The Fundamentals of Data Science

Distance learning courses take a harsh reputation bashing for their lack of interaction or ability to motivate students from afar. So, when a course really nails it, I feel compelled to tell my LinkedIn peers in the hope you’ll give it a try and get as much enjoyment from it as I have.

‘The Fundamentals of Data Science’ is an online course provided by Southampton Data Science Academy, part of Southampton University. It’s a 60-hour commitment over a 6-week period, which

I completed outside of normal working hours (apart from several online tutorials which took place during the working day). This can seem like a daunting time obligation every week, but the content was so engaging, it really didn’t feel like studying.

Topics included Python, a Data Science Toolkit, data collection, storage and management, introductory statistical analysis, basic machine learning, and visualisation - a solid range of contemporary topics in the data science sphere.

As you can imagine, the course operates entirely remotely. You’ll need a laptop or PC with a decent headset – as you will chat with your tutor and other participants via web conferencing. (If your corporate network security settings will allow you!)

Weekly topics are introduced by an experienced lecturer via a video. Further detail is covered by the same lecturer, or another expert in the subject area. This combines conceptual, theoretical, and practical information. Worked examples, with data, code and visualisations are explained in good detail.

Your success in the course is measured through 3 assessments. These require you to use Python (in Jupyter) and several other technologies to implement specific tasks. Most of these provide answers, which allow you to prove that your methodology and approach are correct, and be confident before you move forwards.

I’d recommend anyone thinking of embarking on a Data Science career, or those interested in some data wrangling, to consider this course.

The remote education concept worked well for me and another member of the Data Team here at Equiniti Data. It is different to a classroom environment and perhaps requires more self-discipline to complete. Get past that different way of learning, put aside some time, and you have a compelling and interesting challenge! Your tutor is happy to help explain any problems and work through questions – but they won’t do your assignments for you.

The assignments test your new knowledge of:

• Gathering data from web pages, correctly observing permissions
• Use of MongoDB for storage, retrieval, and certain query or aggregation work
• Gathering information from a web API
• Visualisation using different plots
• Running regression analysis and interpreting the results
• Plotting data on a map using Python, stylising it, and making it interactive

You can find further details on the University of Southampton website.