University of Michigan Just Dropped a Free Python Course (And It’s Amazing)

Welcome to the Python 3 Programming Specialization! This series of courses is meticulously designed to equip you with fundamental to advanced Python skills. Whether you’re starting with the basics, mastering data structures, or diving into specialized topics like web data, object-oriented programming, or image manipulation, this specialization provides comprehensive knowledge and practical experience essential for a successful career in programming.


Course Description | Free Python Course University of Michigan

This comprehensive specialization offers a deep dive into Python 3 programming, starting with foundational concepts like syntax, control flow, and basic data structures. It progressively expands to cover essential topics such as functions, file handling, and the powerful dictionary data structure. Learners will then advance to critical areas like data collection and processing from internet services using APIs, alongside exploring object-oriented programming through classes and inheritance. The specialization culminates with practical application in projects, including software engineering principles and real-world image manipulation techniques, ensuring a well-rounded skill set for diverse programming challenges.


Eligibility Criteria | Free Python Course University of Michigan

Candidates must have completed their graduation prior to their official start date, possessing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD from a recognized university, or currently be in their final year of graduation. Applicants should also have less than three years of professional work experience. Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, and candidates must be Indian citizens, permanent residents, or hold a valid work permit for India.

How to Enroll | Free Python Course University of Michigan

There are primarily three ways to access and enroll in these IBM Data Science courses on Coursera:

  1. Enroll for Free (Audit Option): You can enroll in this course for free via the audit option. This allows you to access most course materials, including lectures and readings, at no cost. However, please note that the audit option typically does not include graded assignments, peer feedback, or a completion certificate.
  2. Enroll with Certificate Option (Paid): To gain full access to all course features, including graded assignments, quizzes, and a shareable completion certificate, you can enroll with the paid certificate option. This pathway allows you to fully engage with the course content, track your progress, and formally showcase your newly acquired skills, often contributing towards a professional specialization or degree.
  3. Consider Coursera Plus: For learners planning to take multiple courses, Specializations, or Professional Certificates, Coursera Plus offers an advantageous subscription model. With a single annual or monthly payment, you gain unlimited access to over 90% of Coursera’s extensive catalog, allowing you to earn multiple certificates without additional fees. This can be a highly cost-effective and flexible option for continuous learning and career advancement.

Also Read: Free Data Science course for beginners with certification from Cisco


Course 1: Python Basics

Free Python Course University of Michigan

Course Overview:
This introductory course provides a foundational understanding of Python 3 programming, perfect for beginners with no prior experience. It covers essential concepts like conditional statements, loops, and fundamental data structures such as strings and lists. You’ll also develop practical programming skills by creating drawings and building your debugging abilities, all at your own flexible pace.

Course Details:

  • Instructors: Paul Resnick +1 more
  • Enrollment: Free to enroll
  • Start Date: June 3
  • Number Enrolled: 487,582 already enrolled
  • Included With: Python 3 Programming Specialization
  • Duration: 2 weeks at 10 hours a week (flexible schedule, learn at your own pace)
  • Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
  • Modules: 4 modules
  • Learner Satisfaction: 4.8 stars (based on 18,038 reviews), with 97% of learners liking the course.

What You Will Learn:

  1. Learn Python 3 basics, including conditional statements, loops, and data structures like strings and lists.
  2. Develop practical programming skills by creating drawings and building your debugging abilities.

Course Link: Click Here


Course 2: Python Functions, Files, and Dictionaries

Free Python Course University of Michigan

Course Overview:
This course, part of the Python 3 Programming Specialization, delves into Python’s powerful data handling capabilities, focusing on dictionaries, files, and functions. It covers user-defined functions, parameter passing, and lambda expressions. You’ll also learn to manipulate CSV files and work with social media data, building a strong foundation for practical applications.

Course Details:

  • Instructors: Paul Resnick +1 more
  • Enrollment: Free to enroll
  • Start Date: June 3
  • Number Enrolled: 139,473 already enrolled
  • Included With: Python 3 Programming Specialization
  • Duration: 2 weeks at 10 hours a week (flexible schedule, learn at your own pace)
  • Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
  • Modules: 5 modules
  • Learner Satisfaction: 4.8 stars (based on 5,378 reviews), with 97% of learners liking the course.

What You Will Learn:

  1. Explore the dictionary data structure and user-defined functions in Python.
  2. Understand concepts like local and global variables, parameter-passing techniques, named functions, and lambda expressions.
  3. Apply Python’s sorted function and control sorting order with custom functions.
  4. Create a final project involving social media data analysis and CSV file manipulation.

