Top Online Certification Courses that can help you grow

Online training and certification courses have gained huge prominence over the past few years. Both students and working professionals look-up for such courses to enhance their proficiency and skills in a specialised domain. These courses also help individuals to create an edge over others in a competitive environment. Irrespective of the industry to which you belong, there are dedicated online certification courses available for you on various renowned e-learning platforms like Udemy, UpGrad, NIIT, IGNOU, Edukart, Simplilearn, Meritnation, etc.  

Which is the right certification course for you? Where can you pursue these courses? What is the duration of these courses? This article covers the answers for all these questions in detail. It provides you an insight about the top online certification courses (industry-wise) to help you select the right course for your overall growth and development. We have categorised these courses as development related courses, business related courses, IT and software related courses, design related courses, digital marketing related courses, photography courses, music courses, etc. 

Top Online Certification Courses – Development

There is always a high demand for skilled developers and programmers in the IT and Software industry. An individual having a web developer certification, programming certification or a software developer certification always stands out among his/her peers. Know which are the top online development certifications that you can obtain in the table given below. 

Top Online Certification Courses for Developers

S.No.	Course Name	Provider Details	Key Information
1.	AWS Certified Developer	Amazon Web Services	This is an exam-based certification for developers who have one or more years of experience in developing and maintaining an AWS-based application. Duration of the exam is 130 minutes. Available in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Korean languages.
2.	Microsoft Developer Certifications (MTA and MCSD)	Microsoft	MTA is applicable for entry-level web developers who are new to website design and development.  This is also an exam-based certification. Once you clear the MTA exam, you can continue to obtain MCSD certification after gaining an experience of 2-3 years.
3.	Microsoft Azure	Microsoft	One of the most highly recognised certifications in IT industry especially for Azure services and practices. Having a basic knowledge of Microsoft technology and software development is mandatorily required.
4.	Apache Hadoop (CCDH) Certification	Cloudera	Allows you to create, maintain and optimize development projects based on Apache Hadoop. This is also an exam-based certification that covers Hadoop infrastructure, job mechanics, data management, and querying.
5.	Oracle Java Certifications	Oracle	Available in variables like OCP (for Associate Professional), OCM (for Master), and OCE (for Expert) level.  Applicable for both freshers and experienced developers.  Exams include multiple-choice questions and some scenario-based questions.
6.	RHCJD Developer Certification	Red Hat	This is also a performance-based exam certification.  A Red Hat Certified JBoss Developer has the ability to build Java Certification Enterprise Edition (JEE) application.

Top Online Certification Courses – Business Analytics

The role of a Business Analyst in any organisation is to blend data skills with business acumen. Just like any other certified professional, a certified business analyst also grabs the attention of the organisations. If you are good in playing with the data, a certification is business analysis will help you communicate with people outside of IT. Give below is the list of top online certification courses for Business Analysts in India. 

Top Online Certification Courses for Business Analysts

S.No.	Course Name	Provider Details	Key Information
1.	IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)	International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)	Applicable for entry-level business analysts.  Requires you to complete at least 21 hours of professional training within four years before appearing for the exam.
2.	IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)	IIBA	Level 2 certification of IIBA. Applicable for individuals with relevant work experience of minimum 3,750 hours.  Requires you to complete at least 21 hours of professional development training in past 4 years.  The exam comprises 130 objective-type questions that scenario-based.
3.	IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)	IIBA	Level 3 certification of IIBA. Applicable for individuals with extensive experience in business analysis.  Requires you to complete at least 35 hours of professional development training in past 4 years. The exam is 3.5 hours long and comprises 120 objective-type questions based on case studies.
4.	IIBA Agile Analysis Certification (IIBA-AAC)	IIBA	Exam-based certification applicable for business analysis professionals working in agile environment.  The exam is 2 hours long and comprises 85 objective-type questions and scenario-based questions.
5.	IQBBA Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA)	International Qualification Board for Business Analysis (IQBBA)	Globally recognised certification applicable for individuals involved in business process analysis within an organisation.  Once the entry-level is completed, you can further pursue the advanced and expert level certification.
6.	IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE)	International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB)	Applicable for individuals working in requirements engineering (RE). This certification will not expire. Available at three different levels – Foundation level, Advanced level and Expert level.
7.	PMI-Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) Certification	Project Management Institute (PMI)	Applicable for business analysts working with projects or programs or program managers who work with analytics.  You must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 3 years/4,500 hours of experience in business analysis. In case of no bachelor’s degree, you need to have at least 5 years/7,500 hours of experience.  Requires you to earn 60 professional developments units within 3 years after completion to maintain its renewal.

