Data Visualization and Storytelling Certificate

Data Visualization and Storytelling Certificate
Data visualization presentation at a business meeting
PDT-BusSMU-02

Leaders must understand and interpret many types of data to make smart, strategic decisions. Support your organization with tools and skills to improve your data insights. In the SMU Data Visualization and Storytelling Certificate program, learn how to pair visual representations like charts, diagrams, infographics and dashboards with storytelling techniques to strengthen your delivery.

Your classes will cover a unique combination of components to help you successfully visualize data and share information effectively and clearly with stakeholders like customers, executives and investors. The principles covered in class are applicable to a number of fields and industries, including government, finance, marketing, consumer goods, service, education and more. You will practice and improve your skills through hands-on exercises and projects using multiple tools.

Please click the Agenda tab below for specific class dates and times. 

University of New Hampshire Professional Development & Training (UNH PD&T) has partnered with Southern Methodist University Continuing and Professional Education (SMU CAPE) to expand access to this exciting certificate program. Students enrolling through the UNH enrollment system will receive communication from SMU CAPE regarding course logistics one week prior to the course start date.

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You’ll learn how to:

  • Implement the best practices of data visualization design

  • Choose the most appropriate chart or graph to represent different types data

  • Build your own data visualization toolbox of applications and websites

  • Design presentations, infographics and dashboards

  • Communicate trends, relationships and patterns in multiple formats

  • Understand the elements of effective storytelling

  • Tailor your presentation to your audience

  • Turn data into actionable insights for data-driven business decisions

  • Complete a capstone project to include in your business portfolio

This program is designed for:

  • Managers

  • Entrepreneurs

  • Sales & marketing professionals

  • Data analysts

  • Data scientists

  • Product managers

  • Engineers & developers

  • Researchers & designers

  • Accounting & finance professionals

  • Operations & logistics managers

  • PR professionals

  • Any professionals who interpret, present and share data

Course Descriptions

Foundations of Data Visualization
Learn to analyze for data credibility, evaluate data to support insights and choose appropriate types of data visuzalizations as well as begin building your own data visualization toolbox. 

  • Analyze a visualization for data credibility.
  • Evaluate data to support insights.
  • Choose appropriate types of data visualizations.
  • Critique data visualizations.
  • Build a data visualization toolbox.

Applying Design Principles to Data Visualization
Learn to utilize color and design principles to optimize understanding and accessibility of charts.

  • Demonstrate ability to focus audience's attention on the key message in a chart.
  • Identify false visualizations.
  • Utilize color to optimize understanding and accessibility of charts.
  • Identify deception or bias in charts and data visualizations.
  • Build a data visualization toolbox.

Data Storytelling
Learn why storytelling with data is important and how to apply effective storytelling techniques in business situations. 

Infographics: Design and Publishing
Learn to design, build and evaluate the success of an infographic:

  • Design an infographic using data visualizations, text and layout
  • Build an infographic landing page
  • Write a message to an influencer website for infographic promotion.
  • Evaluate the success of an infographic.

Dashboards: Tools and Best Practices
Learn best practices in dashboard design and how to build dashboards using Microsoft Excel and Tableau Public. 

  • Critique a dashboard design.
  • Demonstrate best practices in dashboard design.
  • Build a dashboard using Excel.
  • Build a dashboard using Tableau Public.

Presenting with Data: Tools and Best Practices
Learn to build presentation slides with optimized text and design that employ the data story arc. 

  • Apply DataViz Design to presentation tools.
  • Use the Data Story Arc to build presentation slides.
  • Optimize use of text in presentation slides.
  • Communicate insights to senior management.

Skills and Experience Required
  • Computer literacy, file management skills and basic familiarity with web browsing
  • Some prior experience working with data sets
  • Basic concepts in math and statistics
  • Basic understanding of working with data and creating charts in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
  • Some prior experience building and giving presentations with PowerPoint
  • Beginner-level experience delivering presentations to an audience
  • English proficiency. If you're not a native English speaker, you’ll need to have at least basic English language skills to enroll.
Textbooks
  • Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design by Randy Krum (ISBN-13:978-1118582305 ISBN-10:1118582306)
  • Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic (ISBN-13:978-1119002253 ISBN-10:1119002257)
Technical Requirements
  • Computer (Windows or Mac) with high-speed internet connection
  • Webcam and microphone for participation in all live class sessions
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader (or other PDF reader)
  • Modern web browser (Firefox or Chrome recommended)
  • You need the authority to install applications on your computer
  • Technical software used throughout the Certificate program:
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Wordle
    • Tableau
    • Batch Geo
    • Office 365

Wednesday, February 21 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Welcome & Introductions

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Foundations of Data Visualization (1)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Foundations of Data Visualization (2)

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Applying Data Principles to Data Visualization (1)

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Applying Data Principles to Data Visualization (2)

Wednesday, March 24, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Data Storytelling

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Infographics: Design & Publishing (1)

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Infographics: Design & Publishing (2)

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Dashboards: Tools and Best Practices (1)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Dashboards: Tools and Best Practices (2)

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST
Presenting with Data: Tools and Best Practices (1)

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 8:00-9:30pm EST