The highest-paid professionals in the world are data scientists. According to the Indeed data, the average salary of a data scientist is $129,336 per year. The salary can even be higher based on experience and skills. The reason for it being the highest income category is the continuously growing demand for data engineers. With the increasing demand for data science professionals in the industry and companies offering handsome pay, getting ahead in a data science career is a no-brainer! In this article, we have listed the best Data Science certifications to help you succeed in this field.
Top 10 Best Data Science Certifications
Certifications in Data Science are the greatest way the students who want to grow a career as Data Scientists. It will be useful in enhancing the skills and learn more. For the one who is just starting or the one who has gained experience in the same, upskilling your knowledge can increase your salary even more. Let’s look at some of the top data science certifications.
1. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
This certification validates your ability to turn complex data into valuable insights. Companies are looking for professionals who can take their data and unearth insights from it. This is a vendor-neutral certification.
Eligibility:
You need at least 2 years of professional experience if you have a master’s degree in data or analytics stream; 4 years of experience if you have a bachelor’s degree in a related stream, and 8 years of experience if you have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated stream.
Cost:
| Certification | Member | Non member |
| aCAP | $ 245 | $150 |
| CAP | $440 | $640 |
Validity:
The certification is valid for 3 years.
2. Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) Generalist Certification
The generalist certification checks your knowledge of the platform and proficiency in using it. Whether you’re a data analyst, developer, data engineer, or have any other role, the certification is equally valuable to all.
Eligibility:
Anybody with knowledge of the platform can take the certification
Cost:
$330
Validity:
The certification is valid for 2 years.
3. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
Certification provided by IBM is hosted by Coursera. The course consists of 12 series. During the course, you will get to learn topics like SQL, Python, machine learning, and other data science-related topics. You will also need to make projects during the time of course. It will make your portfolio nicer and will increase the chance of getting a better job.
Eligibility:
Anybody with an interest in data science can take the course.
Cost:
Free
Validity:
The certification is valid for a lifetime.
4. Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals
The certification is a fundamental exam to check your knowledge of AI and use Azure to get AI done. If you’re looking to start learning AI or demonstrate your skills in AI to your prospective employer, the certification is a good place to start.
Eligibility:
Anybody who has an interest in learning AI
Cost:
$99
Validity:
The certification is valid for a lifetime.
5. Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate
The process of certification included checking your competency in learning machine learning models on Azure. The exam is taken to assess your skill in AI, NLP (Natural Learning Processing), predictive analytics, and computer vision.
To clear the exam, you will need to know how to implement and manage storage, configure and manage virtual networks, etc.
Eligibility:
Anybody who has an interest in learning AI or advancing their career
Cost:
$165
Validity:
You will need to retake the exam every 12 months.
6. SAS Certified Data Scientist
The advanced certification checks your proficiency in data curation, advanced programming, AI, and machine learning. Pursuing the certification will equip you with programming skills, advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning. You will also get the hang of working with popular data visualization tools.
Eligibility:
Before you earn the certification, you will also need to earn the Data Curation Professional, Advanced Programming Professional, Advanced Analytics, or AI & Machine Learning Professional certifications.
Cost:
$180
Validity:
The certification is valid for a lifetime.
7. SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional
SAS is a powerful analytics tool used worldwide. The certification validates your skill in analyzing big data using statistical analysis and predictive modelling techniques. Your experience in predictive modelling with big, distributed, and in-memory data sets will also come in handy. Time-series forecasting, pattern detection, and techniques to optimize business will help too. To earn the certification, you will need to qualify for three exams:
1. Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 14
2. SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling Using SAS 9.4
3. SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation, and Optimization
Eligibility:
Anybody with an interest in data science.
Cost:
| Exam | Cost |
| Predictive Modelling using SAS Enterprise Miner 14 | $250 |
| SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling using SAS 9.4 | $180 |
| SAS Text Analytics | $180 |
Validity:
The certification is valid for a lifetime.
8. SAS Certified Professional: AI and Machine Learning
The course certificate shows your ability to get insights from data. It is done using open source tools. To get the certificate, students will need to qualify for exams with topics like machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, model forecasting, and optimization. You will need to clear two exams:
1. SAS Certified Specialist: Machine learning,
2. SAS Certified Specialist: Forecasting and Optimization or SAS Certified Specialist: Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision
Eligibility:
Anybody with an interest in data science
Cost:
$180
Validity:
The certification is valid for a lifetime
9. Data Camp’s Data Scientist Associate Certification
The credential shows your ability to manage data, perform exploratory analysis, and perform statistical analysis. To earn the certification, you will need to take two timed exams, 2 hours each, and a practical exam.
Exam 1 (2 hours): Assess your ability to use R or Python to demonstrate characteristics of data, apply sampling methods, etc.
Exam 2 (2 hours): Assesses your ability to manage data, modelling, and programming for data science.
Practical exam: Tests your skills to extract and clean data for analysis, calculate metrics for data characteristics, and implement data modelling approaches for supervised learning.
You need to complete the certification within 30 days of registering for the certification.
Eligibility:
Requires some experience in R or Python.
Cost:
Varies based on the subscription you choose for Data Camp.
Validity:
Not known
10. Data Camp’s Data Scientist Certification (earlier Data Scientist Professional Certification)
The credential shows your expertise as an experienced data scientist. To earn the credential, you need to qualify for three assessments, including two timed exams and one practical exam.
Exam 1 (2 hours): Assesses your ability to use R or Python to perform exploratory data analysis and statistical analysis.
Exam 2 (60 mins): Assesses your ability to use Python, R, and SQL to extract and clean data.
Practical exam: Assesses your ability to present to understand a business, its data needs, and explain data concepts to stakeholders.
Eligibility:
You need some experience in data science.
Cost:
Varies depending on the subscription you choose for Data Camp.
Validity:
Not known
Conclusion
Data science is a highly lucrative field. With a steadily increasing number of job opportunities around the world, the above data science certifications can help you upskill yourself and showcase your ability to help businesses drive forward.
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