This course aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using Python. We cover the basics of how one constructs a program from a series of simple instructions in Python. The course has no pre-requisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics. Anyone with moderate computer experience should be able to master the materials in this course. This course will cover Chapters 1-5 of the textbook “Python for Everybody”. Once a student completes this course, they will be ready to take more advanced programming courses. This course covers Python 3.
This course is part of the Python for Everybody Specialization
Offered By
About this Course
Learner Career Outcomes
10%
14%
What you will learn
Install Python and write your first program
Describe the basics of the Python programming language
Use variables to store, retrieve and calculate information
Utilize core programming tools such as functions and loops
Skills you will gain
- Python Syntax And Semantics
- Basic Programming Language
- Computer Programming
- Python Programming
Learner Career Outcomes
10%
14%
Offered by

University of Michigan
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Chapter One - Why we Program?
These are the course-wide materials as well as the first part of Chapter One where we explore what it means to write programs. We finish Chapter One and have the quiz and first assignment in the third week of the class. Throughout the course you may want to come back and look at these materials. This section should not take you an entire week.
Installing and Using Python
In this module you will set things up so you can write Python programs. Not all activities in this module are required for this class so please read the "Using Python in this Class" material for details.
Chapter One: Why We Program (continued)
In the first chapter we try to cover the "big picture" of programming so you get a "table of contents" of the rest of the book. Don't worry if not everything makes perfect sense the first time you hear it. This chapter is quite broad and you would benefit from reading the chapter in the book in addition to watching the lectures to help it all sink in. You might want to come back and re-watch these lectures after you have funished a few more chapters.
Chapter Two: Variables and Expressions
In this chapter we cover how a program uses the computer's memory to store, retrieve and calculate information.
Reviews
- 5 stars85.48%
- 4 stars12.86%
- 3 stars1.25%
- 2 stars0.18%
- 1 star0.22%
HIGHLIGHTS
TOP REVIEWS FROM PROGRAMMING FOR EVERYBODY (GETTING STARTED WITH PYTHON)
Great course! I always thought of programming as a too-difficult-and-complex thing for me; now I want to learn more. Thank you Dr Charles Severance for explaining everything in such an affordable way.
Dr Chuck is amazing!! Great methods, and informative.. Gained knowledge and confidence. Definitely worth the time.. cant wait to start my next course with the University of Michigan, and with Dr Chuck
Great introduction to Python and programming as a whole. Everything is broken down making it easy to understand. Had zero programming experience before and this class made it easy and fun to get into.
I found the course very good. However, towards the end of the course I found it a little bit difficult.
All in all, I am glad to have taken this course. It gave me a better understanding of Python.
About the Python for Everybody Specialization
This Specialization builds on the success of the Python for Everybody course and will introduce fundamental programming concepts including data structures, networked application program interfaces, and databases, using the Python programming language. In the Capstone Project, you’ll use the technologies learned throughout the Specialization to design and create your own applications for data retrieval, processing, and visualization.

Frequently Asked Questions
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