Does Microsoft Certified Data Scientist Help Get A Job In Data Science

Apr 27, 2022

Data Science Certificates in 2022 (Are They Worth It?)

Ane of the almost mutual information scientific discipline questions on Quora is "What data scientific discipline certificate should I become?"

Most people presume that before finding a job in data science they would need to get a data science certification. Nonetheless, that'southward non true.

You lot do not need a data scientific discipline certificate to get a job in data scientific discipline.

Recruiters are far more interested in your skills and not nearly as concerned about what certifications you lot accept.

That doesn't mean certificates are not valuable. How so?

How Data Scientific discipline Certificates Impact Your Job Search

Certificates certainly won't hurt your job search as long as they're presented correctly—see our Career Guide chapter on resumes for more details. But they're unlikely to aid much either.

In our information science career guide, nosotros spoke with more than than a dozen hiring managers and recruiters in the data science field virtually what they wanted to see on applicant's résumés.

None of them mentioned certificates. Non ane.

The result is that there's no universal standard and no universally accredited certification potency. Unlike websites, schools, and online learning platforms all issue their own certificates.

Mostly, a "Data Science Certificate" on a résumé will not demonstrate what skills that certification represents.

This is why employers tend not to give them much weight when qualifying candidates.

What'due south the Point of a Certification?

Data scientist certifications aren't useless. At Dataquest, we effect certificates for course completion, because information technology is a great way for students to demonstrate that they're actively engaged in learning new skills.

Recruiters do like to run into that applicants are constantly trying to improve themselves. Listing certificates tin help your task application in that style.

Ultimately, the affair that is nearly important to recruiters is whether you lot tin can actually do the chore, and that'southward data they're going to observe primarily by looking at your portfolio of projects.

They're going to look at your projects and skills first, and depending on what they run into, will either discard or ship your application to the next round.

Connected learning efforts are something you can, and should bring up in an interview. Merely, they're unlikely to go you an interview.

Long story curt: data science certificates are unlikely to help your résumé get noticed. When because which certification to get, don't focus on "which data science certificate is best?".

Instead, find the platform that best helps you learn the fundamental data scientific discipline skills because that's what volition help y'all land a job in the field.

Choosing a Data Science Certificate Program

Finding a plan that offers a certificate is piece of cake. There are many data scientific discipline programs that offer certificates of completion. A quick Google search will turn up dozens.

What can be more difficult is comparing all of these programs and whether the document is worth the investment of your time and money.

Some things to consider when looking at a data science certification are:

What you'll learn in the program
The cost of the program
Whatsoever prerequisites or qualifications yous'll demand
The time commitment required
Reviews from previous students

Beneath are some real life examples to compare.

Top Data Science Certifications

Dataquest

What you'll larn:Dataquest offers four unlike career paths that cover the required skills to enter into the data analyst, data scientist, and/or data engineering careers. The specific skills covered vary depending on which of the 4 paths that are chosen.

Topics include:

Python and R programming
SQL and PostgreSQL
Probability and statistics
machine learning
workflow skills like Git, the control line (bash/shell)
And more than

Cost: An annual Premium subscription of $294 (on sale). Monthly subscriptions are besides available.

Prerequisites: None. There is no application process (anyone can sign upward and get-go learning today) and no prior cognition of applied statistics or programming is required.

Time delivery:Varies. Dataquest is a self-serve interactive learning platform. About learners find they're able to run into their learning goals in roughly six months if studying fewer than ten hours per week. Learning goals can obviously be accelerated with larger time commitments.

Reviews:

v/five boilerplate on Switchup (246 reviews)
4.94/5 on Grade Study (17 reviews)
iv.vii/v on G2 (41 reviews)

Cloudera University Data Annotator Course/Examination

What yous'll larn: This class is focused on data assay using Apache products: Hadoop, Hive, and Impala. Some SQL is covered but information technology does not cover whatever programming in Python or R.

Cost:The on-demand version costs $two,235 (180 days of access). Certification exams have an additional cost.

Prerequisites:Some prior knowledge of SQL and Linux command line is required.

Time commitment:Varies. Considering this is a self-paced course, users take access for 180 days to complete xv sections. Each section is estimated to accept between 5-9 hours. The time commitment is betwixt 75 and 135 hours. If yous can just commit less than an hour each day, it might have y'all the unabridged 180 days. If y'all take the capacity to devote 9 or more hours per day, it could take y'all a couple weeks to consummate.

Reviews: 3rd-party reviews for this program are difficult to detect.

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

What you'll acquire:This Coursera-based program covers Python and SQL, including some automobile learning skills with Python.

Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required. Based on Coursera's 10-calendar month completion gauge, the approximate total program cost is $390. A similar programme is also bachelor on EdX.

