Tired of courses that require you to have prerequisite knowledge of programming languages? Do you wish you knew at least one of them because a lot of advanced courses such as data science requires you to have some programming experience? If so, Python is a great idea. Why, you ask? Well, to begin with, its simplicity and readability. And because of that one feature, Python has gradually become one of the first languages they teach you at programming schools. If you want to take coding as a profession, Python is a great stepping stone.
Python has come to be the most popular programming language in the last few years. According to this list, Python has surpassed C#, Java and even JavaScript. One of the major reasons for this is that Python is Google’s official language and has rich features like dynamic typing and built-in data structures. Moreover, it is open source and great for debugging. It is used in the graphic interface and 3D applications, games, business applications and numeric and scientific applications. You will find it being used with Instagram and it is useful for automating all kinds of tasks.
One of its greatest advantages is libraries that come in handy when it comes to actual coding and this is why it is extremely popular with data scientists, in artificial intelligence and web scraping. So certainly, if you are looking at a career in coding, Python is a great stepping stone.
If you want to learn Python but just don’t have the time to attend classes, taking them online is a great alternative. And we have compiled some of the best online courses for Python. We have selected these courses based on the material they cover, customer reviews and popularity. So let’s get started:
Top 7 Best Online Python Courses
These are the best online courses for python programming, all thoroughly reviewed to ensure that you find the perfect one for your needs and skill level.
Python for Everybody Specialization Certificate – University of Michigan
Offered by the University of Michigan, This course is for everyone who wants to analyze and program data with Python. It aims to clear every seeker’s programming concepts such as networked application program interfaces and databases.
This is a beginner’s level program that requires at least 3 months to complete and around 11 hours of study per week. The course is available in the following languages:
- English
- Korean
- German
- Arabic
- Chinese
The 5 courses that are covered in this program are:
- Getting Started with Python: This will start you on your Python (Python 3) learning journey. It has no major prerequisites and requires an understanding of simple mathematics. If you have had moderate computer experience, this module should be a breeze. After completion of this module, you can then move on to the advanced level.
- Python Data Structures: This module will teach you how to use the built-in data structures such as tuples, dictionaries and lists for complex data analysis.
- Using Python to Access Web Data: Using web APIs, you will learn to access, scrape, parse and read web data and learn how you can use the internet as a source of data. To proceed with this module, you will need to master the two previous modules because you will be working with JSON, HTML and XML data formats. It also includes conditional execution, expressions and variables and Python data structures.
- Using Databases with Python: Using SQLLite3, you will build multi-step visualization (using D3.js) and gathering processes and web crawlers. You will learn basic database design and the basics of the Structured Query Language.
- Capstone: This is the final module of this program which will require you to visualize, process and retrieve data using Python. This module will teach you how to use the technologies in real-world scenarios and make projects from whatever they have learned.
For more details on the course, head here.
Python Data Structures – University of Michigan
This 7-week course is offered by the University of Michigan and requires 2-4 hours of studying per week. It is an introductory course that will take you through the data structures and teaches you how to use dictionaries, tuples and lists to perform complex data structure analysis.
The course is taught by Charles Severance, professor, School of Information, who was the chief architect of a learning management system called the Sakai Project. This project has been used in around 300 schools worldwide. He teaches web development, database design and other subjects at the University of Michigan.
The course will cover the following topics:
- Creating a Dictionary
- Sorting Data
- Creating a List in Python
- Using the Tuple Structure in Python
- Opening and Reading Data from a File
This course is in English and is free to enroll, but you have an option to add a verified certificate for $49.
For more details on the course, click here.
Python for Data Science and AI – IBM
This course is offered by IBM and is one of the best online courses for Python and will guide you step by step in the process for learning Python to be used in data science. You don’t need any prerequisites to learn this course because of its user friendliness. It will teach you all the basics of Python programming in about 11 hours. The course has flexible deadlines and is 100% online.
The course is available in three languages, namely English, Korean and German. For its length, students who have previously enrolled in the course have said that they have felt challenged and surprised and have added that the course gives them the background on the most common data types in Python very concisely. Around 42% who have completed this course have started new careers and around 39% have had tangible benefits from it.
The course is divided into the following 4 modules:
- Module 1: This covers Python basics such as the first program you will write in Python, expressions and variables, types and string operations.
- Module 2: This covers Python data structures such as directories, sets and list and tuples.
- Module 3: This covers Python programming fundamentals such as loops, functions, conditions and branching and objects and classes.
- Module 4: This will cover working with Python basics such as writing files with open, loading data with Pandas, NumPy and reading files with open.
This course is a part of multiple programs; Applied AI: Artificial Intelligence With IBM Watson, IBM Artificial Intelligence, Applied Data Science and IBM Data Science and will count towards learning any of these programs.
You will have access to all quizzes, videos and programming assignments if you choose to purchase it and is taught by Joseph Satarcangelo who is a Ph.D. data scientist with IBM.
For more details on the course, click here.