Top Online Certification Courses – Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing plays a crucial role in the branding of your organisation. It has witnessed an increasing shift of people over the years. If you are also into the digital marketing domain, it is important to stay up-to-date with the recent trends of digital marketing. To help you do so, various organisations offer online digital marketing certification courses. The table below highlights some of the top online certification courses for digital marketers. 

Top Online Certification Courses for Digital Marketers

S.No.	Course Name	Provider Detail	Key Information
1.	Google AdWords Certification	Google	Valid for one year only.  Requires you to pass two AdWords certification exams.  It is a free course. Any individual who has a hands-on experience of Google AdWords can apply for this certification. If you do not have any experience, you can refer to its learning material.
2.	Google Analytics Certification	Google	This tool helps in measuring the growth of your website traffic. Requires you to take up the Google Analytics exam. This is also a free of cost certification.
3.	HubSpot Content Marketing Certification	HubSpot	It is a three-and-a-half-hour course. Applicable for marketers who possess writing and communication skills. Covers different aspects of content marketing strategy. Available for free of cost.
4.	Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification	Hootsuite	Variety of courses available ranging from introduction level courses to advanced social media courses. Comprises 15 lessons and assessments. This certification never expires. Offers industry-recognised certification. The exam comprises 60 questions to be answered in 60 minutes. The minimum passing grade for this exam is 80%.
5.	Facebook Ad Certification	Facebook	Available in two variants – Facebook Certified Planning Professional and Facebook Certified Buying Professional. Applicable for those digital marketers who manage and work on FB pages and advertising. The validity of each certification in one year and requires you to take up two exams.
6.	YouTube Certification	YouTube	Valid for 18 months from the date of passing the certification. This is also a free of cost certification. Company certifications are also available. Upgrades you with relevant skills related to video content.

Top Online Certification Courses – Design

A picture speaks more than words. This is not just a saying, but a fact that is widely accepted across all business organisations. This is the reason why there is always a huge demand of skilful graphic designers worldwide. If you too are a graphic designer and want to enhance your skills, here is a list of top online certifications that you can pursue. 

Top Online Certification Courses for Graphic Designers

S.No.	Course Name	Provider Detail	Key Information
1.	Graphic Design Certification by Calarts	Coursera	Created by California Institute of the Arts (Calarts). This is a four-course sequence. Ideal for beginners
2.	Graphic Design Bootcamp Online	Udemy	Get hands-on experience of using Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign tools. On-demand video of 15.5 hours is available. Also get access to 9 supplemental resources and a completion certificate.
3.	Illustrator CC 2018 MasterClass	Udemy	Obtain an in-depth knowledge of Adobe Illustrator CC 2018. Applicable for beginners. Comprises 12 hours of on-demand video tutorial, 7 supplemental resources and 2 articles Requires you to appear for tests and quizzes after each chapter.
4.	Adobe Illustrator: Mastering the Fundamentals	Udemy	Involves 1.5 hours tutorial in which ‘School of Game Design’ helps you to learn Adobe Illustrator from scratch. Relevant for graphic designers, artists, and aspiring designers.
5.	Graphic Design Courses	Skillshare	Accessible for free of cost for up to two months. Covers topics like colour theory, logo design, Illustrator, Photoshop, and much more.

Top Online Certification Courses – Photography

Photography is not just an art in today’s commercial world. It has emerged as a promising career for individuals interested in photography. Adding to your advantage, a photography certification helps you gain an edge over others to become a successful photographer. Which photography course is suitable for you? Find an answer to this question in the table below. It highlights the list of top online certification courses for photographers to pursue. 

Top Online Certification Courses for Photographers

S.No.	Course Name	Provider Detail	Key Information
1.	Basics of Photography: The Complete Guide	Lifehacker	Beginner level course comprising three sections – How digital camera works, its advanced manual settings and its automatic settings.   Additional resources for extended learning are also available on each topic.  Available for free of cost.
2.	Your Road to Better Photography	Udemy	Applicable for beginners. Comprises 10 lectures and 31 minutes of instructional videos. Requires you to have a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
3.	Lighting 101	Strobist	Allows you to learn how lighting equipment works. Applicable for both beginners and intermediate level photographers. Requires you to have a basic photography background.
4.	Alison Free Online Photography Courses	Alison	Wide range of certifications available for beginners, intermediate level and advanced photographers.  Get hands-on experience of exposure settings, post-production tools and composition techniques.
5.	The Art of Photography (PHOT) by Dr. Shane Hulbert	RMIT University	Applicable for beginners and intermediate photographers. Requires you to put 2 to 4 hours of study every week. Comprises 4 modules with video content of around 4 hours and 2 minutes. Gain in-depth know-how of a digital camera, image editing tools and much more.