Skip to Main Content
Harvard Business School Online Home
  • CoursesOpen Courses Mega Menu
    • Business Essentials
      • Credential of Readiness (CORe)
      • Business Analytics
      • Economics for Managers
      • Financial Accounting
    • Leadership & Management
      • Leadership Principles
      • Management Essentials
      • Negotiation Mastery
      • Strategy Execution
    • Analytics
      • Business Analytics
      • Data Science Ready
      • Data Science for Business
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Entrepreneurship Essentials
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Negotiation Mastery
    • Strategy
      • Strategy Execution
      • Economics for Managers
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Global Business
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Finance & Accounting
      • Financial Accounting
      • Leading with Finance
      • Alternative Investments
    • Business in Society
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
      • Global Business
    • All Courses
  • For OrganizationsOpen For Organizations Mega Menu
    • Corporate Learning
      Help your employees master essential business concepts, improve effectiveness, and expand leadership capabilities.
    • Academic Solutions
      Integrate HBS Online courses into your curriculum to support programs and create unique educational opportunities.
    • Need Help?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Contact Us
  • InsightsOpen Insights Mega Menu
    • Business Insights Blog
      • Career Development
      • Communication
      • Decision-Making
      • Earning Your MBA
      • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Finance
      • Leadership
      • Management
      • Negotiation
      • Strategy
    • All Topics
    • Free Leadership Lesson

      Become a resilient leader in these turbulent times.

    • Free Guide

      Learn how to advance your career with essential business skills.

  • More InfoOpen More Info Mega Menu
    • Learning Experience
      Master real-world business skills with our immersive platform and engaged community.
    • Certificates, Credentials, & Credits
      Learn how completing courses can boost your resume and move your career forward.
    • Financing & Policies
      • Employer Reimbursement
      • Payment & Financial Aid
      • Policies
    • Connect
      • Student Stories
      • Community
    • Need Help?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Request Information
    • Apply Now
Login
My Courses
Access your courses and engage with your peers
My Account
Manage your account, applications, and payments.
HBS Home
  • About HBS
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
HBS Online
  • Courses
  • Business Essentials
  • Leadership & Management
  • Analytics
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Strategy
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Business in Society
  • For Organizations
  • Insights
  • More Info
  • About
  • Media Coverage
  • Founding Donors
  • Leadership Team
  • Careers
  • My Courses
  • My Account
  • Apply Now
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • HBS Online→
  • Online Courses
    • Online Courses
    • Analytics
    • Business Essentials
    • Business in Society
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Leadership & Management
    • Strategy
    →
Data Science Ready
Man analyzing data visualizations on an ipad

Data Science Ready

Advance in a Data-Driven World

Data Science Ready is a Harvard Online course in collaboration with Harvard Business School Online that allows you to gain a familiarity with the essential concepts and use of data science, including prediction, causality, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics.

Apply Now

What You'll Learn

Play an Introduction to Data Science Ready video
Play an Introduction to Data Science Ready video
Go to Course Syllabus
  • Understand the modern data science landscape and technical terminology for a data-driven world
  • Recognize major concepts and tools in the field of data science and determine where they can be appropriately applied
  • Appreciate the importance of curating, organizing, and wrangling data
  • Explain uncertainty, causality, and data quality—and the ways they relate to each other
  • Predict the consequences of data use and misuse and know when more data may be needed or when to change approaches

About the Professor

Professor Dustin Tingley - Data Science Ready

Dustin Tingley is Deputy Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Faculty Director for the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning Research Group, Faculty Director for the Harvard Initiative on Learning and Teaching, and Professor of Government in the Government Department at Harvard University. His research interests include political economy and statistical methodology. Recent projects include the development of machine learning algorithms for the social sciences.

Who Will Benefit

Group of people

Organizational Leaders

Recognize how data science is changing your industry and think critically about how to apply these new learnings to your workplace.

Person giving presentation

Managers

Prepare to speak the language of data science and contribute to data-oriented discussions within your company.

Briefcase

Individual Contributors

Gain a fundamental understanding of the essential concepts, vocabulary, skills, and intuition necessary for a career in business.

Program Structure

Data Science Ready consists of approximately 20 hours of material delivered over a four-week period. You can complete the coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines.

January 2021
  • Length: 4 Weeks
  • Program Dates: 1/27/21 – 2/24/21
  • Cost: $1,600
  • Applications Closed
  • Detailed Calendar
  • Course Platform
  • Certificate Program
April 2021
  • Length: 4 Weeks
  • Program Dates: 4/14/21 – 5/12/21
  • Cost: $1,600
  • Application Deadline: April 5
  • Detailed Calendar
  • Course Platform
  • Certificate Program
Apply Now

Syllabus

Data Science Ready makes the fundamental topics in data science approachable and relevant by using real-world examples and prompts learners to think critically about applying these new understandings to their own workplace. Get an overview of data science with a code- and math-free introduction to prediction, causality, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics.

Learning requirements: In order to earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online and Harvard Business School Online, participants must thoughtfully complete all 7 modules, including associated quizzes, by stated deadlines.

