In today’s world, there’s a vast amount of knowledge at our fingertips. We have the opportunity to study through almost any institution in the online world, in a multitude of disciplines.
We take a look at some of your options in the field of Big Data Analytics.
Offerings range from short introductory online courses, to fully fledged certifications such as postgraduate degrees.
Introductory and Short to Detailed Courses
If you’re looking for an introduction or further qualifications within your sector, these options are a good place to start;
First up, Google offers online courses which are simply a click away. Their Digital Skills for Africa concept covers data and tech, including; Understanding the basics of code and Understanding the basics of machine learning. Each of these courses is only 1 hour and worth doing if you are completely new to the IT or big data landscape.
EdX has become a popular online learning platform and gives you the option of free course material and self testing, or paying for certification on successful completion of set modules.
A general Big Data Analytics course is a general option, with more than fifty further choices for variations which delve into a particular industry, for example: Data Analysis in Healthcare. There are also options for analytics applied to various technologies Data Analysis with Excel and courses appealing to different facets of Data Analysis eg: Business Decisions in Data Analytics.
EdX also offers courses on Data Science, Data Modeling, Analytics in Python and Predictive Analytics. If you’re new to data analytics altogether, it’s advisable to start with introductory offerings.
Coursera is another highly recommended source of learning, offering a full range of options from degrees to short courses in Data Analysis, Data Engineering and becoming a Data Scientist. Some of the popular courses include R Programming, Python Data Structures, Business Analytics and Data Structures and Algorithms.
Get Smarter is a South African based online learning platform and generally study fees apply. Their portals include South African and international Universities. They offer the following three courses in data analysis;
Data Analysis Online Short Course through the University of Cape Town, Data Science for Executives via Berkley and Data Analysis for Management through the London School of Economic and Political Science.
Advanced Learning
As many experienced Data Analysts will tell you, DataCamp is an advanced learning source for a career as a Data Scientist. The structure focuses on Data Science with R or Python and specific skills like data visualisation, manipulation and importing & cleaning data.
They also offer introductory courses to Python and R, deep learning and SQL for Data Science.
An alternative, open source forum for Data Science learning is Data Science Masters . Start with the introductory course and work your way through Maths, Computing, Data Analysis, Data Communication and Design, Python and R at no cost, and at your own pace.
For students who have completed their chosen degree and wish to continue their University studies, the BSc Honours in Big Data Analytics programme has been designed by the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Qlik Sense Training
As a Business Intelligence Consultancy, we partner with SA Qlik and use Qlik Sense, an end to end data analytics platform.
Naturally, we highly recommend use of this platform for companies and individuals when it comes to Big Data Analysis.
If you or your company uses the software, or is considering it, it’s advisable to ensure the necessary user skills. Insight Consulting offers online Qlik Sense Data Modeling and Qlik Sense Data Visualisation. Each course is 2 days and covers essential technical and business material. View our Events section for more courses and info.
Qlik Sense Certifications
These are important for Qlik BI Consultants and developers to certify competency in the field. The following certifications are on offer, and further information can be found on the Qlik Certification Website.
- Qlik Sense Business Analyst – ability to identify requirements, design applications, prepare and load data and develop applications.
- Qlik Sense Data Architect – identify requirements for data models, design and build data models and validate the data.
- Qlik Sense System Administrator – identify requirements for environments, install and set up Qlik Sense Enterprise, manage environment and monitor and troubleshoot.