University.
The program covers a wide range of data science topics such as data science methodology, Python programming, data visualization, data analysis, etc.
Having this certification under your belt, you can open your door to several data science career opportunities such as data analyst, data scientist, machine learning, engineer, data engineer, etc.
Conclusion
With the enormous amount of data being generated every day, the demand for data science professionals will only increase in the future to handle such huge data. If you hold a credible and widely recognized certification, then it will help you distinguish from the crowd and increase your chances of getting hired with higher salaries. So, find out the best data science certification matching your career goals, and enroll today.
