Course Overview
This hands-on course is designed for database professionals, data analysts, business analysts and managers, who want to analyze and visualize data from a variety of sources. Students begin with a foundation in data visualization techniques and principles. Effective data analysis techniques, and industry standard best practices are discussed. Through hands-on labs, assignments, projects and group work, participants learn how to build insightful and interactive dashboards. Participants learn to present compelling visuals via lab exercises and assignments. Tableau dashboard performance considerations are discussed. Students registered in COMP 2256 will receive a student license for Tableau software for their home machines for the duration of the course and have access to a Tableau subject matter expert with industry experience. This course is an elective in five School of Computing and Academic Studies credential programs; Computer Systems Technology Diploma (CST/PTS), Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS), Applied Computer Applications (ACA), Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) and Technical Writing. COMP 2256 is a requirement for the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC). A project presentation is required and designed to help the students become better communicators. By the end of this course successful participants will be able to produce highly interactive graphs, reports and dashboards that access and visualize data from a multiple sources. We recommend that students working toward a Computing credential complete COMP 1630 first.
Prerequisite(s)
Credits
3.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$628.80
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss the increasing importance of analytics and visualization in data prevalent markets.
- Explain data visualization principles and guidelines for effective analysis and presentation.
- Describe different Tableau Desktop Interface components.
- Practice different ways of connecting and integrating data in Tableau Desktop.
- Create and understand different visualizations using Tableau.
- Develop compelling and interactive dashboards and stories from multiple worksheets.
- Incorporate geospatial visualization (maps) in Tableau dashboards.
- Use basic and advanced calculations in Tableau.
- Explore Tableau’s statistical functions and forecasting capabilities.
- Incorporate Tableau filters and highlight parameters for interactivity and usability.
- Publish Tableau dashboards.
Effective as of Fall 2017
Related Programs
Introduction to Visual Analytics with Tableau (COMP 2256) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Computing and Academic Studies
- Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS)
Associate Certificate Part-time
- Applied Data Analytics
Certificate Part-time
- Applied Database Administration and Design
Associate Certificate Part-time
- Computer Systems
Diploma Part-time
- Technical Writing
Associate Certificate Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of COMP 2256 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 41059
Dates
Sep 10 - Nov 26 Loading
- CRN 41059
- $628.80 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
| Dates | Days | Times | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 - Nov 26 | Thu | 18:00 - 21:00 | Online |
Duration
12 weeks
Instructor
Donabel Santos
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Important course information will be sent to you prior to your course start date. Check your myBCIT email account to access this information.
- Please email cstflex@bcit.ca for Departmental approval. Include your Student number (A0#) and COMP__ and preferred CRN __ and Program Declaration____. Course is 36 hours synchronous online classes. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. You should prepare to spend 2-3 hours on homework for every 1 hour of class time. This course may require an average total time commitment of 9-12+ hours per week. 3 hours of synchronous class time and 6-9+ hours per week for homework. Late registration is not permitted. BCIT Computing is primarily a Microsoft Windows environment. Students must provide their own current model Windows-compatible PC with microphone and video camera. i5 or higher equivalent processor, with 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. Highspeed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. Mac users must have the ability to manage and support their iOS computer. They may need to create a virtual Windows environment using Parallels or VMWare Fusion. COMP instructors may not be able to assist Mac users with software compatibility issues. BCIT does not provide access to Parallels or support for students to use a Mac to run Windows.
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.