Introduction to Python: Fundamentals – Microsoft
This 5-week introductory level course is a part of the Microsoft Professional Program in Entry-Level Software Development and dices deeper in more Python fundamentals. If you have already taken the Introduction to Python: Absolute Beginner course, this can be considered a continuation from it. Using just a browser and an internet connection, you will get practice in Jupyter Notebooks in Azure with sample code.
The course requires 3-4 hours of study per week and covers range sequences, list and string and their methods and list iteration. You will also learn opening files, reading them, adding to them and much more and Python 3 fundamentals. After the completion of the course, you will be able to import files, use file append mode, create lists, slicing strings into substrings, iterate through lists and a lot of other Python tasks.
At a glance, it covers the following:
- Fundamentals of the Python 3 Language
- List and Strings Manipulation
- Iterate Through Ranges, Lists and Strings
- Writing, Reading and Creating to Files
The course has 4 modules, where the first three modules cover sequence operations such as list manipulation, string indexing and iteration, and the last module covers file operations such as input and output. The course is taught by Eric Camplin who is a senior content developer from Microsoft.
The course is free to enroll as it is from edX, but you can acquire a verified, instructor-signed certificate for $99.
For more details on the course, click here.
Data Analysis with Python – IBM
People who have taken this course have touted it as one of the best online courses for Python because it explains all the parameters and concepts and is perfect for anyone who wants to apply these learnings in the real world. You will predict future trends, oversee the creation of data visualizations and lots more. The course is offered by IBM and it will be delivered via lab, lectures and assignments. As a learner, you will be exposed to Scipy libraries, Pandas (open-source library) and NumPy and be working on sample datasets.
This beginner-level course takes about 9 hours to complete and requires about 2 hours of study per week. The course lasts up to 6 hours. The course will cover the following:
- Importing of Datasets
- Cleanup of the Data
- Manipulation of Data Frame
- Summarization of the Data
- Creation of Machine Learning Regression Models
- The Building of Data Pipelines
You will learn to use Pandas which will be used to visualize, analyze, manipulate and load datasets. With the help of sci-kit-learn, you will be able to make predictions and build smart models. You will learn model selection, predictive modeling, data visualization and Python programming.
After this course, not only will you earn a Coursera certificate but will also be awarded an IBM digital badge. You can subscribe to this course ($39 a month) to get access to graded material. This includes 27 video tutorials and 30 quizzes.
Learn more about this course here.
Introduction to Python: Absolute Beginner – Microsoft
As the name suggests, this is one of the best online courses for Python for those who wish to learn the basics of the language and start programming. This course is also a part of the Microsoft Professional Program in Entry-Level Software Development and will teach you the basics of text-based programming and take you through the basics of Python concepts and layers. The length of this course is 5 weeks and requires 3-4 hours of effort per week.
This course covers the same principles as Introduction to Python: Fundamentals and you will be getting a lot of hands-on practice using Jupyter Notebooks on Azure. The course aims for you to start very quickly. You will be taken through formating, testing, strings and input and will be exploring variables and data types. You will also be learning about nested conditionals and conditionals and parameters and arguments. By the time the course is completed, you will be able to create programs that require input from the user and use Python methods and conditional logic for providing responses to the users (for example, creating a quiz).
You will be learning the following:
- Manipulating input/output and gathering input
- How to use Python in Jupyter Notebooks
- Using loops and conditional statements for repetitions and decisions
- Using parameters and return values for reusable functions
This course is also taught by Eric Camplin who is a senior content developer at Microsoft. You can add a verified certificate for $99 and post it on LinkedIn.
To learn more about this course, click here.
Introduction to Programming – Udacity
This course will walk you through the basics of Python, HTML and CSS. This 4-month-long course will train you to think and act like a programmer and requires 10 hours of effort per week. There are no prerequisites and you will get access to the classroom as soon as you enroll. Only basic computer skills, such as being able to use search engines and your self-determination is required along with some command over English.
There are 4 modules to this course:
- Introduction to HTML
- Introduction to CSS
- Introduction to Python
- Introduction to JavaScript
The course fee is $399/month and this subscription will include the following:
- Project Feedback from Experienced Reviewers (Over 2,000 available)
- Real-World Projects
- Project Reviews
- Improved Student Community
- 1-on-1 Technical Mentors (Over 1,000 Mentors, Up to 6 Hours of Mentor Support/Month)
- Check-ins with Mentor
- Interview Preparations
- Career Coaching
- Resume Services
- Github Review
The course also includes a personal career coach who will assist in your job search personally, provide you advice on negotiating job offers and help expand your professional network. You will also get monthly 1-on-1 calls.
Click here to know more about this course.
Conclusion
This article covered some of the best online courses for Python and we truly hope you’ve found the perfect one for you! Most of these courses cover the basics of Python and do not require the learner to have any prior programming experience and aim for you to start programming in the language upon their completion. So no matter if you want to use your skills in the field of data science or web development, these courses will give you an edge.
If you want to discover more learning opportunities, then be sure to take a look at our list of the best online courses. Thanks for reading and as always, have a great day!