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

Illinois Institute of Technology
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Skills you'll gain:
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Salud Pública Global
Skills you'll gain: Epidemiology, Public Health and Disease Prevention, Descriptive Analytics, Biostatistics, Statistical Reporting, Gerontology, Digital Transformation, Health Policy, Healthcare Ethics, Sampling (Statistics), Cloud Security, Assertiveness, Telehealth, Health Disparities, Public Health, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Business Analytics, Program Evaluation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Health Systems
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Value Chain Management Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Certificate in Taxation
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Financial Management Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Global Challenges in Business Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Extract, Transform, Load, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
Microsoft
Data Manipulation and Cleaning in R
Skills you'll gain: Data Manipulation, Data Cleansing, Data Wrangling, Data Quality, Data Transformation, Tidyverse (R Package), R Programming, Data Validation, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Analysis, Data Integrity, Text Mining, Data Structures, Generative AI
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Inversiones y Finanzas Aplicadas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Financial Statements, Business Analytics, Business Valuation, Derivatives, Strategic Decision-Making, Portfolio Management, Customer Analysis, Risk Analysis, Credit Risk, Digital Transformation, Cloud Security, Assertiveness, Governance, Financial Analysis, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Investments, Financial Data
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Maestría en Gerencia de la Ingeniería
Skills you'll gain: Technology Strategies, Engineering Management, Organizational Strategy, Business Modeling, Project Management, Prototyping, Project Management Life Cycle, Project Management Institute (PMI) Methodology, Stakeholder Management, Feasibility Studies, Team Oriented, Value Propositions, Digital Transformation, Project Closure, Financial Statements, Product Management, Systems Thinking, Asset Management, Project Risk Management, Operations Research
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research
Post Graduate Diploma in Management Online
Skills you'll gain: Mergers & Acquisitions, Search Engine Marketing, Working Capital, Design Thinking, Operations Management, Business Valuation, Competitive Analysis, Manufacturing Operations, Business Strategy, Supply Chain Management, Digital Transformation, Persuasive Communication, Consumer Behaviour, Organizational Leadership, Integrated Marketing Communications, Organizational Change, Change Management, Team Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Portfolio Management
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Maestría en Ingeniería de Software
Skills you'll gain: User Story, Process Analysis, Maintainability, Test Automation, Angular, Android Jetpack, Cloud-Native Computing, Risk Analysis, Dashboard, Design Thinking, Site Reliability Engineering, API Design, Video Game Development, Internet Of Things, Sprint Planning, User Experience Design, Microservices, Machine Learning, Security Requirements Analysis, Cloud Applications
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years