Teach on Udemy

Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.

Learn More

Your cart is empty.

Keep shopping

Complete Introduction to Microsoft Power BI

Import, transform and visualize data in Power BI, then publish dashboards your team can actually use at work

Role Play

Created byIan Littlejohn

Last updated 4/2026

English

Arabic [Auto],Bulgarian [Auto],

What you'll learn

Turn raw, messy data into a working report without editing a single cell by hand
Use Power Query to clean, reshape and combine data from Excel, the web and SQL
Build data models that link your tables so the numbers add up across the whole report
Write DAX measures for the calculations Power BI cannot do for you, such as running totals and year-on-year change
Design interactive dashboards with slicers and filters that let people answer their own questions
Publish to the Power BI Service and share securely with your team on laptop, tablet or phone
Work through real case studies using Sales, Finance and HR data rather than toy examples

Course content

13 sections • 84 lectures • 6h 4m total length

Introduction to Power BI1:58
In this introduction we discuss the different topics and modules that we will be covering in the course. Different topics include Loading data, creating tables and reports, creating visualizations, developing dashboards and sharing data through the PowerBI cloud solution.
About the Course1:23
Check your internet connection and watch in full hd for high quality video. Visit the Udemy support site for certificate help and adjust video speed.
Download the Training Data Files0:04
Download the data files that will be used during the course
Welcome to Udemy Roleplay0:35
Discuss the data analysis project for the Sales department

Create Tables in Power BI Desktop Section0:56
Master table visualization in Power BI, format and style tables, and apply aggregations like sums, averages, min/max, counts, and distinct count. Explore matrix and card visualizations for a key metric.
Creating Tables in Power BI8:12
In this lesson we learn how to create tables in Power BI
Table Styles and Formatting9:25
In this lesson you will learn to format and style your table
Tables Practical Activity0:22
Answers to Tables Practical Activity7:19
In this lesson we go through the answers to the practical
Cross Filtering Tables4:35
Changing the Method of Aggregation7:12
In this lesson you will learn to change the method of aggregation from Sum to other options such as Average, Count, Max, Min and Distinct
Methods of Aggregation Practical Activity0:45
Methods of Aggregation Challenge Completed5:42
In this lesson we will go through the answers to the practical activity
Matrix Visualization8:45
Master the matrix visualization in Power BI, a pivot-table style view with rows, columns, and values, including drill down, expand/collapse, and compact, outline, or tabular layouts.
Cards Visualization9:10
In this lesson we will review how to create cards and multi row cards in Power BI
Cards and Matrix Practical Activity0:19
Cards and Matrix Completed Activity7:04
Create and format Power BI cards to show sum, average, highest, lowest profits and distinct product counts, then build a matrix of profit by category and region with cross-filtering.
Working with Dates4:11
Meeting with Ada to discuss using Tables in Power BI reports

Introduction to Visual Calculations0:46
Explore visual calculations in Power BI, a preview feature that lets you perform percentage, running total, and difference calculations directly in visuals, without modifying the data model.
Visual Calculations Part 18:00
Discover visual calculations in Power BI to compute metrics within a visualization, such as difference of sales and profit, profit ratio, and profit per product, without changing the data model.
Visual Calculations Part 25:28
Percentage Formatting3:00

Introduction to Filters and Slicers0:57
Using Slicers - Text5:30
Using Slicers - Numeric4:48
Using Slicers - Date3:10
Visual Level Filters - Text4:05
Visual Level Filters - Numeric4:31
Learn how to apply numeric visual level filters in Power BI, using greater than, less than, and between, with top N and distinct counts to analyze country sales.
Visual Level Filters - Date3:55
Filtering Data - Page and Report Filters1:46
Apply filters to a page or to all pages in Power BI, using region, numeric, text, or date criteria to control which data appears across a report.
Practical Activity - Filters0:39
Practical Activity Filters Completed7:29
Discussion with Ada about Filters and Slicers in Power BI

