Top 11 Statistical Programmer Certifications

Certifications for statistical programmers can be an important tool to demonstrate knowledge, skills and expertise in the job market. Certifications can be a valuable asset when applying for jobs as they provide employers with evidence of a programmer’s technical ability and proficiency. They can also help to differentiate one applicant from another and provide employers with confidence that the applicant is qualified for the role. Additionally, certifications can help to open doors for new opportunities and demonstrate commitment to professional development. Finally, certifications may also lead to increased job satisfaction and career advancement opportunities as it provides a sense of accomplishment and recognition of hard work.

The purpose of this article is to review some of the top certifications for Statistical Programmers and explain how they can help to enhance a statistical programmer's career.

What are Statistical Programmer Certifications?

Statistical programmer certification is a professional credential that shows employers your knowledge and experience in programming for statistical analysis. It can help demonstrate to potential employers that you have the skills necessary to develop, maintain, and troubleshoot data-driven applications and processes. This certification is also useful if you are looking to advance your career in the field of statistical programming.

With a statistical programmer certification, you will be able to show employers that you understand the principles of software engineering as well as data analysis methods such as machine learning algorithms and linear regression. You will also be able to demonstrate your ability to analyze large datasets and create models for predictive analytics. With this certification, you will be able to show employers that you have the technical skills necessary for working with complex data sets and developing customized software solutions for their business needs.

Overall, having a statistical programmer certification can help make you more competitive in the job market and give employers confidence in your abilities as a statistical programmer. It can also open up more job opportunities by showing potential employers that you possess the skills needed for this type of work.

Pro Tip: If you are considering getting certified as a statistical programmer, make sure to research the requirements for certification in your area. Certifications vary by country and region, so be sure to check what is required before investing time and money into the process. Additionally, consider taking courses or attending seminars that can help you gain the knowledge and skills needed for certification.

Related: What does a Statistical Programmer do?

Top 11 Statistical Programmer Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Statistical Programmers today.

1. SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst

SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst is a professional certification program offered by SAS. It is designed to help professionals demonstrate their expertise in the use of SAS software for statistical analysis and data mining. The certification covers topics such as descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, linear regression, logistic regression, time series analysis, forecasting, and data visualization.

The certification requires successful completion of an exam that consists of multiple-choice questions and hands-on tasks. The exam takes approximately four hours to complete and can be taken at any authorized Pearson VUE test center worldwide.

To become certified, individuals must first register with Pearson VUE and pay the associated fee ($180 USD). After registering with Pearson VUE, individuals must then purchase a SAS Certification Prep Guide from the SAS Global Certification website. This guide provides information on how to prepare for the exam as well as tips on taking it.

Once an individual has successfully completed the exam they will receive their official SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst certification via email within two weeks of passing the exam.

2. Microsoft Certified Professional: Data Science and Machine Learning

Microsoft Certified Professional: Data Science and Machine Learning is a certification program designed to validate the skills of data science and machine learning professionals. This certification is offered by Microsoft and is designed to help individuals demonstrate their expertise in data science and machine learning.

The certification requires candidates to pass two exams – Exam DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure, and Exam DP-200: Implementing an Azure Data Solution. To earn the Microsoft Certified Professional: Data Science and Machine Learning certification, you must pass both exams.

It typically takes 3-4 months to complete the entire certification process, depending on the individual’s availability for studying and taking the exams. The cost of each exam varies depending on the country or region you are located in, but generally costs around $165 USD per exam.

To get started with this certification program, you will first need to register for an account with Microsoft Certification Program (MCP). Once registered, you can then purchase vouchers for each exam from the MCP website. After purchasing your vouchers, you can schedule your exams at any Pearson VUE testing center near you.

3. IBM Certified Data Scientist

IBM Certified Data Scientist is a professional certification program that validates the skills and knowledge of data scientists in the fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and more. This certification is designed to demonstrate mastery of the IBM Watson platform and its associated tools.

The IBM Certified Data Scientist exam consists of multiple-choice questions that evaluate a candidate’s understanding of the topics covered in the course material. The exam typically takes two hours to complete and can be taken online or at an IBM testing center.

To become certified as an IBM Certified Data Scientist, candidates must pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher. Candidates must also have experience working with IBM Watson products such as SPSS Modeler, Watson Studio, and more.

The cost for taking the exam varies depending on location but typically ranges from $200-$400 USD.

4. Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 8 Programmer

Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 8 Programmer is an industry-recognized certification for Java developers. It demonstrates the ability to design and develop Java applications that leverage the object-oriented features of the language and its core platform APIs.

