This fall Duke University will launch several new open online courses in two high-demand fields: data analysis and software development. The courses will be offered on online learning platform Coursera, and are intended to help individuals around the world build practical career skills.

The courses are part of two Coursera Specializations, “Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business”  and “Java Programming: An Introduction to Software.” Each Specialization will consist of four short courses and a hands-on capstone project. The Specialization courses are designed to support flexible, self­-paced learning, with personalized weekly schedules and other features to help students stay motivated and on track.

“The materials developed for these new Specializations will not only benefit users around the world but also will be used to supplement courses at Duke in the future,” said Lynne O’Brien, Associate Vice Provost for Digital and Online Education Initiatives.

“Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business” will be led by Daniel Egger, Executive in Residence and Director of the Center for Quantitative Modeling, and postdoctoral research associate Jana Schaich Borg. Using two popular software programs – Microsoft Excel and Tableau – students will learn to perform useful data-analysis functions during the courses’ practical modules.

“Java Programming: An Introduction to Software” will be developed and led by Duke faculty Susan Rodger, Owen Astrachan, Robert Duvall (computer science) and Drew Hilton (electrical and computer engineering). Students will learn how to write programs in Java, a general-purpose programming language, and how the skills and concepts they are learning can tie directly to a career in software engineering. Google will contribute real-world projects and the involvement of its engineers as guest lecturers to the Specialization.

“We’re heading towards a world where everything has computers involved in some way,” said Hilton, “If you want to be able to do things in that world, you need computer programming literacy.”

The first Specialization courses start September 15. To register, visit coursera.org/duke.