15 top data science certifications

Data scientist is one of the hottest jobs in IT. Companies are increasingly eager to hire data professionals who can make sense of the wide array of data the business collects. If you are looking to get into this lucrative field, or want to stand out against the competition, certification can be key.

Data science certifications give you an opportunity not only to develop skills that are hard to find in your desired industry but also to validate your data science know-how so that recruiters and hiring managers know what they’re getting if they hire you.

Whether you’re looking to earn a certification from an accredited university, gain experience as a new grad, hone vendor-specific skills, or demonstrate your knowledge of data analytics, the following certifications (presented in alphabetical order) will work for you.

Top 12 data science certifications

• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
• Cloudera Data Platform Generalist Certification
• Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Senior Data Scientist (SDS)
• Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Principal Data Scientist (PDS)
• IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate
• Open Certified Data Scientist (Open CDS)
• SAS Certified AI and Machine Learning Professional
• SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional using SAS 9
• SAS Certified Data Scientist
• Tensorflow Developer Certificate

Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

The Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) is a vendor-neutral certification that validates your ability to “transform complex data into valuable insights and actions,” which is exactly what businesses are looking for in a data scientist: someone who understands data, can draw logical conclusions and express to key stakeholders why those data points are significant. You’ll need to apply and meet certain criteria before you can take the CAP or the associate level aCAP exams. To qualify for the CAP certification exam, you’ll need three years of related experience if you have a master’s degree in a related field, five years of related experience if you hold a bachelor’s in a related field, or seven years of experience if you have any degree unrelated to analytics. To qualify for the aCAP exam, you will need a master’s degree and less than three years of related experience in data or analytics.

Cost: CAP exam: $495 for INFORMS members, $695 for non-members; aCAP exam: $200 for INFORMS members, $300 for non-members

Location: In person at designated test centers

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Valid for three years

Cloudera Data Platform Generalist Certification

Cloudera has discontinued its Cloudera Certified Professional (CCP) and Cloudera Certified Associate (CCA) certifications in favor of the new Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) Generalist certification, which verifies proficiency with the platform. The new exam tests general knowledge of the platform and applies to multiple roles, including administrator, developer, data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, and system architect. The exam consists of 60 questions and the candidate has 90 minutes to complete it.

Cost: $300

Location: Online

Duration: 90 minutes

Expiration: Valid for two years

Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Senior Data Scientist (SDS)

The Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Senior Data Scientist (SDS) certification program is designed for professionals with five or more years of experience in research and analytics. It’s recommended that students have knowledge of databases, spreadsheets, statistical analytics, SPSS/SAS, R, quantitative methods, and the fundamentals of object-oriented programming and RDBMS. The program includes five tracks that will appeal to a range of candidates — each track has differing requirements in terms of degree-level, work experience, and prerequisites to apply. You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree and more than five years of experience in data science to be eligible for each track, while other tracks require a master’s degree or past certifications.

Cost: $775

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: 5 years

Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Principal Data Scientist (PDS)

The Data Science Council of America (DASCA) offers the Principal Data Scientist (PDS) certification, which includes three tracks for data science professionals with 10 or more years of experience in big data. The exam covers everything from fundamental to advanced data science concepts such as big data best practices, business strategies for data, building cross-organizational support, machine learning, natural language processing, scholastic modeling, and more. The exam is designed for “seasoned and high-achiever data science thought and practice leaders.”

Cost: $850, track 1; $1,050, track 2; $750, Track 3; $1,250, track 4

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate consists of nine courses on data science, open source tools, data science methodology, Python, Databases and SQL, data analysis, data visualization, machine learning, and a final applied data science capstone. The certification coursework takes place online through Coursera with a flexible schedule and takes an average of three months to complete, but you are free to take more or less time. The course includes hands-on projects to help you build a portfolio to showcase your data science talents to potential employers.

Cost: Free

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals

Microsoft’s Azure AI Fundamentals certification validates your knowledge of machine learning and artificial intelligence concepts and how they relate to Microsoft Azure services. It’s a fundamentals exam, so you don’t need extensive experience to pass the exam. It’s a good place to start if you are new to AI or AI on Azure and want to demonstrate your skills and knowledge to employers.

Cost: $99

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate

The Azure Data Scientist Associate certification from Microsoft focuses your ability to utilize machine learning to implement and run machine learning workloads on Azure. Candidates for the exam are tested on ML, AI solutions, NLP, computer vision, and predictive analytics. You will need to be skilled in deploying and managing resources, managing identities and governance, implementing and managing storage, and configuring and managing virtual networks.

Cost: $165

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

Open Certified Data Scientist (Open CDS)

The Open Group Professional Certification Program for the Data Scientist Professional (Open CDS) is an experience-based certification without any traditional training courses or exams. You’ll start at level one as a Certified Data Scientist, then you can move to level two where you’ll become a Master Certified Data Scientist and finally, you can pass the third level to become a Distinguished Certified Data Scientist. Certification requires a three-step process that includes applying for the certification, completing the experience application form, and attending a board review.

Cost: Contact for pricing

Location: On-site

Duration: Varies by level

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

SAS Certified AI and Machine Learning Professional

The AI and Machine Learning Professional certification from SAS demonstrates your ability to use open source tools to gain insight from data using AI and analytics skills. The certification consists of several exams that cover topics such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and model forecasting and optimization. You’ll need to pass the SAS Certified Specialist exams in Machine Learning, Forecasting and Optimization, and Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision to earn the AI and Machine Learning professional designation.

Cost: $180 per exam

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9

The SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 credential validates your ability to analyze big data with a variety of statistical analysis and predictive modeling techniques. You’ll need experience in machine learning and predictive modeling techniques, including their use with big, distributed, and in-memory data sets. You should also have experience with pattern detection, experimentation in business optimization techniques, and time-series forecasting. The certification requires passing three exams: Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 7, 13, or 14; SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling; and SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation, and Optimization.

Cost: $250 for the Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner exam; $180 each for the other two required exams

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

SAS Certified Data Scientist

The SAS Certified Data Scientist certification is a combination of the other two data certifications offered through SAS. It covers programming skills; managing and improving data; transforming, accessing, and manipulating data; and how to work with popular data visualization tools. Once you earn both the Big Data Professional and Advance Analytics Professional certifications, you can qualify to earn your SAS Certified Data Scientist designation. You’ll need to complete all 18 courses and pass the five exams between the two separate certifications.

Cost: $180 per exam

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

TensorFlow Developer Certificate

The TensorFlow Developer Certificate program is a “foundational certificate for students, developers, and data scientists who want to demonstrate practical machine learning skills through the building and training of models using TensorFlow.” The exam tests your knowledge of and ability to integrate machine learning into various tools and applications. To pass the exam you will need to be experienced with the foundational principles of ML and deep learning, building ML models, image recognition algorithms, deep neural networks, and natural language processing.

Cost: $100 per exam

Location: Online

Duration: Self-paced

Expiration: Credentials do not expire

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