IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate Program Guide
Validates practical skills in data analysis using Excel, SQL, Python and IBM Cognos, including data visualization and dashboards.
Work through 11 courses in order, from data analytics basics and Excel to dashboards, Python, SQL and visualization, then a capstone, generative AI and career preparation. Complete the labs and graded assessments. There is no final exam.
1Understand the program
Courses
Rows are courses with Coursera's hour estimates.
Course 1Introduction to Data Analytics (12 hours)
Module 1What is Data Analytics
Module 2The Data Ecosystem
Module 3Gathering and Wrangling Data
Module 4Mining & Visualizing Data and Communicating Results
Module 5Career Opportunities and Data Analysis in Action
Course 2Excel Basics for Data Analysis (13 hours)
Module 1Introduction to Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets
Module 2Getting Started with Using Excel Spreadsheets
Module 3Cleaning & Wrangling Data Using Spreadsheets
Module 4Analyzing Data Using Spreadsheets
Module 5Final Project
Example scenario: A sales sheet has dates stored as text and duplicate order rows. What would you fix first before building a pivot table?
Course 3Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excel and Cognos (16 hours)
Module 1Visualizing Data Using Spreadsheets
Module 2Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Spreadsheets
Module 3Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Cognos Analytics
Module 4Final Project
Course 4Python for Data Science, AI & Development (24 hours)
Module 1Python Basics
Module 2Python Data Structures
Module 3Python Programming Fundamentals
Module 4Working with Data in Python
Module 5APIs and Data Collection
Course 5Python Project for Data Science (7 hours)
Module 1Crowdsourcing Short squeeze Dashboard
Module 2Final Project
Course 6Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python (18 hours)
Module 1Getting Started with SQL
Module 2Introduction to Relational Databases and Tables
Module 3Intermediate SQL
Module 4Accessing Databases using Python
Module 5Course Assignment
Module 6Bonus Module: Advanced SQL for Data Engineers
Example scenario: You have one table of customers and one of orders. How would you list customers who have not ordered in the last 90 days?
Course 7Data Analysis with Python (16 hours)
Module 1Importing Data Sets
Module 2Data Wrangling
Module 3Exploratory Data Analysis
Module 4Model Development
Module 5Model Evaluation and Refinement
Module 6Final Assignment
Course 8Data Visualization with Python (19 hours)
Module 1Introduction to Data Visualization Tools
Module 2Basic and Specialized Visualization Tools
Module 3Advanced Visualizations and Geospatial Data
Module 4Creating Dashboards with Plotly and Dash
Module 5Final Project and Exam
Course 9IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project (26 hours)
Module 1Data Collection
Module 2Data Wrangling
Module 3Exploratory Data Analysis
Module 4Data Visualization
Module 5Building A Dashboard
Module 6Final Assignment: Present Your Findings
Course 10Generative AI: Enhance your Data Analytics Career (16 hours)
Module 1Data Analytics and Generative AI
Module 2Use of Generative AI for Data Analytics
Module 3Final Project and Exam
Course 11Data Analyst Career Guide and Interview Preparation (13 hours)
Coursera's course estimates add up to 180 hours, and Coursera suggests 4 months at 10 hours a week.
Most candidates spend 100–200 hours. Coursera's course estimates add up to 180 hours. Plan for the low end if you already use Excel, SQL or Python; plan for the high end if you are new to coding.
1Understand the programLook through the courses and how the program is graded.9 h
3Learn the core conceptsWork through the courses in order and complete the graded work.162 h
4Finish the programFinish the remaining assessments and claim your certificate.9 h
3Learn the core concepts
The program is the course. Add Tableau or Power BI practice if your target jobs ask for them.
In a 2025 r/analytics thread comparing the IBM and Google certificates, the top replies said to focus on SQL, a BI tool and your own projects rather than either certificate. One analyst still found a certificate useful for filling gaps.
Best official programIBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate