Data Science Foundations Certificate

About this course

Data science turns messy information into decisions people can trust, and you don't need to be a maths expert to start. This foundation course introduces what data scientists do, the tools they use, how data is prepared and explored, the core ideas of machine learning and how to tell a clear story with data. You'll finish with a realistic view of the career paths open to you and a first project plan.

What you will be able to do

• You'll be able to explain what data scientists do and how their roles differ from analysts and engineers
• You'll be able to choose suitable free tools for a basic data project and use them responsibly
• You'll be able to clean, explore and chart a dataset while spotting common quality issues
• You'll be able to explain core machine learning ideas and present a clear, honest data story

Course outline

1. What data scientists do

   12 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   Data scientists ask useful questions, gather and prepare data, find patterns and communicate results that help people act. The role blends statistics, programming and business judgement.
2. Tools you'll need

   12 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   Most data science tools are free to start with. The core set is Python, Jupyter, pandas, SQL, a spreadsheet, a dashboard tool, Git and a cloud notebook, which together cover most entry-level work.
3. Working with Data

   12 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   Real data is messy. Most of your effort goes into cleaning it, exploring it and making sense of it with clear visuals that show what is true.
4. Intro to Machine Learning Concepts

   12 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   Machine learning finds patterns in data and uses them to predict or classify new cases. The core ideas are features, labels, training, testing and the risk of overfitting.
5. Telling Stories With Data

   11 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   A result has value only when people understand and act on it. Structure your findings around a question, a finding and a recommendation.
6. Careers & next steps

   11 min · Lesson notes, example, action task · 2-question quiz

   Data careers are diverse, and the titles overlap across employers. The roles below are common entry and growth paths in Australia, and entry usually comes through a portfolio of projects, a recognised certificate or degree, and analytics work in your current workplace.
7. Final quiz and certificate

   10 questions, pass mark 8 of 10. Pass to get your Reesby Academy certificate with a verification link.