Data scientists are among the highest-paid professionals in the world. In the U.S, a data scientist earns an average of $121593 in a year. The salary can go higher for data scientists with higher experience. The demand for data scientists is steadily growing. 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

Data science certifications are a great way for aspiring data science professionals to upskill themselves and learn the ropes of the trade. Whether you’re an entry level data professional looking to break into data science or a seasoned data scientist looking to advance your career, there’s a certification that can help you achieve your career goals. 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 3 years of professional experience if you have a master’s degree in data or analytics stream; 5 years of experience if you have a bachelor’s degree in a related stream and 7 years of experience if you have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated stream.

Cost:

CertificationMemberNon memberaCAP$ 245$150CAP$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

IBM offers the certification, and is hosted on Coursera. The certification course includes 9 modules that teach everything you need to secure a data science job. During the course of the certification, you also get to build projects, which helps you build your portfolio. The course includes lessons on SQL, Python, machine learning and other data science related topics. The course concludes with a capstone project.

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 certification checks your competency in using machine learning models on Azure. The exam assesses your skills in AI, Natural Language Processing, computer vision and predictive analytics. 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 advance 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 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:

ExamCostPredictive Modelling using SAS Enterprise Miner 14$250SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling using SAS 9.4$180SAS Text Analytics$180

Validity:

 The certification is valid for a lifetime.

8. SAS Certified Professional: AI and Machine Learning

The certification showcases your ability to derive insights from data using open source tools. To earn the certification you will need to qualify for several exams covering topics, such as 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
2. 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 life-time

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 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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