Introduction to Data Science
Learn the full data science workflow from raw data to practical insights, with a focus on tools, thinking, and real-world application.
Introduction to Data Science is a practical course that helps you understand how data becomes insight, from the first question to the final story. Whether you are new to analytics or want a stronger foundation, this course gives you the skills to think clearly, work methodically, and apply Data Science in real-world settings.
Build Your Data Science Foundation With Practical Skills
- Learn the full data science workflow from raw data to practical insights, with a focus on tools, thinking, and real-world application.
- Understand the core concepts behind Data Science, including statistics, data types, and problem framing.
- Practice essential data preparation skills such as cleaning, wrangling, and handling missing values and outliers.
- Explore visualization, machine learning, and communication techniques that help you turn analysis into action.
An Introduction to Data Science that connects foundational knowledge with hands-on analytical thinking.
This course starts by explaining what Data Science is, why it matters, and how the modern workflow moves from raw data to meaningful outcomes. You will learn how to frame questions, form hypotheses, and identify the right data sources so your analysis begins with a clear purpose.
From there, the course covers statistics for Data Science, descriptive analysis, and summary measures that help you understand what the data is saying. You will then move into data cleaning, quality checks, missing values, outliers, and feature preparation, building the habits needed to work with messy, real-world datasets confidently.
You will also develop stronger exploratory analysis skills through visualization, pattern detection, and correlation analysis, before being introduced to machine learning, regression, classification, and model evaluation. The course closes with data storytelling and responsible data use, so you can communicate insights clearly while considering ethics and privacy. By the end of this Introduction to Data Science course, you will think like a data professional, work more confidently with data, and be prepared to apply Data Science methods in practical situations.
Full lesson breakdown
Lessons are organized by topic area and each includes descriptive copy for search visibility and student clarity.
Foundations
2 lessons
Data Basics
1 lesson
Data Thinking
1 lesson
Core Concepts
2 lessons
Data Preparation
3 lessons
Exploration
3 lessons
Modeling
4 lessons
Communication
1 lesson
Practice
1 lesson
Professor John Ingram
Professor John Ingram guides this AI-built Virversity course with a clear, practical teaching style.