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Duke University · on Coursera

Data Science Math Skills

4.5(20,000)·580K enrolled
Beginner 20 hours English Course Certificate Certificate

About this course

Data Science Math Skills is Duke's accessible introduction to the mathematical concepts data science builds on — set theory, real line and interval notation, counting and combinatorics, probability rules, Bayes' theorem, and random variables. It's designed for learners who want to start a data science learning path but feel uncertain about their mathematical foundation.

The course doesn't require calculus or linear algebra — it fills the gap that sits below MIT's graduate statistics course and above high school math: the specific probability and reasoning foundations that make data science tools interpretable. It's the right starting point before Statistics for Data Science courses, used by over 580,000 learners who found the jump from general math to data science too steep.

What you'll learn

Apply set theory and interval notation used in data science
Calculate permutations and combinations for probability problems
Apply the rules of probability including conditional probability
Understand and apply Bayes' theorem
Work with random variables and basic probability distributions

This course includes

20h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
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Instructor

DE
Daniel Egger / Paul Bendich
Coursera instructor
580K+ learners3 courses4.5 instructor rating

Taught by Daniel Egger and Paul Bendich, Duke University mathematics faculty, designed specifically for learners approaching data science from non-mathematical backgrounds.

Requirements

  • High school algebra; no calculus required

Who this course is for

  • Beginners starting a data science learning path who want the math foundation
  • Non-technical professionals entering data science who feel rusty on math
  • Anyone who struggled with probability in statistics courses and wants a cleaner foundation

About this provider

CO
Coursera
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Frequently asked questions

It covers the foundations — probability, Bayes, and combinatorics. ML courses typically also require linear algebra and calculus, which this course doesn't cover.
Probably not — if you're comfortable with probability and Bayes' theorem, you can skip ahead. This is for learners who aren't.
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
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