Python for Data Science, AI & Development
Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.
Python for Data Science, AI & Development
This course is part of multiple programs.
Instructor: Joseph Santarcangelo
1,513,734 already enrolled
Included with
Ask Coursera
43,613 reviews
Recommended experience
43,613 reviews
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Develop a foundational understanding of Python programming by learning basic syntax, data types, expressions, variables, and string operations.
Apply Python programming logic using data structures, conditions and branching, loops, functions, exception handling, objects, and classes.
Demonstrate proficiency in using Python libraries such as Pandas and Numpy and developing code using Jupyter Notebooks.
Access and extract web-based data by working with REST APIs using requests and performing web scraping with BeautifulSoup.
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 5 modules in this course
Kickstart your Python journey with this beginner-friendly, self-paced course taught by an expert. Python is one of the most popular programming languages, and the demand for individuals with Python skills continues to grow.
This course takes you from zero to programming in Python in a matter of hours—no prior programming experience is necessary! You’ll begin with Python basics, including data types, expressions, variables, and string operations. You will explore essential data structures such as lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets, learning how to create, access, and manipulate them. Next, you will delve into logic concepts like conditions and branching, learning how to use loops and functions, along with important programming principles like exception handling and object-oriented programming. As you progress, you will gain practical experience reading from and writing to files and working with common file formats. You’ll also use powerful Python libraries like NumPy and Pandas for data manipulation and analysis. The course also covers APIs and web scraping, teaching you how to interact with REST APIs using libraries like requests and extract data from websites using BeautifulSoup. You will practice and apply what you learn through hands-on labs using Jupyter Notebooks. By the end of this course, you’ll feel comfortable creating basic programs, working with data, and automating real-world tasks using Python. This course is suitable for individuals interested in pursuing careers in Data Science, Data Analytics, Software Development, Data Engineering, AI, and DevOps and a variety of other technology-related roles.
In this module, you will begin by exploring the fundamentals of Python programming. You will identify the users and benefits of Python and understand the diversity and inclusion efforts of the Python community. Next, you will be introduced to the Jupyter Notebook environment, where you will learn how to create, run, and manage code cells, as well as present and shut down notebooks. You will then learn to write your first Python program and work with different data types such as integers, floats, and strings. As you progress, you will use expressions and variables to perform basic operations and practice manipulating strings using indexing, escape sequences, and formatting techniques. Throughout the module, you will apply your learning through hands-on labs and interactive exercises.
What's included
6 videos6 readings4 assignments4 app items
6 videos•Total 21 minutes
- Course Introduction•2 minutes
- Introduction to Python•4 minutes
- Getting Started with Jupyter•4 minutes
- Types•3 minutes
- Expressions and Variables•4 minutes
- String Operations•4 minutes
6 readings•Total 46 minutes
- About this course•5 minutes
- Introduction to Jupyter•10 minutes
- (Optional) Reading: Format Strings in Python•10 minutes
- Module 1 Summary: Python Basics •5 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: Python Basics •10 minutes
- Module 1 Glossary: Python Basics•6 minutes
4 assignments•Total 38 minutes
- Module 1 Graded Quiz: Python Basics•20 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Types•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Expressions and Variables•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: String Operations•6 minutes
4 app items•Total 60 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Write Your First Program•10 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Types•10 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Expression and Variables•10 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: String Operations•30 minutes
In this module, you will explore essential Python data structures including lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets. Starting with lists and tuples, you will learn how to store and manipulate collections of data using indexing, slicing, and sorting techniques. Through hands-on labs, you’ll practice key operations such as cloning lists and performing tuple manipulations. The module then introduces dictionaries, where data is stored in key-value pairs, and you will gain practical experience in creating and working with them. Finally, you will examine sets, an unordered collection that contains only unique elements, and learn how to perform set operations and logic-based tasks. By the end of this module, you’ll have a strong foundational understanding of these core Python data structures.
What's included
3 videos4 readings4 assignments4 app items
3 videos•Total 16 minutes
- Lists and Tuples•9 minutes
- Dictionaries•2 minutes
- Sets•5 minutes
4 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: Lists and Tuples•10 minutes
- Module 2 Summary: Python Data Structures •5 minutes
- CheatSheet: Dictionaries & Sets•10 minutes
- Module 2 Glossary: Python Data Structures•5 minutes
4 assignments•Total 52 minutes
- Module 2 Graded Quiz: Python Data Structures•30 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Lists and Tuples•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Dictionaries•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Sets•6 minutes
4 app items•Total 95 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Lists•30 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Tuples•15 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Dictionaries•30 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Sets•20 minutes
In this module, you will build a strong foundation in core Python programming concepts essential for applied data science. The module begins with conditions and branching, where you’ll learn to use comparison and logical operators to control the flow of your program. You will then move on to loops, including for and while loops, to iterate over sequences and perform repetitive tasks efficiently. Next, the module covers functions, teaching you how to use built-in Python functions and define your own function to structure and reuse code effectively. You’ll also explore exception handling, a critical concept that enables your program to handle errors gracefully and maintain robustness. Finally, you’ll be introduced to objects and classes, the foundation of object-oriented programming in Python. You’ll learn how to define your own classes and create objects, understand attributes and methods, and see how real-world problems can be modeled using OOP principles.
What's included
5 videos8 readings6 assignments6 app items
5 videos•Total 45 minutes
- Conditions and Branching•10 minutes
- Loops•7 minutes
- Functions•14 minutes
- Exception Handling•4 minutes
- Objects and Classes•11 minutes
8 readings•Total 70 minutes
- Conditions and Branching•10 minutes
- Introduction to Loops in Python•10 minutes
- Exploring Python Functions•10 minutes
- Exception Handling•10 minutes
- Objects and Classes•10 minutes
- Module 3 Summary: Python Programming Fundamentals•5 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: Python Programming Fundamentals•10 minutes
- Module 3 Glossary: Python Programming Fundamentals•5 minutes
6 assignments•Total 68 minutes
- Module 3 Graded Quiz: Python Programming Fundamentals•30 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Conditions and Branching•8 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Loops•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Functions•8 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Exception Handling•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Objects and Classes•10 minutes
6 app items•Total 180 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Conditions and Branching•20 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Loops•20 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Functions•40 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Exception Handling•15 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Objects and Classes•40 minutes
- Practice Lab: Text Analysis•45 minutes
In this module, you’ll begin by understanding the fundamentals of working with data in Python, focusing on how to read and write data to files in various formats such as text, CSV, and JSON. You’ll learn how to open, read, write, and manipulate files efficiently, which is essential for handling real-world data. As you progress, you’ll explore essential Python libraries for data manipulation and mathematical operations. Key libraries such as Pandas help you work with structured data in tabular formats, whereas NumPy supports numerical operations on arrays and matrices. By the end of the module, you’ll be equipped with the skills to efficiently handle, manipulate, and perform mathematical operations on data using Python, setting a strong foundation for more advanced data analysis techniques.
What's included
6 videos8 readings4 assignments6 app items
6 videos•Total 32 minutes
- Reading Files with Open•4 minutes
- Writing Files with Open•3 minutes
- Pandas: Loading Data•5 minutes
- Pandas: Working with and Saving Data•2 minutes
- One Dimensional Numpy•11 minutes
- Two Dimensional Numpy•7 minutes
8 readings•Total 67 minutes
- Reading Files with Open•10 minutes
- Writing Files with Open•7 minutes
- Pandas•10 minutes
- Matrix Mathematics•5 minutes
- Beginner's Guide to NumPy•10 minutes
- Module 4 Summary: Working with Data in Python •5 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: Working with Data in Python•10 minutes
- Module 4 Glossary: Working with Data in Python •10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 54 minutes
- Module 4 Graded Quiz: Working with Data in Python•30 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Reading and Writing Files with Open•8 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Pandas•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Numpy in Python•6 minutes
6 app items•Total 190 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Reading Files with Open•30 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Writing Files with Open•30 minutes
- Practice Lab: Selecting Data in a DataFrame•30 minutes
- Hands on Lab: Loading Data with Pandas•30 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: One Dimensional Numpy•40 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Two Dimensional Numpy•30 minutes
This module explores various techniques for collecting data, focusing on the use of APIs, web scraping, and working with different file formats. By the end of this module, you will be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to collect data from different sources, both structured and unstructured. The module includes hands-on labs, optional content for further exploration, and a final comprehensive exam to test your overall understanding of the course.
