Find out what data science is, what data scientists do, and whether it's the right career for you. No experience required. Data science is one of the fastest-growing fields in the job market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 34% employment growth for data scientists from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average, with a median annual wage of $112,590.¹ That works out to about 23,400 openings projected each year over the decade. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 also ranks big data specialists and AI and machine learning specialists among the fastest-growing jobs through 2030.² This course is where you get a clear picture of the field before you commit to a learning path. This IBM course gives you a practical foundation in how data science works and how organizations use it to make decisions. Across four modules, you'll learn what data science is, how big data and cloud computing power it, and how data scientists use machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI to find patterns and make predictions. You'll see how companies apply those methods to real problems, from improving efficiency to saving lives, and what it takes to get hired as a data scientist. You'll learn from people doing the work. Working data scientists share how they define the field, how they got started, and what they'd tell someone just beginning. You'll explore data in a hands-on IBM Cloud lab, follow a case study of one data scientist's journey, and complete a final project where you analyze a real data scientist job posting against what you've learned. By the end, you'll be able to explain what data science is, describe how data scientists work, and map out your next step with confidence. Whether you're considering a career change, exploring data science for the first time, or want to work more effectively with data teams in your current role, this course gives you the foundation to start. Skills you'll gain include: - Defining data science and explaining why it matters in a data-driven world - Describing how machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI fit into data science - Explaining how big data, data mining, and cloud computing support data-driven decision-making - Understanding how data is generated, stored, and organized, including databases, data lakes, and data pipelines - Identifying the skills, backgrounds, and career paths that lead to data science roles - Evaluating real job postings and positioning yourself for the role you want Join 1.3 million+ learners (4.7 stars from 77,000+ reviews, and 97% of learners liked this course). Finish with a shareable certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. ¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists. Median wage as of May 2024; projected growth 2024 to 2034. This course provides an introduction to data science and is a first step toward data roles, not a guarantee of employment or salary. ² World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025. Rankings reflect employer survey expectations for 2025 to 2030.
This is a great course for anyone willing to start exploring the field of Data Science. It starts with basic definitions with proper examples that helps one understand this field with a greater ease!
I learned a lot but that might not be a good indicator as I didn't know much about Data Science in the first place. It just fueled my need to know more about the subject so on my side, it's a winner.
I liked this course very much. The way it is organised to collect different data scientists opinions about the same topic, make it very valuable to the ones who are starting the road to Data Science.
Very good introductory course for defining data science and what a data scientist does. Would recommend for anyone pursuing a career in data science or a company looking to build a data science team.
I throughly enjoyed the course and the fact that everything was explained thoroughly. I always enjoyed Dr. White's personal experience with Data Science as well as other Data Scientists point of view.
Very good introduction into data science. Some of the videos are very monotone, and it's easy to lose track of where the conversation is going. If you pay attention, you can get some good information.
This course is rich, engaging and thought provoking. It is a solid foundation for a career in data science. I now feel more confident that I can excel in this field. Thank you IBM! Thank you Coursera!
The only reason it isn't a 5 is because it makes you do a final peer assessment with the grade posting outside of the free trial period which is super weird. Good foundational course other than that!
Excellent quality content! It's a great introductory course that really gets you interested in Data Science. I would highly recommend it to anyone curious in learning about what Data Science is about.
Good introductory course for setting a basis for knowledge of data science and data scientists for someone who may be a novice and seeking to learn more.Good quality in terms of presentation as well.
This was a good introduction to the field of Data Science. Although I am familiar with the domain, the course offered fresh insights, especially from industry experts and newly minted data scientists
The Course answers the question which the title says. It is a very basic course, and no skill can be learned from this, but it provides insights from actual people who are working /teach data science.
Showing: 20 of 10,000
Very basic course, to be honest. The grading seemed to be dependent on memorizing exact quotes from videos. Looking forward to some of the more advanced courses in this series.
Too much introduction. There is no need to spend so much time on it. People that take this course usually understand what is data science. they need to learn real knowledge, not spend the whole week on introduction.
Videos often have disjointed or unrelated elements. Final week quizzes and mid-video questions often have useless or otherwise unhelpful reading questions. An example from week three's final quiz, "True or False: The Untied States Economic Forecast is a publication by McKinsey University Press." The answer is false and is covered in the reading, but the question has absolutely nothing to do with data science.
Too basic.
If you live under a rock and have never heard of Data Science, a Data Scientist or any terms related to this industry then this is a wonderful course for you.
For everyone else, it is a total waste of time.
This was a good introductory course, especially as someone with basically zero experience in the field. I've been struggling with where to begin (should I take a course on Python? R? What languages are even useful? WTF is cloud computing?) And this course gave me a good starting off point. That said, it wasn't technical AT ALL. It's really just a bunch of "fireside chats" with data scientists, talking about the languages they use, what concepts they're used for, what knowledge is necessary and what isn't, etc. If you're looking for a "roadmap" to continue learning on Coursera, this is it.
This is exactly what I feel the college experience gives students that online or self-taught learning lacks: context. AKA there are a billion courses on Python on Coursera, but none explain WHY I'm learning Python. This course does that. I'd recommend this course for anyone looking to start with data science from zero.
Excellent quality content! It's a great introductory course that really gets you interested in Data Science. I would highly recommend it to anyone curious in learning about what Data Science is about.
Very learning experience, I am a beginner in DS, but the instructors in this course simplified the contents that made me I could easily understand, tools and materials were very helpful to start with.
Very, very basic... completely useless and a waste of time. I feel like the only purpose of this course is to drag out the certification process so that it costs you more money...
I thought this course introduced the topic of data science very well. I think I have a much better idea how to describe data science and common terms associated with the field (like machine learning).
This course is not consistent with someone who would sign up for an entire certificate. This course is more suitable as a recruitment tool for a certificate program. Watching these videos was an absolute waste of my time.
Should this even be a course? Like they just say things that anyone can find the first thing on google if search you data science.
Very learning experience, I am a beginner in DS, but the instructors in this course simplified the contents that made me I could easily understand, tools and materials were very helpful to start with.
Poor course overall, not much "meat". An introduction to the subject that could have been given in one hour of lessons.
I throughly enjoyed the course and the fact that everything was explained thoroughly. I always enjoyed Dr. White's personal experience with Data Science as well as other Data Scientists point of view.
The course seems poorly pieced together with videos from Big Data University - which is now known as Cognitive Class. There is mainly little coherence into what the course is trying to teach in all the videos. Readings were given on a rather low resolution image file - that makes it difficult to read and kinda 1990s feel. Is it that difficult to save the pdf in text or include a higher res image file?
Similar to the point that a data science report should indicate the details and affiliations of the person writing the report, many speakers in the videos apart from the two professors does not have any background information. Who are they? Where are they from? What background are they speaking from? All these are important context for learning.
I did learn something from the final assignment though. However, that was personal reflection and learning from peers. Thinking whether I should continue with this course.
useless, wasting time
Waste of time. Most of the material was "fluff" about data science. What was actually useful could have been accomplished with a 2-3 page pdf. Only finished it, because I'm taking it as part of the IBM specialization through my work. I REALLY hope the other courses are more useful and worth the time. Very disappointed in this course.
very useful. i liked and enjoyed the journey of learning in these five weeks. the instructor is very clear and taught very interestingly. Thanks to her. she looked poised and cheerful and professional
Terrific introduction to the Data Science course. Never expected but was extremely excited with the quality of content, speakers and a very honest attempt to making this course interesting.
Krishna
The course doesn't teaches anything except for explaining data science benefits and examples.