Analytics is the system of applying certain methods and techniques to understand the performance of data, generally in an organization or industry. The application of analytics can be used to uncover and interpret relevant patterns of data, which can be later used to make better decisions. Analytics relies on good data as part of its usefulness, as well as the aspects of statistics, computer programming, and operations research to quantify performance. Analytics exists in business when companies use statistics and software processes in assessing how a particular product, service, or project measures up in scope. Businesses perform analytics to pinpoint strengths, identify challenges or weaknesses that may exist, and pull out key data points to help make decisions regarding future growth for the organization.

Learning analytics is a key skill that helps you solve problems to existing challenges. When you use analytics tools to research data patterns, you use methods of analyzing performance characteristics that are essential to a business organization. This is important in today's world of big data. Understanding analytics can make you a valuable asset when assessing areas rich with recorded information, performance indicators, and target goals.

What are typical careers that use analytics?

Analytics is found in a wide range of careers, including business analyst, budget analyst, financial controller, data scientist, and operations researcher. Individuals who move into these and other careers in data analytics often work with raw data and algorithms through mechanical processes to make assumptions and theories. Essentially, with knowledge of analytics, you can move into a job that requires a familiarity with numeric relationships, data structures, and trends and metrics relevant to an organization.

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn analytics?

When you take online courses in analytics, you can gain a new understanding of key concepts like data analysis and visualization, mathematical optimization, regression analysis, predictive modeling, and other areas focused on business analytics. Taking online courses about analytics can help you achieve basic data literacy to help you make more informed decisions in any area you work in, like finance, operations, or marketing. As you branch out, you may advance your analytics understanding to include how to extract and manipulate data points, how to use different statistical analysis methods to break down the data, and how to eventually interpret and present your findings.

What are the benefits of taking an online Analytics course?

Online Analytics courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Analytics skills. With a wide range of Analytics classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Analytics career.

What Analytics courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Analytics, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Analytics Courses - Learn Analytics Online

Explore the Analytics Course Catalog

Fractal Analytics
Design Thinking for Data Professionals
Skills you'll gain: User Research, Human Centered Design, Ideation, User Experience Design, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Brainstorming, User Experience, Innovation, Usability Testing, Data Synthesis
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Colorado System
Customer Data Analytics for Marketers
Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Methods, Regression Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Ethics, Statistical Analysis, Marketing Effectiveness, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Customer Insights, Customer Analysis, Correlation Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Data Analysis, Analytics, Marketing Strategies, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization, Statistical Modeling
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
10 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: AI skills
Meta
Meta Social Media Marketing
Skills you'll gain: Paid media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Management, Social Media, Marketing Analytics, Target Audience, Marketing Budgets, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Campaigns, Instagram, Content Creation, Campaign Management, Marketing Effectiveness, Online Advertising, Marketing, Performance Analysis, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Goal Setting, Advertising, Facebook
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
21K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Concepts, Strategies, and Analytics in Performance Marketing and Digital Advertising
Skills you'll gain: Google Ads, Digital Advertising, Online Advertising, Advertising, Contextual Advertising, Pay Per Click Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Paid media, Social Media, Search Engine Marketing, Keyword Research, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Digital Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Data Ethics, Web Analytics and SEO, Media Planning, Web Analytics, Content Performance Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
767 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Google
Process Data from Dirty to Clean
Skills you'll gain: Data Cleansing, Sampling (Statistics), Data Integrity, Data Quality, Data Validation, Sample Size Determination, Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, SQL, Data Transformation, Spreadsheet Software
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
Generative AI for Data Analysts
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Generative AI, ChatGPT, Data Storytelling, OpenAI, Analytics, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Dashboard, Large Language Modeling, Data Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, Program Development, Data Visualization Software, SQL, Python Programming, Query Languages, Image Analysis, Content Creation, Virtual Environment
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.6K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
Generative AI: Enhance your Data Analytics Career
Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Data Storytelling, OpenAI, Analytics, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Dashboard, Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Data Ethics, Data Visualization Software, SQL, Python Programming, Query Languages
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
112 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digital Marketing
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Online Advertising, Marketing Analytics, Keyword Research, Email Marketing, Digital Media Strategy, Digital Advertising, Google Analytics, Analytics, Marketing Communications, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Web Analytics, Marketing Strategies, Integrated Marketing Communications, Performance Analysis, Trend Analysis, Consumer Behaviour
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
23K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Pennsylvania
Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts
Skills you'll gain: Return On Investment, Financial Reporting, Capital Budgeting, Financial Statements, Financial Modeling, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Income Statement, Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Cash Flows, Business Mathematics, Financial Planning, Corporate Finance, Predictive Analytics, Spreadsheet Software, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
17K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
Sourcing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Purchasing, Supplier Performance Management, Supplier Management, Market Intelligence, Supply Management, Vendor Management, Supply Chain Management, Market Analysis, Business Intelligence, Competitive Analysis, Analytics, Financial Analysis
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
13 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Johns Hopkins University
Data Science: Foundations using R
Skills you'll gain: Rmarkdown, Exploratory Data Analysis, Version Control, Statistical Analysis, R Programming, Data Manipulation, Data Cleansing, Data Science, Data Wrangling, Data Visualization, Plot (Graphics), Statistical Programming, Ggplot2, Big Data, Git (Version Control System), Data Integration, Knitr, Data Analysis, Data Sharing, Statistical Reporting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
48K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
IBM
BI Foundations with SQL, ETL and Data Warehousing
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Linux Commands, SQL, IBM Cognos Analytics, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Dashboard, File Management, Star Schema, IBM DB2, Business Intelligence, Interactive Data Visualization, Linux, Relational Databases, Stored Procedure, Databases
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
24K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months