With lockdowns likely to get extended across many locations in the world and offices remaining shut, many ed-tech platforms are offering some of their data science courses and other learning content for free. While professionals adapt to work from home amid a health crisis and an oncoming recession, using the extra time to upskill themselves has become commonplace.
As these platforms launch new and free resources across an array of disciplines, identifying the right courses can be overwhelming. With many free courses from top universities already explored here, we have sought to update that list and include courses that were made free in the intervening period. With that, here is a list of courses to improve your data science skills:
Great Learning Academy’s Data Visualization Using Tableau
About the course: It is not enough to learn how to read data and extract insights from it — how you explain that analysis to stakeholders is what it ultimately boils down to. Many struggle to break down ideas for non-technical people and explain findings in a manner such that they can use it to make decisions.
Visualisation plays an important role here. After taking this course, learners can create easy-to-read graphs and other visual representations of data. It covers dashboard design, visual analytics, and advanced mapping, and includes video content, as well as three quizzes and one project.
Associated institution: Great Learning
Level: Beginner
Duration: 10 hours
Click here to enrol
SAS Academy For Data Science
SAS has also launched free courses through its Academy for Data Science and Learning Subscription program that range from short videos to interactive online courses. This includes extensive learning and high-level training and covers data curation, advanced analytics, programming, statistics, machine learning, put together by SAS experts.
As part of the offering, learners can avail free access of resources for 30 days. With this, they can use virtual labs to practice their learning and interact with live instructors.
Click here for more information.
Tableau E-learning
With 90 days of online learning made absolutely free, there may never be a better time to upskill using this platform. The process is quite straightforward. Simply create a TableauID account here, enter access code 2020elearning, and start learning.
It comprises various learning paths across courses like: Desktop I: Fundamentals, Desktop II: Intermediate, Desktop III: Advanced, and Prep, and more.
Click here to start learning.
Coursera’s Algorithms series
Through the program ‘Coursera Together’, the platform is offering free online learning as the world goes into lockdown amid Covid-19. Free until July-end, its range of courses on algorithms in collaboration with Princeton University is highly rated. Since knowledge of algorithms is commonly tested in data science interviews, this series will be valuable for aspiring data scientists, as well as professionals seeking to upskill themselves.
Algorithms Part I and Part II
About these courses: Offered by Computer Science professors Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne, this series covers all essential algorithms and data structures. While the first part covers sorting and searching algorithms, the second part focuses on string-processing algorithms, among others. Although all features are available for free, learners will not get certifications on completion of the courses.
Associated institution: Princeton University
Part I
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 39 hours
Click here to enrol
Part II
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 40 hours
Click here to enrol
Analysis of Algorithms
About the course: Offered by Robert Sedgewick, it teaches calculus that enables precise predictions of large combinatorial structures. Additionally, it covers the symbolic method in the context of applications in algorithms analysis, as well as basic structures like permutations, trees, and mappings, among others. Like the previous two courses, learners will not get a certification on completion of the course.
Associated institution: Princeton University
Level: Advanced
Duration: 23 hours
Click here to enrol
ALSO READ: Top Free Online Data Science Courses For 2020
Udemy’s Data Science, Machine Learning, Data Analysis, Python & R
About the course: This free crash course on data science, machine learning, data analysis, Python and R in an easy-to-understand on-demand video format. Particularly targeted at data and business analysts, it will help learners grasp complex theory, algorithms and coding libraries quickly. By the end of the video, learners would have improved their understanding of the data science world.
Taught by a data scientist who comes with over 10 years of experience in the field, the course carries ample practical exercises, which will give learners hands-on practice building their own models. What is more, it includes both Python and R code templates, which learners can download and use when they work on their own projects.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 8 hours
Click here to enrol
ALSO READ: Online Data Science Courses VS Project-Based Learning: What Should You Choose?
edX’s Amazon SageMaker: Simplifying ML Application Development
About the course: Conducted by three able instructors from AWS, this course will teach learners without a data science background on how to integrate ML into apps. It will cover how to use a Jupyter Notebook to train a model with SageMaker and how to publish the validated model. The month-long course includes lectures by experts, discussions and demonstrations.
An added bonus is a chance to earn a voucher for the AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty practice exam if learners register as a verified user and complete the course by May 31. With this, learners can test their ML skills in an online exam environment.
Associated institution: AWS
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 weeks
Click here to enrol
Harvard University’s High-Dimensional Data Analysis
About the course: The course focuses on popular techniques that are used in the analysis of high-dimensional data. It covers mathematical distance, dimension reduction, multiple dimensional scaling plots, and factor analysis, among other concepts.
It also gives an introduction to ML and applies it to high-throughput data. Furthermore, it elaborates on clustering analysis, hierarchical clustering, prediction algorithms, and more. Although open for anyone interested in data sciences, it is targeted at people who want to dive deep into data analysis and interpretation.
Associated institution: Harvard University
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 weeks
Click here to enrol
Nasscom’s AI Series
About the course: Nasscom had earlier announced that it will be offering its AI course for free until May 15. The program comprises six courses, covering both theoretical and practical aspects of the technology. With this course, learners will be able to build foundational understanding of AI practices, as well as implement AI algorithms for businesses.
Associated Partner: SkillUp Online
Level: Intermediate
Click here to enrol
IIT Kanpur’s Statistics Series
IIT-Kanpur had announced that it would offer free courses on various disciplines of statistics during the Covid-19 lockdown. Developed in collaboration with professor Shalabh of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, it consists of study notes and video lectures.
The series will cover regression analysis, sampling theory, design of experiment and analysis of variance, econometric theory, introduction to sampling theory, linear regression analysis and forecasting, introduction to R software, and descriptive statistics with R software.
Click here for more.
Oracle’s Cloud Certification
Oracle had recently announced that it will be offering free access to its online cloud courses amid Covid-19 lockdowns across the world. The course would involve hands-on learning, along with exam prep guide and practice exam.
These certifications will cover cloud infrastructure and autonomous databases, and will be available for free until 15 May.
Click here for more
