This series is designed for professionals in social science, behavioral science, or related fields who want to build data literacy without a highly technical background. It is ideal for analysts, program staff, educators, policymakers, and nonprofit professionals who need practical training in qualitative methods, research software, and statistics to better interpret and apply data in their work. All courses are fully online, making them accessible even for those balancing work and family commitments.
Research Series Bundle This series is 100% online.
A series bundles several courses together for a deeper dive into the topic at a lower cost than enrolling in each one separately. Our series bundles combine courses developed by American University as part of our professional and continuing education catalog with courses provided by Ed2Go, a leading provider of online professional development.
The Research and Analyze series builds your ability to collect, interpret, and communicate data using tools and methods drawn from social science research.
You'll begin by developing a foundation in qualitative data analysis, learning how to apply structured methods to non-numerical data and draw meaningful conclusions from interviews, observations, and other sources. You'll then explore how the R programming language can support social science research, gaining hands-on experience with one of the most widely used tools in data analysis. From there, you'll build your understanding of statistics, learning how to work with data sets, develop charts and graphs, and apply quantitative reasoning to real-world problems.
By the time you complete this series, you'll have a practical research and data literacy skill set that supports stronger analysis, clearer communication, and more informed decision-making.
Total Tuition: $759
(A savings of $960 off individual course pricing)
Contact Hours: 44
Format: Online
(instructor-moderated and self-guided)
Go to Enrollment Page
What's Included
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Qualitative Data Analysis — AU Digital Badge Course | Self-Guided | 10 hrs
This course provides an introduction to qualitative data analysis, guiding you through various analysis methods and techniques for interpreting non-numerical data collected through interviews, observations, and other qualitative sources. -
R for Social Science — AU Digital Badge Course | Self-Guided | 10 hrs
Explore how the R programming language can be a powerful tool for social science research. This course introduces R as an accessible and widely used platform for data analysis, visualization, and statistical computing. -
Introduction to Statistics — Ed2Go | Instructor-Moderated | 24 hrs
Improve your understanding of data and learn how to develop graphs and charts. With real-world applications drawn from business, health care, sports, education, and politics, this course provides the skills and knowledge you need to start analyzing data.
- Apply structured qualitative analysis methods to interpret data from interviews, observations, and other non-numerical sources
- Use the R programming language to organize, analyze, and visualize social science data
- Develop and interpret graphs, charts, and statistical measures using real-world data sets
- Apply quantitative and qualitative reasoning to support research and decision-making in your field
- Build a practical research and data literacy skill set spanning qualitative methods, programming, and statistics in a single cohesive series
- Earn two verifiable AU Digital Badge credentials you can share on LinkedIn and with employers
- Access content designed by experts from Ed2Go combined with AU-developed content at a significant savings
- Learn on your own schedule with fully online, flexible course formats
With instructor-moderated courses, the instructor interacts with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.
Self-guided courses are designed for the learner to progress through their course unmoderated and at their own pace.
Hardware Requirements
This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
Software Requirements
- PC: Windows 8 or later.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other: Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements
The instructional materials required for this course (if applicable) are included in the enrollment and will be available online.