Introduction to Programming with Python
Course Code: Y1A1
ECTS Credits: 3.0
Course Description
This course provides a hands-on introduction to programming through Python, focusing on core concepts such as variables, conditionals, loops, functions, and essential data structures like strings, lists, dictionaries, and tuples. Students will gain practical experience in writing Python functions, applying conditional logic, and manipulating data structures to develop effective solutions.
A key feature of the course is its strong emphasis on practice through problem-solving. Students will solve over 100 programming challenges, progressively building their confidence and competence. These exercises range from simple tasks to more complex algorithmic problems, reinforcing concepts and encouraging strong algorithmic thinking.
Finally, students will begin working with data using pure Python, and get introduced to essential libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
By the end of the course, students will be able to translate problem descriptions in English into working Python code, design and implement basic algorithms, combine loops, conditionals, and data structures to create efficient solutions, and perform basic data analysis using Python and essential libraries. This foundation prepares them for the data science courses that follow.
Course Content
- Variables
- Conditional execution
- Functions
- Loops
- Strings
- Lists
- Dictionaries
- Tuples
- Files
- Data analysis and visualization
- Algorithms
Prerequisites
- None
Recommended Reading
- Python for Everybody by Charles Severance