What Education Do I Need To Become a Data Analyst?

Data analysts are responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing data. Data analyst roles are highly technical, and as a result, require several years of education.

Most data analyst jobs require at least a bachelor's degree. Keep reading to discover more about what education you need to become a data analyst.

Educational Requirements for Data Analysts

Most employers require data analysts to hold a bachelor's degree, but some more advanced positions may require a master's degree or certification. Employers may require a data analyst degree or one in a related field. We've broken down these basic requirements below.

Bachelor's Degrees in Data Analytics

Bachelor's degrees are four-year undergraduate degrees that provide students with the fundamentals to pursue their intended career path. We've highlighted a few online bachelor's degrees in data analytics that can help you launch your data analysis career.

Rasmussen University ?Online Bachelor's in Data Analytics

Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple branches throughout the U.S. and an online branch. It offers an online bachelor's degree in data analytics.

The coursework in this program covers key data analytics topics like scripting, data visualization, applied business intelligence, and more. Students can transfer up to 90 quarter credits, allowing them to complete the program in as few as 18 months.

Southern New Hampshire University ?Online BS in Data Analytics

Southern New Hampshire University is a private university in Manchester, New Hampshire. It's well known for its online programs, one of which is a Bachelor of Science in data analytics.

This program trains students in data analytics standards and policies; it covers programming languages including Python, SQL, and Tableau. This degree also offers a concentration in project management.

Penn State World Campus ?Online BS in Functional Data Analytics

Penn State World Campus is the online campus of the public Pennsylvania State University. It offers a Bachelor of Science in functional data analytics.

Students who graduate from this program will understand how to apply problem-solving and critical thinking to answer questions using data. They'll also gain the skills necessary to create data visualizations, detect patterns in data, and draw data-supported conclusions from statistical analysis.

Data Analytics Certifications

Multiple agencies offer data analytics certifications. These certifications, sometimes called bootcamps, can indicate you have the analytical and technical skills to analyze complex data. You may even find free online data analytics certificates. While certifications aren't generally a requirement, they look good on resumes and may help you land job opportunities.

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Through the online learning platform Coursera, Google offers the Data Analytics Professional Certificate. It contains eight online courses covering various topics, such as data collection, data cleaning, data visualization, and decision-making.

This is an entry-level data analyst certification program. While it's self-paced, most students complete all eight courses within six months.

Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

The Certified Analytics Professional is a credential that verifies the critical technical expertise and related soft skills that data professionals need. It's meant to help data analysts prove their professional competency and convey a sense of credibility and prestige.

To earn this certificate, you'll need a certain amount of work experience, which varies depending on your education. You'll also need to pass the certification exam; study materials for this exam are available online.

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Coursera also offers the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate. This certification program includes 12 courses covering Python and SQL, artificial intelligence and machine learning, predictive modeling, and data visualization.

Like the Google certificate, this certification program is entry-level. It's also self-paced, with most students finishing in around six months. Students can also earn college credit for this program.

Master's Degrees in Data Analytics

While a master's degree isn't a requirement to get a data analyst job, these programs can help you move up from entry-level positions to higher-level data management roles. We've listed a few online master's degrees in data analysis below.

Georgia Tech ?Online MS in Analytics

The Georgia Institute of Technology, also called Georgia Tech, is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. It offers a self-paced online Master of Science in analytics.

This program requires 11 courses and takes two to three years to complete. It offers three concentrations: analytical tools (data analysis), business analytics, and computational data analytics (data science).

Penn State World Campus ?Online Master of Data Analytics

In addition to the bachelor's degree in functional data analytics, Penn State World Campus offers a master's degree in data analytics. This program trains students to frame analytics problems, identify data sources, determine analytics methodologies, and design and deploy analytics systems at scale.

The program requires a total of 30 credits. Students can choose from three concentrations: big data systems, business analytics, or marketing analytics.

University of Miami ?Online Master's in Data Analytics and Program Evaluation

The University of Miami is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. It offers a Master of Science in data analytics and program evaluation online.

This program allows students to gain knowledge of high-demand analytics software (e.g., R, Python, SPSS, and SAS) while positioning them for growth into leadership roles in their field. There are ten courses, which take about 20 months to complete.

FAQs About the Educational Requirements for Data Analysts

Below, we've answered a few frequently asked questions about the educational requirements for data analysts.

What Does a Data Analyst Do?

Data analyst positions usually center around collecting data and combing through data sets, a process called data mining. Data analysts and business analysts then use the results from this data to create actionable insights that affect the business decisions made by stakeholders.

As a result, data analysts need to know how to use visualization tools and query languages to process these large data sets. Depending on your data analyst role, you may also need to learn how to build algorithms and work with artificial intelligence.

Data analysts also need various soft skills, like problem-solving and communication skills. Your degree program can help you develop those soft skills as well.

Multiple industries require data analysts and data scientists. These industries include healthcare, insurance, finance, commerce, and research.

Is a Data Analytics Certificate Worth It?

While a certificate isn't required for a data analyst career, it can boost your resume and help you find job opportunities. Additionally, it can help you enhance your skill set, allowing you to excel as a data analyst.

Are There Continuing Educational Requirements for Data Analysts?

While there aren't any specific continuing education requirements to be a data analyst, some certifications, like the CAP certification, require you to take continuing education courses to maintain your certification.

Even if you aren't required to earn continuing education credits, computer science and information technology are constantly evolving. Continuing education requirements are an excellent way to stay up-to-date on new developments and technology.