Online Machine Learning: The Top Courses for Skill Enhancement

Once a concept found exclusively in science fiction, machine learning has seen widespread use in the modern age. As soon as various industries grasped the potential of ML, this field of computer science turned into a staple of tech and other businesses.

Naturally, all this has led to an increased demand for machine learning experts. The job market abounds with offers for positions in the field, and the competition is fierce. In other words, you may find plenty of job openings for machine learning professionals, but you’ll need to fit the bill to actually land the position.

Fortunately, there are plenty of online machine learning courses to give you the needed expertise and boost your skills. This article will help you find the best machine learning course online and explain the top options in detail.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online Machine Learning Course

If you like the idea of online learning, machine learning courses are readily available. In fact, the number of options may be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve applied certain strict criteria when looking for the best machine learning online course. Moving forward, you should also keep those criteria in mind.

Firstly, the content of the course will matter the most. Machine learning is a broad field, and you’ll want to ensure that the education you’re getting is the one you need. Also, every genuine venue of machine learning online training should give you a solid foundation while placing a particular emphasis to specific skills.

The curriculum won’t be the only aspect of the course that matters, though. Who is teaching you will be crucial as well. Ideally, your instructor should be an experienced professional in the field so that they can teach you the theory as well as the practical applications.

Next, one of the primary reasons why you’d want to take a course rather than enroll into a BSc or MSc program is time. You don’t want a course to take up too much of your time, which is why flexibility and the overall duration are essential. You’ll want a well-structured online machine learning course that will leave room for a job or any other activities.

Beside the knowledge provided, hands-on experience will be vital. Once you complete a course, you should be able to apply everything you’ve learned there. To that end, a quality machine learning online course will focus heavily on the real-world application of the skills taught.

Finally, the pricing will play a major role. Similar to time, budgetary concerns are likely a core reason why you’re opting for a course. Simply put, you don’t want it to cost the same as a year at a university. And if the price is somewhat higher, the course should provide plenty of additional resources to justify it.

Top Online Machine Learning Courses

Imperial College Business School – Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Course Overview

This program deals with the essential AI and machine learning concepts, teaching you when and how ML solutions can be applied to real-life problems. The course is relatively long, lasting for 25 weeks. It was developed in collaboration with the Imperial College’s Department of Computing.

Key Features

• Taught by experts
• Hands-on activities
• Projects worthy of your portfolio
• Ends with a capstone project
• Verified digital certificate

Pricing and Additional Resources

The price of this course is £3,995, which is reasonable considering its extended duration. During the course, you’ll have individual advisor support for career-building. Completing your studies will also grant you the status of an Associate Alumni, allowing you to join the Imperial College Business School’s community.

Google Digital Garage – Machine Learning Crash Course

Course Overview

If you want to learn machine learning fundamentals quickly and efficiently, this course is just the ticket. It includes comprehensive text and video lectures, practical exercises, and work with the TensorFlow ML library. You’ll gain relevant knowledge and experience through three modules lasting a total of 15 hours.

Key Features

• Lecturers are Google’s researchers
• Intermediate level
• Genuine case studies
• Interactive algorithm showcases
• Fast-paced and applicable

Pricing and Additional Resources

If you’re wondering how much a course from a leading tech giant company may cost, you’ll be pleasantly surprised: This Google machine learning online course is absolutely free. In addition, it’s quite short and very efficient.

IBM (via edX) – Machine Learning With Python: A Practical Introduction

Course Overview

This course teaches you supervised and unsupervised machine learning using Python. An introductory course, it may last up to five weeks. Best of all, the program is entirely self-paced, meaning you can tackle individual lessons at a tempo that suits you. It’s worth noting that this course also explores widely used models and algorithms, supported by actual examples.

Key Features

• Taught by a Senior Data Scientists at IBM
• Part of IBM’s one year certificate program for data science professionals
• Beginner-friendly
• Focus on statistics and data analysis

Pricing and Additional Resources

Like Google’s course, this program by IBM, hosted on edX, is free. It’s worth noting that there’s also a “Verified Track” version, priced on edX at $99. This version of the course will provide unlimited source material access, exams, graded assignments, and a shareable certificate.

DeepLearning.AI (via Coursera) – Unsupervised Learning, Recommenders, Reinforcement Learning

Course Overview

As a part of a specialization in machine learning, this course teaches unsupervised learning as a particular branch of ML. You’ll also learn about recommender systems and how to build certain machine learning models. The course is designed by experienced DeepLearning.AI members in collaboration with Stanford University. You’ll be able to complete it in about 27 hours.

Key Features

• Flexible course scheduling
• Part of a three-course specialization
• Taught by an experienced lecturer and ML professional
• Beginner-friendly
• Teaches specific machine learning techniques

Pricing and Additional Resources

This course, as well as the entire specialization, is available with a Coursera subscription. As a subscriber, you won’t pay any additional fees for the course. Plus, you’ll gain access to a shareable certificate, practice and graded quizzes, and other subscriber benefits.

Microsoft – Foundations of Data Science for Machine Learning

Course Overview

More than a regular course, Foundations of Data Science for Machine Learning is a learning path which consists of 14 modules. It will take you through the entire journey, from the machine learning basics to advanced architecture and data analysis. The course can be completed in under 13 hours.

Key Features

• Offered by a leading tech giant
• Provides lessons and exercises
• Entirely browser-based
• Interactive learning

Pricing and Additional Resources

This training course by Microsoft is free and available immediately. Enrolling in the course comes with no prerequisites.

Tips for Success in Online Machine Learning Courses

Once you choose a machine learning online course, simply signing up for it won’t be enough. You’ll want to ensure you’re getting the most value out of the program. To that end, it would be best to apply the following tips:

• Set your goals and expectations: The best way to get optimal results from a course is to go into it knowing precisely what you want. Clarify what you’re looking to achieve and what you expect the course to provide, and you’ll have an easier time both choosing and completing the program.
• Dedicate time to study and practice: Course lectures will be a vital part of the learning process, but the time and work you put into it will be what makes it all worthwhile. Approach your machine learning online course with the utmost dedication and responsibility, making sure to always set aside the time of day for studying.
• Engage with the community: A learning environment is perfect for building a network. You’ll contact other people with similar interests, which may broaden your viewpoint, provide additional knowledge, and even open up job opportunities. Don’t shy away from online forums or any other type of meeting place that your peers frequent.
• Try out new skills and concepts in real-life: Even if the course you pick involves practical projects, you should be proactive beyond that point. Take what you’ve learned and try to apply it on something outside the course. The best time to start practicing is as soon as you learn a new skill.
• Keep updating your knowledge and skills: Machine learning progresses rapidly, so you’ll have to do your best in keeping your knowledge and skills relevant. A quality course will give you a good foundation. However, updating what you’ve learned will be entirely up to you.

Become a Machine Learning Expert Online

If you’ve found the best machine learning course online for your purposes, you should start learning right away. Armed with the proper skills, you’ll have greater chances of getting work in the industry and starting a career in this science of the future.

Explore which machine learning online course fits you best and start pursuing your goals. You’ll find the knowledge and experience gained as the perfect catalysts for personal and professional growth.