Is a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Worth It?

If your business does work on the internet, then understanding the data and analytics of your website or other digital presence is essential.

One of the main tools used to analyze data is Google Analytics, and Google offers certifications in their tools as well as others. Google career certificates are programs that teach skills around various professions, and their data analytics course offers hands-on experience and videos to teach practical and analytical skills.

This certificate course covers basic data analytics skills and how to use the various dashboards and reports across a variety of data tools. The field of data analytics is becoming essential to many types of jobs and the skills involved in data analysis are transcending traditional data scientist jobs.

Benefits of Earning a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Beginners in data analysis and advanced data analysts can both benefit from earning a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.

Some of the biggest benefits you can gain from this program include:

• enhanced analytical skills
• learning about R Programming and RStudio, Microsoft Excel, SQL, Python, Tableau, BigQuery, and more
• learn in-demand skills that can make you better suited for hiring or promotion
• understand the vital role that data visualization plays in business
• learn about the role of advanced data analytics in decision-making

How To Get a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Earning a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate can help learners of all experience levels understand data science and how to report this information to stakeholders both inside and outside the business.

You can enroll in the program from home since the entirety of the program will be online through the learning platform Coursera. The certification program has a few main steps to complete before you earn your data analytics credentials.

1. Enroll Depending on Experience

To make sure the program will have benefits for learners with no experience as well as ones with prior experience, enrollment in the certification program allows students to enroll in two different paths based on experience levels.

For beginners, it's recommended to enroll in both courses to establish the relevant background information needed for more advanced data analytics.

Getting Started in Data Analytics

This course covers many of the basics of data analytics, such as courses on:

• data types and reviewing datasets
• data cleaning
• how to prepare data for exploration
• how to share data
• using data to answer questions

Advancing in the Data Analytics Field

If you already have prior experience, have a data analyst job, or just know a lot about the topic, you might be better suited to take the Advancing in Data Analytics Field course. This course takes a more in-depth look at the field of data analytics.

2. Study the Certificate Material

The course is broken into seven educational courses and a capstone project. These courses are set up to be completed at your own pace, but there is a recommended pace of six months with a total estimated time of 194 hours (including the capstone project).

3. Complete the Data Analytics Capstone Project

The capstone project for this certification course is a hands-on project to see how well you learned the concepts. This is done with a dataset that needs to be cleaned and converted into a case study. Once this project is completed and your work is approved, you can earn your certificate.

What To Expect from the Google Data Analytics Professional Certification Program

Each course contains multiple elements to help explain the data science topic being covered, including:

• reviewing case studies
• hands-on experience with various data tools
• creating spreadsheets
• quizzes and assessments to gauge learning

FAQs About the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Because data analysis might still be new to many people, there are many common questions that people have. Below we've answered some of the most frequently asked questions.

Is the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Recognized?

Professional certificates are often well recognized, especially if they come from accredited universities or well-respected companies. Google has a highly respected presence in the world of data science, with its own Google Analytics tools. This certification can be used as a substitution for some college credits to quickly show future employers that you have relevant skills.

Do Employers Look at Google Certifications?

As long as they are relevant to the job you are applying for, then your employer will probably look at your certifications. People who completed Google certifications for various careers reported positive growth in their careers within six months of completing their programs. Certifications related to your job can often lead to raises or promotions related to your new skills and ability to take on more responsibility.