The top 5 Big Data courses to help you break into the industry

By Simplilearn. (Updated May 2018)

In companies across industries, data gathering and analysis has become a number one priority and Big Data professionals are in great demand.  IBM predicts that the demand for data scientists will increase by the year 2020. However, there is lack of professionals to meet the demand. In fact, Cisco reported that 40% of companies find it difficult to get big data experts to work with them.

The truth is more companies are realizing the importance of data scientists and this is propelling the growth of the market. Big data Market is predicted to grow at a high compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.45%.

Also, big data scientist earns a lot of money. As a data scientist, you can earn as much as $116,000.

So, how can you get into this career space?

The best way to start is to take big data courses.

To help you get started in the field, we’ve assembled a list of the best Big Data courses available.

1. Simplilearn

Simplilearn’s Big Data Course catalogue is known for their large number of courses, in subjects as varied as Hadoop, SAS, Apache Spark, and R.

The big data course is created for both beginners and skilled professionals alike. This Hadoop Developer course is the one of the best big data training you can find online.

The course is designed for Data management, IT and analytics personnel looking to improve their knowledge of Big data.

What is the Big data course syllabus of Simplilearn?

The Simplilearn’s Big data & Hadoop Developer course syllabus is holistic and robust. It has all you need to know to become a professional big data scientist. There are sixteen lessons, which are:

Lesson 1:     Introduction to Big data and Hadoop Ecosystem
Lesson 2:     HDFS and YARN
Lesson 3:     MapReduce and Sqoop
Lesson 4:     Basics of Hive and Impala
Lesson 5:     Working with Hive and Impala
Lesson 6:     Types of Data Formats
Lesson 7:     Advanced Hive concept and data file partitioning
Lesson 8:     Apache flume and HBase
Lesson 9:     Pig
Lesson 10:     Basics of Apache Spark
Lesson 11:     RDDS in Spark
Lesson 12:     Implementation of Spark Applications
Lesson 13:     Spark Parallel Processing
Lesson 14:     Spark RDD Optimization techniques
Lesson 15:     Spark Algorithm
Lesson 16:     Spark SQL

Do you know the interesting part? Apache Kafka and Core Java is included in the course and you can learn them for free. This would have cost you a fortune to learn somewhere else.

After you've completed the lessons, you will handle different projects. You will practice simulation test paper instructions to prepare you for the certification. The instructor will give you feedback on your performance.

Simplilearn will give you a certification after you have completed 85% of the course with one project (online-self learning) or attend one complete batch with a complete project (online classroom).

What is the major objective of Simplilearn's Big Data course?

Simplilearn's big data course is a course that is designed with the following objectives:

• To give you a thorough knowledge of the Big Data framework using  Hadoop and Spark, HDFS, YARN, and MapReduce.
• To know how to use Pig, Hive, and Impala to work on data stored in HDFS.
• To know how to use Sqoop and Flume for data ingestion
• To know how real-time data can be processed using Spark
• To know how to carry out functional programming in Spark, and use Spark applications.
• To know how parallel processing works in Spark
• To know how to use Spark RDD optimization strategies.
• To know the different types of interactive algorithms in Spark
• To know how to use Spark SQL for creating, transforming and querying data forms.

After the above training, you will use CloudLab to carry out a real-life industry project in industries like telecommunication, social media, insurance and e-commerce. With the knowledge you acquired in this course, you will be ready to take Cloudera CCA175 big data certification exam.

Who are the Course instructors?

The Instructors for the big data training are professionally qualified and certified. They have real-life experiences in the field. You will be learning from the best in the industry.

How much does Simplilearn's Big data course cost?

With the in-depth big data training provided by Simplilearn, you would think it is expensive. The truth is, it is pocket-friendly. You need only $279 to take the self-paced learning or $239 to take the online classroom flexi-pass.

What is the mode of training offered for the big data course?

There are two modes of training offered by Simplilearn for the big data course. They are self-paced learning and online classroom flexi-pass.

The self-paced learning is a 180 days of access to quality content while the Flexi-Pass provides a unique way to learn everything in one place, with learners paying once to access an unlimited number of instructor-led sessions for 90 days.

What’s the good stuff?

Simplilearn’s courses offer one of the most comprehensive training schemes of any provider on this list.

And the downsides?

While their training offers amazing real-world experience, the Big Data courses lack the added advantage of official accreditation from a global body. However, this is common to most courses on this list.

2. Cloudera

Cloudera is probably the most familiar name in the field of Big Data training. Their CCP Spark and Hadoop Developer certification is recognized around the world and is conducted in both virtual and physical classrooms. To take this exam, you will need to undertake Apache Spark™ and Hadoop training.

What is the Big Data course syllabus for Cloudera?
Cloudera’s developer training course for Apache Spark and Hadoop will teach you most of the things you need to pass the CCA Spark & Hadoop Developer Exam. This includes:

• Introduction to Apache Hadoop and the Hadoop Ecosystem
• Apache Hadoop file storage
• RDD Overview
• Distributed processing on an Apache Hadoop cluster
• Apache Spark Basics
• Transforming data with RDDs
• Aggregating Data with Pair RDDS
• Querying tables and views with Apache Spark SQL
• Distributed processing
• Distributed Data persistence
• Common patterns in Apache Spark Data Processing
• Apache Spark Streaming introduction to DStreams
• Working with DataFrames and Schemes
• Working with Datasets in Scala
• Apache Spark Streaming: Processing many batches
• Analyzing Data with DataFrame Queries
• Writing, Configuring and Running Apache Spark Applications
• Apache Spark Streaming: Data Sources

What is the major objective of Cloudera's Big Data course?