Course Link: Click Here


Course 3: Data Collection and Processing with Python

Free Python Course University of Michigan

Course Overview:
This course, part of the Python 3 Programming Specialization, focuses on effectively fetching and processing data using Python. You will master techniques for interacting with Internet services and learn to use Python list comprehensions for data extraction. The course also covers utilizing the Python requests module to interact with REST APIs and navigate API documentation.

Course Details:

  • Instructor: Paul Resnick
  • Enrollment: Free to enroll
  • Start Date: June 3
  • Number Enrolled: 103,938 already enrolled
  • Included With: Python 3 Programming Specialization
  • Duration: 1 week at 10 hours a week (flexible schedule, learn at your own pace)
  • Difficulty: Intermediate level (Some related experience required)
  • Learner Satisfaction: 4.7 stars (based on 3,999 reviews), with 97% of learners liking the course.

What You Will Learn:

  1. Fetch and process data from Internet services effectively.
  2. Master Python list comprehensions for data extraction and processing.
  3. Utilize the Python requests module to interact with REST APIs and navigate API documentation.

Course Link: Click Here


Also Read: Best Free Course For Jobseekers | TCS Career Edge

Course 4: Python Classes and Inheritance

Free Python Course University of Michigan

Course Overview:
This course, part of the Python 3 Programming Specialization, focuses on object-oriented programming in Python. You’ll explore classes, instances, and inheritance to efficiently represent data and reuse functionality. The curriculum emphasizes class design, overriding built-in methods, and cultivating the essential practice of writing automated tests for robust code development.

Course Details:

  • Instructors: Steve Oney +1 more
  • Enrollment: Free to enroll
  • Start Date: June 3
  • Number Enrolled: 120,788 already enrolled
  • Included With: Python 3 Programming Specialization
  • Duration: 1 week at 10 hours a week (flexible schedule, learn at your own pace)
  • Difficulty: Intermediate level (Some related experience required)
  • Modules: 4 modules
  • Learner Satisfaction: 4.7 stars (based on 3,680 reviews), with 95% of learners liking the course.

What You Will Learn:

  1. Explore classes, instances, and inheritance to represent data efficiently.
  2. Gain insights into class design and cultivate the practice of writing automated tests for your code.
  3. Learn to override built-in methods and create inherited classes that reuse functionality.

Course Link: Click Here


Course 5: Python Project: Software Engineering and Image Manipulation

Free Python Course University of Michigan

Course Overview:
This project-based course, part of the Python 3 Programming Specialization, focuses on practical software engineering skills through image manipulation. You’ll learn to inspect and utilize third-party APIs and libraries like Pillow for image processing (cropping, resizing, recoloring). Additionally, you’ll apply PyTesseract for Optical Character Recognition (OCR), extracting text from images, building valuable real-world Python expertise.

Course Details:

  • Instructor: Christopher Brooks
  • Enrollment: Free to enroll
  • Start Date: June 3
  • Number Enrolled: 75,880 already enrolled
  • Included With: Python 3 Programming Specialization
  • Duration: 1 week at 10 hours a week (flexible schedule, learn at your own pace)
  • Difficulty: Intermediate level (Some related experience required)
  • Modules: 3 modules
  • Learner Satisfaction: 4.2 stars (based on 1,497 reviews), with 84% of learners liking the course.

What You Will Learn:

  1. How to inspect and understand APIs and third-party libraries to be used with Python 3.
  2. How to apply the Python imaging library (Pillow) to open, view, and manipulate images, including cropping, resizing, recoloring, and overlaying text.
  3. How to apply the python tesseract (pytesseract) library with Python 3 in order to detect text in images through optical character recognition (OCR).

Course Link: Click Here


Conclusion

The Python 3 Programming Specialization offers a structured and comprehensive learning path, empowering individuals with essential programming skills from foundational concepts to advanced data manipulation and software engineering. By completing these courses, learners are well-equipped to tackle real-world challenges and advance their careers in technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Disclaimer

Please note that course details such as instructors, start dates, enrollment numbers, and learner satisfaction ratings are subject to change by the platform provider (Coursera, in this case). While efforts have been made to provide accurate information based on the data available, prospective learners should always verify the most current details directly on the Coursera website before making enrollment decisions.

Share On Social Networks

Leave a Comment