Data Science certifications are the credentials that validate your data science skills, knowledge, and expertise to potential employers and are a great way to increase your employability and negotiate higher salaries
As we enter 2024, and embrace the rapid evolution happening in the field of data science, we can see every organization from across industries around the world is leveraging data science for their business growth. The amount of data generated is increasing at an astounding rate of 18% year-on-year and approximately 328.77 million terabytes of data is generated every day, according to Exploding Topics. These data are then converted to meaningful insights helping the business leaders in data-driven decision-making. And the important role of data scientists cannot be ignored during the entire data analysis project.
But over the last few years, employment and careers in the data science industry have also seen huge growth. Now, every graduate student and professionals want to try their luck in this rewarding industry, leading to increased competition in this field. Therefore, it has become necessary to earn a data science certification to stand out from the crowd.
Why is Data Science Certification Recommended?
There are several reasons one must consider earning data science certification in 2024. Here are some of them.
- It validates your data science skills, knowledge, and expertise to help you demonstrate your credibility in front of the top employers
- It also displays your commitment to your professional growth
- With data science certification you can equip yourself with the latest and most trending industry knowledge
- Having a reputed certification under your belt will also increase your chances of hiring as well as a higher salary of up to 40%
- Some certification also helps with hands-on experience on real-world projects, along with the opportunity to network with established data science professionals in the field.
If you are seeking a career in data science in 2024, then earning a data science certification is a must. But which certification is best?
Top Data Science Certification to Enhance Your Skill In 2024
Consider these certification programs to boost your career prospects with the latest skills.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certified Machine Learning
This certification course has been designed by Amazon for data science and development professionals who want to master Amazon Web Services. The applicants must have at least one year of work experience in managing, building, and architecting machine learning workloads on the AWS cloud platform.
To earn this certification, the students need to complete the 3-hour exam consisting of 65 multiple-choice or multiple-response problems. The program cost $300. And applicants can appear for online supervised exams or offline at Pearson VUE examination center.
CDSP™ is a beginner-level data science certification best to learn the latest fundamental data science skills and enhance your credibility as a fresher. Designed by the United States Data Science Institute (USDSI®) for students and young professionals with less than 2 years of work experience, this course aims to make their foundation strong in various essential data science concepts. By enrolling in this program you get tons of features like:
- Flexibility to learn at your own pace through this online self-paced learning program
- Can complete the entire course within 4-25 weeks by giving only 8-10 hours a week.
- Students get a well-organized resource center consisting of eBooks, lecture videos, and practice codes
The CDSP™ consists of 60 questions that have to be covered in 100 minutes. Students must score at least 70% marks to successfully earn this certification. They will have to pay $149 for re-examination after each unsuccessful attempt. The program fee is $687 which can be paid in full, in three interest-free installments, or later using Klarna.
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
Offered by IBM and available in Coursera, this certification validates students’ expertise in working with SQL, Python, data visualization, Jupyter Notebooks, etc. Students can learn about building and analyzing models for machine learning with SciPy and Scikit learn, and can be ready to apply the aforementioned methods in real-world data sets.
It is also an introductory-level course that requires no prior experience. The curriculum has 10 courses to cover that can be completed within 5 months or less to become a certified data scientist. The program fee is $234 considering you complete it in 6 months and the monthly Coursera subscription charge is $39.
- HarvardX Data Science Professional Certificate
It is offered through the online learning platform edX and consists of nine courses covering fundamental data science concepts like R programming, statistics, data visualization, machine learning, and more. Each course takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete, requiring 2-3 hours of work per week. Upon successful completion of all courses, you earn a verified certificate from Harvard University.
- Professional Certificate Program in Data Science: UC Berkeley
Offered through UC Berkeley Extension this program is designed for individuals with some background in programming and statistics who want to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become data scientists. The program consists of five 10-week courses, covering topics such as Python programming, Data Analysis with Pandas and NumPy, Statistical modeling with sci-kit-learn, Machine learning, big data analytics, Data visualization, etc. Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a Professional Certificate in Data Science from UC Berkeley Extension.
Conclusion
By now you must have understood the importance of having a data science certification under your belt, and why you must consider earning a certification in 2024. So, these are some of the top data science certifications that are widely accepted across industries. Find out which one best matches your career goals, and enroll today to enhance your data science skills and marketability.
