What is a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is a sheet of paper or digital file that's divided into rows and columns that allows you to store and analyze data in an organized format. Paper spreadsheets allow you to physically enter data into the rows and columns, but you have to manage your own calculations. Computer spreadsheets can take care of the calculations for you, but you have to enter the formulas into the spreadsheet. Popular computer and web-based spreadsheet applications include Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and Google Sheets.

Why is it important to learn about spreadsheets?

Spreadsheets are useful tools in the business world, and many companies rely on them, and even if you don't use numbers or formulas, spreadsheets come in handy if you're making charts and organizing information. Spreadsheets are helpful for organizing data of any kind, so it's worth your time to gain familiarity with how to use them. If you work with numbers—from complex formulas to simple budgeting—learning how to use spreadsheets will help you become more productive at work and at home.

How does knowing about spreadsheets affect my career?

There was a time when spreadsheets were only common in the financial sector, but because they're so versatile, they're increasingly prevalent everywhere. If you have a working knowledge of spreadsheets, you can make good use of them in your workplace. If you can gain a deeper knowledge of how spreadsheets work, you'll possess a skill that can make you more productive in your career or help you advance in your career. Some employers look for candidates with extensive spreadsheet knowledge when they're hiring or promoting employees, so the more you know about using spreadsheets, the more value you have as an employee.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn spreadsheets?

Taking online courses on Coursera can help you learn the various features and formulas of spreadsheets at a pace and schedule that fits your needs. The courses are led by some of the best instructors in the academic and business world, from organizations like IBM and the University of Pennsylvania. You can be confident that whether you're learning the basics or gaining more advanced knowledge, you won't only know about how spreadsheets work, but you can apply that knowledge with ease.

What are the benefits of taking an online Spreadsheet course?

Online Spreadsheet courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Spreadsheet skills. Choose from a wide range of Spreadsheet courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Spreadsheet courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Spreadsheet, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Spreadsheet Courses - Learn Spreadsheet Online

Explore the Spreadsheet Course Catalog

Status: Free
Coursera Project Network
Create a Financial Statement using Microsoft Excel
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statements, Microsoft Excel, Excel Formulas, Balance Sheet, Financial Data, Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Financial Reporting, Financial Accounting, Profit and Loss (P&L) Management
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
725 reviews
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free
Coursera Project Network
Finding, Sorting, & Filtering Data in Microsoft Excel
Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Excel, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Business Intelligence, Data Entry
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
430 reviews
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Packt
Financial & Technical Skills for Business Success
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Blogs, Spreadsheet Software, Income Statement, Data Visualization, Excel Formulas, Financial Accounting, Balance Sheet, Data Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Cash Flows, Registration, Web Servers, Content Creation
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Work Smarter with Microsoft Excel
Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Excel, Excel Formulas, Data Visualization, Spreadsheet Software, Microsoft 365, Productivity Software, Data Import/Export, Data Management, File Management
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
2.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts
Skills you'll gain: Return On Investment, Financial Reporting, Capital Budgeting, Financial Statements, Financial Modeling, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Income Statement, Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Cash Flows, Business Mathematics, Financial Planning, Corporate Finance, Predictive Analytics, Spreadsheet Software, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
17K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving
Skills you'll gain: Excel Macros, Peer Review, Visual Basic (Programming Language), Programming Principles, Data Import/Export, Microsoft Excel, Data Structures, Program Development, Computer Programming, Project Design, Simulations, Automation, Spreadsheet Software, Algorithms, UI Components, Debugging, Data Management, User Interface (UI), Data Cleansing, Data Validation
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.7K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: New AI skills
Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Literacy, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Rmarkdown, Interactive Data Visualization, Interviewing Skills, Data Cleansing, Data Validation, Professional Networking, Ggplot2, Tableau Software, Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Stakeholder Communications, Dashboard, Sampling (Statistics)
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
169K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Intuit
Intuit Academy Bookkeeping
Skills you'll gain: Reconciliation, Financial Statements, Financial Statement Analysis, Inventory Accounting, Payroll, Bookkeeping, QuickBooks (Accounting Software), Payroll Administration, Inventory Control, Payroll Processing, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Depreciation, Fixed Asset, Payroll Tax, Property Accounting, Financial Analysis, Sales Tax, Ledgers (Accounting), Accounting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
7.4K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Microsoft
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Extract, Transform, Load, Power BI, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Copilot, Data Modeling, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Star Schema, Data Analysis, Data Presentation, Data Visualization Software, Microsoft Power Platform, Spreadsheet Software, Data Validation, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
7.3K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Business and Financial Modeling
Skills you'll gain: Risk Modeling, Financial Statements, Probability Distribution, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Portfolio Management, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Financial Modeling, Strategic Decision-Making, Risk Management, Presentations, Decision Making, Data Visualization, Microsoft PowerPoint, Predictive Modeling, Investment Management, Data Modeling, Spreadsheet Software, Google Sheets
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
11K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Meta
Meta Marketing Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Business Metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Marketing Analytics, Bayesian Statistics, Descriptive Statistics, Marketing Effectiveness, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Target Audience, Marketing Strategies, Data Cleansing, Pandas (Python Package), Data Modeling, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Spreadsheet Software, A/B Testing, Data Collection, Marketing, Interviewing Skills
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.8K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Microsoft
Microsoft Business Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Power Platform, Excel Formulas, Process Flow Diagrams, Business Process Modeling, User Story, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Data Modeling, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visio, Software Development Life Cycle, Requirements Analysis, Requirements Elicitation, Quality Management, Pivot Tables And Charts, Power BI, Microsoft Power Automate/Flow, Scrum (Software Development), Business Analysis, Project Management
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months