This course is part of the Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

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3,791 ratings

Charlie Nuttelman

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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"Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1" is aimed at learners who are seeking to augment, expand, optimize, and increase the efficiency of their Excel spreadsheet skills by tapping into the powerful programming, automation, and customization capabilities available with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).  
This course is the first part of a three-part series and Specialization that focuses on the application of computing techniques in Excel/VBA to solve problems.  In this course (Part 1), you will: 1) create macros to automate procedures in Excel; 2) define your own user-defined functions; 3) create basic subroutines to interface with the user; 4) learn the basic programming structures in VBA; and 5) automate Excel’s Goal Seek and Solver tools and use numerical techniques to create “live solutions” to solve targeting and optimization problems.

New to computer programming?  The extremely intuitive and visual nature of VBA lends itself nicely to teaching and learning - what a fun way to learn to code!  No prior knowledge in programming nor advanced math skills are necessary yet seasoned programmers will pick up new and creative spreadsheet problem solving strategies.

After you have learned the basics of VBA, each module will introduce foundational and broad problems inspired by situations that you might encounter in the real world.  To pass each module, you'll need to pass a mastery quiz and complete a problem solving assignment.  This course is unique in that the weekly assignments are completed in-application (i.e., on your own computer in Excel), providing you with valuable hands-on training.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 18 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

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Skills you will gain

Microsoft Excel Vba
Computer Programming
Problem Solving
Debugging

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 18 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.85/5 (1,115 Ratings)

Charlie Nuttelman

Senior Instructor

Chemical and Biological Engineering

324,174 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(14,188 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Macro recording, VBA procedures, and debugging

Week 1 will introduce you to visual basic for applications (VBA) and teach you the foundational tools required to create basic procedures in VBA. You'll learn about different data types and the scope of variables, how to troubleshoot your code when it's not working, and how to record basic macros using both absolute and relative referencing modes.

4 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 68 min), 13 readings, 2 quizzes

15 videos

Welcome!2m

What can you do with Excel/VBA?5m

Is this course for you?3m

How the course works3m

How to switch sessions of the course1m

Week 1 preview1m

Getting your feet wet4m

Saving your files as macro-enabled workbooks57s

Recording basic macros8m

Absolute vs. relative referencing during macro recording8m

Overview of procedures in VBA8m

Why use Option Explicit?3m

Declaration of variables, data types, and scope of variables8m

How to troubleshoot when your code is not working properly6m

Assignment 1 preview and instructions2m

13 readings

For Mac users10m

The power of Excel/VBA3m

The importance of a Course Certificate and the future of higher education5m

Auditing the course vs. purchasing a Course Certificate10m

(OPTIONAL) Will Office Scripts replace VBA?10m

For business and finance folks2m

Course improvement and my philosophy on learning2m

If an assignment is not showing up for you10m

VBA Tutorial10m

If your computer won't open a macro-enabled workbook10m

Need to improve your Excel skills?10m

"Debugging.xlsm" file

Assignment 11h

2 practice exercises

Week 1 Quiz10m

Assignment 1 Submission1m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

User-Defined VBA Functions

In Week 2, you will learn basic VBA expression entry, how to create user-defined functions, how to convert functions to Add-Ins in Excel, how to borrow Excel's built-in functions, how to troubleshoot your VBA functions when they aren't working, and you'll learn about how to design your procedures in a modular fashion.

2 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 41 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

11 videos

Week 2 preview1m

How to write basic VBA expressions and use built-in functions6m

How to make your own user-defined function4m

Example of a user-defined function3m

How to convert a user-defined function to an Excel Add-In4m

Borrowing Excel functions4m

How to troubleshoot your user defined functions1m

Why you don't use input and message boxes in functions2m

An introduction to modular programming5m

Running a subroutine that resides in another file4m

Assignment 2 preview and instructions1m

1 reading

Assignment 21h

2 practice exercises

Week 2 Quiz20m

Assignment 2 submission1m

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Exchanging Information Between Excel and VBA

Week 3 teaches you all about how to reference and move information to VBA from Excel and vice versa. You'll learn about the various objects, properties, methods, and events in VBA. Some of the most important properties and methods will be learned in this module that will make future problem solving in the course possible. You will also learn how to deal with errors that arise in your subroutines.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 36 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

8 videos

Week 3 preview1m

Introduction to objects, properties, methods, and events7m

Common objects, properties, and methods8m

Examples, Part 1: Basic input and output in subroutines6m

Examples, Part 2: Basic input and output in subroutines4m

Examples, Part 3: Basic input and output in subroutines2m

How to handle basic user error in your subroutines3m

Assignment 3 preview and instructions1m

2 readings

Remember to use your DEBUGGING skills!10m

Assignment 31h 30m

2 practice exercises

Week 3 Quiz20m

Assignment 3 submission1m

Week

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Programming structures in VBA

Week 4 begins the "meat" of programming in VBA, and we are finally moving into some exciting problem solving. You will learn about the common programming structures in VBA (sequence, selection, and repetition) that form the foundation for advanced programming procedures. Several examples will highlight the utility of these programming structures.

4 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 93 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

15 videos

Week 4 preview1m

How to implement One-Way If...Then selection structures7m

How to implement Two-Way If...Then selection structures7m

All about the Multi-Alternative If...Then4m

Variable iteration loops (Do...Loops)7m

Validating user input using a Do...Loop3m

Creating a guessing game using a Do...Loop3m

All about fixed iteration (For...Next) loops8m

Putting it all together: Example 15m

Putting it all together: Example 27m

Using the For Each... Next statement8m

Worked mini-project: Searching through high and low temperatures in an Excel workbook8m

(OPTIONAL) Advanced input validation and error handling: Part 19m

(OPTIONAL) Advanced input validation and error handling: Part 28m

Assignment 4 preview and instructions40s

2 readings

"Boulder High and Low Temperatures 2016 - STARTER.xlsm" file

Assignment 41h 30m

2 practice exercises

Week 4 Quiz20m

Assignment 4 submission1m

Week

Week 5

4 hours to complete

(OPTIONAL) Numerical techniques and live solution strategies

Week 5 is OPTIONAL! Those who complete the Week 5 assessments (Quiz 5 and Assignment 5) will earn an Honors designation on their Course Certificate (see the first reading "WEEK 5 IS OPTIONAL" below). Week 5 delves into some important numerical techniques that can be used in Excel without the use of VBA. You will also explore ways in which the targeting tools in Excel (Goal Seek and Solver tools) can be automated in VBA. Finally, you'll explore some exciting "live solution" methods that have distinct advantages, especially for case studies where you have multiple scenarios that must be solved. Week 5 represents the most math-heavy module of either part of "Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving" but will provide you with some extremely useful tools that you can implement in solving a variety of real world problems. Even if you choose to skip/forego Week 5, you can always use this material as reference in the future!

4 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 102 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes

15 videos

Week 5 preview1m

How to use the Goal Seek and Solver tools to solve targeting problems7m

How to solve optimization problems using the Solver tool9m

Fuel tank example and limitations of the Goal Seek and Solver Tools7m

Automating the Goal Seek and Solver Tools8m

Circular Calculations in Excel7m

Implementing the bisection method in Excel8m

Implementing a live solution of the bisection method to solve a case study8m

Using the Golden Section search technique for optimization problems in Excel7m

Live solution of the Golden Search technique for solving an optimization problem7m

Solving a case study for friction factor using a circular calculation6m

Implementing targeting and optimization algorithms in VBA subroutines8m

Bisection method in a VBA function5m

Preview of Part 2 of the course4m

Assignment 5 preview and instructions48s

6 readings

Week 5 is optional, but you can earn Honors designation10m

"Fuel Tank - STARTER.xlsx" file

Course wrap-up and I'd love to see what you are doing with VBA!2m

Consider rating the course10m

Quiz 5 solutions and explanations10m

Assignment 51h 30m

2 practice exercises

Week 5 Quiz20m

Assignment 5 submission1m

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TOP REVIEWS FROM EXCEL/VBA FOR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, PART 1

by ASApr 3, 2021

Es un muy buen curso para iniciar, si estás familiarizado con algo de programación resulta muy fácil de asimilar. Sin embargo, aunque no lo estes, la explicación es buena y entendible.

by NNMar 2, 2020

i highly recommend this course as the content is new and the questions are designed to be challenging but not difficult. It is an excellent introduction course to VBA or programming in general

by OVNov 29, 2019

An excellent course that starts with the basics and ends with some really advanced topics and concepts. Superb for anyone who's in a hurry to learn VBA but also desires to learn in depth.

by EMMar 28, 2020

I like this course. Very helpful. But, the quizzes are "tricky" meaning the content is not too hard, but the questions are tricky. The assignments are very good, much better than the quizzes.

View all reviews

About the Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving Specialization

This Specialization is for learners wishing to dramatically change the way that they use Excel spreadsheets by unleashing the power to automate and optimize spreadsheets using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The first two courses will teach learners the basics of VBA through the use of dozens of educational screencasts and a series of quizzes and in-application programming assignments. Finally, in Part 3 of the course, learners will complete 3 "real world" and somewhat open ended projects, which are graded through peer review.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1

About this Course

Skills you will gain