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Quick Look: Best Data Modeling Courses
Take a quick look at Benzinga’s top picks:
- Mastering Data Modeling Fundamentals by Udemy
- Databases: Modeling and Theory by StanfordOnline
- Data Science: Inference and Modeling by Harvard University
- Financial Modeling Foundations by LinkedIn Learning
- Statistical Inference and Modeling for High-throughput Experiments by Harvard University
- Data Modeling and Regression Analysis in Business by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R by Udemy
- Statistical Modeling for Data Science by Udemy
- Big Data Modeling and Management Systems by the University of California, San Diego
Data modeling is an on-demand skill that can help you stand out in the data science industry.
If you’re studying to become a data scientist, an online data modeling course can facilitate your comprehension of critical concepts introduced in the classroom. You can also find more advanced course options to help you brush up on your skills and accelerate your career as a data scientist.
Not sure how to find the best data modeling course for you? Benzinga is here to lend a helping hand.
What Makes a Data Modeling Course Great?
With so many data modeling courses to choose from, how do you know which are best? Keep the following considerations in mind as you explore and narrow down your options.
1. Offers the Basics
You want a data modeling course that begins with the basics before diving into more complex concepts. This is especially important for beginners who have no prior knowledge of the topic as it helps avoid confusion and feeling overwhelmed. You may find refresher lessons useful if you have experience with data modeling but it’s been a while since you completed continuing education classes.
2. Self-Paced
Avoid data modeling courses that impose strict deadlines. Self-paced options allow you to work when it is convenient for you so you get the most from your online learning experience. You’ll also have the opportunity to spend as much time as you need on more challenging concepts before you move forward to other segments.
3. Affordable
Don’t spend a fortune on a data modeling course. There are low-cost and free options for all skill levels to help you acquire the skills and knowledge you need. If money’s tight, only consider courses that are well within your budget or available free of charge. You can always level up to more costly classes as you have more funds at your disposal.
4. Resources You Can Keep
When you start any data modeling course, you need resources that you can keep after the course is complete. When you walk away from a course with a guide that you can refer to at any time, it’s much easier to learn, grow and become successful. Additionally, you should look for courses where the instruction has an open-door policy.
5. Community Support
You can choose from a wide range of courses, but do they offer community support? A bulletin board, Discord server or other discussion forum will help you study, gain support from your classmates and learn from others.
Our Top Picks
We scoured the web to bring you the best data modeling courses. Our top picks are from leading online learning platforms Coursera, edX, LinkedIn Learning and Udemy.
The classes are categorized by skill level: beginners, intermediate students and advanced students. We’ve also included a description and pricing information for each course to help you make an educated decision.
Data Modeling Courses for Beginners
These introductory courses are most ideal for data modeling newbies.
1. Mastering Data Modeling Fundamentals by Udemy
Learn the basics of data modeling in this introductory course. It’s facilitated by business intelligence thought leader Alan Simon and teaches you how to build data models for your organization.
Mastering Data Modeling Fundamentals caters to business analysts, data engineers and database engineers who are new to the field. It is comprised of 6 core segments:
- Data Modeling Fundamentals
- The Building Blocks of Data Modeling
- Add Real-World Complexities to Entities and Attributes
- Add Real-World Complexities to Relationships
- Move Across the Different Levels of a Data Model
- Software for Data Modeling
Register today for full lifetime access to 3 hours of on-demand video and 1 article. You will also receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course and have the skills and knowledge to execute real-world data modeling projects.
2. Databases: Modeling and Theory by StanfordOnline
Who it's for: Beginners
Price: Free
Offered by StanfordOnline, this 4-week course teaches database modeling and theory from the ground up. It’s designed for data modeling newbies with a computer science foundation. You should also understand the basics of programming and computer science theory.
Instructor Jennifer Widom, Dean of the School of Engineering, breaks the lessons down into modules on the following vital topics:
- Relational Algebra
- Relational Design Theory
- Unified Modeling Language
She dives into the algebraic query language that provides SQL's formal foundations, the dependency theory and standard forms in relational databases. You will also learn more about the modeling component of UML and how UML diagrams translate to relations.
It’s free to enroll. Expect to spend 5 to 10 hours per week working through the course material.
3. Data Science: Inference and Modeling by Harvard University
Who it's for: Beginners
Price: Free
Interested in learning how to leverage inference and modeling techniques when analyzing data? Look no further than this course from Harvard University. It is a part of the Data Science professional certificate program and takes 8 weeks to complete.
Led by Biostatistics Professor Rafael Irizarry, Data Science: Inference and Modeling covers:
- Models used to aggregate data from varying sources
- Techniques you can use to define estimates, margins or efforts of populations, parameters and standard errors
- Bayesian statistics
- Predictive modeling
You will acquire foundational knowledge through an election forecasting case study.
It helps if you have basic knowledge of probability and probability theory before you register.
Intermediate Data Modeling Courses
Do you have a solid grasp of data modeling basics? Have you applied your skills and knowledge in the workplace or classroom? Consider these intermediate courses.
