What is Data Analytics?

Businesses are accumulating data at an increasingly fast rate. This data is valuable if management can use it to support and drive more effective decision making. Data analytics involves analysing data to produce meaningful insights, identify patterns and present findings in visualisations. It is the art of finding meaning in data.

What is Python?

Python is a general-purpose programming language that is easy to use and learn. It is open source and free to use, including for commercial use. The Python user community is very active and have collectively developed over 237,000 packages which extend the functionality of the Python Standard Library. These packages contain functions to perform a wide range of tasks.

What is Python used for?

Python has a very broad range of applications, including programming robots, web development, data analysis and automation. The machine learning packages are very popular and Python's speed and efficiency make it possible to work with very large amounts of data. Because of its simplicity, diversity of applications and the active community behind it, Python has been one of the most popular programming languages for several years.

Can I use Python in Power BI?

Python can also be used within a number of Microsoft products. In Power BI, reusable Python scripts can be used to manipulate data and create visualisations. In Azure, machine learning models can be written in Python and trained and deployed within the Azure Machine Learning Workspace.

How can I prepare for my online course?

Download and install Anaconda Individual Edition from https://www.anaconda.com/products/individual

Download and unzip your files by logging into your student portal. Click on the "Materials" tab and download the relevant exercise files. 

Python Intermediate

You can work in a new or existing Anaconda environment. Ensure the following packages are installed:

pandas

NumPy

Matplotlib

scikit-learn

Bokeh