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There are 4 modules in this course
The use of Excel is widespread in the industry. It is a very powerful data analysis tool and almost all big and small businesses use Excel in their day to day functioning. This is an introductory course in the use of Excel and is designed to give you a working knowledge of Excel with the aim of getting to use it for more advance topics in Business Statistics later. The course is designed keeping in mind two kinds of learners - those who have very little functional knowledge of Excel and those who use Excel regularly but at a peripheral level and wish to enhance their skills. The course takes you from basic operations such as reading data into excel using various data formats, organizing and manipulating data, to some of the more advanced functionality of Excel. All along, Excel functionality is introduced using easy to understand examples which are demonstrated in a way that learners can become comfortable in understanding and applying them.
To successfully complete course assignments, students must have access to a Windows version of Microsoft Excel 2010 or later.
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WEEK 1
Module 1: Introduction to Spreadsheets
In this module, you will be introduced to the use of Excel spreadsheets and various basic data functions of Excel.
Topics covered include:
• Reading data into Excel using various formats
• Basic functions in Excel, arithmetic as well as various logical functions
• Formatting rows and columns
• Using formulas in Excel and their copy and paste using absolute and relative referencing
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WEEK 2
Module 2: Spreadsheet Functions to Organize Data
This module introduces various Excel functions to organize and query data. Learners are introduced to the IF, nested IF, VLOOKUP and the HLOOKUP functions of Excel.
Topics covered include:
• IF and the nested IF functions
• VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP
• The RANDBETWEEN function
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WEEK 3
Module 3: Introduction to Filtering, Pivot Tables, and Charts
This module introduces various data filtering capabilities of Excel. You’ll learn how to set filters in data to selectively access data. A very powerful data summarizing tool, the Pivot Table, is also explained and we begin to introduce the charting feature of Excel.
Topics covered include:
• VLOOKUP across worksheets
• Data filtering in Excel
• Use of Pivot tables with categorical as well as numerical data
• Introduction to the charting capability of Excel
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WEEK 4
Module 4: Advanced Graphing and Charting
This module explores various advanced graphing and charting techniques available in Excel. Starting with various line, bar and pie charts we introduce pivot charts, scatter plots and histograms. You will get to understand these various charts and get to build them on your own.
Topics covered include
• Line, Bar and Pie charts
• Pivot charts
• Scatter plots
• Histograms
What's included
9 videos10 readings7 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 44 minutes
Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel•2 minutes
Meet the Professor•2 minutes
Reading Data into Excel•7 minutes
Basic Data Manipulation in Excel•7 minutes
Arithmetic Manipulation in Excel•4 minutes
Basic Functions in Excel•7 minutes
Functions Using Absolute and Relative References•7 minutes
Functions Explained•7 minutes
Week 1 Recap•1 minute
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
Course FAQs•10 minutes
Pre-Course Survey•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales (Comma delimited).txt•10 minutes
Store Sales (Tab delimited Text).txt•10 minutes
Store Sales (Fixed width).txt•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Survey results.xlsx•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 240 minutes
Reading Data into Excel•30 minutes
Basic Data Manipulation in Excel•30 minutes
Arithmetic Manipulation in Excel•30 minutes
Basic Functions in Excel•30 minutes
Functions Using Absolute and Relative References•30 minutes
Functions Explained•30 minutes
Introduction to Spreadsheets•60 minutes
Spreadsheet Functions to Organize Data
Module 2•6 hours to complete
Module details
Introduction to some more useful functions such as the IF, nested IF, VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions in Excel.
What's included
8 videos6 readings8 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 54 minutes
The “IF” Command in Excel•7 minutes
The “IF” Command in Excel Using Numerical Data•5 minutes
The "Nested IF" Command in Excel•8 minutes
The "VLOOKUP" Function in Excel•12 minutes
Another "VLOOKUP" Example•10 minutes
The "HLOOKUP" Function in Excel•7 minutes
Professor 'Know-it-all' Needs Help!•5 minutes
Week 2 Recap•1 minute
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Student Names.xlsx•10 minutes
8 assignments•Total 270 minutes
The "IF" Command in Excel•30 minutes
The “IF” Command in Excel Using Numerical Data•30 minutes
The "Nested IF" Command in Excel•30 minutes
The "VLOOKUP" Function in Excel•30 minutes
Another "VLOOKUP" Example•30 minutes
The "HLOOKUP" Function in Excel•30 minutes
Professor 'Know-it-all' Needs Help!•30 minutes
Spreadsheet Functions to Organize Data•60 minutes
Introduction to Filtering, Pivot Tables, and Charts
Module 3•5 hours to complete
Module details
Introduction to the Data filtering capabilities of Excel, the construction of Pivot Tables to organize data and introduction to charts in Excel.
