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

Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Presentation, Rmarkdown, Data Storytelling, Data Cleansing, Data Visualization, Data Validation, Data Integrity, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Ethics, Ggplot2, R Programming, Dashboard, Data Quality, Stakeholder Communications, Data Literacy, Data Analysis, SQL, Interviewing Skills, Analytical Skills, Applicant Tracking Systems
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
173K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Visualization, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Big Data, Data Wrangling, Data Processing, Data Mining, Analytics, Data Warehousing, Data Science, Data Cleansing, Data Lakes, Data Collection, Relational Databases, Microsoft Excel
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
19K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: People Analytics, Customer Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Business Analytics, Financial Statement Analysis, Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Operational Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Performance Measurement, Financial Analysis, Peer Review, Workforce Planning, Human Resources Management and Planning, Talent Management, Consumer Behaviour, Data Analysis, Financial Accounting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Google Advanced Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Exploratory Data Analysis, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Data Ethics, Statistics, Unsupervised Learning, Data Presentation, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, Data Manipulation, Data Science, Tableau Software, Interviewing Skills, Python Programming, Advanced Analytics
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
7.8K reviews
Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
Johns Hopkins University
Business Analytics with Excel: Elementary to Advanced
Skills you'll gain: Data Literacy, Microsoft Excel, Data Presentation, Operations Research, Regression Analysis, Excel Formulas, Statistical Visualization, Pivot Tables And Charts, Business Analytics, Business Analysis, Business Modeling, Mathematical Modeling, Resource Allocation, Spreadsheet Software, Statistical Methods, Financial Modeling, Process Optimization, Complex Problem Solving, Transportation Operations
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.9K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Coursera Project Network
Getting Started in Google Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Google Analytics, Web Analytics and SEO, Marketing Analytics, Analytics, Data Presentation, Data Analysis, User Accounts
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1.5K reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

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Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
People Analytics
Skills you'll gain: People Analytics, Performance Measurement, Workforce Planning, Human Resources Management and Planning, Talent Management, Organizational Effectiveness, Workforce Management, Employee Performance Management, Analytics, Performance Management, Data Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Collaboration, Employee Retention, Network Analysis, Predictive Analytics, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
6.1K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Simplilearn
Business Analytics using Excel
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Excel Macros, Microsoft Excel, Pivot Tables And Charts, Data Visualization, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Analytics, Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, Regression Analysis, Correlation Analysis
3.6
Rating, 3.6 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Preview
University of Virginia
Marketing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Marketing, Customer Retention, Marketing Strategies, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Regression Analysis, Analytics, Customer Insights, Brand Awareness, Consumer Behaviour, Return On Investment, A/B Testing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.4K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Maven Analytics
ChatGPT & Generative AI for Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Generative AI, Power BI, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Business Intelligence, Excel Formulas, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, SQL, Web Scraping, Python Programming, Data Science, Automation
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
16 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Meta
Meta Marketing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Business Metrics, Data Storytelling, Descriptive Statistics, Matplotlib, Marketing Effectiveness, A/B Testing, Bayesian Statistics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Spreadsheet Software, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Visualization, Dashboard, Data Cleansing, Marketing Strategies, Data Analysis, Pandas (Python Package), Marketing, Registration, Interviewing Skills
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
4K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Sports Performance Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Correlation Analysis, Supervised Learning, Data Manipulation, Applied Machine Learning, Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Statistical Methods, Matplotlib, Probability & Statistics, Machine Learning, Statistical Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Performance Analysis, Forecasting, Regression Analysis, Data Analysis, Analytics, Advanced Analytics, Python Programming
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
263 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months