The four day course is designed to teach you the followings:

• How to use Spark SQL to query data
• How to do real-time processing using spark streaming
• How to create applications with Apache Spark 2
• How to write applications that use core Spark
• How to work with big data from distributed file system
• How to execute Spark applications on a Hadoop cluster

Who are the Course instructors?

Cloudera's course instructors are leading experts with in-depth knowledge of the big data industry.

How much does Cloudera's Big data course cost?
The cost of the course is $2,235

What is the mode of training offered for the big data course?
It is an instructor-led classroom and virtual interactive self-faced training.

What’s the good stuff?

Cloudera’s Data Science courses are used for employee training by many Fortune 500 companies, and have a great reputation within the industry.

And the downsides?

With high course prices ($2235), their training is relatively expensive.

3. Big Data University

With backing from IBM, the Big Data University offers courses at beginner and intermediate level. Their e-learning content and videos can be consumed at the learner’s desired pace and difficulty level. The platform has different courses on big data among which is the Big data 101.

What is the Big data course syllabus for Big Data University?
The following are what you will learn in the Big Data 101 course:

• What is big data?
• Big data - Beyond the hype
• The big data and data science
• BD Use Cases
•     Processing Big Data

What is the major objective of Big Data University course?
The big data 101 course teaches you the basics of Big data. You will learn:

• How to use big data to run a successful business and better manage your customers
• How to process big data on different platforms
• Why Hadoop is a big data solution

Who are the Course instructors?
The course instructors are professionals and educators with top-notch experience in the industry.

How much does Big Data University course cost?
It is free.

What is the mode of training offered for the big data course?
It is a self-paced course.

What’s the good stuff?

The best thing about Big Data University courses – they are free! Learners can also take the BDU assessment exams as many times as they want.

And the downsides?

The courses don’t offer training on live projects, and they’re not instructor-led. They’re also most useful to learners at the beginner level, as they don’t cover advanced topics.

4. Hortonworks

Hortonworks is another popular name in Big Data. Since there is no official Big Data certification body, their certifications have good credibility within the industry behind only Cloudera.

What is the Big Data course syllabus for Hortonworks?

In addition to self-study, there are courses for the certification exams mentioned above. They are:

• HDP overview: Apache Hadoop essentials
• HDP operations: Hadoop administration foundations
• HDP operations: Hadoop administration 2
• HDP operations: HDP Administration fast track
• HDF NiFi Flow management
• HDP operations: security
• HDP operations: Apache HBase advanced management
• HDP Analyst: Data science
• HDP Developer: Real-time development
• HDP Developer: Quickstart
• HDP Developer: Enterprise Apache Spark 1
• HDP Developer: Spark 2.x
• HDP Developer: Apache Pig and Hive
• HDP Developer: Java
• HDP Developer: Apache storm and Trident
• HDP Developer: Apache HBase Essentials
• HDP Developer: Custom YARN Applications

What is the major objective of Hortonwork's Big Data course?

The courses are designed to teach you

1. How to use Hortonworks Data Platform (HDP) and the Hadoop System
2. Know about concepts, architecture and operation of the Hortonworks data platform
3. How to develop real-time applications to process streaming data sources
4. Know how to use Apache Kafka, Apache Hadoop, Apache Storm  and Trident, Apache Spark, Apache HBase and Apache NiFi.

 

Who are the Course instructors?

The course instructors are top industry experts

How much does Hortonworks’ Big data course cost?

The courses are a bit expensive. The cost range from £550 - £2395 pounds.

 

What is the mode of training offered for the big data course?

There are three different modes of big data training offered by Hortonworks. They are live training, self-paced and blended (i.e. self-placed and live training sessions).

 

What’s the good stuff?

Their courses offer both Self-Paced Learning and Classroom Training. Their classroom sessions are held around the world, in partnership with training institutes, like Avantus and Sunset Learning Institute.

And the downsides?

Their fees are fairly high and they do not offer virtual training courses.

5. Coursera

Offered in partnership with the University of California, San Diego, Coursera’s online training is as good as what you’d find on college campuses. Each course begins with the basics, and learners can take them one at a time, or do a Big Data Specialization.

What is the Big Data course syllabus for Coursera?

The big data specialization course includes 6 courses namely:

Course 1: Introduction to Big data

Course 2: Big data modeling and management systems

Course 3: Big data integration and processing

Course 4: Machine learning with big data

Course 5: Graph Analytics for big data

Course 6: Big data- capstone project

 

What is the major objective of Coursera's Big Data course?

The objectives of the big data specialization course are to:

•        Know how to structure, analyze and interpret big data
•        Know how to solve real-world problems and questions
•        Know big data insights with the aid of tools and systems
•        Know how to use Hadoop with MapReduce, Spark, Pig, and Hive
•        Know how to perform predictive modeling and use graph analytics

 

Who are the Course instructors?

The course instructors are top professionals in the field of data science.

How much does Coursera's Big Data course cost?

The cost of the course is $324

What is the mode of training offered for the Big data course?

Self-faced online

What’s the good stuff?

The course is comparatively affordable ($324) and is great for new beginners in the field of Big Data. It also offers a Capstone project which is aligned with industrial applications of Big Data.

And the downsides?

The course is 7-months long and doesn’t include live instructor-led sessions, which makes it a tricky fit for working professionals.