Introduction to Graph Visualization Section1:04
Explore graphical visualizations to compare values with column and bar graphs, analyze trends and forecasting with line graphs, and preview area, pie, and tree map visualizations.
Clustered Column Graphs8:49
In this lesson you will learn how to create clustered column and bar graphs. Clustered Column and Bar graphs are ideal for displaying data when you want to know which is the largest item or which is the smallest item or how much bigger one item is then another.
Stacked and 100% Graphs4:22
In this lesson we will review the stacked bar and column graph. The stacked column and bar graph places each series on top of each other and displays the aggregated total.
Cross Filter Visualizations3:21
Graph Options5:23
In this lesson you will learn the different features that can activated with Power BI
Reference Lines6:19
Column Graph Challenge0:17
Column Graph Challenge Completed4:48
Trend Analysis Graphs8:18
In this lesson you will learn how to create line charts to display trends. Displaying and analyzing how data changes over time is a powerful method of analysis that provides input into forecasting.
Trends and Forecasting3:20
Area Graphs3:20
In this lesson you will learn how to use area graphs to chart and understand trends
Trend Graph Activity0:13
Completed Trend Analysis Completed4:09
Create and format line and area graphs in Power BI to display profit by month using order date, with data labels, and filter by product category and store channel.
Additional Graphs7:04
In this lesson we will learn how to different types of graphs in Power
Meeting to discuss using graph visualizations with Ada

Creating Interactive Dashboards1:23
Create a report in Power BI Desktop and publish it to the Power BI Service. Pin visuals to dashboards, optimize mobile layouts, and apply themes and custom visuals.
Challenge - Create an Interactive Report0:17
Completed Challenge - How to Create an Interactive Report10:12
Publishing Reports to the Power BI Service4:36
Meeting with Ada to discuss interactive dashboards
Report Features6:53
Pinning Visualizations to Dashboards4:04
Alerts and Subscriptions4:17
Mobile Reports3:57
App Workspaces5:22
Publishing an App5:55
Publish an app in Power BI by packaging reports and dashboards from a workspace, then share a read-only, audience-targeted view with licensing considerations.
Using Custom Visualizations6:15
Using Themes in Power BI5:16
Explore how to use and customize themes in Power BI, apply built-in and gallery themes, import JSON files, and tailor colors, text, tooltips, and visuals to your report.

Introduction to Calculated Columns1:05
DAX Calculated Columns9:54
In this lesson you will learn to create calculated columns using DAX formulas. DAX formulas are very similar to Excel
Date Functions7:12
In this lesson you will learn how to create new time intelligence fields such as Year, Month and Week
Formatting Dates6:12
Use Format to create weekday name and month name from the sales date, then sort by weekday and month numbers for proper order.
Date Master Tables10:22
Discuss creating DAX Formulas with Ada

Introduction to Measures Section1:01
Explore measures in Power BI and learn how they calculate results within the visualization context, unlike calculated columns. Master the DAX functions, including Calculate, and discover the DAX query view.
Introduction to DAX Measures6:32
In this lesson you will learn about the power of calculated measures to create powerful key metrics and key performance indicator calculations.
DAX Measures Practical Activity0:06
DAX Measures Activity Completed3:55
The =Calculate Formula7:40
In this lesson you will learn how to use the = calculate function to filter
DAX Query View4:41
Discuss creating Measures with Ada

Requirements

A PC or Windows laptop. Power BI Desktop does not run natively on Mac - if you are on a Mac you can still follow the Power BI Service sections, which run in any browser.
Power BI Desktop, downloaded free from Microsoft. No licence or subscription is needed to complete the course.
A work or school email address. Microsoft will not let you sign up for the free Power BI Service with a personal address such as Gmail or Outlook
Basic comfort with data in Excel is helpful. We start at installation, so no Power BI experience is assumed.

Description

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

Every lesson in this course is written, created and recorded by me. AI is used only to help produce supporting images and written materials around the lessons.

Stop fighting spreadsheets and start building visual stories—no coding required (just formulas).

Whether you’re a business analyst, a manager, or an Excel power user looking for a better way, this course is designed to simplify your life. You’ll learn how to take messy raw data, clean it up in seconds, and build interactive dashboards that actually drive better business decisions.

