Python for Data-Driven Business and Economics

About

In today’s data-driven world, the ability to understand, manipulate, and analyze data is no longer a niche asset—it’s a core competency for economists, business professionals, and decision-makers. Whether you're evaluating market trends, assessing policy outcomes, or optimizing strategic choices, the ability to extract insight from data using computational tools is critical.

This course offers a dynamic, hands-on introduction to Python, one of the world’s most powerful and widely adopted programming languages in data science, business analytics, and economic research. Designed for students with no prior coding experience—especially those from economics and business backgrounds—it provides both an accessible and rigorous entry into coding and computational analysis.

By the end of the course, students will not only be able to write and interpret Python code but will also understand how to use it meaningfully to tackle real-world challenges in business and economics

Course leader

Dr Grega Smrkolj, Visiting Professor from Newcastle University Business School, England

Target group

Undergraduate / Graduate students. Young professionals welcome

Course aim

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand and apply fundamental Python programming concepts, including variables, functions, loops, conditionals, and data structures
• Work confidently with real-world economic and business data, using tools like Pandas for cleaning, transforming, and analyzing datasets
• Visualize data effectively using Matplotlib and Plotly to create compelling, decision-relevant charts and dashboards
• Retrieve and integrate external data from online sources and public APIs (e.g., World Bank, Yahoo Finance) for policy and market analysis
• Apply basic numerical and optimization techniques using scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy) for solving economic models and decision problems
• Design and complete a team coding project, demonstrating the ability to analyze data and communicate findings using Python
These skills are increasingly valued by employers across finance, consulting, tech, and policy sectors

Fee info

Tuition fees include participation to courses and exams, as well as access to Audencia premises and online resources. Travel, accommodation and living expenses are not included in tuition