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

University of Colorado Boulder
Introduction to Data Analytics for Business
Skills you'll gain: Data Governance, Analytics, Business Analytics, Data Storage, Data Management, Big Data, Databases, Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, Relational Databases, Data Quality, SQL, Organizational Structure, Cloud Computing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
Supply Chain Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Competitive Analysis, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Market Share, Benchmarking, Transportation, Supply Chain, and Logistics, Customer experience improvement, Analytics, Financial Analysis, Inventory Management System, Data Analysis, Cost Estimation, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Cost Reduction
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
805 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
IBM
IBM Business Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Requirements Elicitation, Risk Mitigation, Business Analysis, Business Process Modeling, Risk Analysis, Process Mapping, Process Optimization, Requirements Management, Risk Management, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Work Breakdown Structure, Scope Management, Process Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Data Visualization Software, Excel Formulas, Microsoft Excel, Analysis
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
12K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
Amazon Web Services
Fundamentals of Analytics on AWS
Skills you'll gain: Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Lakes, Analytics, Data Architecture, Data Warehousing, Data Management, Data Analysis, Big Data, Business Analytics, Data Storage, Amazon Web Services, Machine Learning, Data Strategy
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
22 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google
Google Advanced Data Analytics Capstone
Skills you'll gain: Regression Analysis, Data Visualization, Statistical Analysis, Advanced Analytics, Data Analysis, Business Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Predictive Modeling, Machine Learning Methods, Interviewing Skills, Portfolio Management
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free
Coursera Project Network
Custom Reports in Google Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Google Analytics, Ad Hoc Reporting, Data Literacy, Data Compilation, Analytics
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
167 reviews
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Data Wrangling, Data Visualization, SQL, Supervised Learning, Feature Engineering, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Jupyter, Data Literacy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Mining, Data Cleansing, Matplotlib, Data Analysis, Unsupervised Learning, Generative AI, Pandas (Python Package), Professional Networking
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
142K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
ESSEC Business School
Strategic Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, Forecasting, Peer Review, Data Presentation, Predictive Analytics, R Programming, Customer Analysis, Information Technology, Digital Transformation, Business Marketing, Advanced Analytics, Marketing Strategies, Statistical Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Analytics, Business Analysis, Data Synthesis, Data Analysis, Data Storytelling
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1.3K reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Applying Data Analytics in Finance
Skills you'll gain: Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Portfolio Management, Financial Forecasting, Financial Analysis, Analytics, Financial Trading, Financial Market, Performance Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Investment Management, Risk Management, Regression Analysis, Algorithms
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
216 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Northeastern University
Healthcare Analytics Essentials
Skills you'll gain: Health Informatics, Business Analytics, Analytics, Patient Safety, Health Care, Health Administration, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Statistical Analysis, Business Intelligence, Quantitative Research, Performance Measurement, Performance Metric, Data Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Descriptive Analytics, Peer Review, Data Collection
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
32 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Fractal Analytics
Fractal Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Database Design, Data Manipulation, Data Presentation, Power BI, Data Visualization, Exploratory Data Analysis, Feature Engineering, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Human Centered Design, Storyboarding, SQL, Applied Machine Learning, Problem Solving, Data Modeling, Machine Learning, Machine Learning Algorithms
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
337 reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of Minnesota
Analytics for Decision Making
Skills you'll gain: Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Simulations, Operations Research, Probability Distribution, Mathematical Modeling, Supply Chain, Probability, Predictive Modeling, Business Modeling, Business Analytics, Analytics, Regression Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Forecasting, Data Modeling, Process Optimization, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Statistics, Business Mathematics, Manufacturing Operations
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
259 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months