4. Financial Modeling Foundations by LinkedIn Learning
Who it's for: Intermediate students
Price: Included with the monthly membership
In just 3 hours, you will learn how to construct financial models with ease. These models can be applied in corporate finance, commercial banking, investment banking and portfolio management to help key members of the leadership team make sound decisions.
Financial Modeling Foundations is comprised of the following modules:
- Financial Modeling Basics
- Corporate Financial Modeling: Three-Statement Financial Model
- Evaluating Corporate Financial Models: Three-Statement Model
- Investment Models: DCF Model
- Banking Models
- Buyout Models
- Financial Modeling Courses Across Industries
- Building and Maintaining Models
This course is included with a monthly LinkedIn membership. Or you can enroll for free by registering for a 1-month trial.
Instructor Michael McDonald is a researcher and professor of finance at Fairfield University.
5. Statistical Inference and Modeling for High-throughput Experiments by Harvard University
Who it's for: Intermediate students
Price: Free
Statistical Inference and Modeling for High-throughput Experiments is a class within the Data Analysis for Life Sciences professional certificate program. It is also offered by Harvard University and delves into a series of pertinent topics, including:
- Bayesian Statistics
- Bonferroni Correction
- Error Rate Control procedures
- Family-Wide Error Rates
- False Discovery Rate
- Hierarchical Models
- High throughput data organization and exploratory analysis
- Q-values
- Statistical Modeling
The 4-week course is also facilitated by Rafael Irizarry, professor of biostatistics, and Michael Love, assistant professor in the departments of biostatistics and genetics.
Have basic programming, statistics and linear algebra knowledge before you register. Enrollment is free and you can expect to spend 2 to 4 hours each week working through the material.
6. Data Modeling and Regression Analysis in Business by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Who it's for: Intermediate students
Price: Free
Presented by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this intermediate course dives into data description, regression and statistical inference. You will also learn more about statistical methods that can be used for projections and how to identify significant features in a dataset to further analyze behavior.
Data Modeling and Regression Analysis in Business contains 4 modules:
- Introduction to Analytics and Evolution of Statistical Inference
- Dating with Data
- Model Development and Testing with Holdout Data
- Curse of Dimensionality
Each model includes video lectures and readings to ensure you get the most from your online learning experience. You will also be tasked with taking a series of quizzes to test your comprehension of the material introduced in the lessons.
The class is facilitated by Sridhar Seshadri, professor of business administration.
Advanced Data Modeling Courses
Experienced data science professionals may find these courses useful.
7. Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R by Udemy
Master statistical data analysis visualization for practical applications in R. Consider this Udemy bestseller to show you the ropes.
Applied Statistical Modeling for Data Analysis in R is instructed by data scientist Minerva Singh. Here’s a quick breakdown of the class:
- Introduction to the Basics of Applied Statistical Modelling
- The Essentials of the R Programming Language
- Statistical Tools to Learn More About Your Data
- Probability Distributions
- Statistical Inference
- Relationship Between Two Different Quantitative Variables
- Other Types of Regression
- Multivariate Analysis
- Miscellaneous Lectures and Information
Register today for instant access to 9.5 hours of on-demand video lectures, 3 articles and 41 downloadable resources. You’ll also receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course.
Have knowledge of the Interface of R and RStudio before you sign up.
8. Statistical Modeling for Data Science
Seeking more advanced knowledge of core statistics and statistical modeling to level up your data science career? Consider this highly-rated course from Udemy.
It is presented by TechNet Consultancy and includes 17 lectures. The course material is divided into these segments:
- Distribution
- Central Limit Theorem
- Hypothesis Testing
- 5 Number Summary
The enrollment fee includes 1 hour of on-demand video instruction. You will also have to complete a practice test before you can finish the course and obtain a certificate of completion.
9. Big Data Modeling and Management Systems by the University of California, San Diego
Who it's for: Advanced students
Price: Free
Big Data Modeling and Management Systems is the second course in the Big Data Specialization from the University of California, San Diego.
It includes video lectures, supplementary readings and quizzes. Lessons are divided into the following modules:
- Introduction to Big Data Modeling and Management
- Big Data Modeling
- Big Data Modeling (Part 2)
- Working with Data Models
- Big Data Management: The “M” in DBMS
- Designing a Big Data Management System for an Online Game
The course is co-facilitated by Ilkay Altintas, chief data science officer, and Amarnath Gupta, director of the advanced query processing lab at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC).
Get Started with a Data Modeling Course
Whether you’re an aspiring data scientist or career professional, there’s a data modeling course that fits your needs and budgets. Our recommendations are for individuals with varying levels of expertise so you can find the best option for you with ease.
It’s crucial to ensure the class you select covers the information you’re seeking. Read the course description and review the syllabus to confirm so you’ll know what to expect when you enroll.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you look for in an excellent data modeling course?
You need to consider the material, costs and pace.
What are some great data modeling courses for beginners?
Benzinga recommends Data Science from Harvard University, Databases by StanfordOnline and Master Data Modeling Fundamentals by Udemy.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community