Analytics is the system of applying certain methods and techniques to understand the performance of data, generally in an organization or industry. The application of analytics can be used to uncover and interpret relevant patterns of data, which can be later used to make better decisions. Analytics relies on good data as part of its usefulness, as well as the aspects of statistics, computer programming, and operations research to quantify performance. Analytics exists in business when companies use statistics and software processes in assessing how a particular product, service, or project measures up in scope. Businesses perform analytics to pinpoint strengths, identify challenges or weaknesses that may exist, and pull out key data points to help make decisions regarding future growth for the organization.

Learning analytics is a key skill that helps you solve problems to existing challenges. When you use analytics tools to research data patterns, you use methods of analyzing performance characteristics that are essential to a business organization. This is important in today's world of big data. Understanding analytics can make you a valuable asset when assessing areas rich with recorded information, performance indicators, and target goals.

What are typical careers that use analytics?

Analytics is found in a wide range of careers, including business analyst, budget analyst, financial controller, data scientist, and operations researcher. Individuals who move into these and other careers in data analytics often work with raw data and algorithms through mechanical processes to make assumptions and theories. Essentially, with knowledge of analytics, you can move into a job that requires a familiarity with numeric relationships, data structures, and trends and metrics relevant to an organization.

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn analytics?

When you take online courses in analytics, you can gain a new understanding of key concepts like data analysis and visualization, mathematical optimization, regression analysis, predictive modeling, and other areas focused on business analytics. Taking online courses about analytics can help you achieve basic data literacy to help you make more informed decisions in any area you work in, like finance, operations, or marketing. As you branch out, you may advance your analytics understanding to include how to extract and manipulate data points, how to use different statistical analysis methods to break down the data, and how to eventually interpret and present your findings.

What are the benefits of taking an online Analytics course?

Online Analytics courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Analytics skills. With a wide range of Analytics classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Analytics career.

What Analytics courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Analytics, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Analytics Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Analytics Course Catalog

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Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Rmarkdown, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Cleansing, Interviewing Skills, Data Validation, Ggplot2, Tableau Software, Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Stakeholder Communications, Dashboard, Sampling (Statistics), Analytics, Stakeholder Management
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
162K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of Pennsylvania
Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: People Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Business Analytics, Descriptive Analytics, Business Intelligence, Human Resource Strategy, Financial Data, Marketing Analytics, Analytics, Talent Management, Financial Analysis, Predictive Analytics, Human Resources Management and Planning, Peer Review, Business Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Customer Insights, Workforce Planning, Demand Planning
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
IBM
Introduction to Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Big Data, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Apache Hadoop, Apache Hive, Data Collection, Data Mart, Data Warehousing, Data Storytelling, Apache Spark, Data Cleansing, Data Lakes, Data Visualization Software, SQL
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Google
Google Advanced Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Storytelling, Sampling (Statistics), Data Ethics, Data Visualization Software, Data Presentation, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Feature Engineering, Data Transformation, Data Visualization, Probability & Statistics, Tableau Software, Data Manipulation, Advanced Analytics, Data Cleansing, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Applied Machine Learning, Statistical Analysis, Jupyter
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
5.5K reviews
Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
Johns Hopkins University
Business Analytics with Excel: Elementary to Advanced
Skills you'll gain: Risk Modeling, Regression Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Business Analytics, Business Risk Management, Business Modeling, Data Modeling, Operational Analysis, Resource Allocation, Statistical Analysis, Mathematical Modeling, Process Optimization, Financial Analysis, Predictive Analytics, Transportation Operations
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.4K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
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Meta
Meta Marketing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Business Metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Marketing Analytics, Bayesian Statistics, Descriptive Statistics, Marketing Effectiveness, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Target Audience, Marketing Strategies, Data Cleansing, Pandas (Python Package), Data Modeling, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Spreadsheet Software, A/B Testing, Data Collection, Marketing, Interviewing Skills
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.4K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Advanced Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Presentation, Data Governance, Data Visualization, Predictive Analytics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Analytics, Business Analytics, Data Storage, Data Management, Big Data, Risk Analysis, Databases, Business Intelligence, Data Visualization Software, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Presentations, Data Analysis, Strategic Decision-Making, Data Cleansing
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
5.1K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Pennsylvania
People Analytics
Skills you'll gain: People Analytics, Human Resource Strategy, Talent Management, Human Resources Management and Planning, Workforce Planning, Performance Analysis, Job Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Workforce Management, Analytics, Employee Retention, Staff Management, Employee Performance Management, Predictive Analytics, Network Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
6.1K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Project Network
Getting Started in Google Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Google Analytics, Web Analytics and SEO, Dashboard, Analytics, Data Analysis, User Accounts
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1.4K reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Extract, Transform, Load, Marketing Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Regression Analysis, Alteryx, Infographics, Data Collection, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Quality, Tidyverse (R Package), R Programming, Data Visualization Software, Data Processing, Network Analysis, Business Analytics, Internal Controls, Exploratory Data Analysis, Robotic Process Automation
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.1K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
IBM
IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Presentation, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, Shiny (R Package), Data Wrangling, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization, Relational Databases, Big Data, Ggplot2, Database Design, Data Analysis, Data Mining, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Data Manipulation, Web Scraping, Microsoft Excel
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
27K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
University of California, Irvine
Human Resources Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Employee Training, Performance Metric, Compensation Management, Human Resources, Human Resource Strategy, Workforce Planning, Business Metrics, Data Analysis, Employee Engagement, Recruitment, Talent Acquisition, Analytics
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks