Top 5 Business Analysis Certification Courses There are a lot of available course options, and it can be overwhelming to make a choice. Here's a list to narrow down your choice

Every day, people within organizations make critical decisions that impact key aspects of business operations. Deciding what products to sell, what services to offer, what to eliminate, how to approach target audiences, creating effective marketing strategies, and much more. To accomplish this successfully in today's data-driven world, companies rely on qualified professionals who can analyze and interpret data from a business perspective to make better business decisions.

Companies in virtually all industries, from finance and banking to insurance and software development, are actively looking for business analysts to improve their bottomline. As reported by the IIBA, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities in business analysis are expected to grow at a rate of 14 per cent from 2018 to 2028. If you're looking to pursue a career in this exciting field, or take your existing one to the next level, enrolling in a business analysis training course and earning your certification is a great way to get ahead. Luckily, there are many options for you to choose from.

What Makes a High-Quality Business Analysis Certification Course?

There are a lot of available course options, and it can be overwhelming to make a choice. Because you're investing in your future, it's crucial to carefully consider your options. We thoroughly researched the available options and narrowed down the list of business analysis certification courses to five excellent programmes, all of which can provide a great foundation for your career. We took the following factors into consideration for our ratings:

Depth of curriculum: What do students learn while enrolled in the program?

Interactive hands-on learning: Do students work on projects that are comparable to what they'd work on once they graduate and find employment?

Program recognition: Is the school well-known and recognized, whether worldwide or nationwide?

Student experience: Is there positive feedback from past and current students?

Based on our research using the above criteria, here are the top five business analysis certification courses available to students in the US:

- Postgraduate Program in Business Analysis from Purdue University and Simplilearn

The Post Graduate Program in Business Analysis from Simplilearn helps you master business analysis tools and techniques through 170-plus hours of applied learning and hands-on, interactive projects. You will learn the core concepts of business analysis, elicitation and collaboration, planning and monitoring, strategy analysis, agile scrum methodologies, data visualization, and more. Created in partnership with Purdue University and IBM, students will receive masterclasses by top faculty from Purdue and industry experts from IBM. Students will also get access to IBM Watson Studio for project work, and exclusive IBM Hackathons and "Ask Me Anything' sessions. Furthermore, the course features case studies from Harvard Business Publishing Education.

This business analysis certification programme is aligned with IIBA BABOK v3 which prepares students to ace the CCBA, ECBA, and CBAP exams. Upon completion of the programme, learners will earn 25 IIBA CDUs.

Course highlights:

• Mode of learning: Online bootcamp
• Course duration: Six months, 5-10 hours a week
• Program recognition: Purdue Post Graduate program certification; IBM certificates for IBM courses
• Alumni status: Purdue Alumni Association membership
• Hands-on learning: Capstone project in three domains, 11+ hands-on projects
• Case Studies: Case Studies from Harvard Business Publishing Education
• Industry Collaboration: Lecture videos, access to IBM Watson Studio for project work, and data analytics certification from IBM
• Tools covered: Microsoft Excel and Power BI, Jira, PostgreSQL, FogBugz, Tableau, Targetprocess, and many more
• Program advisors: Dr. Zhiwei Zhu, Nadine Miller, Bryan Campbell, Jeff Allen
• Tuition Fees: $2,500 (Provides monthly EMI options

- Business Analysis Certificate Program from the Center for Professional Education at the University of Texas

The Business Analysis Certificate Program from the University of Texas consists of seven courses in total, which covers everything from agile business analysis to planning and modeling. This program is ideal for those working in a wide range of relevant job roles, such as project management and programming. Students have the option of taking all seven courses as one collective program, or they can take courses individually.

Course highlights:

• Mode of learning: Online or in-person
• Course duration: 4 to 12 months to complete all seven courses in the program
• Program recognition: UT Austin Gold Seal Certificate
• Topics covered: Solution evaluation, strategy analysis, requirements analysis and design definition, requirements life cycle management, business analysis planning and monitoring, elicitation and collaboration
• Tuition Fees: $4,490 for all seven courses, if purchased as a bundle

- Business Analysis Certificate Program from Portland State University

Portland State University's Business Analysis Certificate Program offers several courses designed to teach students essential techniques for thriving in a data-driven business environment. Students learn through group discussions, well-thought-out lectures, hands-on examples, and other effective methods of instruction. Although the program consists of five separate courses that are meant to be taken in order, students also have the option of taking the courses individually.

Course highlights:

• Mode of learning: Online, with live instructors and student interaction
• Course duration: Five, 15-hour classes (two days for each course). The program can be completed in one term, but students can take up to three years to complete it
• Program recognition: CEPE Business Analysis Certificate
• Hands-on learning: Prepare business case presentations that justify a business's value and what value to add. Evaluate business solutions, describe qualities that support the practice of business analysis, and understand and identify the key concept of business analysis
• Topics covered: Assessing and validating solutions, competencies of business analysis, planning and monitoring, and more
• Program advisors: Christopher Dennis, Ron Sarazin
• Tuition Fees: $2,995

- Mastering Business Analysis from Villanova University

The Mastering Business Analysis from Villanova University offers a carefully planned curriculum that prepares students with the knowledge they need to master business analysis. Students learn about what the role of a business analyst entails, how to facilitate and induce creativity, and business analysis strategies. This program is perfect for aspiring or novice business analysts, as well as those working in quality assurance, project management, product management, change management, and other relevant roles.

Course highlights:

• Course duration: Eight weeks
• Program recognition: Prepares students for the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) and Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA®) exams from the IIBA®
• Hands-on learning: Students work with groups to foster creativity, investigate elements of a creative team, develop strategies based on SWOT analysis, inspect the functions of the CMMI model, and much more
• Topics covered: Business use cases, effective requirement elicitation, modeling, stakeholder management, facilitation and negotiation, teamwork, problem-solving
• Tuition Fees: $2,495

-Professional Development Certificate in Business Analysis from McGill School of Continuing Studies

The Business Analytics course from McGill School of Continuing Studies offers an online learning platform for those looking to brush up on their business analysis skills, or build a foundation for their new career and learn the basics from the ground up. Students learn a variety of key concepts that are essential in business analytics, such as how to perform A/B testing on websites, implement analytical techniques in Excel, and other skills that can be used in a wide range of career fields and roles.

Course highlights:

• Mode of learning: Remote Learning
• Course duration: Two Years
• Program recognition: CCBA® (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis) & CBAP® (Certified Business Analysis Professional)
• Hands-on learning: Students work on projects to demonstrate a thorough understanding of business analysis covered in the IIBA® standard BABOK® guide, develop comprehensive management plans, identify root causes of problems, perform extensive business analysis, and more.
• Topics covered: Planning and monitoring, standards, requirements elicitation and analysis, solution assessment, enterprise analysis, Lean Six Sigma, and more.
• Tuition fees: $2,660.80

Wrapping Up

Whether you already have some experience working as a business analyst, or you're ready to embark on a new career, enrolling in an accredited business analysis certification course can offer many benefits. Earning your certification can also help to give you an edge over the competition in this unpredictable job market. Take the next step and invest in your future by enrolling in one of the top business analysis certification courses in the US today.