Prerequisites: None.

Time delivery:Varies. Coursera suggests that the average time to consummate this certificate is x months.

Reviews: Quantitative third-political party reviews are difficult to find, but:

4.6/five average on Coursera's own site (112,020 ratings)

Harvard/EdX Professional Certificate in Data Science

What yous'll learn:This EdX-based program covers R, including some machine learning skills, as well every bit some statistics and workflow skills. Information technology does not announced to include SQL.

Price:$792.80

Prerequisites: None.

Fourth dimension commitment: One year and five months. Grade progress doesn't carry over from session to session, so information technology could require more time if you lot're not able to complete a course within its course run.

Reviews: Quantitative third-political party reviews are difficult to find, merely:

4.six/5 average on Class Fundamental (10 reviews).

Certified Analytics Professional person

What you'll acquire:Potentially zip — this is simply a certification examination, although exam prep courses are bachelor.

Cost:The certification test costs $695, and includes limited prep materials. Dedicated prep courses are available for an additional price.

Prerequisites: An application is required to take the certification exam, and since no course is included, y'all'll need to accept learned the required data on your ain, or signed up for a course separately.

Time commitment:The exam itself is relatively brusque. The defended prep courses take 1-two months depending on options. Only they are not required to take the examination.

Reviews: Quantitative tertiary-party reviews are difficult to find, but you can read some independent options near the certification:

Reddit thread about CAP
Quora thread near CAP

From Information to Insights with Google Deject

What yous'll larn: This course covers primarily SQL data assay skills with a focus on using BigQuery, and Google Deject'south data assay tool.

Cost: A Coursera subscription, which is required, costs $39/month. Coursera estimates that near students will need roughly two months to complete the program.

Prerequisites:The course page says: "We recommend participants take some proficiency with ANSI SQL," but it's not articulate exactly what level of SQL proficiency is required.

Time commitment: Coursera estimates that most students volition need ii months to complete the plan, but students tin work at their ain pace. However, courses do begin on prescribed dates.

Reviews: Quantitative tertiary-political party reviews are difficult to discover, just:

The course has a iv.vii/5 rating on Coursera itself

Microsoft MCSE: Information Management and Analytics

What yous'll learn: This course is focused on SQL, and integrating SQL skills with the use of Microsoft tools like Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Azure Cosmos.

Cost: The test prep is costless if studied online, merely Microsoft currently doesn't offering a course for this certification. A variety of instructor-led in-person courses are available, at various price points. The certification requires students to pass iii separate certification exams. Total cost to earn the certification is at least $495.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites are listed.

Time commitment: The exams themselves don't take much time, but how much fourth dimension is required varies profoundly on how much prior learning and agreement you may already have.

Reviews: Third-party reviews of this certification are hard to find. No reviews are available from the course provider.

Of course these are merely a few examples. There are many more certification programs that were not discussed hither. But that will requite yous an idea of what to look for and consider when comparing data science certification programs.

Exist Careful of Prerequisites and Qualifications!

While some programs similar Dataquest, Coursera, and Udemy do not require whatsoever item background or manufacture knowledge, many other DASCA'due south Senior Data Scientist Certification and Cloudera'due south CCA Information Analyst Certification have concrete prerequisites.

For instance, DASCA's Senior Data Scientist Certification tracks require at least a Available's degree (some tracks require a Master's caste) and a minimum of iii-5 years of professional person data-related experience.

Some programs, peculiarly offline bootcamps, also require specific qualifications or accept application processes. You lot won't be able to spring in right away and begin learning. You will need to besides factor in time costs and awarding fees for these programs when comparing them.

What Nigh Academy Certificates?

Many of the expensive certification programs offered online by make-name schools, including Ivy League schools, are non very meaningful to potential employers.

In fact, many of these online programs are non administered by the schools themselves; they're run past for-profit, third-party firms called Online Program Managers.

Employers are keenly aware that a Harvard-affiliated document from EdX and a Harvard University degree are two very different things.

Near data science hiring managers volition not take time to research the bookish rigor of every data science certification they run across on a résumé.

On average, virtually résumés are only given 30 seconds of review time. Considering certificates won't tell much nearly a candidate's ability, more than focus will be given on skills and projects.

Entry-level applicants will be evaluated from the data science projects that are listed on the résumé or found on GitHub.

Higher-level applicants will exist assessed on previous industry experience and completed projects, non certificates.

Furthermore, university certificates tend to be quite expensive. For instance:

Cornell's three-week data analytics document – $iii,600.
Duke's big data and data science certificate – $2,995.
Georgetown'due south professional person certificate in information science – $vii,496.
UC Berkeley'due south data scientist certification program – $5,100
Harvard's data science certificate – $11,600