
Launch your data science career with MIT’s online courses
By Katherine Ouellette
Did you know that data science is one of the fastest growing industries? Data scientists and data analysts will be among the top new jobs created by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. After you jumpstart your data science journey with foundational courses, explore five surging career paths with MIT Open Learning’s online educational resources.
Data scientist
Data scientists uncover insights, make predictions, and anticipate questions that will help guide decisions. Data scientists collect, analyze, and interpret data through statistics, programming, and development of predictive models.
Fields for data scientists
- Education: Use big data to predict educational outcomes and personalize learning experiences.
- Finance: Develop predictive models to detect fraud and optimize investment strategies.
- Health care: Use machine learning to predict patient outcomes and personalize treatments.
- Government: Analyze large datasets to predict trends and improve public services.
- Manufacturing: Use statistical methods and data visualization to optimize production processes, improve quality control, and predict equipment failures.
Free courses
- Learning Time Series with Interventions (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science)
- Data Analysis in Social Science: Assessing Your Knowledge (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science)
- Qualitative Research Methods: Conversational Interviewing
- Qualitative Research Methods: Data Coding and Analysis
- Data Analysis for Social Scientists (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy)
- Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy)
- Collaborative Data Science for Healthcare
Paid courses and programs for working professionals
- Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy
Data analyst
Data analysts evaluate data to answer specific questions or solve specific problems. They create reports and charts to illustrate patterns and insights related to organizational goals.
Fields for data analysts
- Finance: Assess financial data to optimize processes and support strategic decisions.
- IT: Monitor system performance, detect security threats, and streamline digital operations.
- Marketing: Evaluate campaign performance to better personalize marketing efforts and boost engagement.
- Operations: Optimize processes and improve overall efficiency of an organization.
- Sales: Analyze customer data to identify trends, forecast sales, and optimize pricing strategies.
Free courses
- Optimization Methods in Business Analytics
- Data, Models, and Decisions
- The Analytics Edge
- Marketing Management: Analytics, Frameworks, and Applications
Paid courses for working professionals
- Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science
- Driving Innovation with Generative AI
Statistician
Statisticians use mathematical techniques to help solve real-world problems. This job collects, analyzes, and interprets data to help others make informed decisions.
Fields for statisticians
- Education: Design and analyze studies to evaluate teaching methods.
- Environmental science: Develop models to assess trends in environmental data.
- Government: Design surveys and analyze data to inform public policy.
- Health care: Analyze clinical trial data to improve treatments and patient outcomes.
- Sports: Track and analyze data to provide insights on player and team performance.
Free courses
- Statistical Thinking and Data Analysis
- Statistics for Applications
- Mathematics of Big Data and Machine Learning
- Data Analysis for Social Scientists (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy)
- Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations (part of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy)
Paid courses for working professionals
- Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy
Data engineer
Data engineers design, build, and maintain the infrastructure and systems that allow data to be collected, stored, and processed efficiently. They ensure that data pipelines are robust and scalable, enabling data scientists and analysts to access and analyze data seamlessly.
Fields for data engineers
- Energy: Develop systems to monitor and optimize energy data.
- Entertainment: Build data pipelines to collect and process viewer preferences.
- Health care: Create infrastructure to manage patient data and medical research.
- Manufacturing: Build data pipelines to monitor production processes.
- Transportation: Create infrastructure to analyze traffic data and optimize logistics.
Free courses
Paid courses and program for working professionals
- Professional Certificate in Data Engineering
- Designing and Building AI Products and Services
- Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science
Machine learning engineer
Machine learning engineers design, build, and deploy machine learning models to solve complex problems. They create algorithms that can learn from and make predictions from data.
Fields for machine learning engineers
- Energy: Develop models to optimize energy usage, predict demand, and improve renewable energy systems.
- Entertainment: Build algorithms and recommendation systems to personalize content and enhance user experiences.
- Manufacturing: Use machine learning to optimize production processes, improve quality control, and predict equipment failures.
- Online Retail: Analyze customer data to personalize marketing, optimize inventory, and improve customer experiences.
- Transportation: Optimize logistics, predict maintenance needs, and improve traffic management.
Free courses
- Mathematics of Big Data and Machine Learning
- Machine Learning with Python: from Linear Models to Deep Learning
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Machine Learning for Healthcare
Paid courses and programs for working professionals
- Deep Learning: Mastering Neural Networks
- Machine Learning, Modeling, and Simulation Principles (part of the program Machine Learning, Modeling, and Simulation: Engineering Problem-Solving in the Age of AI)
- Applying Machine Learning to Engineering and Science (part of the program Machine Learning, Modeling, and Simulation: Engineering Problem-Solving in the Age of AI)
- Exploring Fairness in Machine Learning for International Development
- Professional Certificate in Data Science and Analytics
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science
These courses are available through MIT OpenCourseWare, MIT xPRO, and MITx MicroMasters Programs, which are part of MIT Open Learning. OpenCourseWare offers free, online, open educational resources from more than 2,500 courses that span the MIT undergraduate and graduate curriculum. xPRO provides professional development opportunities to a global audience via online courses and blended programs. MicroMasters Programs are graduate-level digital credentials from MIT that help learners accelerate their careers and Master’s degrees.
Launch your data science career with MIT’s online courses was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.