4.7

stars

194 ratings

Sriram Sankaranarayanan

12,809 already enrolled

Offered By

Part of the Master of Science in Data Science degree
Learn More

Data Science Foundations: Data Structures and Algorithms SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

What you will learn

Organize, store and process data efficiently using sophisticated data structures and algorithms
Design algorithms and analyze their complexity in terms of running time and space usage
Create applications that are supported by highly efficient algorithms and data structures for the task at hand
Explain fundamental concepts for algorithmic searching and sorting

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

9,613 recent views

Building fast and highly performant data science applications requires an intimate knowledge of how data can be organized in a computer and how to efficiently perform operations such as sorting, searching, and indexing. This course will teach the fundamentals of data structures and algorithms with a focus on data science applications. This specialization is targeted towards learners who are broadly interested in programming applications that process large amounts of data (expertise in data science is not required), and are familiar with the basics of programming in python. We will learn about various data structures including arrays, hash-tables, heaps, trees and graphs along with algorithms including sorting, searching, traversal and shortest path algorithms. The courses in this specialization can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary degree that brings together faculty from CU Boulder’s departments of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Science, and others. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the MS-DS is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience in computer science, information science, mathematics, and statistics. Learn more about the MS-DS program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder.

Applied Learning Project

Learners will solve data-structure problems by analyzing and designing algorithms for searching, sorting, and indexing; creating trees and graphs; and addressing intractability. Courses also include conceptual algorithm design problems as well as opportunities to program data-structures/algorithms in the python programming language.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Advanced Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 9 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Advanced Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 9 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 3 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Algorithms for Searching, Sorting, and Indexing

4.7

stars

226 ratings

This course covers basics of algorithm design and analysis, as well as algorithms for sorting arrays, data structures such as priority queues, hash functions, and applications such as Bloom filters.

Algorithms for Searching, Sorting, and Indexing can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary degree that brings together faculty from CU Boulder’s departments of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Science, and others. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the MS-DS is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience in computer science, information science, mathematics, and statistics. Learn more about the MS-DS program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder.

Course2

Course 2

Trees and Graphs: Basics

4.7

stars

63 ratings

Basic algorithms on tree data structures, binary search trees, self-balancing trees, graph data structures and basic traversal algorithms on graphs. This course also covers advanced topics such as kd-trees for spatial data and algorithms for spatial data.

Trees and Graphs: Basics can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary degree that brings together faculty from CU Boulder’s departments of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Science, and others. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the MS-DS is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience in computer science, information science, mathematics, and statistics. Learn more about the MS-DS program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder.

Course3

Course 3

Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms

4.4

stars

48 ratings

This course covers basic algorithm design techniques such as divide and conquer, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. It concludes with a brief introduction to intractability (NP-completeness) and using linear/integer programming solvers for solving optimization problems. We will also cover some advanced topics in data structures.

Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary degree that brings together faculty from CU Boulder’s departments of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Science, and others. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the MS-DS is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience in computer science, information science, mathematics, and statistics. Learn more about the MS-DS program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder.

Instructor

Sriram Sankaranarayanan

Professor

Department of Computer Science

27,246 Learners

3 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

Start working towards your Master's degree

This specialization is part of the 100% online Master of Science in Data Science from University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Data Structures and Algorithms takes sixteen weeks of study to complete.
What background knowledge is necessary?
In order to successfully complete this specialization, learners should have some background in calculus, probability theory, and python programming.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
Courses do not have to be taken a specific order, though it's recommended that learners follow the sequence of courses if they have no previous experience with data structures or algorithm analysis and design.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
Data Structures and Algorithms is part of CU Boulder's Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) program. Learners enrolled in the degree program will earn three credits for successful completion of the specialization.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
Upon completing the specialization, learners will be able to analyze and design algorithms to solve data structure problems.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Build employee skills, drive business results

Discover Coursera for Business

Data Science Foundations: Data Structures and Algorithms Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project