Overview
Learn how to transform large and complex data sets into valuable information and make data-driven business decisions with the BCIT Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics. The demand for business analytics professionals is increasing dramatically, as companies struggle to manage, interpret, and leverage the vast amounts of data available to them.
The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics provides you with the applied business analytics skills instrumental for success in this fast-growing field. You will acquire strategic knowledge and hands-on experience to allow you to harness data and improve productivity and decision making within your organization and enhance strategic, tactical, and operational planning.
About the program
Business analytics and BCIT are an unbeatable combination. Employers value BCIT’s applied, job-ready approach to education and training. It’s the BCIT advantage that sets our graduates apart from the pack.
- Nine months to complete: Six graduate level courses completed over nine months.
- Blended course delivery: In the classroom one evening a week at the Vancouver campus, and the balance of the week’s work completed online.
- Cohort program: You will work through the whole program with your cohort, sharing your experience and expertise, and building a professional network that will last long after you have graduated.
- Business analytics capstone project: Students assume the role of the business analytics professional in a hands-on industry project.
- Industry instructors: You will learn from knowledgeable and skilled instructors – industry professionals who bring to the program their real-world experience in the application of business analytics.
Learn more about program goals and how this program prepares you for a career in business analytics on the Program Details page.
Who should apply for the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics?
The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics is right for you if:
- You are ready to launch your career in business analytics and capitalize on growing job opportunities in this emerging area.
- You are looking to differentiate yourself by developing your capacity as an analytics specialist.
- You are seeking to deepen your understanding of business analytics to create competitive advantage for your organization.
- You want to expand your skillset and augment your already well-established career in marketing, HR, finance and a variety of other professions.
- You hold a 4-year undergraduate degree, in any field, with at least a few years of business experience.
If this sounds like you, apply today on the Entrance Requirements page, where you will also learn more about entrance requirements and “Bring Your Own Device” computer requirements for this program. Demand for seats in this program is high, so apply early.
If you are a looking for an applied information technology program – to learn to administer data analytics systems, and to use IT methods and tools to model and mine data – consider the Certificate in Applied Data Analytics.
What grads can do
Business analytics professionals work in a broad range of positions, from tactical personnel to managers with strategic responsibility, and throughout all types of businesses and sectors. Analytics knowledge and skills are in demand across key business functions – including sales and marketing, finance and accounting, human resources, IT services and support, production and operations, customer service, and research and development.
Learn more about career opportunities awaiting you on the Graduating and Jobs page.
Entrance Requirements
If the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics is for you, please begin the application process early to increase opportunities for acceptance. This program is highly sought after and meeting the basic requirements is not a guarantee of entry.
Please review the program schedule carefully before applying to the program. Ensure that you are able to attend all classes and complete the online component each week, for the particular intake that you are applying to.
Note: Only under extenuating circumstances, with the approval of the program head and on a space-available basis, will students be able to resume their studies with another cohort if they are unable to complete the program with the intake that they are accepted into.
Application processing
Open to applications beginning October 1st (or next business day).
Entrance requirements
Applicants must meet all entrance requirements and will be accepted on a first-qualified basis as long as space remains.
Step 1: Meet the following entrance requirements
- Post-secondary education: four-year bachelor's degree in any field
- English: two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
- English Studies 12 (67%) or
- English First Peoples 12 (67%) or
- Acceptable equivalent high school course or
- 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (67%) from a recognized institution
What if I don’t meet these English requirements? - Statistics: one of the following (or equivalent)*:
- MS Excel: one of the following (or equivalent Excel proficiency*):
- 3.0 credits of MS Excel, or
- BSYS 2050 - Business Data Analytics, or
- BSYS 2051 - Introduction to Business Data Analytics with MS Excel-MS 365 for Windows, or
- COMP 2364 - Microsoft Excel
*You should be able to design and use an Excel workbook, and use functionality such as PivotTables, PowerPivot, and the Analysis ToolPak Add-In.
- Business Management: one of the following (or equivalent management experience):
- Complete the following form for submission with your online application:
- Self-Assessment [PDF]
In this form you will describe how you meet the statistics, Excel and business management requirements and provide information regarding your work experience.
- Self-Assessment [PDF]
*It is recommended that applicants have satisfied the statistics requirement within the last five years. Students should also possess a working familiarity with statistical methods, such as linear regression, correlation and probability distributions, and descriptive characteristics of data, such as mean and standard deviation, and be able to apply these techniques using Excel.
