Data analytics courses

Data is one of the most powerful tools businesses and governments use to make decisions. It’s collected in all sorts of ways, from rewards programs at your local grocery store to Australia’s national census.  

With so much data available, it’s critical there are people who understand data and how to interpret it.

There are plenty of good reasons to study data analytics right now. Here are just a few: 

• Data analysts are in high demand. Jobs are projected to keep growing strongly, meaning your employment outlook is very good. 

• Data analysis is a highly transferable skill that you can use across various industries, so it’s a great specialty to have on your resume.

• Along with highly in-demand technical skills, a course in data analytics will help you develop sound reasoning skills and understand the nuances of data ethics.

It varies depending on your exact data analytics online course, but what you cover may include:  

• Data security 

• Ethics 

• Predictive analysis 

• Cloud computing 

• Machine learning 

• Artificial intelligence 

• Computing languages like Python and R 

• Modelling and manipulating data sets

You’ll be introduced to lots of useful tools, software, and programming languages in your online data analytics course, which you’ll apply when working in the industry.  

These may include:  

• R 

• Python 

• SQL 

• Excel  

• Tableau  

• SAS

Data analytics and data science are related—but not quite the same thing.  

Data science is wider in scope and includes things like using machine learning and building predictive models to forecast future trends.  

Data analytics, however, is a more specific task and profession that sits within the field of data science. It refers to the extraction of insights from data.

Read more about data science vs data analytics on our blog.

If you don’t have a programming background, don’t worry. You will learn about programming languages in your data analytics course. If you do already have some programming knowledge, though, this will come in handy.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide:

If you study a degree in data analytics through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

If you’re having trouble choosing between online data analytics courses, take our 2-minute quiz to get matched with the courses that suit your interests, study goals and education history.  

Or book a free phone consultation with a student advisor to discuss available study options.

Data analysts are in high demand in almost every industry, across both the private and public sectors. As a data analyst, you might work in: 

• FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods) 

• eCommerce 

• Energy 

• Finance 

• Insurance 

• Healthcare 

• Logistics 

• Manufacturing 

You will be qualified to take on a role as a:  

• Data engineer

• Data architect 

• Information and reporting analyst 

• Systems analyst and administrator 

• Market research analyst 

• Business analyst

• Financial analyst

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.

Chat with us to find out more.

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.

A great way to find out is to enrol in a single data analytics subject. You can give the field a test run, without committing to a full qualification.  

Otherwise, we recommend browsing these closely related study areas. They’re broken down by interest, so you can quickly find what appeals to you most: