At the most basic level, Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program used to collect, analyze, and display qualitative and quantitative data. Excel spreadsheets can be used for everything from simple calculations and sorted lists to complex analysis using a range of formulas.

Each cell within an Excel spreadsheet represents a unique data point. The wide range of formulas help professionals uncover relationships between different data points. Excel can also be programmed to access information from external databases, which is useful across data modeling, statistics, and financial applications.

Today, Excel skills are marketable in almost every industry. Whether you’re in healthcare, IT, finance, business intelligence, or computer science, Excel skills can help you gain valuable insight through analysis. The more familiar you are with this powerful software, the more you can do for yourself and your organization. Begin your learning journey today with edX.