How to Learn Data Science in 2024

6 min readNov 16, 2023

Data science has emerged as one of the most sought-after skills in today’s job market. With its ability to extract insights from vast amounts of data, data science is transforming industries across the board, from healthcare to finance to technology. The demand for data science professionals and data science skills are of high value in the job market.

For professionals looking for a rewarding and challenging career, learning data science is an excellent choice. But the next question that most professionals struggle with is how to learn data science in the best way possible and climb the career ladder. If you are one of them, then this blog is for you. Let’s start with the basics first.

Why To Learn Data Science

There are many reasons why learning data science is a valuable investment in your future. Here are just a few:

Future-proof career: Data scientists are in high demand across a wide range of industries. According to estimates, it will grow 36% by 2031. This means that you’ll have plenty of job opportunities to choose from. The scope of data science is quite bright.
High-paying salaries: Data scientists are some of the highest-paid professionals in the world. As per reports, the average annual salary for early career data scientists in India is over ₹8.5 lakhs. In comparison, the salary for data scientists in the United States ranges from $120,000 to $175,000 annually.
Impactful work: Data science can make a real difference in the world. Artificial Intelligence, including Data Science, has applications across various industries, including finance, healthcare, e-commerce, transportation, manufacturing, and more. By using data to solve problems, data scientists have proven that they can improve people’s lives in many ways.

Apart from these you must also analyze and figure out why do you want to learn data science. This will help you find out whether you should go for this career or not.

What Do You Learn in Data Science

Data science is a broad field that encompasses a wide range of skills and knowledge. Some of the key areas of study in data science include:

i. Mathematics & Statistics: Professionals wanting to be part of this field have to gain data science math skills.

Probability Theory: Understanding the fundamentals of probability forms the basis for predictive modeling and decision-making under uncertainty.
Descriptive Statistics: Learning measures such as mean, median, and variance to summarize and describe datasets.
Inferential Statistics: Techniques to draw conclusions and make predictions about populations based on sample data.
Linear Algebra: Exploring matrices and vectors, crucial for understanding algorithms like principal component analysis (PCA) and linear regression.

ii. Programming Languages: This is one of the most vital parts of learning data science.

Python, R, and SQL: Proficiency in programming languages is crucial for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization. These days, a lot of professionals prefer to learn data science with python.
Data Wrangling: Techniques for cleaning, transforming, and organizing raw data into usable formats.

iii. Data Visualization: Learning data visualization usually comes when your basics are clear.

Graphical Representation: Utilizing visual elements such as histograms, scatter plots, and heatmaps to explore and communicate complex data relationships.
Interactive Visualization Tools: Employing tools like D3.js, Plotly, or ggplot2 to create dynamic and interactive visualizations.

iv. Machine Learning Algorithms: In the intermediate stage, you delve deeper into various ML algorithms like decision trees, random forests, support vector machines (SVM), and neural networks.

Best Ways to Learn Data Science

There are many different ways to learn data science. The best approach for you will depend on your learning style and goals. Here are a few of the most popular options:

Online courses: There are many high-quality online data science courses available that can teach you the fundamentals of data science. Some popular platforms to learn data science online include Coursera, edX, and Udacity.
Bootcamps: Bootcamps are intensive training programs that can help you learn data science quickly and effectively. Data science bootcamps typically last for several weeks or months and cover a wide range of topics.
Self-study: You can also learn data science on your own by reading books, taking online tutorials, and working on personal projects.
Formal degrees: These days a lot of universities in India and abroad have started to offer conventional degrees that target those students who wish to pursue a career as a Data Scientist after 12th. Some of these degrees include Bachelors of Science, Bachelor’s in Computer Applications or Bachelors of Technology in data science.

Where to Learn Data Science

One of the most convenient ways to learn data science that can accelerate your career growth as a Data Scientist in 2024 is hands down online courses. With the help of the best data science certifications, you can take your career to the next level.

Here are the top recommendations that you must definitely explore and take help of:

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate by Coursera: This IBM Data Science professional certificate is offered by Coursera that spans for 11 months. With this course, you will gain hands-on experience with the IBM Cloud and learn data science by using real data science tools that work with real data sets. After completing the courses presented in this certificate, you will have a portfolio of data science projects that will give you the confidence to pursue an exciting career in data science.
Complete Data Science Course with Python by Perfect E Learning: This Complete Data Science Course with Python covers topics like Data Visualization, Data Preprocessing and Machine Learning. It will teach you the fundamentals of Python programming required for Data Science, as well as important Python libraries required for Data Science.
Professional Certificate in Data Science by edX: This Professional Certificate in Data Science offered in collaboration with Harvard University, covers topics like probability and inference and machine learning. It spans for 17 months and it helps you develop essential skills like R programming, data wrangling using dplyr and data visualization with ggplot2.
Post Graduate Program in Data Analytics and Data Science by Skill-Lync: This Post Graduate Program in Data Analytics and Data Science helps you build your skills and apply them in real-world situations. It is a series of projects that allow you to apply the theory in practice. This intermediate-level course is in instructor-paced mode that offers live classes and practical learning.
Advanced Certificate Program in Data Science and AI by Edureka: This instructor-paced Advanced Certificate Program in Data Science and AI provides a comprehensive industry-relevant curriculum that covers everything from foundational concepts to advanced techniques. It is a great course in terms of practical learning. It not only offers live classes where you can resolve your doubts in real time but also Virtual Labs and job assistance.

After you take even one course, you surely will realize how this is one of the best ways to learn data science.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Data Science

One of the most common queries among professionals interested in a data science career is how long it takes to learn data science. The amount of time it takes to learn data science depends on your prior knowledge and experience. But to give you an estimate, the minimum time is around 8–12 months.

If you’re starting from scratch, you can expect to spend several months or even years learning the basics of data science. However, if you already have a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, and programming, you can learn data science more quickly. So, in short, how soon or how late you become a data scientist depends on your learning strategy and your grasping ability.

Start Your Learning Journey Today

Right now, there is a great scope in data science, which makes it beneficial for you to learn data science and build a successful data science career. You must keep in mind that learning data science can be a challenging but rewarding experience. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you can learn the skills you need to succeed in this exciting and rapidly growing field.

To ease this process, you can take the help of Careervira, which is India’s top Edtech marketplace and offers over 3K+ AI, Data Science and ML courses from top-tier Institutes and partners like Coursera, edX, Pluralsight, and more. We help you choose the right course and understand which skills matter most for your career and upskilling.