What it is
The Machine Learning Specialization is a three-course, self-paced programme on Coursera taught by Andrew Ng, built jointly by DeepLearning.AI and Stanford Online. Coursera's page describes it as an updated version of Ng's original 2012 Machine Learning course.
What you learn
Course 1 covers linear and logistic regression. Course 2 covers neural networks, decision trees and random forests. Course 3 covers clustering, anomaly detection, recommender systems and an introduction to reinforcement learning. Coding labs use Python with NumPy, scikit-learn and TensorFlow.
Format and time
Self-paced video lectures, quizzes and coding labs, pitched at around 10 hours a week for 2 months (roughly 95 hours in total across the three courses).
Who it's for
Coursera lists no prior machine learning experience as a prerequisite, but expects learners to already have basic coding skills (loops, functions) and high-school-level maths.
Price
$49 a month via a Coursera subscription. Coursera's FAQ states "you cannot take this course for free" despite the page showing a "Join for Free" button; financial aid is available for learners who qualify and can't afford the fee. A shareable certificate is issued on completing all three courses.
