Data visualization is an essential skill in all areas of business and industry. The ability to take complex data and present it in a simple way speeds up decision-making and increases business agility. No wonder so many tech professionals are considering upskilling themselves with an online data visualization course.
If you’re a graduate looking for the best data visualization courses online, you might consider the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT). OPIT offers a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Responsible AI that includes a full segment on data analytics and visualization within the context of AI and other data sciences.
Let’s take a look at more reasons to start an online data visualization course and the benefits it can bring.
The Power of Data Visualization
Businesses thrive on high-quality data. The world generates 463 exabytes of data daily, much of which flows through busy organizations. While experienced data scientists may be able to gain snapshot analyses from complex datasets, most people can’t. That’s where data visualization comes into its own.
A data science and visualization course teaches students how to collect, cleanse, and analyze data before visualization transformations. This includes turning data into graphs, maps, or other graphic displays.
Data visualization turns raw data into usable insights. These insights allow business leaders to take action, change marketing campaigns, budget allocations, or even hiring policies. The ability to quickly see what needs to change allows businesses to edge ahead of competitors.
Choosing the Right Data Visualization Course
The best courses for data visualization teach these skills without taking busy IT professionals or data managers away from their current careers. Online courses provide flexibility and accessibility, allowing learners to study when it’s convenient for them.
Consider the following factors when choosing data visualization online courses:
- Duration
- Topics covered
- Support and student community
- Accreditation
- Career-aligned skills
- Certification
OPIT’s online courses cater to professionals with busy schedules by providing a high-level curriculum entirely online. OPIT is also fully EU-accredited and provides students with internationally recognized qualifications.
The Best Data Visualization Online Courses
Choosing data analysis and visualization courses online is tricky with so many options available. Here are five of the best currently available. Always take the above points on choosing the best online data visualization course into account before committing to a program of study.
Data Visualization with Python
This course from IBM via the Coursera platform looks exclusively at how to use the Python programming language for data analysis and visualization. Classed as intermediate level, some basic data management and programming knowledge is assumed. Tech professionals may find this course useful for upskilling themselves and learning some foundational data visualization skills.
Provider: IBM
Duration: 19 hours
Fees: $39 per month which includes access to other related courses
Qualification Gained: Digital course-specific certificate
Data Visualization Nanodegree Program
Udacity presents this “nanodegree” as a collection of four courses. The program introduces and then expands on data visualization and storytelling. Students will learn design principles, how to use Tableau, dashboard planning and design, and how to build a data story. There are also topics on data limitations and biases.
Provider: Udacity
Duration: Five months
Fees: Either month-to-month at $249 or four months for $846 (minimum $1,095)
Qualification Gained: Udacity Certificate of Achievement
Data Storytelling for Business
One of the few hybrid courses on our list, this storytelling and data visualization course does offer the option for an in-person class. However, you can also complete the program over two virtual seminars, each lasting three hours. This short course focuses on the three “Ds” of data storytelling: Define, Draft, Display, De-clutter, and Direct. It focuses primarily on helping business professionals deliver more effective, impactful presentations.
Provider: StoryIQ
Duration: One day in-person or six hours online with a follow-up session after four weeks
Fees: $230
Qualification Gained: Digital certificate of completion
Hands-On Tableau Training for Data Science
Tech professionals who want to get more out of Tableau could sign up for this software-specific data visualization online course. Tableau is a popular platform for creating data dashboards and is often used for business intelligence (BI) purposes. Students will learn about different types of visuals including charts, maps, graphs, and tables, with table calculations. There’s also a deeper dive into data aggregation and granularity.
Provider: Udemy
Duration: There are nine hours of lectures to complete at your own pace
Fees: $99 for this course but the platform has various subscription options available
Qualification Gained: Udemy Certificate of Completion
OPIT MSc in Responsible AI
For those searching for the best courses on data visualization for graduates, a master’s degree is usually the next step. OPIT’s Master’s Degree in Responsible Artificial Intelligence covers multiple AI-related topics, including data analysis and visualization. Students learn about the challenges associated with handling large, complex datasets. They cover data preprocessing, cleaning, and using that data to tell effective stories.
Provider: OPIT (EU-accredited higher education provider)
Duration: The fast-track option takes 12 months and the standard pathway takes 18 months
Fees: €6,500 — scholarships and discounts are available
Qualification Gained: Globally recognized MSc, equivalent to a Level 7 qualification worth 90-120 ECTS
Key Components of a Comprehensive Data Visualization Course
How do you choose which course is right for you? Your search should start by deciding why you want to take a data science and visualization course. If it’s simply for the joy of studying and learning new skills, one of the shorter courses might suit you. However, if you’re a graduate working in tech already, upskilling yourself will probably require investing in an MSc or similar-level course.
Here are some advanced topics tech professionals to look out for:
- Exploratory data analysis
- Crafting data pipelines in multiple programming languages
- Handling intricate datasets
- Data cleansing, processing, and integration
- Creating visualizations from multiple streams of data
- Linear and nonlinear dimensionality reduction
These skills can help you get ahead in your career by giving you the tools to work with data in any organization. Advanced data science skills are transferable and system agnostic, allowing you to apply for more roles at higher salaries.
OPIT’s Approach to Data Visualization Education
Why study with OPIT? Our unique teaching methods and course structure are deliberately career-aligned. We want to support busy professionals moving forward on their chosen trajectory. The best data visualization courses should allow you to work at your own pace, around your existing commitments.
