Overview
Delivery mode: Online
- This program will be delivered online during COVID-19.
- Your education is our priority and we will continue to deliver the applied instruction, collaborative experience, and industry connections that you expect from BCIT.
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.
- One year to complete: Five graduate level courses completed over 12 months.
- Blended course delivery: In the classroom one evening a week in 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.
- Next up Entrance Requirements
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 2020/21 schedule [PDF] or 2021/22 schedule [PDF] 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.
COVID-19 Notice to Applicants
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 full-time post-secondary education in English in an English-speaking country with 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (67%) from a recognized institution
View other ways to meet the English requirement - Math: 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 - Business Data Analytics with MS Excel, 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 math, Excel and business management requirements and provide information regarding your work experience.
- Self-Assessment [PDF]
*It is recommended that applicants have satisfied the math 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 laptop – either a PC Windows laptop or a Mac laptop. If you intend to use a Mac, it must be configured to run Windows-based software. 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
- 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 not available to international students. View available programs
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.
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Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Please see Fees, Payments and Refunds for information on tuition fees for graduate studies programs.
Books & supplies
The approximate cost of textbooks for this program is $500. This is a general estimated cost, subject to change.
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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.
Please view the 2020/2021 schedule or the 2021/22 schedule [PDF].
Class hours
Each of the first four courses in the program is completed sequentially, over a six-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 online learning management system, Desire 2 Learn (D2L). The fifth course – an applied industry project – is completed in the third and last term, over 13 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 delivery
This program is a part-time, five-course graduate certificate, delivered in a cohort model. Once you are accepted into the program, you will complete all five courses with your cohort. Each course is delivered sequentially over three terms (12 months), with successful completion of the previous course being a prerequisite for the next course in the program matrix.
This program uses blended course delivery. Courses are delivered partly in the classroom and partly online using BCIT’s online learning management system, Desire 2 Learn (D2L).
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 matrix
Check current availability of courses for this program.
Term 1: | Credits | ||
---|---|---|---|
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 | |
Term 3: | Credits | ||
BABI 9050 | Business Analytics Capstone Project | 3.0 | |
Total Credits: | 15.0 |
Check current availability of courses for 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.
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.
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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 five 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
One year, part-time, cohort program
It is intended that students will complete the program with their cohort in one year, 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%, which must be achieved in order to proceed to the next course in 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, Desire 2 Learn (D2L).
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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 2017-2019 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2016-2018 graduates and for Degree 2015-2017 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.
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Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Ron McMillan
Ron McMillan holds a Master of Science degree in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. His extensive industry experience includes 12 years as a data analyst consultant at TELUS and TELUS Mobility and four years of custom application development at Fluor Canada. Ron has taught Business Systems, MIS, and Business Intelligence courses at BCIT since 2004. He is keenly interested in all things data and believes that data science is integral to all aspects of business.
Nikhil Bhardwaj
Nikhil Bhardwaj 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.
Ben Pedret
Ben Pedret is a quantitative analyst with more than 20 years of experience providing research and consulting services to private and public companies, not for-profit organizations, and government. His areas of expertise include data modeling, forecasting, risk analysis, applied statistics, and optimization. Ben is a Certified Management Consultant with a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a PhD in Mathematics from Strathclyde University, U.K.
Lorne Hill
Lorne Hill has spent over 25 years turning data into information that drives effective decision making. He has held director level positions in marketing and IT with the likes of SaskTel, TELUS, and Teligence. Today he helps firms make the most of their customer information through customer analytics and business intelligence consulting. Lorne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan. He has taught database marketing and customer analytics at BCIT and Simon Fraser University. He is active in the community where he is President/Board Chair of Fraserside Community Services Society and Treasurer of the Massey Theatre Society.
John Schaub
John Schaub is Senior Product Manager responsible for security and analytics at Central 1 Credit Union. Prior to joining Central 1, John was the Director of Internal Information Systems and Business Intelligence with HootSuite and has also held a variety of Analyst and Product Manager roles with other organizations. He holds a Master of Science in Information Systems, a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a diploma in Robotics. John serves on the Boards of the Vancouver Public Library and Public Library InterLINK, and volunteers with the MOSAIC Multicultural Society. John is also a founding member of Open Data BC.
Amy Goldlist
Amy Goldlist is faculty 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.
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Contact Us
Calvin Mah
Administrative Assistant
604-432-8514 | cmah42@bcit.ca
Amy Goldlist
Program Head
604-412-7497 | amy_goldlist@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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