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Short Courses: Business Systems Analysis

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Featured Short Term Courses: Business Systems Analysis

University of Minnesota – Coursera

The University of Minnesota offers an online course, “Analysis for Business Systems,” a part of the Information​ ​Systems Specialization. The 100 percent online course is delivered through the popular MOOC platform Coursera.

The course is taught by Ken Reily, an instructor of information science and computer science at the University of Minnesota. It is offered over a period of five weeks. The curriculum for the program is as follows:

  • Introduction to Business Systems: In this module, students get an overview of the course. They are introduced to topics such as what is a business process, business process characteristics, and the role of the business analyst.
  • Analysis Phase Documentation – During this module, students learn how to create a system proposal. The system proposal is a detailed list of requirements, as well as diagrams that describe the system being proposed.
  • Analysis Phase Diagrams – Students return to analysis phase, but this time instead of looking at documentation, they will be looking at diagrams or pictures.
  • Design Phase Overview – This module introduces students to the basic vocabulary used in design and implementation, as well as the responsibilities of a business analyst.
  • Course Project

This course sequence is ideal for students who wish to get an overview of systems development lifecycle. They get a chance to study as well as create proposals that business analysts create during the development lifecycle.

  • Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota (Coursera)
  • Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: Free; students can add a certificate for a fee
  • Program length: Five weeks (one to two hours per week)

University of Cape Town – GetSmarter

The University of Cape Town offers the “Business Systems Analysis” online short course. This course is offered in collaboration with GetSmarter, an online education provider. The online short course explores how a variety of business systems analysis theories can be used for analysing existing processes and implementing change in a practical and effective manner.

Beginners in the field of system development and business systems analysis, as well as professionals who wish to develop a better understanding of the fundamentals of this discipline, can opt for this course. All the coursework is available online and a team is available 24/7 for solving tech-related and administrative queries and concerns. Students have access to a wide range of interactive content, such as video lectures, live polls, infographics, and more.

The coursework is divided into ten modules and includes the following topics: contextualising business systems analysis, analyzing the current business system, recommending an alternate business system, eliciting and communicating requirements, preparing to create a business requirements specification, modelling business processes, modelling functional and systems architecture requirements, modelling data and human-system interface design, assuring quality, and facilitating change and innovation.

The program introduces students to the role of a business systems analyst, while also helping them gain a thorough understanding of business analysis processes and business systems analysis.

  • Location: Cape Town, South Africa (GetSmarter)
  • Accreditation: Department of Higher Education and Training (South Africa)
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: ZAR 15,500
  • Program length: Ten weeks (seven to ten hours per week)

Harvard Business School Online

Harvard Business School offers the short online course “Business Analytics.” The course provides students with an overview of how data can impact decisions in business and helps them apply lessons learned with practical activities such as A/B testing, sampling, and checking inventory.

The short course is ideal for mid-career professionals who want to develop a data mindset for making informed business decisions, college students and recent graduates, and those considering graduate school.

The Harvard Business School Online course platform offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Students immerse themselves in real world challenges faced by business leaders across a variety of industries. The curriculum comprises five modules. The topics include describing and summarizing data, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing, single variable linear regression, and multiple regression.

By the end of the course, students are able to interpret data to make better business decisions, identify outliers, test hypotheses, prepare a summary of data sets, and derive conclusions from data samples.

  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts
  • Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: $1,600
  • Program length: Eight weeks

Babson College – edX

Babson College offers the short course “Business Analytics Fundamentals.” The course is offered through edX, an online MOOC provider. Students gain hands-on knowledge and skills to be able to analyze and present findings, and make meaningful conclusions about data in a business setting. They can offer valuable insights by recognizing, interpreting, and summarizing their company’s data.

The course is delivered over four weeks covering key subjects related to business analytics such as data visualizations, statistics, probability, and linear models. In general, students learn to identify basic data types, study sampling methods, conduct surveys, and create basic excel models for revenue, cost, and profit.

