Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
2 hours100% online
How it works
Master Excel Fundamentals for Business Insights
Master the essentials of business data analysis
In today’s data-driven world, businesses rely on data insights to drive success. But, many professionals working with data have never received formal training. This beginner-friendly four-week course will equip you with the core skills to clean, analyse, and visualise business data confidently.
With practical, hands-on learning, you’ll build data literacy, explore Excel for business, and get an introduction to key tools in Microsoft Excel, such as data cleansing and visualisation l to prepare for future data analysis and automation training.
Build data confidence with real-world skills
You’ll start by learning how data supports business decision-making across industries. Explore how to work with structured and unstructured data, improve your data literacy, and apply these skills to solve real-world challenges in marketing, finance, HR, and operations.
Through guided activities, you’ll learn to collect, clean, and organise business data in ways that support insight and clarity.
Clean, analyse, and visualise data using Excel
Excel is a powerful tool for business. You’ll develop practical skills in cleaning datasets, using basic calculations, and applying analysis techniques.
Discover how to create clear, engaging visualisations that communicate insights and support strategic decisions in your role.
Develop your Excel skills to prepare for future data training
As you build your confidence with business data, you’ll gain essential Excel skills to support your growth into more advanced data analysis and automation.
Learn how to work with formulas, functions, and formatting to streamline your data workflow.
By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to take the next step in your data journey.
Syllabus
Week 1
Getting familiar with (Basic) Excel and data
Welcome and Learning objectives
Welcome and Learning objectives
Introduction to spreadsheets and Excel
Video walkthrough of Excel as a Blank canvas
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Week 2
Why data is collected and how data analysis can benefit organisations
Welcome back, what's next
Welcome and Learning Objectives
The Purpose of Data
Outlining what’s the purpose of businesses/organisations collecting data?
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Week 3
The role of data in the digital world and how it impacts all digital interactions.
Welcome back, what's next
Welcome and Learning Objectives
Digital interactions - Business
The Role of Data in the Digital World
Digital interactions - Personal
How we interact with data outside of our working lives, although the lines become more blurred.
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Summary, takeaway and Active reflections
Week 4
Basic Data Cleansing and Exploratory Data Analysis
Welcome back, what's next
Welcome and Learning Objectives
Cleaning real-world data
Working with Excel to consider the best tools to ensure data integrity and validity
Data Visualisation
How to start turning your clean data into some reportable or applicable
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe and explain the role of data in the context of the digital world.
- Practice basic Excel navigation, formatting and arithmetic skills.
- Describe and explain how data is valuable to businesses.
- Practice basic Excel formulas and calculations.
- Describe and explain different types of data and common sources.
- Describe different data types and how they can be used in analysis.
- Explain what data architecture is and relate it to their organisation.
- Explain how data is accessed and extracted in their organisation.
Who is the course for?
This course is for beginners and entry-level professionals who want to improve their data analysis skills. It’s ideal for those working with business data in non-technical roles, small business owners, or anyone exploring business analysis and data literacy.
What software or tools do you need?
Microsoft Excel
Who will you learn with?
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Join with limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Try this course - with limits | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Limited to 4 weeks |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Join with limited access
Free
Try this course - with limits
- Limited to 4 weeks
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 2 June 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 2 June 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- 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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