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their credentials by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Credential evaluation reports from other Canadian services may be considered. These reports must include course-by-course evaluations and GPA calculations.
Read more about how to meet BCIT’s entrance requirements
Step 2: Department assessment
Each application will be reviewed and assessed by the program area once it is complete.
Applicants who do not meet all entrance requirements will be notified of necessary upgrading courses and will be required to re-apply to the program when they have completed the courses.
Hardware and software requirements
The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) [PDF] program. You will require your own PC Windows laptop. Students will be required to run Office 365. A complimentary full version of Office 365 is available for BCIT students while in the program. Your instructors will provide access to other software (at no additional charge) as necessary for use in the program, such as:
- MySQL Server
- MySQL Workbench
- Tableau
- Microsoft PowerBI
- R and RStudio
- Pentaho Kettle ETL
- SQL Server Express/SQL Server
- SQL Server Database (AdventureWorks OLTP and DW)
Note: Hardware and software requirements and licences are subject to change. Please review the laptop requirements and technical specifications carefully before applying to this program.
International applicants
This program is available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.
Students enrolled in this program must complete the mandatory work component to qualify for graduation. A co-op work permit is required prior to starting the work component.
Apply to program
To submit your application:
- Include proof of meeting all entrance requirements.
- Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files.
- Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.
Apply Now
Scheduled Intakes
September each year.myCommunication
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT e-mail addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We'll send you an e-mail when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these e-mails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Please see the Full-Time Tuition & Fees pages for tuition fee amounts:
Books & supplies
The approximate cost of textbooks for this program is $500. This is a general estimated cost, subject to change.
The approximate cost for the certification exam for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA) is $240 USD. At the end of the program, the students will be qualified to write their certification exams.
Courses
Drawing on BCIT’s applied approach to teaching and learning, the courses in this program incorporate a blend of case study, problem-based learning, collaborative team-based learning, and individual project assignments. In the last course – the Business Analytics Capstone Project – you will participate in all the steps of a real-world analytics assignment, as well as develop your project management skills.
Program schedule
Please view the 2022/23 schedule [PDF].
Class hours
With the exception of BABI 9005 and BABI 9050, each course is completed over a seven week period, with students in the classroom one evening a week, from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm, at BCIT’s Downtown Campus. The balance of the week’s work is completed online using BCIT’s learning management system, The Learning Hub. BABI 9005 Theory of Business Data Analytics is entirely online and runs over the first 14 weeks of the program. BABI 9050 Business Analytics Capstone Project is completed in the second term, over 11 weeks.
Please review the course delivery schedules on the Program Entry page carefully before applying to the program. Ensure that you are able to attend all classes and complete the online component each week for the intake that you are applying to.
Program matrix
| Term 1: | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| BABI 9005 | Theory of Business Data Analytics | 3.0 | |
| BABI 9010 | Foundations of Applied Business Analytics | 3.0 | |
| BABI 9020 | Utilizing Data Structures for Business Analytics | 3.0 | |
| Term 2: | Credits | ||
| BABI 9030 | Quantitative Methods for Business Analytics | 3.0 | |
| BABI 9040 | Analytic Models for Business Decisions | 3.0 | |
| BABI 9050 | Business Analytics Capstone Project | 4.0 | |
| Total Credits: | 19.0 | ||
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
Program Details
Program goals
Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics, you will be able to:
- Articulate the scope and purpose of business analytics to guide decision making in global business environments
- Apply business analytics appropriately within the scope of different organizational requirements
- Select appropriate databases and data sources to meet business requirements
- Guide the development of datasets within the framework of data governance and ethical business standards
- Generate key metrics and indicators based on an analysis of available data
- Create business analytics reports to assess data quality
- Utilize data quality methodologies in context to effectively create business insights
- Present data appropriately to varying audiences using a range of data visualization products and techniques
- Advocate using a variety of communications media for organizational strategies based on data insights
- Select and apply appropriate statistical and analytical methodologies to address a variety of business needs
- Effectively identify a business need, perform appropriate research and analysis, and package the results in industry standard reporting formats
- Identify and develop data-based decision systems within an ethical and legal framework
If you are a looking for an applied information technology program – to learn to administer data analytics systems, and to use IT methods and tools to model and mine data – consider the Certificate in Applied Data Analytics.
Over the six courses, you will develop case analysis skills, practical data analytic skills, and project management skills through a number of mini-projects. You will complete a range of key assessments, such as the development of databases and case-based projects, culminating with the final capstone industry project and presentation. You will be encouraged to retain these assessments in the form of a digital portfolio that can be used to demonstrate your business analytics skills to current and future employers.
Program length
Nine months, full-time, cohort program
It is intended that students will complete the program with their cohort in nine months, following the course delivery schedule for each intake. Only under extenuating circumstances, with the approval of the program head and on a space-available basis, will students be able to resume their studies with another cohort if they are unable to complete the program with the intake that they are accepted into. The maximum amount of time allowed for completion of this program is three years.
Grading
Courses are graded on a percentage scale. The passing grade for each course is 60%.
Program delivery
Blended: This program is delivered partly on campus and partly online.
This program is a full-time, six-course graduate certificate, delivered in a cohort model. Once you are accepted into the program, you will complete all six courses with your cohort. The courses are delivered over two terms (9 months).
This program uses blended course delivery. Courses are delivered partly in the classroom and partly online using BCIT’s online learning management system, The Learning Hub.
This is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. You will require your own laptop. Please check the program-specific BYOD requirements listed on the Program Entry page and ensure that you are able to meet these requirements before applying to this program.
Note: Courses in this program are not available for individual course registration. Seats are only available to students that have applied and been accepted to the program.
Program location
Downtown Campus
555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC
Courses are taught in a blended delivery model, with classroom-based sessions held at the BCIT Downtown Campus and the balance of coursework completed online using BCIT’s online learning management system, The Learning Hub.
Graduating & Jobs
The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics gives you the applied skills instrumental for career success in this fast-growing field and responsive to the needs of the global marketplace. The demand for skilled professionals who can effectively analyze and present big data in a way that can be understood and used to make sound business decisions is growing at an amazing rate. Industry lacks enough skilled professionals who can fill those roles. Business analytics professionals work in a broad range of occupations, from tactical personnel through to managers with strategic responsibility. These positions can be found throughout all types of businesses and professions, and across industry sectors.
Current job categories where business analytics skills are increasingly required include, but are not limited to:
- Analytics Specialist
- Brand Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Business Analyst
- Customer Insights Analyst
- Digital Intelligence Analyst
- Enterprise Analytics Head
- Marketing Intelligence Specialist
- Quantitative Analyst
Testimonials
“BCIT Business Analytics Grad Certificate gave me the knowledge and hands on skills to be hired internationally.”
~ Cody Levy, Programme Analyst, Visa
Graduate employment outcomes
The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2020-2022 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2019-2021 graduates and for Degree 2017-2019 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.
To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.
Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Amy Goldlist
Amy is a faculty member in the Operations Management department in the School of Business at BCIT. She has an MSc in Mathematics from UBC, focusing on Algebraic Number Theory, and an MDS (Masters of Data Science) also from UBC. She is a coauthor of the textbook: “Essentials of Business Statistics” with Ken Black, Timothy Edmunds and Ignacio Castillo, available via Wiley Publishing.
Carlos Nako
Carlos is a data driven business process professional with close to 20 years of experience. His experience comes from working in over 5 countries solutions and in areas such as process optimization, activity forecast and operations management, where he applied data driven rigors to business decisions. He holds a Master’s in Business Analytics from Sauder School of Business at UBC, an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University and a BEng in Mechanical-Aeronautics from Aeronautics Institute of Technology at Brazilian Air Force.
Jeff Sawers
Jeff is an experienced business analytics consultant who has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. He partners with organizations to mature the use of enterprise analytics and build a data-informed decision-making culture. He believes analytics practitioners require a skill set across technology, architecture, data, statistics, problem-solving, and the ability to speak the language of the business. This brought out his true passion for the role of education in developing these diverse skills in others. He holds a BSc in Computing Science as well as a BBA in Management Science from Simon Fraser University.
Leslie Major
Leslie Major teaches Analytics, Statistics and Business Mathematics in the Operations Management department at BCIT. She has an MSc in Applied Computational Mathematics from SFU where she helped build the 2D and 3D models for Ballard Power Systems’ Fuel Cells. Leslie is currently completing a Masters in Business Analytics from Sauder School of Business at UBC and working in the Evaluations Department of Services Canada as a Business Analyst. She also specializes in building online learning resources for BCIT courses, YouTube and for an OpenEd textbook she is a coauthor of “Business Mathematics.”
Linda Butterfield
Linda is faculty and current program head of the Business Operations Management (BOM) program at BCIT. She teaches project management, operations management, and applied systems courses. She has 15 years experience managing digital transformation of business operations in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) industry. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian University and has her CPA, CGA designation from Chartered Professional Accountants Canada as well as the Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) designation from the Association for Supply Chain Management.
