What is the Certified Data Scientist?

The Certified Data Scientist is a globally recognised professional certification by the Global Leadership Institute (GLI), designed to equip professionals with advanced competencies in Soft Skills & Personal Dev..

How long does this certification take?

The programme is 8 Week and can be completed at your own pace through our self-paced online option, or alongside live virtual sessions.

Is this certification globally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are internationally recognised and carry CPD credits, making them valuable for career advancement worldwide.

What level is this certification?

This is a Intermediate Level certification, suitable for professionals with relevant experience or background in the field.

You can enrol by emailing info@leadership.co.ke, contacting us via WhatsApp at +254 722 223 084, or filling the enrolment form below.

Certified Data Scientist (CDS) | Online Certification

Executive Summary

Certified Data Scientist

Designed for today’s high-impact professionals, the Certified Data Scientist (CDS) delivers a rigorous Intermediate-level curriculum that equips participants with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to excel in information technology, software, data and digital systems.

This 8 Week programme is structured around ITIL, ISO/IEC and recognised technology and cybersecurity standards, ensuring every graduate applies internationally validated methods to real-world challenges.

GLI’s CDS holders are recognised by leading organisations across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and the Americas as qualified, results-driven professionals. Whether you are advancing your current career or transitioning into new responsibilities, this certification provides the competitive edge you need in 2026 and beyond.

Programme Overview

Certification at a Glance

Certification

Certified Data Scientist

Acronym

CDS

Who Should Enrol?

Deployment and Lifecycle — applied to your own work
What These Systems Can and Cannot Do — applied to your own work
Data Quality Behind a Model — applied to your own work
Causation, Bias and Testing — applied to your own work
Responsible and Lawful Use — applied to your own work
From Model to Decision — applied to your own work

Programme Inclusions

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

All study materials and study guide
Access to GLI online learning portal
Online examination and assessment
Digital certificate and digital badge
Physical certificate (shipped to you)
CPD credits for professional bodies
GLI alumni network membership
Facilitator and tutor support
Resource downloads and reference library
Automatic enrolment confirmation

Certification Benefits

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Career Advancement

Accelerate your career towards senior engineering, architecture and IT leadership roles

Professional Recognition

Credential aligned with ITIL, ISO/IEC and recognised technology and cybersecurity standards

Leadership Capability

Develop the strategic and operational skills to lead complex information technology functions

Organisational Impact

Design and implement information technology systems that drive performance and measurable results

Compliance Readiness

Master the standards, compliance and ethical governance central to information technology

Global Employability

Qualify for information technology roles across technology firms, corporates, startups and public institutions worldwide

Competency Framework

Core Competencies You Will Develop

✦Systems, Architecture and Infrastructure

✦Software Development and Application Delivery

✦Data, Analytics and Emerging Technologies

✦Networks, Cloud and Platform Engineering

✦IT Service Management and Governance

✦Professional Ethics and Governance

Course Curriculum

Programme Modules

Click any module to explore the detailed curriculum topics included in this certification.

Foundations and Strategic Context of Certified Data Scientist

Certified Data Scientist: industry context, trends and professional standards
Computing fundamentals and IT concepts
The role of IT in business and value creation
IT operating models and organisation
Hardware, software and systems overview
The technology landscape and trends
IT professional roles and standards
Digital transformation and IT strategy
Ethics, responsibility and digital citizenship
IT service and product mindset
Career pathways and professional development

Deployment and Lifecycle

Requirements and the specification gap
Technical debt and system lifecycle
Cloud, infrastructure and the connectivity constraint
Automation and where it genuinely pays
Performance and load testing
Analytical techniques and bias
Business continuity and disaster recovery
Continuous improvement in delivery
Preparing financial statements
Digital user experience and accessibility
Risk management and security frameworks
Governance, compliance and standards (ISO 27001)
Managing technology teams and technical work
Emerging threats and defensive strategy
Interpreting financial statements

