Microsoft online courses & certificates

Microsoft is the U.S. software company behind Windows, Office, Azure and Power BI. It teaches its products online in two main ways: free self-paced modules on its own Microsoft Learn site, and Professional Certificates on Coursera.

What does Microsoft teach online?

Almost all of Microsoft’s training centres on its own tools. That includes Azure cloud services, Excel, Power BI, Microsoft 365, security and developer tools. Microsoft also runs role-based certification exams, such as the exams for Azure and Power BI. You pay for those exams separately from any course.

On Coursera, Microsoft publishes Professional Certificates that teach a job role step by step, with graded work and a final project. Several of them are built to help you prepare for a matching Microsoft exam.

Which Microsoft course does Course Torch review?

We review the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate. It teaches data preparation, data modelling, DAX and report design in Power BI, and Microsoft positions it as preparation for its PL-300 Power BI Data Analyst exam. It suits learners who already know they want to work in a company that runs on Microsoft tools.

If you are new to data, compare it with broader starts such as the Google Data Analytics certificate in our ranking of data analytics certificates.

How are Microsoft certificates regarded?

Two different credentials are in play. The Coursera certificate shows you finished Microsoft’s training program. A Microsoft certification, earned by passing a proctored exam, is the credential employers usually look for on a resume, and it must be renewed to stay active. The course helps you prepare, but the exam is what counts most. Check the current exam fee and renewal rules on Microsoft’s site before you plan your budget.

Courses we review at a glance

Course	Platform	Level	Price model
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst	Coursera	Beginner	Subscription (monthly)

Free official training: Microsoft Learn.