Should I pursue the Google Professional Data Analytics or IBM Data Science Professional Certificate?

Data Scientist Professional Certification Prep (Google / IBM) · FAQ

Should I pursue the Google Professional Data Analytics or IBM Data Science Professional Certificate?

Both are widely recognized Coursera-based certificates but have different focuses. The Google Professional Data Analytics Certificate emphasizes spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, and R — ideal for analysts moving into data roles. The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate emphasizes Python, machine learning with scikit-learn, and Jupyter notebooks — better suited to those targeting data scientist or ML engineer roles. If your goal is business analyst or BI, choose Google. If your goal is data scientist or ML engineer, choose IBM or pursue both. Employers increasingly recognize either as valid entry credentials alongside a portfolio of projects.