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Python is one of the largest and most widely used programming languages in the world, regularly defeating such stalwarts as Java and C# to retain the number one spot in popular developer surveys like the Tiobe Index. In this programming tutorial, we highlight six online Python courses that you can take to enhance your career, regardless of whether you are a new programmer, a system administrator, or a veteran developer.
Python for Everybody by Coursera
Hosted by Coursera and created by the University of Michigan, the Python for Everybody Specialization is a beginner level course that lasts an average of two months at 10 hours a week. Students can take the course at their own pace, however, if you they want to finish it sooner. The core of the program focuses on learning how to program in the Python programming language, which you will then use to analyze data – a strong suit of Python.
The specialization consists of a five-course series that begins with Python basics including:
- How to install Python and create your first program
- How to use variables to store and retrieve data
- How to functions and loops in simple programs
From there, the course moves into more intermediate topics, including coverage of the basic data structures Python has to offer, how to read and write data from files, how to store information as key/pair values in dictionaries, and how to sort and loop through tuples (another Python structure for storing data).
With these tools and concepts in mind pupils will move into the final three courses, which focus on more advanced Python concepts and principles, including:
- How to work with regular expressions
- How to understand web protocols
- How to scrape website APIs
- How to use XML data in your Python programs
- How to operate on databases
- Basic Object-oriented programming
- How to use the Google Maps API
- How to work with unicode characters and strings
- How to build a search engine
- How to create email data visualizations
Students completing the course will earn a career certificate they can use on LinkedIn and as part of their resume. You can learn more about this course’s curriculum and pricing by visiting its page on Coursera: Python for Everybody Specialization.
Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate from Coursera
Offered by Google and hosted on Coursera, the Google IT Automation with Python
certification course is designed for IT professionals who want to use Python to create scripts that automate IT administrative tasks, such as managing physical and virtual machines and configuring systems.
The course can be taken at your own pace and last an average of six months (if taken at 10 hours per week). At the end of the course, students will earn a shareable certificate of completion and be granted access to several career resources, including a resume review and interview prep course.
The six courses that make up this certificate program cover the following topics:
- Python basics
- How to use Python scripting to automate tasks
- How to use strings, lists, and dictionaries
- How to create Python objects and the basics of OOP
- How to setup a Python development environment
- File and process manipulation
- How to use regular expressions
- How to use Bash to create scripts
- Version control basics
- Installing Git and using GitHub
- Collaboration through remote repositories
- Configuration management and monitoring
- Troubleshooting and debugging Python code
- Infrastructure as code
- How to use Puppet
- How to deploy virtual machines
You can learn more about this online Python certification course by visiting its Coursera listing: Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate.
Python and Statistics for Financial Analysis from Coursera
The Python and Statistics for Financial Analysis online course from Coursera makes our list, in part, because of its focus on a singular topic. Instead of covering a wide range of topics, this four-course series hones in on working with financial data and statistics, making it a great choice for developers looking to advance their skills in data science. The bundle of courses takes roughly 12 hours to complete and is considered an intermediate-level series. That being said, the only requirement is that you have a working knowledge of probability statistics – and basic Python skills.
Topics covered in the four learning modules include:
- Data analysis packages in Python
- How to import data and work with dataframes
- How to import, visualize, and manipulate stock data
- How to work with random variables for statistical data
- How to apply probability to measure stock investment risks
- The basics of statistical inference
- How to sample data
- How to perform linear regression models
By the end of this Python course, students will earn a certificate of completion and will have created their own stock trading model to predict price changes of an ETF on the S&P500. You can learn more about this specialized course by visiting its page: Python and Statistics for Financial Analysis.
Introduction to Programming with Python and Java from Coursera
One of the main benefits of Python is the fact that it is extensible, meaning that you can enhance its functionality by blending it with other programming languages. The Introduction to Programming with Python and Java course teaches students this concept, as well as the basics of the world’s two most popular programming languages. The programming course consists of four modules that take an estimated 2 months to complete at 10 hours per week, though students are welcome to tackle the course at their own pace.
Topics covered in the four modules include:
- Basic Python programming concepts
- How to work with data structures, loops, variables, and functions
- How to use several Python tools and IDEs
- How to read and write to files and create custom functions
- Basic data science concepts
- How to work with dataframes and data analysis libraries like NumPy and pandas
- Java software development basics
- Java OOP principles
- How to use Eclipse
- How to use test-driven development to create more reliable code
- Java debugging
- Advanced Object-oriented programming
You can learn more about the courses pricing and curriculum by visiting its page on Coursera: Introduction to Programming with Python and Java.
Final Thoughts on Python Courses to Enhance Your Career
In this tutorial, we looked at four Python courses that can help enhance your career. Whether you are a system administrator, software developer, data analysts, or IT professional looking to learn scripting to automate common tasks, the courses listed in this guide can help add more skills to your repertoire, enhance your resume, make you more employable, and even lead to higher income.