The world is changing rapidly. New technologies are emerging almost daily, and professionals today are expected to learn new skills to stay ahead of the curve.
If you’re looking to expand your professional repertoire, UW Professional & Continuing Education has you covered. We offer a wide range of foundational courses in areas such as data analysis, programming, writing and editing, and business that can help you quickly upskill or add fresh knowledge in a leading-edge discipline.
Read more about these courses below and choose one to start your professional journey of discovery.
Foundations of Data Analysis
Many businesses today are looking for professionals with the skills to unlock insights into their data. Adding data analysis skills to your resume can be a savvy career move. But where do you start?
The Foundations of Data Analysis course offers a great way for students to learn the essentials of understanding, analyzing and presenting data, according to instructor Tim Mudd. It also gives them a good idea of where they might want to go next, either in their career or to pursue further training.
“The first half of the course focuses on skills like data wrangling and SQL queries,” says Mudd. “The second half is where we dive into data visualization platforms like Tableau and the students can see the data come to life. By the end, it’s usually pretty clear to students whether they want to gravitate more toward the analytic or visualization sides of the field.”
Data Science Foundations
Data science is an exciting field expected to grow rapidly in the coming decade. If you’re interested in an course that will give you a solid grounding in data science principles, then the new Data Science Foundations course could be a great fit.
In this course, you’ll learn the essential skills of data science, including the fundamentals of data analysis and the key mathematical concepts required for any data science role. With a curriculum that covers everything from the basics of Python programming to advanced statistical analysis, this course will give you the knowledge to tackle real-world data science challenges, including data collection and cleaning, model selection and evaluation, and data privacy and security.
Data Visualization Essentials With Power BI
In our new Data Visualization Essentials With Power BI course, you’ll learn how to use Microsoft’s Power BI software to conduct real-time data analysis, develop strategic insights and create rich reports and data stories using best practices in data visualization. The course explores interactive reporting techniques to bring your data to life and teaches you how to choose the optimal report design and layout for different business scenarios.
Proofreading Essentials
In a world awash in written content, accuracy and clarity are priorities. (Indeed, simple errors can sometimes even lead to costly lawsuits.) That’s why we still need good proofreaders.
Proofreading is often an entry-level role in the editing profession. So, this a perfect starter course, especially if you’ve never taken an online course.
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Christy Karras, instructor for the Proofreading Essentials course
In the
Proofreading Essentials course, you’ll learn the fundamental skills of proofreading and where this role fits in the publishing process. You’ll practice standard proofreading markup and explore style sheets, style guides, reference sources and other tools of the trade.
Christy Karras, an award-winning instructor who has been a professional editor for more than two decades, says that the course is a great fit for those who want to kick the tires on an editing career.
“Proofreading is often an entry-level role in the editing profession,” she says. “So, this a perfect starter course, especially if you’ve never taken an online course. It allows you to dip your toe in the water before you commit to something like the Certificate in Editing.”
Foundations of UX Writing
As websites and mobile apps become the most common ways we access information, the role of the UX writer has become increasingly important. The Foundations of UX Writing course is a great way to find your niche in this dynamic industry.
In Foundations of UX Writing course, you’ll learn how to write clear, concise copy that helps the user accomplish their task. You’ll investigate user research and design and discover how they come together in the UX writing discipline. You’ll also study the importance of voice and tone and discuss standards for accessible and appropriate content.
Torrey Podmajersky, an expert in the field and one of the original instructors of the course, explains how trained UX writers have become a linchpin of the software development process.
“UX writing is taking a similar arc to research and interaction design, in terms of being included in the software development life cycle,” she says. “Some companies have hired UX writers for years, like Microsoft and Nordstrom, but Facebook, Google and Amazon are also hiring in this field. UX writing has been improving as a career path as we grow as a discipline.”
Foundations of Programming (Python)
Learning a new computer language can be daunting. But, Python programming instructor Luis Conejo Alpizar insists that writing code is not rocket science.
“One thing about Python is that it’s an accessible language — it’s something that someone with no background in software development can understand,” says Conejo, a systems engineer at Intel who teaches the Foundations of Programming (Python) course. “We give students a birds-eye view of the language so they understand what they can do with it. At the same time, we go into enough depth so that someone finishing the course will have the necessary skills to code in Python.”
Those who complete the course often go on to pursue more advanced studies, whether it’s the UW Certificate in Python Programming or another programming language. Conejo sees the foundations course as a perfect launching pad.
“That's the key thing about a foundations class — it’s not about understanding everything; it’s about understanding how you can use those things,” he notes. “We're going to give you tools, and maybe you decide you’re going to become an expert in one particular tool because it's advantageous to your career or what you do.”
Foundations of Databases & SQL Programming
Relational databases are an essential tool of modern data management, allowing for a structured approach to organizing data. In the Foundations of Databases & SQL Programming course, you’ll learn the technical concepts underlying these databases and gain experience using relational database management systems (RDBMS). You’ll explore the fundamentals of SQL programming and practice writing complex queries to analyze data. By the end of the course, you’ll have built your own relational database using SQL programming techniques.
Business Technology Essentials
Technology has transformed the modern workplace. For many people — especially those returning to the workforce after a break or changing jobs — trying to keep up with the latest tools and processes can be intimidating.
Work looks really different now than it did 5, 10, or 20 years ago, and it's just going to continue moving at a rapid pace.
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Julian Peterson, instructor for the Business Technology Essentials course
“Work looks really different now than it did 5, 10, or 20 years ago, and it's just going to continue moving at a rapid pace,” says Julian Peterson, instructor for UWPCE’s new
Business Technology Essentials course. “Employers expect their employees to know many technology skills, and there’s a huge range of skill levels out there. This has created gaps that this course can fill.”
The Business Technology Essentials course provides guidance and practice with today’s most commonly used tech tools. You’ll learn about modern data security practices, file management (both on a server and in the cloud), formatting documents with word-processing software and communication tools such as email (Gmail and Outlook) and Teams. You’ll also gain exposure to emerging technologies, such as automation.
“Employers have made it fairly clear that employees are responsible for their own skill development,” says Laurel Tallent, program manager for the course. “This class provides a supportive space for folks to work on those skills. We aim to get people to a place where they feel confident and competent with the tools being used today in their workplace.”
Foundations of Project Management
Project management is an in-demand business skill applicable to many different roles in the modern workplace. In the Foundations of Project Management course, you’ll learn the principles and best practices of successful project management. You’ll investigate techniques for effective communication and managing team dynamics and gain insights into concepts related to time management, scheduling and prioritization. You’ll also practice reviewing business cases to draw conclusions and create actionable plans.
Keep Learning
Check out our complete list of UWPCE foundations courses to find an offering that will help you learn an in-demand skill or explore a new area of expertise.