To get this certification, you must pass two exams: 1Z0-808 (Java SE 8 Programmer I) and 1Z0-809 (Java SE 8 Programmer II). Both exams are multiple choice, with a total of 120 questions. The time limit for each exam is 150 minutes.

You can take the exams at any Oracle Testing Center or through Pearson VUE. The cost of each exam is $245 USD.

In order to prepare for the exams, Oracle provides a variety of resources such as practice tests, study guides, and tutorials. Additionally, there are many third-party training programs available to help you prepare for the exams.

Overall, it typically takes several months to prepare for both exams and obtain your certification.

5. R Programming Certification from Johns Hopkins University

R Programming Certification from Johns Hopkins University is an online certification program designed to help learners gain a comprehensive understanding of the R programming language. This certification program provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of the R programming language, including data types and structures, functions, packages, and debugging tools. The program also covers topics such as data manipulation, visualization, and statistical analysis.

The certification program consists of five courses that can be completed in six months or less. The courses are available online through Coursera and include: Introduction to R Programming; Data Manipulation with R; Exploratory Data Analysis with R; Statistical Inference with R; and Regression Models with R. Each course includes video lectures, quizzes, programming assignments, and a final project.

To get the certification, you must complete all five courses within the given time frame and receive passing grades on all assignments and projects. You will also need to pass an exam at the end of each course in order to receive your certificate of completion for that course. Once you have completed all five courses and passed the exams for each one, you will receive your final certificate from Johns Hopkins University.

The cost for this certification program is $49 per month for access to all five courses or $79 per month if you want access to additional resources such as peer support groups or mentoring sessions.

6. Cloudera Certified Professional: Data Scientist

Cloudera Certified Professional: Data Scientist is a certification program that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the skills and knowledge necessary to work as a professional data scientist. The certification is designed to validate an individual’s ability to develop, deploy, and manage advanced analytics solutions using Cloudera's suite of products.

The certification process typically takes around 3-4 months to complete depending on the individual's learning style and availability. To get certified, individuals must pass the Cloudera Certified Professional: Data Scientist exam. This exam consists of multiple choice questions and hands-on tasks related to data science theory, practice, and application.

The cost of the exam varies by country but generally ranges from $400-$600 USD. Additionally, there are other costs associated with preparing for the exam such as purchasing study materials or taking online courses.

7. Tableau Desktop Qualified Associate Certification

Tableau Desktop Qualified Associate Certification is a certification program offered by Tableau, a leading data visualization and analytics software provider. The certification is designed to demonstrate proficiency in the use of Tableau Desktop, the company’s flagship product. It is intended for individuals who are new to Tableau and wish to become proficient in using it.

The certification consists of two parts: an online exam and a hands-on project. The online exam covers topics such as data sources, data manipulation, visualizations, calculations, dashboards, and storytelling with Tableau. The hands-on project involves creating a dashboard that meets the requirements specified by Tableau.

It typically takes about 2-3 weeks to complete the certification process. To get started, you must first register for the exam on the Tableau website. After registering for the exam, you will be given access to study materials and practice tests that will help prepare you for the actual exam. Once you have completed your studies and are ready to take the exam, you can schedule it at any time through your account on the Tableau website.

The cost of the certification depends on where you live; however, it generally ranges from $200-$300 USD (plus applicable taxes). This fee covers both the online exam and hands-on project components of the certification process.

Overall, obtaining this certification can be beneficial if you want to demonstrate your knowledge of Tableau Desktop and gain recognition in your field as an expert user of this powerful data visualization tool.

8. Google Cloud Platform Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals Certificate

Google Cloud Platform Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals Certificate is a certification program designed to help individuals gain the essential knowledge and skills to use Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for data analysis, machine learning, and big data processing. This certificate will teach you how to use GCP services such as Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, BigQuery, Cloud ML Engine, and more. It will also cover topics like data modeling, analyzing large datasets with SQL and Python, and building machine learning models.

The course takes approximately 10 hours to complete. You can access the course online at Coursera or Udacity. The cost of the course varies depending on which platform you choose but typically ranges from $49 - $99 USD.

9. AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty Certification

AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty Certification is a professional-level certification offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It validates an individual’s expertise in designing, building, securing, and maintaining big data solutions on the AWS platform. The certification requires a thorough understanding of the AWS services used to design and deploy big data solutions.

It typically takes about 12 weeks to complete the certification process. Candidates must first pass an online assessment that tests their knowledge of big data technologies and AWS services. Once they have passed this assessment, they can register for the exam. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions and is designed to test a candidate’s ability to design, build, secure, and maintain big data solutions on the AWS platform.