What's included
6 videos9 readings4 assignments6 app items
6 videos•Total 28 minutes
- Application Program Interface•5 minutes
- REST APIs & HTTP Requests - Part 1•4 minutes
- REST APIs & HTTP Requests - Part 2•5 minutes
- (Optional) HTML for Web Scraping•5 minutes
- (Optional) Web Scraping •5 minutes
- Working with Different File Formats •4 minutes
9 readings•Total 59 minutes
- Some Context on APIs•5 minutes
- Web Scraping and HTML Basics•10 minutes
- Web Scraping - A Key Tool in Data Science•5 minutes
- Web Scraping Tables using Pandas•7 minutes
- Module 5 Summary: APIs and Data Collection•5 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: APIs and Data Collection•10 minutes
- Module 5 Glossary: APIs and Data Collection•5 minutes
- Congratulations and Next Steps•2 minutes
- Python Cheat Sheet: The Basics•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 123 minutes
- Module 5 Graded Quiz: APIs and Data Collection•30 minutes
- Final Exam for the Course•75 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Simple APIs •6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: REST APIs, Web Scraping, and Working with Files•12 minutes
6 app items•Total 185 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: Introduction to API•15 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Access REST APIs & Request HTTP•30 minutes
- Hands-On Lab: API Examples•30 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Web Scraping•40 minutes
- Hands-on Lab: Working with different file formats•40 minutes
- Practice Project: GDP Data Extraction and Processing•30 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Learner reviews
- 5 stars
72.46%
- 4 stars
20.67%
- 3 stars
4.34%
- 2 stars
1.41%
- 1 star
1.09%
Showing 3 of 43613
Reviewed on Oct 19, 2022
This was an extremely informative course and I believe is perfect way to strt off your coding journey. The teaching style was understandable.detail oriented and very practical. Highly Recommended.
Reviewed on Dec 11, 2019
All the basics for Data Science with Python. You wont be a master programmer after this class but you will understand the basics and computer logic in regards to data handling and cloud management.
Reviewed on Nov 13, 2021
One of the most enjoyable course in the IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate. The lab exercises are fun to go through, giving you practical experience from which you can broaden your knowledge.
Frequently asked questions
This course consists of four modules.
Module 1 - Python Basics
oYour first program
oTypes
oExpressions and Variables
oString Operations
Module 2 - Python Data Structures
oLists and Tuples
oSets
oDictionaries
Module 3 - Python Programming Fundamentals
oConditions and Branching
oLoops
oFunctions
oObjects and Classes
Module 4 - Working with Data in Python
oReading files with open
oWriting files with open
oLoading data with Pandas
oNumpy
Finally, you will create a project to test your skills.
Yes. Unlike general Python intros, this course is curated specifically for data-driven roles. You will move beyond basic syntax to gain hands-on proficiency in NumPy for numerical computation and Pandas for structured data manipulation. These are the industry-standard foundations for AI. Additionally, you’ll learn to collect real-world datasets using BeautifulSoup for web scraping and REST APIs with the Requests library—essential skills for feeding data into AI models and development pipelines.
Absolutely. This course is designed as a "zero-to-one" launchpad. You start with the absolute basics—integers, strings, and variables—before progressing to complex logic like object-oriented programming (OOP). The learning environment is centered around JupyterNotebooks, the same interactive tool used by professional Data Scientists at IBM. This allows you to write, test, and visualize your code in real-time without the "setup friction" often found in traditional software development.
More questions
Financial aid available,
