Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Macquarie University

Excel Skills for Business: Advanced

Macquarie University via Coursera

Go to class Write review

Overview

Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
This advanced Excel course is designed for business professionals, data analysts, and financial analysts seeking to master complex spreadsheet software for data-driven decision-making. Building on foundational Excel skills, this program will transform you into a power user, enhancing your employability and positioning you ahead in a rapidly evolving digital job market. (Source: World Economic Forum 2023 Future of Jobs Report). By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Master advanced Excel formulas and lookup functions for efficient data handling. - Clean and prepare complex data for robust analysis using Microsoft Excel. - Apply financial functions and date formulas for business calculations and reporting. - Design and build professional, interactive dashboards in Excel for business intelligence. To be successful, you should have completed the Excel Skills for Business: Essentials, Intermediate I, and Intermediate II courses, or possess equivalent intermediate Microsoft Excel proficiency.

Syllabus

  • Spreadsheet Design and Documentation
    • As an intermediate Excel user, you've mastered the basics. This first module of the Advanced Excel course focuses on creating and maintaining accurate, flexible, and user-friendly spreadsheets. You will learn to design auditable spreadsheets, construct transparent calculations, create intuitive navigation, and apply professional formatting. This ensures your Excel work is robust and easy to understand. Tip: Pay close attention to consistency in design for maximum impact!
  • Advanced Formula Techniques
    • Microsoft Excel often requires complex analysis on large datasets. This becomes much easier with array formulas, which perform multiple calculations simultaneously and ensure spreadsheet accuracy. This module covers the effective use of array formulas, teaching you how to build and apply them. You'll gain powerful tools for advanced data analysis. Tip: Experiment with array formulas on small, controlled datasets to understand their logic before applying them to larger projects.
  • Data Cleaning and Preparation
    • Ever been handed a messy spreadsheet? This module focuses on essential data cleaning and preparation techniques in Excel. You will learn to use dynamic and automated fixes, clean raw data, and automate these processes through functions to ensure data remains clean. We'll cover fixing dates, replacing blanks, and removing unwanted characters to build efficient, lasting solutions. Clean data is the foundation for reliable data analysis! Tip: Always make a backup before you start cleaning!
  • Financial Functions and Working with Dates
    • This module introduces essential financial functions into your Microsoft Excel knowledge base. Financial functions are widely used in businesses, and Excel offers powerful tools to assist you. You will learn to apply date formulas in calculations, create detailed loan schedules using financial functions, and effectively use depreciation functions. This will significantly enhance your financial analysis capabilities. Tip: Understand the inputs required for each financial function to ensure accurate results.
  • Advanced Lookup Functions
    • It's a great idea to make your spreadsheets (and work!) more automated. Automated lookups in Microsoft Excel can make your tasks fast and efficient. This module builds on your array capabilities, exploring functions like INDIRECT, ADDRESS, OFFSET, and INDEX to create dynamic lookup ranges. You'll learn to streamline your data retrieval, saving valuable time and boosting your productivity. Tip: Practice each function with small datasets first!
  • Building Professional Dashboards
    • To bring it all together, this module guides you through building a professional dashboard in Excel. Data is meaningless unless it tells a story and provides business intelligence. You will learn to set up a dashboard, visualize data with graphs and charts, create robust data models, and add interactivity. This empowers you to transform raw data into actionable insights. Tip: Focus on your audience's needs when designing your dashboard!
  • Advanced Excel Final Assessment

Taught by

Yvonne Breyer

Tags

Reviews

3.7 rating, based on 3 Class Central reviews

4.7 rating at Coursera based on 6221 ratings

Start your review of Excel Skills for Business: Advanced

  • Mohammad Ramjan
    1
    Axis Bank the most popular bank in this contry I am so happy because my job in this originations. I am so excited in this job .
  • Abdur Rehman Syed
    Very Helpful for business and job peoples . People should learn Excel to improve there skills to survive in modern world.
  • Anonymous
    Quizzes are broken -- you learn a lot, but will never be able to get the certification due to the broken platform. Do NOT recommend.
Go to class

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

Sign up for free
Someone learning on their laptop while sitting on the floor.