To prepare for the exam, candidates should take an official course from AWS or study independently using resources such as books, tutorials, and practice exams. They should also gain hands-on experience with AWS services related to big data solutions.

The cost of taking the exam varies depending on location but typically ranges from $200-$300 USD.

10. Hadoop Developer Certification from Hortonworks

Hadoop Developer Certification from Hortonworks is a professional certification program designed to recognize the skills and knowledge of developers who are proficient in developing applications for Hadoop. This certification is offered by Hortonworks, an enterprise-grade provider of Apache Hadoop solutions.

The exam consists of multiple choice questions that cover topics such as Hadoop architecture, data ingestion and processing, security, monitoring and troubleshooting, and best practices for development. The exam also includes practical exercises to test your ability to develop applications using the Hortonworks Data Platform (HDP).

It typically takes between 2-4 hours to complete the exam. You can take the exam online at any time or at a proctored testing center. The cost of the exam varies depending on your location but is generally around $300 USD.

To prepare for the exam, you can review materials available on the Hortonworks website such as tutorials, white papers, and practice tests. You can also attend training courses offered by Hortonworks or one of its partners to gain more in-depth knowledge about Hadoop development.

11. Apache Spark Developer Certification from Databricks

Apache Spark Developer Certification from Databricks is a certification program that validates the skills of developers who use Apache Spark to build and deploy data-driven applications. This certification program is offered by Databricks, the creators of Apache Spark.

The Apache Spark Developer Certification includes two exams: the Foundations Exam and the Advanced Exam. The Foundations Exam covers topics such as basic concepts of Apache Spark, programming with DataFrames and SQL, and working with structured streaming. The Advanced Exam covers topics such as advanced concepts of Apache Spark, machine learning pipelines, and debugging & optimization.

To get certified, you must pass both exams within 12 months of each other. Each exam costs $150 USD, so the total cost for both exams is $300 USD.

You can register for the exams on the Databricks website or through third-party testing centers like Pearson VUE or Kryterion. Once you have registered for an exam, you will receive an email with instructions to schedule your exam appointment at a testing center near you.

Once you have passed both exams, you will receive an official certificate from Databricks that verifies your expertise in using Apache Spark to build and deploy data-driven applications.

Do You Really Need a Statistical Programmer Certificate?

The short answer is no. A statistical programmer certificate is not a requirement to become a successful statistical programmer. However, having such a certificate can give you an edge when applying for jobs in the field and may help you stand out from other applicants.

Statistical programming is a specialized field of work that requires knowledge of both statistics and programming languages, as well as experience with data analysis and manipulation. While a certificate may demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant concepts and skills, employers are more likely to value practical experience over theoretical knowledge. Therefore, it is important that you have hands-on experience with data analysis, manipulation, and programming to be successful as a statistical programmer.

In addition to gaining practical experience through internships or working on projects, there are several online courses offered by universities or professional organizations that can be taken to increase your knowledge of the techniques used in data analysis and manipulation. These courses provide an opportunity to learn the concepts necessary for success in this field without having to commit to obtaining a full-fledged certification program.

Ultimately, whether or not you need a statistical programmer certificate depends on your specific goals and career objectives. If you want to gain credibility within the industry or demonstrate your mastery of certain topics related to statistical programming, then obtaining such a certificate may be beneficial for you. On the other hand, if you are confident in your ability to learn the necessary skills on your own or through other means then it may not be necessary for you to pursue such a certification program.

Related: Statistical Programmer Resume Examples

FAQs About Statistical Programmer Certifications

1. What are the benefits of a Statistical Programmer Certification?

Answer: A Statistical Programmer Certification can help to demonstrate your competency and proficiency in statistical programming to employers, as well as providing an opportunity for professional development and recognition. It can also open up career opportunities and provide access to more job roles.

2. What is the difference between a Statistical Programmer Certification and other certifications?

Answer: Other certifications may focus on general programming concepts or specific software applications, while a Statistical Programmer Certification focuses specifically on the application of statistical principles in programming.

3. How long does it take to get a Statistical Programmer Certification?

Answer: This can vary depending on the program and provider, however typically it takes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to complete the certification requirements.

4. Are there any prerequisites for getting a Statistical Programmer Certification?

Answer: Generally speaking, most programs require applicants to have prior experience in coding or data analysis, as well as knowledge of basic statistics principles such as probability and inference. Some programs may also require additional qualifications such as a degree in mathematics or statistics.

5. Is there any cost associated with getting a Statistical Programmer Certification?

Answer: Yes, most programs require payment of fees for course materials, examination fees, and/or certification fees.