What's included
7 videos6 readings7 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 50 minutes
Using the “VLOOKUP” Function Across Worksheets•9 minutes
Data Filtering in Excel•7 minutes
Use of Pivot Tables in Excel•7 minutes
More Pivot Table Options•8 minutes
Application of Pivot Tables to Numeric Data•10 minutes
Introduction to Charts in Excel•8 minutes
Week 3 Recap•1 minute
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
Summer Olympic medals 1976 to 2016.xlsx•10 minutes
Summer Olympic medals 1976 to 2016.xlsx•10 minutes
Summer Olympic medals 1976 to 2016.xlsx•10 minutes
Summer Olympic medals 1976 to 2016.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 214 minutes
Using the “VLOOKUP” Function Across Worksheets•30 minutes
Data Filtering in Excel•30 minutes
Use of Pivot Tables in Excel•30 minutes
More Pivot Table Options•30 minutes
Application of Pivot Tables to Numeric Data•4 minutes
Introduction to Charts in Excel•30 minutes
Introduction to Filtering, Pivot Tables, and Charts•60 minutes
Advanced Graphing and Charting
Module 4•6 hours to complete
Module details
Constructing various Line, Bar and Pie charts. Using the Pivot chart features of Excel. Understanding and constructing Histograms and Scatterplots.
What's included
8 videos6 readings7 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 51 minutes
Line Graphs•8 minutes
Bar Graphs and Pie Charts•12 minutes
Pivot Charts•7 minutes
Scatter Plots•8 minutes
Histograms Part 1•6 minutes
Histograms Part 2•8 minutes
Week 4 Recap•1 minute
Congratulations on Completing the Course•1 minute
6 readings•Total 60 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Store Sales.xlsx•10 minutes
Height and Weight.xlsx•10 minutes
CEO Salary (small firms).xlsx•10 minutes
End-of-Course Survey•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 240 minutes
Line Graphs•30 minutes
Bar Graphs and Pie Charts•30 minutes
Pivot Charts•30 minutes
Scatter Plots•30 minutes
Histograms Part 1•30 minutes
Histograms Part 2•30 minutes
Advanced Graphing and Charting•60 minutes
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LC
5·
Reviewed on May 17, 2018
Excellent class, well-written and presented with real-world examples that are challenging but not impossible to complete if you follow the small quizzes and stay on top of the deadlines. Great job!
A
A
4·
Reviewed on Sep 8, 2020
Questions was not clear. Week 2 formula can explain more. The quiz totally made us confused. Not much help either. The histogram can also explain a little more. Mostly quite smooth. Thanks teacher!
A
AM
5·
Reviewed on Jun 2, 2020
Everything was explained in detail, even the smallest bits we don't pay attention to. Beautifully designed course, I would recommend it to anyone looking to get started with excel and data analytics.
What will I actually learn in this Excel data analysis course?
You'll learn how to use Excel to import, organize, analyze, and visualize data so you can work more confidently with everyday spreadsheets. It starts with spreadsheet basics and formulas, then builds into lookup functions, pivot tables, and more advanced charting. In the practice work, you'll use datasets like store sales files to calculate results, summarize trends, and present them clearly.
Do I need to know Excel before taking this course?
No, you don't need strong Excel experience. It begins with importing data, basic functions, and formula references before moving into more advanced features, so prior data analysis knowledge isn't expected. You will need access to a Windows version of Microsoft Excel 2010 or later, because the assignments rely on it.
Is this course beginner-friendly for Excel data analysis?
Yes, it's a good fit if you're new to using Excel for analysis or only use it for simple day-to-day tasks. The lessons move step by step from core spreadsheet work into filters, pivot tables, and charts, with examples that show how each feature is used. It may feel too basic if you're already comfortable doing advanced analysis in Excel.
How long does it take to complete this course?
Plan on about 24 hours in total. At roughly 10 hours a week, that comes to around 2 to 3 weeks of steady work through lessons, readings, quizzes, and assignments built around spreadsheet files. The workload mixes explanation with dataset-based practice, so you can make progress in manageable chunks.
Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?
Yes, there's plenty of hands-on practice, though it's guided work rather than a single open-ended project. You'll work directly with provided Excel files to import data, write formulas, summarize information, and create charts. Examples include sales and Olympic medal datasets, so you apply each idea in an actual workbook as you learn it.
What skills and topics are covered in this course?
The course focuses on everyday Excel skills for bringing data into a usable spreadsheet, analyzing it with formulas and lookup functions, and turning it into clear summaries and visuals. You'll also use filters and pivot tables to explore both text and numeric data, then choose chart formats that show patterns clearly. By the end, you'll have a solid picture of how Excel supports data analysis from raw file to visual summary.
What can I actually do after finishing this course?
You should be able to take a simple dataset in Excel, organize it, run common calculations, and build useful summaries from it. You'll also be able to use lookup functions, pivot tables, and charts to answer straightforward questions about the data. For example, you could analyze a sales spreadsheet, calculate totals or discounts, and create a chart or summary table that highlights trends.
Is this course more focused on theory or hands-on learning?
It's more hands-on than theory-heavy, but the practice is guided rather than project-driven. Most topics are taught through worked spreadsheet examples and then reinforced through quizzes and assignments, which suits learners who want to learn Excel by using it step by step.
Why would I choose this course over other Excel courses?
This course is a strong choice if you want to learn Excel as a data analysis tool, not just pick up isolated spreadsheet tricks. It moves from basic spreadsheet use into lookups, pivot tables, filtering, and charting through repeated work on real datasets, so the progression feels practical and easy to follow. If you want a clear path from beginner-level Excel skills to analyzing and presenting data, this course is likely a better fit than a course that jumps straight into advanced features.