Your New Skillset

The Power BI Workflow: Master the full journey from raw data to a finished report.
Automated Data Cleanup: Use Power Query to scrub and shape data so you never have to manually edit a cell again.
Smarter Analytics: Get comfortable with DAX to create custom metrics and deep-dive formulas.
Interactive Design: Build stunning tables and charts that let users click, filter, and explore.
Cloud Collaboration: Learn to publish your work to the Power BI Service and share it securely with your team.

The Curriculum

The learning path is broken into bite-sized, logical modules:

The Foundations: Setup, installation, and a tour of the Power BI interface.
Data Transformation: Connect to Excel, Web, or SQL and fix data issues instantly.
Data Modeling: Link your tables so your data "talks" to each other correctly.
Visualizations: Drag-and-drop your way to professional reports using slicers and advanced formatting.
DAX Mastery: Move beyond basic sums with calculated columns and measures.
Sharing: Transition from your desktop to the cloud for seamless organizational sharing.

Why Learn With Us?

Professional yet Accessible: The teaching is clear and practical—perfect for corporate training, but casual enough for a weekend project.
Hands-On Learning: You aren't just watching; you’re building. We use real-world case studies to ensure the skills stick.
Real Efficiency: We focus on the features that matter in a real job, helping you gain insights in a fraction of the time it takes in Excel.

Requirements

Hardware: A PC or Windows laptop (Power BI Desktop does not run natively on Mac). Power BI Service runs on any internet enabled computer
Software: The latest version of Microsoft Power BI Desktop (it's a free download).
Knowledge: We start from the ground up, though a basic comfort level with Excel is helpful.

A NOTE ON COPILOT AND AI

You may be wondering where Copilot fits in. Copilot in Power BI runs on a Microsoft Fabric capacity, which is something your organisation buys and switches on - not something you can enable yourself. Most people learning Power BI do not have it, and will not have it for a while.

So this course teaches you to do the work yourself: to build the model, write the measure and design the report. That is the skill that stays useful whether or not Copilot arrives, because you still have to know whether the answer it gives you is right.

If your organisation does turn Copilot on, everything in this course is what you will need to check its work.

Meet Your Instructor

I have been training business people to work with data since 2008, and publishing on Udemy since 2013. I now have 16 live courses with more than 450,000 students and more than 139,000 reviews, at an average rating of 4.6.

I teach Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Excel, Copilot in Excel, Looker Studio and Amazon QuickSight. What makes my courses different is that I teach the analysis, not just the tool - every lesson starts with a business question someone actually asks, and shows you how to answer it with software you already have.

What Students Are Saying:

"Highly recommended for anyone looking to develop real data analytics skills."
"The step-by-step comparison to Excel helped everything click for me."
"The perfect pace—it gave me a solid foundation I could use immediately."

Ready to start your journey? Let’s dive in.

Who this course is for:

Excel users who have hit the ceiling - the workbook is too big, too slow or too manual, and rebuilding it every month has stopped being viable.
Business analysts who already produce the numbers and now need them to land: interactive, current, and readable by someone who was not in the room.
Managers who present data and are tired of waiting on somebody else to rebuild the chart before the meeting.
Complete beginners in Power BI. You need basic comfort with Excel and nothing else - the course starts at installation.
If you already know your way around Power BI and want to go deeper into data models and calculations, take Power BI Master Class - Data Models and DAX Formulas instead. This course is the foundation; that one is the next step.

Complete Introduction to Microsoft Power BI

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction5 lectures • 4min

The Power BI Desktop3 lectures • 10min

Creating Tables in Power BI Desktop15 lectures • 1hr 14min

Visual Calculations4 lectures • 17min

Filters and Slicers11 lectures • 37min

Graphs and Visualizations15 lectures • 1hr 1min

Interactive Dashboards13 lectures • 58min

Analyze Data with Excel3 lectures • 8min

DAX Formulas6 lectures • 35min

DAX Measures7 lectures • 24min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: