Data Science for Business Leaders

PROGRAM OVERVIEW - WHY SHOULD I TAKE THIS PROGRAM?

• Why should I enroll?

  A study by the McKinsey Global Institute reports that data-driven organizations are now 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times as likely to retain customers, and 19 times as likely to be profitable as a result. McKinsey also reports that the creation of a strategy now ranks as the number one challenge to (and reason for) companies’ success with data and analytics.
  
  The opportunity to generate critical business insights grows alongside the massive amounts of data being created by companies and consumers alike, but so does the challenge of managing all that data effectively. The Data Science for Business Leaders Executive program addresses that challenge in an organization’s data transformation journey by helping managers and executives make better strategic, data-driven decisions.
  
  Upon graduating from the program, business leaders will be able to identify and assess data science opportunities, develop a human capital plan for staffing and structuring a business’s data science team, and evaluate strategic technical decisions around data architecture. These are critical skills for any leader looking to unlock the massive potential that big data offers.

• How do I know if this program is right for me?

  This Executive Program teaches the strategic and technical foundations of data science in the 21st century. It is intended for business leaders and managers who are responsible for making strategic decisions regarding these technologies, and want to equip themselves to formulate and evaluate proposals involving data science, data architecture, and machine learning technologies to impact their business.

• What jobs will this program prepare me for?

  This program is designed to train business leaders tasked with determining the strategic decisions to equip their company with the latest advancements in data science.
  If you're asking any of the below questions about your role or your business, this program is what you're looking for:

  • What are our greatest opportunities to use data?
  • How do I prioritize projects and manage a project pipeline/portfolio of data projects?
  • How do we build up data expertise across the variety of roles/capabilities (i.e. Data Scientists vs. Data Engineers vs. Data Analysts, etc.)
  • How do we deploy our different data roles to maximize business value from our data?
  • Do we change something at the platform level or do something smaller?

  Professionals in roles that involve high-level strategic roadmapping are well prepared to excel in this Executive Program.

• What is an Executive Program? How is it different from a Nanodegree program?

  Executive Programs are intensive, strategically-focused programs that empower business leaders to rapidly understand complex and technical concepts, like Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and apply these concepts to high-stakes decision-making in real-world business scenarios.
  An Executive Program is focused on teaching how to weigh implications related to strategic decision making that affect an entire organization or department. Unlike a Nanodegree program, which goes much deeper on the technical execution of using a specific technology, Executive Programs focus on the fundamentals of a particular technology, like Artificial Intelligence or Data Science, and go deep into the key questions business executives should be considering around the application of those technologies, and the strategic implications that these technologies have at a corporate level.

• What is included in an Executive Program?

  Every Executive Program includes career services including a personal career coach, project reviews from industry professionals, technical mentor support so you can get help when you need it, and a flexible learning plan so you can learn at your own pace.

ENROLLMENT AND ADMISSION

• Do I need to apply? What are the admission criteria?

  No application is necessary. This Executive Program accepts all applicants regardless of experience and specific background.

• What are the prerequisites for enrollment?

  This program is intended for students who have spent time in a business setting, had exposure to business decision making, and have potentially worked on technical or IT projects.
  In addition, a well-prepared learner will have:
  

  • Basic knowledge of mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, etc.)
  • Basic Statistics (Able to calculate the mean, median, and mode from a data set)
  • Prior exposure to statistics and probability in an academic or professional setting

TUITION AND TERM OF PROGRAM

• How is this Executive Program structured?

  This Executive program is comprised of content and curriculum to support one capstone project. Once you enroll in an Executive program, you will have access to the content and services for the length of time specified by your subscription. We estimate that learners can complete the program in four to six weeks, working approximately five hours per week.
  The Capstone project will be reviewed by the Udacity reviewer network. Feedback will be provided, and if you do not pass the project, you will be asked to resubmit the project until it passes.

• How long is this Executive Program?

  The Executive Program can be completed in 4-8 weeks, working 5 hours per week. Two full months of access to the learning environment is included in your enrollment in the Executive Program.
  See the Terms of Use for other policies around the terms of access to our Executive Programs.

• Can I switch my start date? Can I get a refund?

  Please see the Udacity Program Terms of Use and FAQs for policies on enrollment in our programs.

• How much does the program cost?

  The Executive Program takes 4-8 weeks to complete, and costs $1599 (variable if purchased during a promotion) for two months access to the program. If you don’t finish the program before your two months of access are over, you will shift over to a monthly subscription plan, which will be $399 per month if you purchased the program at full-price, and a variable amount if you purchased during a promotional period.

SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE - WHAT DO I NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM?

• What software and versions will I need in this program?

  You will use Google Sheets and Google Slides, or similar spreadsheet and slides software, and Google Forms to facilitate more practical exercises in the lessons and Capstone project. Jupyter Notebooks, which are embedded in the Udacity classroom, are used for some exercises and short explorations into code.
  You will not be asked to write code in this course, so you will not need to have a Jupyter Notebook on your own computer.