| Program length | Session start date(s) | Format | Program fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four 12-week courses | May 29, 2023
September 25, 2023 January 29, 2024 May 27, 2024 |
Asynchronous learning with live recorded sessions | $995 + applicable taxes (per course) |
This four-course program, developed in partnership with the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto, will give you the opportunity to learn from experts about advanced statistical modelling, machine learning and big data tools. You'll cover content essential for the toolbox of a predictive analytics professional, including neural networks and deep learning; programming languages and software used in data extraction and analysis; and data security, compliance, and privacy issues.
The course content covers the seven domains of INFORMS' Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification. You'll also learn how to represent data visually to help decision-makers understand your findings. Whether you work in operations, business intelligence or marketing communications, are a recent math or science graduate, or want to change or advance your career, this certificate will open up the in-demand field of Big Data.
Who should enrol
- Business associates, operations managers, project managers and intelligence analysts
- Finance, securities and insurance professionals
- Digital marketing and communication specialists
- Professionals from every level or industry who work with analytics or data
A degree in Engineering, Mathematics, or Computer Science is recommended, but not required. Basic knowledge of programming and programming languages is strongly recommended.
What you will learn
- Explore the evolution of data science and predictive analytics.
- Know statistical concepts and techniques including regression, correlation and clustering.
- Apply data management systems and technologies that reflect concern for security and privacy.
- Adopt techniques and technologies including data mining, neural network mapping and machine learning.
- Represent big data findings visually to aid decision-makers.
The data science program provided me with the foundation of data sciences and laid the groundwork to build on my acquired skills. As an oil and gas professional, I enrolled in this program to expand my hard skills and enable my pivot to the tech industry. I found the program to be very practical, with lots of content and teaching support. The final group projects in every course also led me to expand my network.
Yasser Khan, Data Lead, 303 Sparky
Program lead
Larry Simon, MBA
Larry Simon is an entrepreneur, management consultant, and angel investor, specializing in IT strategy and data analytics. He has over 30 years of experience advising startups, global corporations, and government institutions. He is the founder and a Managing Director of Inflection Group. Prior to this he was a Partner with Ernst & Young Consulting, their CTO and National Director of their strategy and delivery centres.
He has previously served on the faculty of the Rotman School of Management, as the Head Judge of the Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA), and as a Councillor of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario. Simon holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and a B.Math (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo.
Courses
The certificate program is comprised of four courses, designed and developed to be taken in order for natural progressive learning. These four courses are 12 weeks in length each and they offer a fully online learning experience, with instructor support, weekly webinars, peer networking and group assignments. It is designed for working professionals who need to fit their learning around a busy schedule. As such, there is no requirement to attend synchronous sessions and you can work on them at a time that is convenient for you to complete the assignments.
You will complete weekly text-based modules in Jupyter notebooks and complete practical assignments (individual and group), which provide opportunities to practice coding and working with data as you learn. In addition, there are recorded presentations by guest lecturers, who talk about current issues in the field of Data Science. You will showcase your learning by completing assignments and major projects that are relevant to tasks you need to master as a data science professional.
Please take the courses in the following order:
- Foundations of Data Science
- Statistics for Data Science
- Machine Learning
- Big Data Management Systems and Tools
Note: Students need to commit 10-12 hours per week for each of the Data Science courses. You have three years from the start date of your first course to complete the certificate.
Interested in taking a graduate program?
The Master of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence is a coursework program designed to meet the growing global demand in the fields of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Currently, the two program options include full-time co-op and part-time regular (non-co-op).
Your learning experience with Waterloo
Canada's most innovative universityLearn from leaders of innovationIn Maclean's University Rankings 2022, the University of Waterloo was ranked as the nation's most innovative university.
Top ranked STEM programs#1 in engineering, math, and computer scienceLearn from professors, researchers, and lecturers from one of Canada's top universities for engineering, math, and computer science.
Hands-on learning experience#1 in experiential learningWaterloo is a pioneer and leader in experiential learning and our programs offer a hands-on learning experience.
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Taxation
Online Data Science courses taken through WatSPEED at the University of Waterloo will have applicable taxes applied at the time of purchase. A T2022A tax slip is not issued for these courses.
Withdrawal and refund policy
You can withdraw from this course, or transfer to the next start date, up to 14 days after the start date. You must request this in writing (watspeed@uwaterloo.ca) before 4:30 pm (EST) on the 14th day. Please indicate if you want a refund or a transfer. There is an administrative fee of $75 (+ applicable taxes) for either option.
Certificate
Once you have successfully completed all four courses in the Data Science Certificate, you may request your certificate by submitting a Certificate Request Form through the School of Continuing Studies at University of Toronto.
