A Guide to Data Engineering: Certification, Courses and Bootcamps
Data engineering certifications are becoming key to advancing in a fast-growing field. From foundational programs to advanced, role-specific paths, certifications provide structured learning and open doors to new career opportunities.
- Overview
- Value of Data Engineering Certifications
- Data Engineering Courses and Certifications
- Data Engineering Bootcamps
- Resources
Overview
Demand for data engineers is growing quickly. According to LinkedIn’s Emerging Jobs Report, the hiring growth rate for data engineering positions grew by nearly 35% between 2015 and 2020. Earning a data engineering certification can play an important role in landing your ideal job. Data engineering certifications measure your skills against industry standards, validating that you have the critical skills organizations need. In this post, we’ll break down a variety of data engineering certification options, online courses, live workshops, and intensive boot camps you can use to build your skill set and move your career forward.
Value of Data Engineering Certifications
Data engineering certifications serve two primary purposes. First, they help you learn new skills. Preparing for a certification helps you uncover gaps in your existing knowledge, forcing you to go back and learn (or relearn) important information that will help you pass your exam. Putting your knowledge to the test (literally) helps you become a better data engineer by getting you up to speed on industry standards you may not be required to use in your current position. Second, earning a data engineering credential can increase your job prospects. Certification provides employers with an unbiased measure of what you already know, offering objective, industry-accepted proof that you’re able to put your data engineering skills to use.
Data Engineering Courses and Certifications
There are a number of data engineering courses and certification programs available. Most cover general certification, but there are some valuable proprietary technology certifications provided by cloud data platforms like Snowflake. We’ll cover the top certification programs, highlighting their prerequisites and requirements for earning the credential.
Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Associate Big Data Engineer
The Associate Big Data Engineer (ABDE) is an entry-level certification offered by the Data Science Council of America (DASCA). This credential is a good fit for individuals who already have some career experience in IT or software engineering or recent college grads with a bachelor’s degree in IT, computer science, or software engineering. If you’re brand-new to data engineering, this isn’t the place to begin. Prerequisites include knowing your way around a Linux/Unix environment, a working knowledge of programming languages, including CoreJava and PERL or Ruby, and some prior experience working with data sets and spreadsheets. The certification exam assesses a broad range of topics including proficiency with a number of vendor-neutral, cross-platform tools, languages, and techniques used in data engineering and in the development of big-data applications. The program fee includes DASCA-provided exam preparation materials, admittance to the online exam, and when you pass, a digital badge and credential resource kit.
Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Senior Big Data Engineer
Designed for seasoned data professionals with extensive training and industry experience who are on the leading edge of data science, DASCA’s Senior Big Data Engineer (SBDE) credential is a deep-dive into the most modern, complex technologies used for data engineering and the development, testing, and deploying of data analytics software and systems. In addition to the same requirements for earning the ABDE, candidates for the SBDE need an in-depth understanding of advanced programming and an experience-driven knowledge of the role data science plays in computer science, engineering, business, and industry. As with the ABDE exam, the program fee includes exam prep materials, access to the online exam itself, and a digital badge and credential resource kit for those who successfully earn the credential.
Coursera
Several nationally recognized universities offer their own data engineering certifications via Coursera. Using Coursera, the instruction required to earn these credentials can be obtained entirely online, providing access to college-level coursework from anywhere in the world. Coursera also offers industry-based certifications from private companies.
Duke University
Duke University’s Python, Bash, and SQL Essentials for Data Engineering Specialization program is geared toward those with minimal experience in data engineering who want to get their foot in the door. This four-course program covers the fundamentals to become proficient with data engineering’s basic principles.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan’s Python for Everybody Specialization teaches participants fundamental programming concepts used in data engineering. Over the five-course series, students learn to develop their own programs to gather, clean, analyze, and visualize data. Instructors address topics that include data structures, networked application program interfaces, and databases, all created using Python.
IBM
IBM’s Data Engineering Professional Certificate is designed to equip candidates with the skills needed to gain an entry-level job in data engineering. This self-paced, entirely online program can be completed in 15 weeks with just four hours of study time per week, making it an ideal choice for working professionals positioning themselves for a career change.
Snowflake
Snowflake offers two certifications, SnowPro Core and SnowPro Advanced. The SnowPro Core Certification demonstrates an individual’s knowledge of applying core expertise, implementing and migrating to Snowflake. The SnowPro Advanced Certification series consists of five role-based advanced certifications. The trainings include individual certifications for numerous roles, including architect, administrator, data engineer, data scientist, and data analyst. As Snowflake continues to play a crucial role in advanced data engineering, demonstrating proficiency in using this technology can help set you apart from your peers.
Data Engineering Bootcamps
Attending a data engineering bootcamp is an excellent way to sharpen your saw in a hurry. They’re called bootcamps for a reason. These short, intensive experiences stress hands-on, project-based learning and often feature intense, highly focused instruction schedules. Whether you’re a beginner with minimal career experience or a veteran looking to level up, bootcamps are a great way to polish your data engineering skill set.
Dataquest
Dataquest’s five-month Data Engineer program provides interactive, hands-on experience that participants need to get a data engineering career up and running quickly. It’s designed for beginners, with topics including designing, managing, implementing, and maintaining the infrastructure required to work with big data and with popular programming languages such as Python and SQL.
Metis
The Data Science and Engineering Bootcamp from Metis is a five-module, intensive training program for those looking to get started in data engineering or science careers. The project-based approach builds a portfolio of work as you go, so you exit the program with a body of work you can use to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.
Insight Data Science
The Data Engineering Fellows Program from Insight is a seven-week professional data engineering training program. It’s a full-time, self-directed learning experience overseen by top-tier data engineers. With an emphasis on cloud computing, this professional training fellowship is a unique opportunity for experienced engineers and programmers to gain the skills needed to segue into a data engineering job.
Snowflake Hands-On Labs
Snowflake offers virtual hands-on labs for data engineers and other data professionals. These instructor-led workshops cover a broad range of topics with some geared toward data professionals just getting started with Snowflake and more advanced offerings for those who have worked with the Snowflake Data Cloud for years.
