Newsflash, now’s the time to enhance your computer science and/or data science skill set. Really there couldn’t be a better time, considering the huge amount of online learning opportunities we have access to today. In fact, Coursera announced in a June blog post that college and university students can learn and earn certificates for free using their verified school email (AND two Coursera courses have made our list)! Whether you’re wanting to learn something new as a beginner or take a refresher course, online learning is where it’s at.
While it makes sense to up your game if you’re a computer science or data science major, simply a basic understanding can set you ahead of the competition. If you are a computer science major or are planning to be, congratulations, you made a wise decision! Computer Science made our list of the top 10 college majors with high-paying jobs after graduation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a prosperous outlook for computer scientists as employment is expected to grow by 16 percent. Data science, sometimes called big data or mathematical science has a similar career projection at 28%.
The Top 5 Computer Science Digital Courses
The Top 5 Data Science Digital Courses
Even if you’re a current high school student, or a college student majoring in something other than data analyst, you shouldn’t let this stop you from personal and professional growth by learning the basics. Having topic knowledge before, during or after college is a chance for you to level up! Course completion demonstrates you’re receptive to the latest industry trends and have acted by enrolling in digital courses. Bonus: Adding course certification to your list of accomplishments will only enhance your college admission essay, your portfolio and your resume. Digital learning is your chance to level up no matter what season of life you’re in.
If you’re ready to dive into online courses in computer science or data science we’ve done some leg work for you. Here’s Fastweb’s list of the top 10 computer science and data science e-learning courses to take right now:
4. Hour of Code — Designed for learners ages 8+, this course is perfect for middle school and high school students. You have the option to pick and choose the code lessons you’ll study. These courses hour-long courses include Drawing with Code, Webpages (HTML and CSS) and Databases.
Learning includes videos, “talk-throughs,” and playing with code as you learn. With free courses, you can make it official after completion by printing out your certificate. Social media sharing and interaction is also a highlight of the Hour of Code courses, as they encourage students and/or their parents to share via Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag, #hourofcode. If your college career is going in this direction, get a solid knowledge start for free!
5. Learn Java — No prerequisites required and completed by more than two million students, this course is free and practical. Codeacademy highlights this course by sharing that Java code is THE developer platform for Android smart phones. Finish the course with seven Java projects to fill your resume!
The Top 5 Computer Science Digital Courses
1. Introduction to Computer Science — Get a basic overview of the computer science lingo with topics such as algorithms, web development and more. This introductory course touches on CS languages like Python, HTML and JavaScript. This course is not only FREE, but you can make it work with your schedule via the self-paced format. A HarvardX course consider adding verification for only $90—that's a steal. 2. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) — You don’t need a CS background to broaden your understanding of Python (a coding program that’s quite popular). Offered free and taught by University of Michigan professors, you’ll learn what a program is and how to use and reuse the Python code. Complete the course in only seven weeks, for FREE! You have the option to add a certification for only $49. 3. Mathematics for Machine Learning Specialization — Ranked at nearly a 5-star course you’ll learn prerequisite math for data science and machine learning. Mathematic skills include calculus, linear algebra, principal component analysis and more. Completion of this course will set you up for higher level courses in data science. According to Coursera this specialization bridges any contextual learning gaps. You’ll finish with a hands-on project you can add to your resume.The Top 5 Data Science Digital Courses
1. Intro to Machine Learning with PyTorch — A beginner course, you’ll gain practical experience in areas such as machine learning algorithms and data cleaning. While the course is listed as beginner level It’s recommended you have basic Python Code and statistical knowledge to get the most from this course. In three months, you’ll have completed this Udacity course with three projects based upon real-world scenarios. These projects cover deep learning, supervised learning and unsupervised learning. 2. AI for Everyone — Taught by a top university professor and founding leader of Google Brain, Andrew NG is a top instructor at Coursera. This free course is designed for not only novice data scientists, but for students with no data or computer science background. In only a month you’ll have a solid understanding of AI, AI project applications and know how to use AI within a company and society. Choose to purchase course certifications you can use on your Linkedin Profile, resumes, CVs or other documents. 3. Intro to Data Analysis — A basic-level course from Udacity, you’ll get a data analysis introduction, and understand the steps you need to take to complete a full data analysis process, in only six weeks. Dabble with popular program languages such as Python, Pandas and Matpoltlib to develop cleaner and faster code. This free, self-paced course includes access to a student support community too. 4. Machine Learning A-Z™: Hands-On Python & R In Data Science — While not a free course, Udemy is offering steep discounts on their most popular courses, like this one. A through course, the only recommended requirement is some high school mathematics. Instructor will guide you, step-by-step into machine learning in a series of 10 strategic lessons. Touch on topics like complex theory, algorithms and coding libraries. 5. Analyze Data with R — Codecademy offers a skill pathway with this 8-week, course series. Learn how to use the program language R to turning numbers into data visualization. You’ll finish the course with knowing how to investigate with R libraries, create data reports, calculate statics, and translating R language into other popular program languages. This class set is designed with data scientist beginners in mind too!Long Live a Lifetime of Learning
As the American economy is expected to have a long recovery because of the pandemic, anything you can do to enhance your odds of being noticed are ideal. Take advantage of the thousands of free online training courses and online classes. These opportunities will help you save money and they can typically be completed in a short amount of time. Hence, many of these course series are now also referred to as nano degrees delivered online. Avoid feeling overwhelmed or lost when deciding where to look or what courses to take. To help you make the most of your time we’ve created a online learning platform to help you easily compare e-learning platforms and digital courses.You Might Also Like
Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman is the Managing Editor and a writer at Fastweb. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her direct work with college admissions teams, financial aid officers, college deans, ...
