Data Visualization Certifications and Certificates

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate your skills in data visualization, you might be overwhelmed by the different certifications and certificate programs available. You may also have many questions, such as the difference between a certificate and a certification in data visualization, as well as whether certificate study can improve your chances of landing a job.This article aims to answer these questions so you can efficiently choose the best path toward a data visualization certification. Keep reading to find out more.

What is Data Visualization?

Data visualization uses graphics like plots, charts, or animations to represent data findings. These visual depictions communicate complicated data relationships in an accessible and engaging format and have a range of applications for sharing data-driven insights with an organization’s internal and external stakeholders. Because an estimated 65% of the population comprises visual learners, data visualization provides a way to quickly and effectively convey data findings. Even though data visualization takes many forms, it shares the common goal of communicating otherwise complex data insights in a memorable and understandable way, even for those who don’t come from a technical background.

Each day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are being created, which continues to grow exponentially. This increase in the amount of data has created a corresponding need for visualization practices to share the insights these numbers contain. Data visualization has a variety of uses across industries and professions. It has applications for describing trends or patterns hidden in data and communicating organizational structures or hierarchies. The data visualization process is typically broken into four purposes: to generate ideas, to illustrate concepts, to provide avenues into visual discovery, and to convey data in the form of visualizations.

Read more about what data visualization is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Data Visualization?

Those with the skills to create engaging and effective data visualizations have the power to communicate detailed data insights and findings to audience members from all backgrounds. Data visualizations provide a concise and interactive way to depict data trends. Visualizations incorporate color and contrast to present information like sales patterns so that audience members can quickly observe information that may be difficult to see from a graph or spreadsheet. In addition, another benefit of working with data visualizations is that they can provide perspective on the data by placing it in the context of a larger story, which can help audience members understand the information as it relates to an organization’s overall goals or bottom line. Context plays an integral role in helping audiences understand the entirety of the data being depicted, which would be difficult to convey by listing numbers in a table.

Data visualization also provides a better understanding of a business’s operations. Running a business requires staying on top of many moving parts, and data visualizations provide a tool that can depict multifaceted operations and how different business activities connect. Moreover, analyzing and visualizing data provides insights into important business metrics that can lead to smoother daily operations and more successful project execution. For organizations that sell products or services to customers, data visualizations offer crucial insights into customers’ preferences, demographics, and shopping patterns. They provide a way for organizations to use customer-focused data to explore brand perception, customer sentiments, and even what customers post about the product or service on social media outlets. Businesses can then use these insights to tailor marketing strategies and brand outreach.

In addition to providing customer insights and depicting important trends in the data, visualizations also tell a story. Information is presented in an easy-to-understand format, and the audience is taken on a journey that leads to an inevitable, data-driven conclusion. Just like a written story, a visual story has a strong beginning, a basic plot, and an ending that looks into the future, providing recommendations for how to move forward. Instead of requiring tens of thousands of words to tell this story, data visualizations can do so with a series of well-placed infographics, carefully worded labels, and brief descriptions of the content, all of which tell the story of data in the larger context of an organization’s needs and goals. 

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

If you’re considering whether to pursue certification or certificate study in data visualization, you may wonder what the difference is and which option is best for you. Certifications typically involve sitting for an exam administered by a third party. Those who pass the exam are certified in data visualization, which means they have demonstrated a level of mastery of this subject. On the other hand, certificate study usually involves completing a rigorous program that spans weeks or months. Once a student completes a data visualization certificate program, they will have a solid understanding of core data analytics and visualization concepts, such as how to work with Excel, Tableau, and programming languages like Python. 

Top Certifications & Certificates for Data Visualization

If you are interested in pursuing certification or certificate study in data visualization, a variety of excellent learning options are available from top educational providers:

• Noble Desktop’s in-person and live online Data Analytics Certificate is another excellent learning option. Those enrolled in this rigorous, hands-on course receive expert instruction on gathering, wrangling, analyzing, and visualizing data. All participants complete real-world projects and receive one-on-one mentoring.
• Udacity’s Data Visualization Nanodegree Program provides learners with an in-depth analysis of how to effectively communicate data in a way that an audience will find engaging and relevant. This program covers how to create dashboards, animate stories, and effectively present data-driven conclusions. 
• IBM’s Professional Certificate in Data Analytics and Visualization with Excel and R is an industry-recognized credential that helps individuals pursue a career in data science. This course covers the basics of data analysis and programming before diving into more complex concepts, such as using R to explore real-world datasets. 
• freeCodeCamp offers a Data Visualization Certification in which students create graphs, charts, and maps to visually display various kinds of data with the D3.js library. Those enrolled also receive instruction on JSON and how to work with an API when handling online data.