Our teaching faculty is packed with top-notch academic leaders. We believe that choosing the right team makes the differences between good and great education. On the OPIT MSc in Responsible AI course, for example, you get to learn from Panagiota Katsikouli, a computer science researcher at the University of Copenhagen. Other top-flight faculty members include Pierluigi Casale, a principal data officer for TomTom, and Raj Dasgupta, an AI/ML research scientist at US Naval Research Laboratory.
Your course structure will include a balance of theory and practical hands-on activities. Students start with foundational theory, and then quickly learn how to apply this in real-life situations. For data visualization, expect to start with collating and cleansing data and move on to advanced analysis and presentation techniques. All courses are competency-based, with no final exams to stress about. You acquire new skills as you progress, making these courses ideal for career-minded tech professionals.
Integrating Data Visualization With Other Data Science Skills
Data visualization isn’t a standalone skill. That’s why integrating it with other data science topics such as AI and machine learning is essential. You want a skillset you can apply within your career, which means learning how it relates to various other aspects of data management. Data analysis is normally a primary step in effective visualization. However, analysis isn’t possible without first collating and processing data. The best data analysis and visualization online courses should naturally teach students how data visualization works with other data skills.
OPIT’s courses achieve this by empowering students to create industry-relevant data dashboards, pipelines, and stories. The MSc course culminates with a thesis, which is a research endeavor related to the student’s career ambitions. Learners are also encouraged to pursue internships to practice their skills and gain experience to help them achieve their career goals.
Make Sure You Choose the Right Online Data Visualization Course for Your Career
Choosing the best online data visualization course is essential to optimize your time and learn relevant skills. Make sure you understand the time commitment, cost, and qualifications you’ll gain at the end.
It’s also important to make sure you choose a trusted, accredited educational provider. OPIT’s accredited online programs could take you one step closer to your professional goals.
Explore the OPIT course offerings for more information on how we can further your tech career.
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From the same author
Read the articleFrom personalization to productivity: AI at the heart of the educational experience.
Click this link to read and download the e-book.
At its core, teaching is a simple endeavour. The experienced and learned pass on their knowledge and wisdom to new generations. Nothing has changed in that regard. What has changed is how new technologies emerge to facilitate that passing on of knowledge. The printing press, computers, the internet – all have transformed how educators teach and how students learn.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next game-changer in the educational space.
Specifically, AI agents have emerged as tools that utilize all of AI’s core strengths, such as data gathering and analysis, pattern identification, and information condensing. Those strengths have been refined, first into simple chatbots capable of providing answers, and now into agents capable of adapting how they learn and adjusting to the environment in which they’re placed. This adaptability, in particular, makes AI agents vital in the educational realm.
The reasons why are simple. AI agents can collect, analyse, and condense massive amounts of educational material across multiple subject areas. More importantly, they can deliver that information to students while observing how the students engage with the material presented. Those observations open the door for tweaks. An AI agent learns alongside their student. Only, the agent’s learning focuses on how it can adapt its delivery to account for a student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and existing knowledge.
Think of an AI agent like having a tutor – one who eschews set lesson plans in favour of an adaptive approach designed and tweaked constantly for each specific student.
In this eBook, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) will take you on a journey through the world of AI agents as they pertain to education. You will learn what these agents are, how they work, and what they’re capable of achieving in the educational sector. We also explore best practices and key approaches, focusing on how educators can use AI agents to the benefit of their students. Finally, we will discuss other AI tools that both complement and enhance an AI agent’s capabilities, ensuring you deliver the best possible educational experience to your students.
Read the articleThe Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
-
Go to all authors
Related posts
From personalization to productivity: AI at the heart of the educational experience.
Click this link to read and download the e-book.
At its core, teaching is a simple endeavour. The experienced and learned pass on their knowledge and wisdom to new generations. Nothing has changed in that regard. What has changed is how new technologies emerge to facilitate that passing on of knowledge. The printing press, computers, the internet – all have transformed how educators teach and how students learn.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next game-changer in the educational space.
Specifically, AI agents have emerged as tools that utilize all of AI’s core strengths, such as data gathering and analysis, pattern identification, and information condensing. Those strengths have been refined, first into simple chatbots capable of providing answers, and now into agents capable of adapting how they learn and adjusting to the environment in which they’re placed. This adaptability, in particular, makes AI agents vital in the educational realm.
The reasons why are simple. AI agents can collect, analyse, and condense massive amounts of educational material across multiple subject areas. More importantly, they can deliver that information to students while observing how the students engage with the material presented. Those observations open the door for tweaks. An AI agent learns alongside their student. Only, the agent’s learning focuses on how it can adapt its delivery to account for a student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and existing knowledge.
Think of an AI agent like having a tutor – one who eschews set lesson plans in favour of an adaptive approach designed and tweaked constantly for each specific student.
In this eBook, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) will take you on a journey through the world of AI agents as they pertain to education. You will learn what these agents are, how they work, and what they’re capable of achieving in the educational sector. We also explore best practices and key approaches, focusing on how educators can use AI agents to the benefit of their students. Finally, we will discuss other AI tools that both complement and enhance an AI agent’s capabilities, ensuring you deliver the best possible educational experience to your students.
The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
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