GOOGLE DATA ANALYTICS CERTIFICATES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Introduction

There are many Data Analytics Courses online and it is sometimes difficult to choose the right one for your career. This blog post will explore the Google Data Analytics Certificates. It will review the merits, drawbacks, certification curriculum, skills you will gain, opportunities, and if overall it is worth it.

The two Google Data Analytics certificates that will be the subject of review are

1. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
2. Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Data analysts help solve business problems by drawing useful insights from data. They help businesses make data-driven decisions. The demand for data analysts is good with a median salary of $84k + in the US ( according to a 2024 report from builtIn)

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

This Certification is specifically for people with no previous background in Data Analysis, to prepare people for an entry-level position. It is one of the most popular data analytics certifications for beginners. It has great reviews and an impressive rating of 4.8. The training is delivered through videos, readings, forum discussions, and quizzes.

It is an 8-course bundle to gain technical and non-technical skills as a data analyst. A major point of this certification is that it uses R as its programming language. R is the preferred option for awesome data visualizations and statistical analysis.

Who Is It For?

It is for beginners who want to pursue a career in Data Analytics. No prior experience is needed.

Career Opportunities and Salaries

This certification will equip you with skills for entry-level data analyst positions. Some of these entry-level roles include;

• Data Analytics
• Digital Marketer and eCommerce
• IT Support
• Project Management
• Business Analyst
• UX Designs

Glassdoor estimates the salary of a Junior Data Analyst range at $64k -114k per year. This certification will also give the foundational knowledge for other data-related disciplines and the potential to earn more.

Duration and Cost of the Certification

Google estimates a 6-month completion time (10 hours a week) but many people complete it in about 3-4 months. The course is through a Coursera subscription of $39 a month (depending on your location). That costs $117 – $234 for 3-6 months.

Fast Track Option

There is a “speed track” for people who already have some understanding of data analysis to save time. You can take some quizzes (before starting the certification) to assess the areas you need to skip and the ones you need to pay more attention to. The speed track helps you gain the certification in record time.

Is the Google Data Analytics Certificate Recognized?

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is an industry-recognized certification for Data Analytics. However, this alone may not be adequate to get you a full role as a Data analyst. It is for a beginner’s role in most cases.

Certification Curriculum

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate comprises 8 independent courses (an optional capstone project is included). You earn a badge for completing any courses and can share them on your online profile. A brief description of the courses is as follows;

1. Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere – Introduction to Data Analytics and Analytical Thinking. Data life cycle and analysis process, setting up your data analyst tools kits, and knowing when and how to use each. Course duration is 18 hours
2. Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions – Common analysis problems and how Data Analysts address them. Effective questioning techniques and the use of spreadsheets. Strategies to manage stakeholders’ expectations. It takes 7 hours to complete
3. Prepare Data for Exploration – Learning Data types and Structures, identifying different biases in data, open data, data ethics, database essentials, organizing data, and securing data. Duration is 21 hours
4. Process Data from Dirty to Clean – Importance of data integrity, data cleaning techniques using spreadsheets, SQL (and others). Clean data for more accurate insights, data cleaning with SQL, verifying and cleaning results. Duration is 26 hours.
5. Analyze Data to Answer Questions – Organizing data for more effective analysis, formatting and adjusting data, aggregating data for analysis, and performing data calculations (formulas, functions, pivot tables, and spreadsheets). Duration is 32 hours.
6. Share Data Through the Art of Visualization – Learning data visualization, using Tableau for data visualizations. How to craft data-driven stories, and develop data presentations and slideshows. The course duration is 25 hours.
7. Data Analysis with R Programming – Learning about R and R studio, Programming using R studio, and working with data in R. More about visualizations, aesthetics, and annotations, documentation, and reports.
8. Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study – You undertake a data analysis project simulating a real-life scenario. Duration: 11 hours.

Earn Degree Credits

You could earn some degree credits upon completing this certification for further studies in the following institutions;

• BSc. Cybersecurity Management and Policy, BSc. Cybersecurity Technology – University of Maryland Global Campus
• MBA in Business Analytics – O.P Jindal Global University
• MSc Computer Science – Ball University
• Master of Data Science – Illinois Tech
• BA. Psychology – University of Massachusetts Global

These degree credits have the American Council on Education recommendation.

The Pros and Cons of the Certification

The pros and cons of the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate are as follows

The Pros

1. It is beginner’s-friendly
2. It is offered and taught by Google employees. It is industry-recognized.
3. It is relatively cheap, compared to a booth camp or college degree
4. It attempts to cover some of the non-technical aspects of data analytics that are often missing in other similar certifications.

The Cons

1. It uses R programming language instead of Python. Python is more popular among employers.
2. It is considered “too basic” for some data analytics concepts. It is only an idea for entry-level jobs or junior roles.

Is It Worth It?

It is worth taking, especially for a beginner. It covers the skills to help you start a career in data analysis. R programming language is still in demand in many job openings. You may consider the Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate for more advanced roles.

Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate

This certification builds on the success of the earlier Google Data Analyst professional certificate and addresses some of the shortfalls of its shortfall. Firstly, it uses Python as its programming language. It also covers data analytics in greater and some foundational concepts that may be relevant for people who want a career in other data-related fields like Data Science.

The skills you will learn from the course are as follows ;

• Data Analysis
• Data Science and Machine Learning
• Python Programming
• Statistical Analysis
• Jupyter Notebooks
• Tableau
• Data Visualization
• Predictive Modelling, Kaggle, and Explorative Data Analysis
• Regression Models

Who Is It For?

The target audience for this certification is people who already have some foundations in Data analytics and want to become Senior Data Analysts or Junior Data Scientists. It is not for beginners.

Certification Curriculum

The Certification program consists of a 7-course series and covers data analytics concepts, core data science concepts at a basic level, regression, statistics, supervised learning, hands-on practice, projects, etc. The component courses and descriptions are below;

1. Course 1:Foundations of Data Science – Beginners Introduction to data concepts, what data professionals do, Data application, and workflows. It is a general introduction to the skills you will learn in the certification. Duration is 25 hours.
2. Course 2:Get Started with Python – This is a Python course from the simple “hello world!” to more complex topics; Functions and Conditional statements, loops, and strings, Data Structures in Python, and concludes with an end-of-course project. The course is 30 hours.
3. Course 3: Go Beyond the Numbers: Translate Data into Insights – You will start learning about Exploratory Data Analysis, handling raw data, data cleaning process, and data visualization in Tableau. There is also a mini-project for practical skills. Duration is 32 hours.
4. Course 4: The Power of Statistics – This 37-hour course delves into the statistical aspect of data analysis. Introduction to Statistics, Probability, Sampling, Confidence Interval, and Testing Hypothesis. Course Project.
5. Course 5: Regression Analysis: Simplify Complex Data Relationships -This is an advanced course on Regression in Python. It starts with an Introduction to complex data relationships, Simple Linear and Multiple Linear Regressions, Advanced Hypothesis Testing, and Logistic Regression. You will also do a Course project. Duration is 32 hours.
6. Course 6: The Nuts and Bolts of Machine Learning – This course is introductory to Machine Learning, for those interested in expanding their career horizon in this direction. You will learn the different types of ML, Workflow for building complex models, Tree-based modeling, and Unsupervised learning techniques. 36 hours.
7. Course 7: Google Advanced Data Analytics Capstone – A final Project for the entire course series.

Career Opportunities and Salaries

This certification equips you with skills to work as a Senior Data Analyst or Junior Data scientist. Some of the typical job roles are :

• Junior Data Scientist
• Senior Data Analyst
• Operations Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Marketing Analyst
• Financial Analyst

The salary of a Senior Data Analyst averages $117k per year. As a Junior Data Scientist, the salary is about $93k per year. Moreover, this certification is a good foundation for Data Science, Data Engineering, and Machine Learning.

Duration and Cost of the Certification

The Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate is a 200-hour + course curriculum. Google estimates a 6-month duration for completion(although many persons complete it in about 4 months). It is self-paced, online, and offered through a Coursera subscription of $39 per month. That is an estimated $156 – $234 (4 – 6 months).

Degree Credits

The Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate (like the Google Data Analyst professional certificate) also allows you to earn some degree credits. The institutions include:

• Master of Data Science – Illinois Tech
• Master of Science in Data Science – Ball University
• Master of Business Administration – Illinois Tech

The Pros and Cons of the Certification

Pros

1. It uses Python as its programming language. This is more versatile than R for many job roles
2. It is heavy on some aspects of Data Analysis like Statistics (Regression) and lays a good foundation for a Data Science career path.
3. It has a good reputation among Hiring Managers
4. The curriculum is generally well-structured and there are mini-projects at the end of each course for hands-on practicals.

Cons

1. It does not teach you SQL. SQL is an essential skill in Data Analysis and is often required in many job roles.
2. Some aspects of the curriculum like the Machine learning modules are rarely useful to someone purely interested in Data Analytics.

Is It Worth It?

The Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate is one of the best courses for Data Analytics. It is robust and uses Python Programming language (which is more popular among Hiring managers). Google Data Analytics Certificates are industry-recognized for Data Analysis job roles. It is certainly a good option and is well worth trying out.

Final Thoughts

Google Data Analytics certificates are industry-recognized certifications to pursue a career in Data analytics. The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is more of a beginner course, covering the basics, including some non-technical skills. It uses R as its programming language, excellent for statistical analysis and better visualizations. Ideal for Junior Data Analyst roles.

The Google Advance Data Analytics Professional Certificate is ideal for people who have had some foundational knowledge. It focuses heavily on Python and is much more advanced. It covers much more advanced concepts, including basics in Data Science and Machine learning. This certificate is for the senior Data Analyst and Junior Data Science roles.

See a Review of IBM DATA ANALYTICS CERTIFICATIONS for comparisons with Google Data Analytics certificates