Download Syllabus

Modules Case Studies Takeaways Key Exercises
Module 1: Data 101
  • Flu Detection
  • Explain why data collection is important
  • Identify factors that may affect data quality
  • Recognize that not all data is numerical
  • Explain how the organization of data can affect the information you are able to extract from it
  • List sources of data
  • Discuss what can be done with data
  • Categorize data by various factors
  • Determine whether data is high-quality or not
Module 2: Predictions and Recommendations
  • Predicting Sepsis
  • Understand the basic structure of a predictive algorithm
  • Identify where human decisions shape predictive systems
  • Evaluate the success of a predictive system
  • Examine how weather forecasts work
  • Use data to create a prediction
  • Sort types of training data
  • Simulate a predictive system
Module 3: Cause and Effect
  • The Google Tax
  • Explain why it is important to establish causal relationships
  • Identify barriers to establishing causal relationships in a variety of settings
  • Identify why randomization can help establish a causal relationship but also create other problems
  • Classify relationships based on correlation or causation
  • Examine the relationship between variables
  • Identify potential common causes for correlated events
Module 4: Data Governance and Privacy
  • Privacy and Facial Recognition
  • Explain why data privacy is important
  • Describe what can constitute a violation of privacy
  • Critique existing privacy policies
  • Create a set of ethical tenets to guide data work at their own organizations
  • Formulate data privacy guidelines
  • Discuss the risks of data re-identification
  • Evaluate existing data privacy policies for ethics
Module 5: Beyond the Spreadsheet
  • Burning Glass and Text Data
  • Identify sources of non-numerical data
  • Explain why it would be useful to use non-numerical data
  • Describe the differences in approach for supervised and unsupervised learning
  • Identify use cases for neural networks
  • Perform a sentiment analysis
  • Determine what types of data an algorithm cannot read
  • Examine how computers intake visual and audio data
  • Experiment with facial recognition
Module 6: Data Science Ecosystems
  • Harvard Link
  • Explain the importance of data transformation and wrangling
  • List the common technologies used within data science ecosystems
  • Describe the connection between data science tasks, software tools, and hardware tools
  • Identify potential sources of bottlenecks in the data science process
  • Identify and order the lifecycle of data
  • Define what "the cloud" is
  • Estimate the size of various data streams
Module 7: The Road Ahead
  • Healthcare Prioritization
  • Recognize a problem that an algorithm might be able to solve
  • Recognize the challenges created by using data science tools in ways outside their intended use
  • Identify steps within the data science process that need auditing
  • Choose types of data to ingest into an algorithm
  • Evaluate the risks of solely using an algorithm to make decisions
  • Discuss how algorithms can reinforce biases
  • Create a set of guidelines to evaluate projects

The HBS Online Advantage

Play an Introduction to the HBS Online Platform video
Play an Introduction to the HBS Online Platform video
  • World-class faculty
  • Edge-of-your-seat online learning
  • Global peer collaboration and networking
  • Real-world, case-based learning

Harvard Business School Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by business leaders across a variety of industries. You’ll wrestle with the same issues and imperfect information, while problem-solving and interacting with fellow learners from around the world.

Play students explain their experience an HBS Online course video
Play students explain their experience an HBS Online course video

Stories from Our Learners

  • I found value in the real-world examples in Data Science Ready. With complicated topics and new terms, it's especially beneficial for learnings to be able to tie back new or abstract concepts to ideas that we understand. This course helped me understand data in this context and what algorithms are actually trying to solve.
    Alejandro D.,
    Financial Services Analyst
  • Data Science Ready applies to many aspects of our daily lives. The course helps guide people in everyday life through decision making and process thinking.
    Jared B.,
    Senior Director of Sales
  • The platform was engaging, innovative, and allowed me to interact with the material in a way I never expected from an online course.
    Bethany Larson,
    HBS Online Participant


Request More Information

Sign up to receive additional information about this course. Find out what other learners are doing with the skills they gained, and evaluate if this course is the right fit for you.

Learn More

Learn More


Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to log in at a set time? How does the grading process work? At this point, you probably have a few questions, and we’ve got answers.

Learn More

Learn More


Enrollment Eligibility

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.

Apply Now

Apply Now


Data Science Ready Certificate of Completion from HBS Online
Earn Your Certificate

Enroll today in Harvard Online's Data Science Ready course.

Apply Now
 
All FAQs

Top FAQs

How are HBS Online courses delivered?

+–

Self-paced programs (with deadlines) are offered on the HBS Online course platform.

Our platform features short, highly produced videos of HBS faculty and guest business experts, interactive graphs and exercises, cold calls to keep you engaged, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.

Do I need to come to campus to participate in HBS Online programs?

+–

No, all of our programs are 100 percent online, and available to participants regardless of their location.

How do I enroll in a course?

+–

All programs require the completion of a brief application. The applications vary slightly from program to program, but all ask for some personal background information. You can apply for and enroll in programs here. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before starting an application for the program of your choice.

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

After submitting your application, you should receive an email confirmation from hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk email folders and double-check your account to make sure the application was successfully submitted.

Updates to your application and enrollment status will be shown on your Dashboard. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.

Does Harvard Business School Online offer an online MBA?

+–

No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs.

What are my payment options?

+–

We accept payments via credit card, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. Some candidates may qualify for scholarships or financial aid, which will be credited against the Program Fee once eligibility is determined. Please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page for further information.

In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.

 

Sign up for News & Announcements

Subject Areas

  • Business Essentials
  • Leadership & Management
  • Analytics
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Strategy
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Business & Society

Quick Links

  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Request Info
  • Apply Now

About

  • About Us
  • Media Coverage
  • Founding Donors
  • Leadership Team
  • Careers @ HBS Online

Legal

  • Legal
  • Policies
Harvard Business School
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College
  • Site Map
  • Trademark Notice
  • Digital Accessibility