What These Systems Can and Cannot Do

Building digital capability in an organisation
Correlation, causation and experiment design
Turning analysis into a decision
Ethical and responsible technology
IT service management and ITIL
Service strategy, design and transition
Incident, problem and change management
Integrated and sustainability reporting
Reporting quality and governance
Configuration and asset management
Ratio and trend analysis
Management accounts and dashboards
Continual service improvement
IT strategy and business alignment
IT governance frameworks (COBIT)

Data Quality Behind a Model

Data quality and the fitness-for-purpose test
Systems integration and the single source of truth
Correlation, causation and experiment design
Budget vs actual and variance
Cost and profitability analysis
Forecasting and planning
KPIs and performance reporting
Data visualisation for finance
Decision support and insight
Reporting automation
Cost, performance and FinOps
Communicating financial results
IT operations and service management
Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches
Professional roles, boundaries and settings

Causation, Bias and Testing

Correlation, causation and experiment design
Artificial intelligence: capability, limits and responsible use
Turning analysis into a decision
Ethical principles and codes of practice
Evaluation metrics and monitoring
Dashboards and data storytelling
Visualisation tools and design
KPIs and metric design
Self-service analytics
Predictive and prescriptive analytics
Managing boundaries and dual relationships
Data products and stakeholder value
Data literacy and adoption
Turning insight into decisions
Systems analysis, design and modelling

Responsible and Lawful Use

Artificial intelligence: capability, limits and responsible use
Data protection and privacy by design
Cybersecurity fundamentals and the human factor
Requirements and analysis
Designing a technical solution or system
Risk, security and feasibility analysis
Peer support and consultation
Sustaining ethical, effective practice
Ethical frameworks and codes of practice
Data structures and algorithms
Object-oriented and functional design
Clean code and design patterns
Duty of care and risk management
Debugging and problem solving
APIs and service design

From Model to Decision

Turning analysis into a decision
Artificial intelligence: capability, limits and responsible use
Delivering technology change that people adopt
Data warehousing and data lakes
ETL, data pipelines and engineering
Business intelligence and reporting
Data analytics and visualisation
Big data technologies and platforms
Data privacy and protection
Network design, LAN/WAN and topologies
TCP/IP, DNS and routing
Wireless, mobile and edge networking
Cloud platforms and services
Containerisation and Kubernetes
Serverless and microservices

Workforce

Strategic workforce planning and demand forecasting
Employer branding and employee value proposition (EVP)
Employee voice, surveys and action planning
Employee and manager self-service
Workforce reporting and storytelling with data
Cost of workforce and ROI of HR interventions
Workforce planning and the capability gap
Employee relations, discipline and fair process
Employee engagement and what actually drives it
Communicating risk to the workforce
Workforce and shift management in retail
Customer and employee satisfaction
Employee engagement models and drivers
The employee lifecycle and HR value chain
Workforce management and scheduling

Ethics and Standards

Digital ethics and algorithmic accountability
Professional ethics in technology
Data ethics, privacy and protection
Ethics and responsible innovation
Ethical decision-making under pressure
Sustainability and climate responsibility
Ethics and responsible leadership
Professional standards and ethics (CIPS)
Sustainability and responsible sourcing
Fair trade and responsible supply
Ethics and professional conduct in security
Ethics and integrity in banking
Professional ethics and banking conduct
Integrity, confidentiality and conflicts
Anti-corruption and financial-crime ethics

International Context

Grades, standards and export certification (GlobalG.A.P.)
Global sourcing and trade
The agricultural sector: systems, actors and global food value chains
Transfer pricing and international tax
Cross-border data and transfers
Cross-cultural and global inclusion
Global and comparative HR contexts
Global sourcing and international trade
International and cross-border tax
Record-keeping and data protection
Key global frameworks: FAO, GlobalG.A.P., SDGs and national strategies

Sustainability

Sustainability and green IT
Responsible and sustainable governance
ESG principles and frameworks
Sustainability strategy and materiality
Environmental governance and climate risk
Governance of ESG and reporting
Sustainability standards (GRI, ISSB)
Complaints, accountability and fitness to practise
Sustainability and environmental duty
Environmental management systems (ISO 14001)
Environmental legal compliance
The business case for productivity, quality and sustainability
Monitoring, evaluation and sustainability plan
Sustainability certification and standards
Sustainable and green banking

Learning and Knowledge

Deep learning and neural networks
Supervised and unsupervised learning
Instructional design and blended learning
Knowledge management and capability building
Learning technologies and the LMS
Learning transfer and capability building
Monitoring, evaluation and learning for accountability
Lessons learned and knowledge management
Legal responsibilities and professional bodies
Complaint data and learning
Instructional design models (ADDIE, SAM)
Learning cultures and the learning organisation
Blended and hybrid learning design
Motivation and self-directed learning
Training needs analysis and learning strategy

Health and Safety Context

Health, safety and compliance in delivery
Brand safety and responsible marketing
Customer and brand health metrics
Brand health and measurement
Regulatory compliance and biosafety
Safety management systems (ISO 45001)
Product safety and standards
Health and safety legal duties
Safety management systems overview (ISO 45001)
Safety culture and leadership
Safety communication and campaigns
Event risk, safety and contingency planning
Industrial utilities, energy and process safety interfaces
Client feedback and satisfaction
Evidence-based improvement

Technology Foundations

LAN, WAN and network design
Software design patterns and quality
Cloud data platforms
Digital transformation strategy
Scaling technology and teams
Measuring digital transformation impact
Digital accessibility and inclusion
System performance and reliability metrics
Bridging business and technology
Capstone scoping: a real technology problem
Software development lifecycle (SDLC)
Cloud and data security
Managing risk and difficult cases
System performance and tuning
Data governance in enterprise systems

Data and Evidence

Big data platforms (Spark, Hadoop)
Data architecture and integration
Statistics and exploratory data analysis
Servers, storage and data centres
Continuous improvement and DevOps metrics
Data and information requirements
Master data and configuration
Reporting and enterprise analytics
Data and interoperability
Dashboards, reporting and the metric that misleads
Data storytelling and communicating findings
Data modelling and database design
NoSQL and modern data stores
ETL/ELT and data pipelines
Measurement and analytics for media and social campaigns

Governance and Risk

Compliance and audit in ERP
Risk and regulatory considerations
Testing, quality assurance and defect economics
Version control and collaborative development
Governance, risk and compliance
Enterprise architecture governance
Risk, compliance and audit
Cyber risk management
Project governance and risk
Designing a safety programme or control
Risk assessment methodology and matrices
Risk identification and analysis
Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis
Risk response and contingency
Quality planning and assurance

Legal and Regulatory

Smart contracts and dApps
Regulatory awareness (GDPR and beyond)
Vendor, contract and asset management
Regulatory and privacy requirements
Policy administration and customer service in insurance
Insurance regulation and consumer protection
Vendor, venue and supplier contracting for events
Vehicle documentation, compliance and consumer protection
Regulation of transport: authorities, conventions and licensing
Tariffs, regulation and the economics of essential services
Driving effective, ethical outcomes
Contract exit and renewal
Designing and facilitating groups
Accounting concepts, principles and the regulatory landscape
Regulatory reporting and disclosure

Delivery and Projects

Agile delivery and iterative development
Agile and product operating models
IT project and portfolio management
Leading IT projects and change
Agile and digital transformation projects
Scaling delivery capability
Building project management maturity
Measuring change and project impact
Sustainability and social impact in projects
Project KPIs and performance metrics
Quality and delivery metrics
Agile marketing and experimentation
Campaign planning and execution
Account planning and whitespace analysis
Leading campaigns and sales projects

Leadership and Decisions

Cost, performance and capacity management
CI/CD and release management
Innovation management and R&D
IT financial management and value
Team leadership in technology
Identity and access management
Vulnerability management
Training and change management
Vendor and partner management
Upgrades and roadmap management
IT service management and support operations
Incident and problem management
Patching and change management
DevOps, CI/CD and release management
Relationship management and retention

