Introduction to Python for Data Science

What you will learn

Upon completion of the course, you understand the basics of the Python programming language and you are capable of developing simple applications. You will also learn the basics of acquiring, pre-processing and visualizing data using the Pandas library.

Course content

Basics

• Python as a programming language
• Python environments (Anaconda)

• Jupyter notebooks

  Others

Python programming basics

• Program structure
• Built-in functions
• Variables
• Data types
• Operators
• Repetition and conditions
• Functions and procedures

Data science

• Data pre-processing and manipulation with Pandas
• Numpy arrays
• Visulization with Matplotlib and seaborn

Who is this course for?

This course is intended for you who wish to learn the basics of programming in Python with focus on data science. The skills you develop in this course will also be of great benefit if you continue studying at the Big Data Analytics Specialisation programme at Arcada. 

Please note that this course is free of charge for participants who within a year continue their studies via Arcada's Big Data Analytics Specalisation programme. (The offer will be realized when you apply to the Specialisation programme.)

Study Format

Teaching takes place on campus at Arcada, consisting of lectures and supervised programming exercises. The course grade is assessed based on practical programming assignments.

Timetable

The schedule for autumn 2026 will be published in spring 2026.

Teacher

Rene Herrmann, Senior Lecturer in Natural Sciences and Composite Materials.