How University of Toronto’s Data Sciences Institute is helping to develop tomorrow’s professionals
By Ursula Leonowicz
In Michelle Liu’s line of work at the intersection of digital data and design, there’s a constant need for learning and upskilling; not just for the sake of technological advancement but because of the productivity and growth associated with it.
“Fundamentally, especially over the past few years with the popularity of ChatGPT and now, OpenClaw, everyone is thinking about how we’re using AI tools, which is changing how we work but also what we work on,” says Liu, director of credit analytics at Home Equity Bank.
“How we work is fairly easy to understand, but there’s also a deeper discussion going on that’s focused on what we should be working on as professionals, and I think it’s really about understanding our value,” she says. “In the financial sector, we deal with vast amounts of legal files that need to be reviewed, but it’s extremely time-consuming and not the best use of time, in my opinion.”
Which is where data science becomes a game changer.
The practice of collecting and preparing data, performing feature engineering, selecting and training models, and evaluating their performance and understanding the uncertainty associated with them, data science is fast becoming a key tool transforming the financial sector.
Designed to support professionals looking to deepen their knowledge in the growing field of data science, the University of Toronto’s Data Sciences Institute (DSI) offers a suite of AI, machine learning and data science microcredentials, which were launched with the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Established in 2021, the Data Sciences Institute was created to unify data sciences research and training across the university, its affiliated research institutes and external partners.
Since then, the university has leveraged its leadership and expertise in data sciences and AI to facilitate collaboration, as well as the development and application of new data science methodologies and tools in a training-focused environment.
Helping professionals build practical data and AI capabilities that align with evolving workplace needs, the DSI offers three stackable microcredentials — Data Science Foundations, Machine Learning Foundations and Deploying AI — to help employers upskill existing staff, including in the financial sector.
“Providing opportunities for upskilling and promoting from within is one of the best ways for employers to encourage employee retention, and transform their learning into productivity and growth,” says Liu, who previously completed a DSI certificate.
“For me, pursuing a DSI certificate gave me the confidence to manage my team knowing what each one of them deals with on the technical front. It was a rewarding experience to push myself.”
Microcredentials for the real world
Created to help learners develop skills aligned with current industry and research practices, Data Science Foundations builds proficiency in the Unix shell, Git and GitHub, Python and SQL. Using practical examples and focused on how to get value from AI, Deploying AI enables learners to develop practical skills for deploying and operating AI systems in real-world environments.
In Machine Learning Foundations, professionals develop practical skills aligned with current industry practices for building, evaluating and deploying machine learning systems.
As part of each DSI microcredential, participants attend live online sessions for about 7 hours per week including support, over three to eight weeks, depending on the microcredential. These sessions have assignments and assessments designed to create opportunities to apply newly learned skills. DSI provides flexibility so that learners can take individual microcredentials to strengthen specific competencies or combine them toward a full certificate.
Shaped by industry input and overseen by University of Toronto faculty, the microcredentials emphasize hands-on, applied learning to ensure relevance across a wide range of roles and sectors. The goal is to enable learners and organizations to strengthen internal capability, support role evolution and integrate data and AI more effectively as part of broader workforce transformation.
The University of Toronto was in the global top 10 for the 2025 QS World University Rankings for Data Science and AI, which is a reflection of its leadership and expertise. Providing flexible, quality pathways for workforce transformation, the DSI is a hub and incubator for data science research, training and partnerships.
To register for a microcredential, or for more information about how to make the microcredentials offered by the U of T’s Data Sciences Institute available to employees, visit certificates.datasciences.utoronto.ca.
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of the University of Toronto.