Capability and Training

Front-end and back-end development
Web and mobile application development
High-potential identification and talent reviews
Career development and internal mobility
Talent review and succession in practice
Creating a coaching culture
Delegating for development
Managing resistance and capability building
Category management and strategy development
Supplier development and improvement
Developing strategic capability in others
Proposal development and donor reporting
Attachment and developmental theory
Psychoeducation and workshops
Lessons learned and development

Change and Adoption

User adoption and change
Managing resistance and upskilling
Managing resistance and readiness
Baseline setting and change control
Sales and marketing transformation
Measuring growth and transformation impact
Soil chemistry, pH and cation exchange capacity
Working with organisations on wellbeing
Digital and market transformation
Behaviour change and adoption of innovations
Customer experience transformation
Variations, claims and delay: managing change on site
Change talk and readiness
Habit change and behaviour design
Change control and configuration

Operations and Service

Incident response process
ERP concepts and business processes
Process optimisation and RPA
Natural language processing
Quality, defects and reliability
Process modelling and mapping
Continuous improvement of finance processes
Data quality and stewardship
Cost, quality and cycle-time metrics
Time-to-hire, quality-of-hire and cost metrics
Data quality, integration and master data
Service analytics and dashboards
Customer service technology stack
Emerging service technologies
Growing value through service

Cost and Investment

Innovation and technology investment
Finance, procurement and supply modules
Roadmapping and investment
Value-based and dynamic pricing
Budget, ROI and feasibility analysis
Pricing strategy
Carbon markets and climate finance
Designing an intervention or programme
Negotiation with buyers, suppliers and financiers
Access to finance, grants and investment
Financial and technical feasibility analysis
Strategic alignment of investments
Marketing planning and budgeting
Ethical, risk and feasibility considerations
Prioritising experience investments

Stakeholders and Vendors

ERP platforms and vendors
Stakeholder and gap analysis
Stakeholder mapping and business partnering
Presenting and influencing
Negotiation with vendors
Stakeholder mapping and collaboration
Influencing and presenting insights
Managing difficult stakeholders
Stakeholder mapping in banking
Negotiation and influencing
Relationship management and cross-selling
Managing expectations and influence
Building project relationships
Influencer and affiliate marketing
Building strategic customer relationships

Communication and Documentation

Cryptography and secure communications
Professional and technical documentation
Communicating with families and carers
Professional writing and reports
Psychoeducation and public communication
Writing advisory reports that drive decisions
Reporting to boards and executives
Monitoring, control and reporting
Professional documentation and presentation
Communication planning and management
Reporting and dashboards
Communications strategy and planning
Internal communications
Tender planning and documentation
Presentation and public speaking

Users and Customers

Scaling innovation to production
Managing user and customer expectations
Customer lifetime value
Voice of the customer to the business
Working with product and operations
Customer onboarding and lifecycle
Customer and community engagement
Treating customers fairly and market conduct
Market and interest-rate risk
Know Your Customer and enhanced due diligence
Data protection and customer privacy
Customer retention in the vehicle ownership cycle
Maintenance in production: preventive, predictive and breakdown
Costing production: standard costs, variances and the true cost of scrap
Service quality and the passenger experience in transport

Strategic Context

Business models for new tech
Innovation and experimentation culture
Data-driven and platform business models
Automated testing strategies
Competitive and market intelligence
Translating insight into strategy
Organic, inorganic and biological fertiliser strategies
Professional case study and presentation
Scaling technologies and business models
Evidence-based practice
Innovation in service delivery
Procurement’s contribution to organisational strategy
Sourcing strategies and portfolio (Kraljic)
Negotiation strategy and planning
Strategic customer relationships

Security

Awareness and security culture
Security by design
Data breach and incident governance
Incident reporting and record-keeping
Security governance and management systems
Claims investigation and fraud indicators
Cybersecurity and fraud technology
Fraud risk and controls
Cybersecurity governance
Driving measurable security improvement
Governance of converged security
Security KPIs and metrics
Incident and response performance
Continuous improvement in security
Influencing and security awareness

