Skill Upgrade's Professional Review
Udacity: Business Analytics Nanodegree
Looking to make a foray into the world of business analytics with the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree?
What are its pros and cons? Will the course help fulfill your goals? Read on to find out as we review the course.
Last Updated: April 29, 2022
4.8 out of 5 Stars
Skill Upgrade Rating
It’s a great introduction to the fundamentals of data and analysis,
equipping you with practical skills that you can apply in your career.
The Business Analytics Nanodegree from Udacity is an introductory program that equips learners with foundational data skills. The program helps learners collect, organize and manage data, build Excel models and analyze their possible business outcomes, query databases using SQL, and communicate findings creatively using Tableau.
This course also teaches students to develop high-value solutions to critical business problems across various functions and industries.
Professional Reviews of The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree
This blog curates a list of the 9 best Business Analytics Courses to choose from in 2022 and lists the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree right on top. As per this review, this Udacity Nanodegree offers comprehensive and excellent training to learners, using a boot camp-style environment that enriches the learning experience. This enables students to gain hands-on training and apply gained knowledge in action.
Victory Tale also listed the pros and cons of enrolling in the course. The blog praised the nanodegree’s “beginner-friendly and well-structured curriculum” and “excellent course materials”, but found it to be “more expensive than most business analytics courses available online”.
Online Course Rater: Best Udacity Business Analyst Courses in 2021 Worth Considering
This Online Course Rater blog post reviews five different business analytics programs from Udacity. The blog believes that the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree is best suited for novice learners seeking to make a foray into business analytics due to its entry-level curriculum, though it also cautions that it may take more than 3 months for a student to complete the course.
BetterZest.com: Honest Review Of The Business Analytics Online Course From The Udacity Nanodegree Program
According to BetterZest’s review, the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree is the perfect fit for non-technical users who want to enter the world of business analytics as it teaches technical concepts from scratch. The blog points out that one of the course’s advantages is its use of authentic, real-world datasets in its modules, which proved very helpful in making students understand business analysis better.
Student Reviews of The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree
As of writing, the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree has 2,433 student reviews on its website. Most students appreciate the way the modules are taught, and they like how they can dictate the pace of their learning.
As of writing, the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree has 2,433 student reviews and a rating of 4.8 out of 5.
In her review of the nanodegree at Online Courseing, former student Mikateko Masinge praises the practical and interactive nature of the program and how it’s structured differently compared to similar programs. She believes that the course is a good investment that will help students take their careers to the next level. She also suggests that the program add a difficulty indicator at the beginning of each lesson so learners can gauge if they could attempt the project before taking the module.
Another student, Hessah AlMansour, also posted about her experience taking the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree on LinkedIn. “It was an amazing journey learning how to analyze, explain, explore and visualize data,” she wrote in this post.
This Reddit thread, meanwhile, discusses the career prospects of the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree. While Redditors agree that the nanodegree can help those who want to make a career switch, it does not automatically guarantee a high-paying job. It is best to combine this nanodegree with relevant experience, internships, and projects in order to demonstrate the application of learned skills.
Should You Enroll in The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree?
This is a beginner-level course and does not require any qualifications, knowledge, programming experience, or other prerequisites. Anyone with basic computer skills and the ability to navigate the internet can enroll in this nanodegree.
The Business Analytics Nanodegree from Udacity is perfect for you if:
- You are just getting started in or want to enter data science
- Your current role or a role you are applying for demands basic data skills
- You are interested in applying analytics to spot areas for improvement, assess performance, and gain better insights for future planning
- You want to pursue higher studies or a career in data analytics
What Will I Learn in This Program?
The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree has 4 modules:
- Welcome to the Program: This is an orientation to the program and details what you will learn in the nanodegree.
- Introduction to Data: Split into eight sub-lessons, this module teaches you how to use statistics to gather data and create visual aids to effectively communicate insights. You will learn how to manipulate, analyze and visualize data in spreadsheets, as well as how to analyze possible business outcomes using Excel models.
- SQL for Data Analysis: The third module trains you to extract and analyze datasets using Structured Query Language (SQL). You will learn to gather insights from query results and apply them in different business cases.
- Data Visualization: This module trains you to tell stories with data and present insights in a readable and impactful manner. You will learn design and visualization principles and how you can apply them to create impactful data visualizations. You will also be taught how to use Tableau to analyze and visualize large datasets and build informative and dynamic dashboards.
The Course Structure
The Business Analytics Nanodegree from Udacity is a self-paced course. It allows you to study at a pace that works best for you so you can reach your personal goals on a schedule that suits you.
This program doesn’t only consist of videos. It includes immersive content that is developed in collaboration with industry experts and top-tier companies, ensuring you will graduate from the course equipped with the specific skills that companies are looking for.
The course requires you to work on five projects that mimic real-world problems faced by companies. By completing these projects, you will gain the skills and confidence to apply the theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. If you fail to successfully complete a project, you can resubmit it using the feedback from mentors and professional reviewers.
You will also have 24/7 access to Udacity’s knowledgeable, highly-vetted technical mentors. They will offer guidance, answer your questions, provide personalized feedback on projects, and help keep you on track. The average response time of mentors is one hour, ensuring your learning doesn’t get blocked.
Udacity also offers career services, such as resume support, Github portfolio reviews and LinkedIn profile optimization, to help you land high-paying jobs and advance in your career.
Tuition Fees
The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree has two pricing models:
- Pay As You Go: You get monthly access to the course at USD 399 per month.
- Best Value: You can pay USD 1017 upfront for three-month access to the course, saving an extra 15%. You can switch to the monthly plan after three months if you need extra time to complete the course.
Are Scholarships Available?
Yes. Scholarships and financing options are offered by Udacity. Find out more.
Discounts for the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree
Udacity often offers discounts of up to 75%, helping students save hundreds of dollars. You can get personalized discounts when you sign up for the program.
The Duration of the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree
If you are willing to devote 10 hours per week, this program can be completed in 3 months. You can also take longer to complete the course if you need the additional time. However, the longer you take to complete the course, the costlier it will be.
The Course Instructors
The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree is taught by five instructors with vast experience in technology and data science.
- Josh Bernhard – Data Science – Product, Experimentation, & Engineering Solutions at Houzz
- Dana Sheahan – content developer with a Masters in Computer Science from Georgia Tech
- Mat Leonard – Machine Learning Engineer at Bardeen
- Derek Steer – Co-founder/CSO at Mode
- Sam Nelson – Sr. Director of Product and Content at Dataquest.io
Weighing The Pros and Cons
The Pros
- Perfect introductory program for beginners
- Hands-on, immersive training
- Taught by experts
- Industry-ready curriculum developed in collaboration with industry experts
- Ample practical learning
- Accurate reviews and personalized suggestions to improve or rework projects
- Career development tools
The Cons
- It is a basic course. You need to take advanced courses if you want to increase your odds of securing better career opportunities.
Final Thoughts
The Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree enjoys a solid reputation among its students, earning an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. It’s a great introduction to the fundamentals of data and analysis, equipping you with practical skills that you can apply in your career.
You should enroll in the program if you want to apply data skills in your current role or if you want to explore a career in data analysis or data science. It also serves as a great foundation for other data and programming courses.
With the Udacity Business Analytics Nanodegree under your belt, you’ll have the skills necessary for leveraging business data to give your organization a competitive advantage.