After completing this course, students can pursue a verified, instructor-signed certificate with the institution’s logo for verifying their achievements and increasing their job prospects. This certificate can be added to their CV or resume, or posted to LinkedIn.

  • Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
  • Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: Free
  • Program length: Four weeks (four to six hours per week)

Inteq Group

Inteq Group offers the online “Business Systems Analysis Training Course.” This course provides students with critical thinking skills, expert techniques, and conceptual knowledge for rapidly discovering, thoroughly analyzing, and accurately specifying business and user requirements.

This training program is highly interactive and is aimed at helping students succeed in a highly competitive environment. This course is ideal for systems analysts, business analysts, project managers, subject matter experts, business users, and IT professionals.

The course can be taken online via Inteq Anytime eLearning or on-site. The curriculum includes topics such as business analysis definition, identifying and capturing requirements, state transition diagrams and analysis, business rules and information requirements, and business requirements management.

Students learn about the five types of business requirements that form the foundation for business analysis, identify and validate complex business scenarios, specify precise unambiguous business requirements, and learn about business analysis best practices.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado
  • Accreditation: N/A
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: $995
  • Program length: One to three weeks (45 days max)

The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania – Coursera

The University of Pennsylvania offers the online course, “Business Analytics Capstone,” delivered through Coursera, an MOOC provider. This course is a part of the Business Analytics Specialization. Other courses in this specialization include customer analytics, operations analytics, people analytics, and accounting analytics.

Delivered over a period of four weeks, the course includes five modules. The modules are as follows:

  • Module 1: Capstone Project Topic – The Problem of Ad Blocking
  • Module 2: Defining the Problem
  • Module 3: Your Strategy
  • Module 4: Effects of Your Strategy / Measuring these Effects
  • Module 5: Final Project Submission

The program provides students with the skills to be able to use data to address business challenges as well as identifying patterns in data. Students gain an understanding of how businesses use data to improve their marketing, increase revenue, work effectively, and make hiring decisions.

On completion of the course, students receive a certificate that can be added to their resume and professional online profiles.

  • Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Format: Online
  • Cost: Free (students can add a certificate for a fee)
  • Program length: Four weeks (four to five hours per week)

Professors to Know in Business Systems Analysis

Janice H. Hammond, PhD – Harvard Business School

Dr. Janice H. Hammond is a professor of manufacturing and also serves as the senior associate dean for Culture at Community at Harvard Business School. At present, she teaches supply chain management and has created the online business analytics course. Previously, professor Hammond taught courses such as technology and operations management, decision support systems, business logistics and after-sales service, managerial economics, and quantitative methods. Dr. Hammond’s research explores speed in logistics and manufacturing. She has published her work in prominent journals such as Technology in Society and Production and Operations Management. She completed her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a ScB from Brown University.

George Recck, MBA – Babson College

George Recck is a lecturer and director of the math resource center at Babson College. He teaches analytics for decision making, business analytics fundamentals, financial decision making for leaders, and business principles and entrepreneurial thought. He is an expert in information technology in education, the use of technology in the classroom, and math education.

Professor Recck has received numerous awards such as the Paul Staake Award, the Cruickshank Alumni Leadership Award, the John T. Barry Award, and a Faculty of the Year award. He completed his MBA and a BS from Babson College.

Ken Reily, PhD – University of Minnesota

Dr. Ken Reily is an instructor of information science and computer science at the University of Minnesota. He teaches the “analysis for business systems” course through Coursera. Other courses he teaches at UM include programming for data science, data engineering for business analytics, programming and application development, and enterprise systems.

In addition to his role at the university, Dr. Reily provides consulting services in software development and architecture, software research, and process development. Apart from his professional work and teaching, he has published a number of academic papers regarding mapping, tracking, computer science education, and mobile applications. He completed his PhD, MS, and a BS at the University of Minnesota.