Performance Measurement

Concurrency and performance
Measuring IT value and performance
Performance and optimisation
Performance tuning and optimisation
Scalability, availability and performance
IT KPIs, SLAs and scorecards
Dashboards and performance reporting
Capacity and performance management
Setting objectives, indicators and targets
Linking CX to business performance
Service KPIs: CSAT, NPS, CES, SLAs
Retail performance metrics: sales densities, conversion and basket
Outcome and process measures
Managing schedule and budget performance
Setting objectives and marketing KPIs

Procurement and Supply

Third-party and supply-chain risk
Procurement and stock management for health commodities
Conflicts of interest and procurement ethics
Procurement and contract value
Procurement and contract management
Supply market analysis
Supply analysis, gaps and scenario planning
Procurement and supply chain: scope and value
The procurement cycle and operating models
Public versus private procurement
Supply markets and the enabling environment
Procurement and asset management under donor rules
Water supply systems: sources, treatment and distribution
Risk assessment and safety planning
Goal setting and contracting

Learning Outcomes

What You Will Achieve

Deployment and Lifecycle — applied to your own work
What These Systems Can and Cannot Do — applied to your own work
Data Quality Behind a Model — applied to your own work
Causation, Bias and Testing — applied to your own work
Responsible and Lawful Use — applied to your own work
From Model to Decision — applied to your own work

Enrolment Process

How to Get Certified

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Work through 30 structured modules and 150 lessons at your own pace, with downloadable resources and expert-designed content — all inside the LMS.

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Sit your final examination online, earn your certificate instantly, and receive a globally verifiable Certificate ID — plus GLI Alumni Network access.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

What is the CDS certification?

The Certified Data Scientist (CDS) is a Intermediate-level professional certification awarded by the Global Leadership Institute (GLI). It is designed to equip professionals in information technology, software, data and digital systems with practical skills, internationally recognised frameworks, and the credentials needed to advance their careers.

Who should enrol in the CDS?

This certification is ideal for IT and Systems Professionals, Software Developers and Engineers, Data and Analytics Specialists and IT Managers and Solution Architects, and other professionals seeking to formalise their expertise in information technology, software, data and digital systems with a globally recognised credential.

How long does the CDS certification take to complete?

The programme is structured over 8 Week and offers flexible learning modes. Self-paced learners can progress at their own schedule, while live virtual participants follow a structured cohort schedule with facilitator-led sessions.

Is the CDS internationally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are recognised across 100+ countries and are aligned with ITIL, ISO/IEC and recognised technology and cybersecurity standards. Graduates receive a digital certificate, a physical certificate and CPD credits recognised by employers worldwide.

What is the cost of the CDS certification?

The Certified Data Scientist is offered in two formats: Self-Paced at USD 349 and Live Virtual at USD 549. Corporate group rates are available for organisations enrolling 5 or more participants. Contact GLI for a bespoke corporate training quotation.

What does the CDS certification include?

Enrolment includes all study materials and study guides, access to GLI's online learning portal, online examination, digital certificate and badge, physical certificate (posted), CPD credits, GLI alumni network membership, and ongoing facilitator support.

What is the assessment format for the CDS?

The Certified Data Scientist is assessed through an online examination consisting of multiple-choice questions, case study analysis, and practical application assignments. The assessment is designed to evaluate real-world competency, not just theoretical recall.

What CPD credits do I earn from the CDS?

The Certified Data Scientist carries Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits, which can be applied towards professional body requirements including recognised international professional associations.

Can I study the CDS while working full-time?

Absolutely. The self-paced option is designed for busy working professionals and allows you to study when and where it suits you. Live virtual sessions are typically scheduled in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate professional commitments.

What career outcomes can I expect from the CDS?

Graduates progress towards senior engineering, architecture and IT leadership roles. The CDS strengthens your expertise in information technology, software, data and digital systems and positions you for advancement across technology firms, corporates, startups and public institutions.

Certified Data Scientist

Certified Data Scientist

Certification at a Glance

Who Should Enrol?

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Core Competencies You Will Develop

Programme Modules

What You Will Achieve

How to Get Certified

Common Questions

What Our Alumni Say

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