Should I Get Certified in Data Visualization?

The decision of whether to seek data visualization certification depends on several factors. Earning a data visualization certificate is an excellent way to let future employers know that you not only meet benchmark requirements for employment but that you’ve invested in formal study and visualization training. Certification serves as additional confirmation that a potential employee not only says they can visualize data but that they have successfully completed a course demonstrating that they can apply these skills to real-world scenarios. This can set you apart from candidates who simply list “proficient in data visualization” on their resume. 

In addition, because there is currently a talent gap in the workforce, employers are especially interested in candidates who can properly handle and visualize big data. Agencies are working to fill this gap, which means some talent scouts will offer competitive wages for those with valid data visualization certificates. These higher pay rates can be an additional incentive to be certified in data visualization.

While certification is a great way to demonstrate to let employers know you’ve mastered the skills needed to create professional-level visualizations, it’s not an essential requirement for all data jobs. It’s therefore important to review the specific job requirements an employer lists before deciding whether to pursue certification.

How to Get Certified in Data Visualization

If you wish to pursue certification in data visualization, dozens of excellent courses and study options are available to help you master this in-demand skill. When deciding which certification program is best for you, it’s essential to consider several factors:

• Does the program provide real-world training?
• Does it offer the flexibility to allow you to study remotely if you are unable to attend an in-person class?
• Does the certificate program provide mentoring?
• Is the educational provider established and reputable?
• Will you receive individualized instruction?
• Does the certification provide training with industry-standard programs like Microsoft, Excel, and Tableau?

Once you find a program that meets your specifications, you will attend classes and complete coursework to receive data visualization certification.

Learn Data Visualization with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re interested in studying data visualization, Noble Desktop offers several in-person and live online courses that provide hands-on training. For those who wish to work with Tableau for visualizing data, Noble’s Tableau for Data Visualization Bootcamp is an excellent option. Participants receive an overview of the field of data visualization and learn about Tableau Public’s visualization tools. By course completion, students will have a solid understanding of identifying which datasets to connect to and how to analyze, filter, and organize data to make customized, publishable visualizations. This course also offers the option of a free retake for those interested in revisiting Tableau concepts. 

Noble’s in-person or live online Data Analytics Certificate is another good learning option for those seeking a more intensive study option. This rigorous program provides expert instruction on various data analytics concepts and prepares learners to become Business Analysts or Data Analysts. By course completion, all participants will be familiar with core business intelligence, statistical analysis, data analysis, and data visualization concepts. This is a project-based course in which students will complete various real-world projects using prescriptive and predictive analytics. All students receive one-on-one mentoring as part of tuition.

In addition, other in-person and live online data visualization courses are also available from Noble Desktop. Those who wish to learn the tools to become Data Scientists may consider enrolling in Noble’s Data Science Certificate, which covers machine learning, automation, SQL, and Python. A Python for Data Science Bootcamp covers fundamental and complex Python programming concepts, such as creating programs and using statistics to make machine learning models. 

The Excel Bootcamp is also available, which teaches core spreadsheet functions like working with macros, formulas, and PivotTables. Finally, those interested in working with SQL to extract information from databases can enroll in Noble’s SQL Bootcamp. This course prepares learners to write queries, aggregate data, and filter results using Postgre SQL.

Key Insights

• If you’re interested in learning more about data visualization, you may consider pursuing a certificate or certification. Certification requires passing an exam, whereas certificate study involves completing a rigorous program in data visualization.
• Certifications and certificates in data visualization are available from many top educational providers, such as Udacity, freeCodeCamp, IBM, and Noble Desktop.
• Whether to pursue data visualization certification or certificate study is an individual choice that likely will depend on your ultimate career goals and the requirements of your employer.
• You can receive comprehensive data visualization training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.