Nikhil Bhardwaj
Nikhil is a web entrepreneur with more than 12 years of experience in software development and business consulting. His areas of expertise include business intelligence, web application design and development, and translating tech-speak into something more comprehensible. His educational qualifications include a Master of Business Administration from Nirma University and a Master of Software Systems from the University of British Columbia.
FAQs
What is the duration of the program?
9 months
Is there an application deadline?
Applications will continue to be accepted until all the seats are filled, at which time there will be a note posted on the program overview page announcing that this program is full.
When is the 1st term’s tuition due?
60 days before the program start date. For applicants who are accepted into the program less than 60 days before the program start date, Admissions will specify the tuition deadline.
How much is my tuition?
More information about approximate tuition can be found on the Costs & Supplies tab. About 2.5 months prior to the program start date, you will be able to view your tuition amount due in your myBCIT account. Tuition is payable on a term basis.
Are the classes virtual or in-person?
GCBA uses a blended delivery format. BABI 9005 is entirely online while the remaining classes are in-person once per week with remaining classes online. Attendance at the in-person classes is mandatory.
Can I take the courses individually and at my own pace?
No. Students are automatically block registered into the classes each term according to the schedule. The most recent schedule can be found in the Courses tab.
Can I work while taking this program?
Many students work while taking this program so it is possible; however, it is important to note that each student must determine for himself/herself whether he/she is able to handle the course load while working.
Can I upload my unofficial transcript with my application?
Yes; however, if it does not contain sufficient information, Admissions will request that you upload an official transcript. Please ensure that the credential or degree granted information is on your unofficial transcript.
If I have been accepted into the program but I would like to defer until the next intake, do I need to re-apply?
Yes, you would need to submit a withdrawal form for the current intake and re-apply for the next intake.
Can I apply for the program before completing a prerequisite course?
If you have a midterm grade at the time of application, the midterm grade can be used for the assessment (given that you meet all the other entrance requirements).
Can I use a MAC instead of a PC laptop?
Yes; however, students who use a MAC laptop must troubleshoot issues on their own. Instructors can only assist with troubleshooting issues on PC laptops.
Can I send you my credentials and application documents for review?
No, the department is unable to review your documents. BCIT Admissions is responsible for reviewing your application documents and they can only do that AFTER you have formally applied.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the entrance requirements and application process?
If you have NOT YET APPLIED:
Reach out to Program Advising for any questions regarding English requirements.
Email the Program Head or Admin Assistant regarding academic entrance requirement questions (eg. Statistics/Excel requirements).
Contact BCIT International for questions regarding study permits and post graduate work permits (PGWP).
If you have ALREADY APPLIED and you have questions regarding the program (especially related to your application and/or tuition), email your Admissions Officer.
International Student Questions
Is this program open to international students?
Yes.
When do I need to provide a credential evaluation report?
According to the Entrance Requirements tab, only post-secondary studies completed outside of Canada, the US, the UK, Australia or New Zealand require a comprehensive evaluation.
If I am accepted into the program, will I receive a letter to apply for a study permit?
Yes. International students who meet all the entrance requirements and are accepted into the program will receive a letter which can be used to apply for their study permit. Please note that GCBA students will also need to apply for a co-op work permit which will enable them to participate in the business project during the final term. Please check Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing timelines to find out whether you have enough time to obtain the study permit prior to term start.
Will I be eligible for a PGWP after completion of the GCBA program?
According to the PGWP validity requirements, GCBA graduates are eligible to apply for a PGWP; however, please review the PGWP information and contact BCIT International if you have further questions.
How long will my PGWP be if I am eligible for it?
The officials at IRCC make that determination.
If I apply before I meet all the entrance requirements (eg. still waiting for the comprehensive report for my bachelor’s degree or my stats/English/Excel course is in progress), will a seat be held for me as long as I provide proof of meeting these outstanding requirements before the program start date?
No. This program accepts applicants on a first-qualified-first-accepted basis. If you apply when you don’t meet all the entrance requirements and the seats fill up before you can provide proof of meeting the requirements, you will not get accepted into the program.
Contact Us
Before reaching out, review the FAQs page to see if the answer to your question is posted there.
Sue Wong
Administrative Assistant
604-456-1155 | sobm_gcba@bcit.ca
Amy Goldlist
Program Head
604-412-7497 | sobm_gcba@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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