This course is part of the Data Analytics for Business ExpertTrack
Data Analytics for Business: Basic Analysis and Statistics
Gain an introduction to basic data analysis functions and statistical models to deliver insights for your business.
- Duration4 weeks
- Weekly study4 hours
- Included in an ExpertTrackCourse 1 of 3
Data Analytics for Business: Basic Analysis and Statistics
Do you want to build the most in-demand skills for today’s job market?
Data analysis has become an essential business skill in recent years. Learn the basics, expand your knowledge of Excel, and learn how to tell stories with data in this self-paced course.
You don’t need any prior knowledge to benefit from this course - just a desire to clarify and act on your organisation’s data.
Discover the benefits of data analysis
Data analytics is one of the most in-demand professions of the decade and forecasters expect the sector to grow even further.
This course will help you identify the benefits of data analysis, both to your organisation and your career. You’ll develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to gain a competitive edge at your current job or in the job market.
Use Excel to achieve your objectives
It’s likely you already have one of the most powerful data analysis tools on your computer, and it’s also likely that you don’t use it to its full potential.
This course will help you identify the right Excel formula to achieve your objectives in importing, cleaning, analysing, and manipulating data sets.
Explore data analytics fundamentals and basic statistics
Data analysis employs a lot of statistics skills – even machine learning is often underpinned by fundamental statistical principles. This course will put you on firm mathematical grounding so that you can build your data analysis skills on a strong foundation.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll have a sound set of skills in basic data analytics, Excel, and statistics, and will be ready to move onto tidying data and creating databases.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction to the course and data analytics
Introduction to the course
In this activity we’ll introduce you to the course and look at how the course is structured. You’ll also be introduced to the case study used throughout the course.
Introduction to data analytics
In this activity you’ll explore the fundamentals of data and big data, learn about common data sources and discover different types of analytics available to an organisation.
Weekly Wrap-up
To complete the week, let’s recap the key points covered so far.
Week 2
Processes and tools for data-driven decision-making
Introduction
Introduction to the week's topics and outcomes
Data-driven decision-making
Data-driven decision-making is the habit and process of making business decisions by analysing data. In this activity, we’ll look at what it means for an organisation to be data-driven, and how data can inform decisions.
Data analytics projects
Analytics projects use a range of tools to get from a business problem to a data-driven solution. In this activity we’ll look at the steps in an analytics project and the tools for each stage.
Weekly Wrap-up
To complete the week, let’s recap the key points covered so far.
Week 3
Introduction to fundamental statistics
Introduction
Introduction to the week's topics and outcomes
Fundamental statistics 1
In this activity you'll learn how to calculate the main components of descriptive statistics: measures of centre and measures of spread. We’ll also run through some mathematical notation you might encounter on analytics projects.
Weekly Wrap-up
To complete the week, let’s recap the key points.
Week 4
Application of fundamental statistical techniques
Introduction
Overview of the week's topics and learning outcomes
Fundamental statistics 2
Now you know how to calculate measures of centre and measures of spread, let’s look at how we can visualise the data and interpret these measures to understand the ‘shape’ of it.
Spreadsheets for statistics
In this topic we’ll cover the basic skills of using spreadsheets so you can comfortably navigate these applications and apply basic functions for data analysis.
Course Wrap-up
To complete the week, let’s recap the key points.
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Create a shareable certificate link for your CV and LinkedIn.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
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What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify the benefits of data analysis
- Articulate data analytics fundamentals including basics of statistics
- Identify the correct Excel formula syntax to achieve an objective
Who is the course for?
This course is for professionals who require data analytics skills at work, and learners who are interested in moving to a data analytics career.
These may include:
- Early-stage or aspiring data or business analyst looking to boost their qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills.
- Business professional working in a role that requires data analytics skills.
- Business or arts graduate looking to start their first professional role by adding required quantitative skills such as data analysis.
What software or tools do you need?
During the course we’ll be using DB Browser for SQLite and Excel. If you don’t have Excel, you might find this online version useful.
We recommend you use a computer to access this course.
Who will you learn with?
As a certified Data Analyst and holder of a Chartered Global Management Accountant designation I provide a unique set of skills in the fields of data, analytics, finance, and accounting.
Who developed the course?
FutureLearn
FutureLearn is jointly owned by The Open University and The SEEK Group and has been providing online courses for learners around the world over the last eight years.
In collaboration with
Endorsed by
endorsed by
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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