Learning Outcomes
Statistical concepts such as probability, inference, and modeling and how to apply them in practice
Professional Certificate Series
Data Science
The HarvardX Data Science program prepares you with the necessary knowledge base and useful skills to tackle real-world data analysis challenges
- 9 Courses
- 1 Year & 5 Months
- Earn Your Certificate
What You'll Learn
The demand for skilled data science practitioners in industry, academia, and government is rapidly growing.
The program covers concepts such as probability, inference, regression, and machine learning and helps you develop an essential skill set that includes R programming, data wrangling with dplyr, data visualization with ggplot2, file organization with Unix/Linux, version control with git and GitHub, and reproducible document preparation with RStudio. In each course, we use motivating case studies, ask specific questions, and learn by answering these through data analysis. Case studies include: Trends in World Health and Economics, US Crime Rates, The Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, Election Forecasting, Building a Baseball Team (inspired by Moneyball), and Movie Recommendation Systems. Throughout the program, we will be using the R software environment. You will learn R, statistical concepts, and data analysis techniques simultaneously. We believe that you can better retain R knowledge when you learn how to solve a specific problem.
Learn MoreLearning Outcomes
Gain experience with the tidyverse, including data visualization with ggplot2 and data wrangling with dplyr, and become familiar with Unix/Linux, git and GitHub, and RStudio
Learning Outcomes
In-depth knowledge of fundamental data science and machine learning concepts through motivating real-world case studies
9 Courses
Beyond our premium learning paths you can still earn certificates
Data Science: Capstone
15-20 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Visualization
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 25, 2025
Data Science: Inference and Modeling
1-2 hours per week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Probability
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Machine Learning
2-4 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Wrangling
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Linear Regression
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: R Basics
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Data Science: Productivity Tools
1-2 hours a week • Starting Oct 15, 2025
Learn from the best in the industry
Meet your instructors
Rafael Irizarry
Professor of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The first course that I enrolled in was CS50's Introduction to Computer Science. Through that, I learned programming and I was so excited on how the course materials were delivered.
Ebenezer A.
The Data Science R program was a great way to fill the gap between my professional and academic experience and gave me the confidence to tackle new challenges.
Radha
Industry Insights
Data Scientists are few in number and high in demand. (source: TechRepublic)
R is listed as a required skill in 64% of data science job postings and was Glassdoor’s Best Job in America in 2016 and 2017. (source: Glassdoor)
Companies are leveraging the power of data analysis to drive innovation. Google data analysts use R to track trends in ad pricing and illuminate patterns in search data. Pfizer created customized packages for R so scientists can manipulate their own data.
32% of full-time data scientists started learning machine learning or data science through a MOOC, while 27% were self-taught. (source: Kaggle, 2017)