Program Overview

Introduction to Programming and Data Science

The Introduction to Programming and Data Science course, designated as PUB AFF X 404, is an introductory program that focuses on data analysis and programming using Python. Students enrolled in this course will acquire skills in loading, cleaning, and manipulating spreadsheets, as well as foundational Python programming concepts.

Course Details

• The course is designed to introduce Python programming as a practical tool for data science, with an emphasis on its application to real-world social data analysis.
• Through a structured curriculum, professionals with little or no prior experience in programming will learn essential techniques for reading, manipulating, and analyzing data.
• The course utilizes the Pandas library, teaching participants how to perform data manipulation and analysis.
• Key skills learned include:
  • Using Python to perform basic mathematical operations, open and write files, and write functions.
  • Understanding how to perform basic quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analysis.
  • Performing data manipulation and analysis with the Pandas library.

About This Course

This course empowers mid-career professionals with the technical and problem-solving skills necessary to drive data-informed decisions and foster innovative problem-solving. It emphasizes loading and describing data with Pandas, the leading Python tool for cleaning, transformation, and merging datasets. Participants will learn how to perform data visualization, descriptive statistics, basic inferential analysis, textual, and spatial data analysis through interactive lectures, live coding sessions, and collaborative lab exercises.

Program Applications

This course applies toward the following programs:

Data Analytics in Public Affairs Certificate

• The Data Analytics in Public Affairs certificate program teaches participants how to analyze, visualize, and communicate data insights to internal and external stakeholders to assist in public policy decision-making.
• The program is designed to equip professionals with the skills necessary to analyze and interpret complex data, making informed decisions in the field of public affairs.