Get ahead with key business and technical skills. Understand how current technologies are changing industry and create strategy to transform your business

4.8

stars

254 ratings

Rav Ahuja +4 more instructors

3,210 already enrolled

Offered By

IBM Skills Network

University of Virginia Darden School Foundation

IBM & Darden Digital Strategy SpecializationIBM Skills Network

What you will learn

Understand the value of data and how the rapid growth of technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing are transforming business.
Understand what is AI, its applications and use cases and how it is transforming our lives
Explain terms like Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Neural Networks
Describe several issues and ethical concerns surrounding AI

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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This Specialization was designed to combine the most current business research in digital transformation and strategy with the most up-to-date technical knowledge of the technologies that are changing how we work and do business to enable you to advance your career. By the end of this Specialization, you will have an understanding of the three technologies impacting all businesses: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data science. You will also be able to develop or advance a digital transformation strategy for your own business using these technologies. This specialization will help managers understand technology and technical workers to understand strategy, and is ideal for anyone who wants to be able to help lead projects in digital transformation and technical and business strategy.

Applied Learning Project

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.

Beginner Level

Approximately 7 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 hours/week

English

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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.

Beginner Level

Approximately 7 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 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 6 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)

4.7

stars

10,518 ratings

In this course you will learn what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, explore use cases and applications of AI, understand AI concepts and terms like machine learning, deep learning and neural networks. You will be exposed to various issues and concerns surrounding AI such as ethics and bias, & jobs, and get advice from experts about learning and starting a career in AI. You will also demonstrate AI in action with a mini project.

Course2

Course 2

The Strategist's Challenge

4.7

stars

35 ratings

In this course, you will develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation. We will explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy and provide the tools you need to understand that strategy including SWOT, Competitor, Environmental, Five Forces, and Capabilities Analyses.

Course3

Course 3

Introduction to Data Analytics

4.8

stars

10,632 ratings

Ready to start a career in Data Analysis but don’t know where to begin? This course presents you with a gentle introduction to Data Analysis, the role of a Data Analyst, and the tools used in this job. You will learn about the skills and responsibilities of a data analyst and hear from several data experts sharing their tips & advice to start a career. This course will help you to differentiate between the roles of Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers.

You will familiarize yourself with the data ecosystem, alongside Databases, Data Warehouses, Data Marts, Data Lakes and Data Pipelines. Continue this exciting journey and discover Big Data platforms such as Hadoop, Hive, and Spark. By the end of this course you’ll be able to understand the fundamentals of the data analysis process including gathering, cleaning, analyzing and sharing data and communicating your insights with the use of visualizations and dashboard tools. This all comes together in the final project where it will test your knowledge of the course material, and provide a real-world scenario of data analysis tasks. This course does not require any prior data analysis, spreadsheet, or computer science experience.

Course4

Course 4

Introduction to Cloud Computing

4.7

stars

3,399 ratings

This course introduces you to the core concepts of cloud computing. You gain the foundational knowledge required for understanding cloud computing from a business perspective as also for becoming a cloud practitioner. You understand the definition and essential characteristics of cloud computing, its history, the business case for cloud computing, and emerging technology usecases enabled by cloud. We introduce you to some of the prominent service providers of our times (e.g. AWS, Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.) the services they offer, and look at some case studies of cloud computing across industry verticals.

You learn about the various cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models (Public, Private, Hybrid) and the key components of a cloud infrastructure (VMs, Networking, Storage - File, Block, Object, CDN). We also cover emergent cloud trends and practices including - Hybrid Multicloud, Microservices, Serverless, DevOps, Cloud Native and Application Modernization. And we go over the basics of cloud security, monitoring, and different job roles in the cloud industry. Even though this course does not require any prior cloud computing or programming experience, by the end of the course, you will have created your own account on IBM Cloud and gained some hands-on experience by provisioning a cloud service and working with it. This course is suitable for a large variety of audiences - whether you are an executive / manager / student who wants to become familiar with cloud computing terminology and concepts, or someone who wants foundational grounding in cloud computing to start a career in this field or become a cloud practitioner - such as a cloud engineer, developer, analyst, etc. The completion of this course also makes you eligible to earn the Cloud Computing Core IBM digital badge. More information about the badge can be found here: https://www.youracclaim.com/org/ibm/badge/introduction-to-cloud-computing

Instructors

Offered by

IBM Skills Network

IBM is the global leader in business transformation through an open hybrid cloud platform and AI, serving clients in more than 170 countries around the world. Today 47 of the Fortune 50 Companies rely on the IBM Cloud to run their business, and IBM Watson enterprise AI is hard at work in more than 30,000 engagements. IBM is also one of the world’s most vital corporate research organizations, with 28 consecutive years of patent leadership. Above all, guided by principles for trust and transparency and support for a more inclusive society, IBM is committed to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

University of Virginia Darden School Foundation

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?
The recommended time for this Specialization is 24 weeks, although you can learn at your own pace.
What background knowledge is necessary?
Interest or some experience in business strategy or technology is useful, but not required.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
You do not need to take the courses in specific order.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
You will not receive university credit from the University of Virginia for completing these courses.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
Upon completing this Specialization you will be able to

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IBM & Darden Digital Strategy Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project