Mastering Business Analysis
Overview
Gain a deeper understanding of business analysis tools and techniques that you can apply immediately at your workplace.
The Mastering Business Analysis course builds on critical concepts learned in the first course, Essentials of Business Analysis. Designed to strengthen existing skills and expand your knowledge, the course explores advanced topics in quality management, testing, verification and validation.
As a student, you’ll explore the competencies a business analyst needs to create value for their organizations, including:
- Effective Requirement Elicitation
- Business Case Use
- Stakeholder Management
- Modeling
- Facilitation and Negotiation
- Teamwork
- Problem-Solving
Certification Exam Preparation
Mastering Business Analysis provides an in-depth look at several topics covered in A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK® Guide) 3.0 and includes test preparation questions to help prepare you for the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) and Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA®) certification exams from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).
8 Continuing Education Units
80 Military Clock Hours | 10 Military Clock Hours Per Week
What You’ll Learn
The eight-week Mastering Business Analysis course is designed to teach students how to:
- Use the main tools and techniques used by business analysts
- Explain the different areas of focus in business analysis, such as agile, business intelligence, it, business architecture and business process management
- Use assessment techniques such as SWOT analysis, benchmarking, concept modelling, decision analysis, focus groups, estimation and interviews
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate the different range of solutions to a given problem
- Apply the concepts and techniques for requirement elicitation
- Perform strategy analysis
- Understand the best practices needed to succeed as a business analyst and the use of business cases
- Identify key trends in the business analysis field
- Understand which certification is best for your career path, CCBA or CBAP
Who Should Register?
Managers and professionals who have taken the Essentials course and want to continue to strengthen their business analysis skills and enhance the flow of information within their organizations. The course is tailored to students and professionals at any stage of their careers, with either a business or non-business background.
Some common roles associated with business analysis are:
- Project management
- Product management
- Quality assurance
- Change management
- Design
- Training
Course offerings and associated prices are subject to change without prior notice. Pricing for multi-course certificate programs varies depending on course selection. View the Professional Education Catalog for more information on the courses and programs.
Curriculum
8 Week Course
Strategic Business Analysis
- Illustrate how to quantify a problem’s boundaries by assembling problem objectives
- Drive the direction and propel the value of a project by using objectives
- Develop strategies based on SWOT analysis
- Wield cost-benefit and feasibility analysis tools to forge a business case
- Determine how to use projects as a strategic tool to build innovations
Facilitation to Induce Creativity
- Determine how to lead in capitalizing and leveraging complexities into creative solutions for businesses
- Explore techniques and models to nurture movement from a business need to a creative solution
- Identify how to foster creativity by working with groups
- Define divergent and convergent thinking perspectives
- Investigate the elements of a creative team
The Role of the BA in Quality and Requirements Management
- Correlate the interdependence of quality and requirements
- Inspect the functions of the CMMI model
- Construct structured documentation to support strategic, value-added decision making
- Trace the mission of a business analyst in evaluating solution proposals
- Illustrate how a business analyst can build an organization’s vision to use change advantageously
The Role of the BA in Quality and Requirements Management, continued
- Master the types, tools, and transition steps business analysts utilize
- Define the amount of time spent on a project by using timeboxing techniques
- Explore how to use a traceability matrix to manage change
Six Sigma and Lean for the Business Analyst
- Identify techniques used in the battle to address inefficiencies
- Trace waste as a barrier to improve performance and reduce costs
- Critique error proofing as a technique to build a waste-free value stream
- Explore why changeover and reduction is a piece of Lean and Six Sigma transitional activities
Six Sigma and Lean for the Business Analyst, continued
- Examine the tools used to reengineer improvements
- Conduct histogram analysis
- Employ brainstorming techniques to create action plans
- Differentiate between Lean and Six Sigma
Testing Concepts for the Business Analyst
- Identify rationale to use a black box test tool
- Determine the best type of Oracle options for particular tests
- Identify test design techniques to reveal vulnerabilities
Testing Concepts for the Business Analyst, continued
- Probe the process of developing a test plan to anticipate problems
- Investigate parameters to consider when choosing a template
- Explore how to assess milestones and risks for a project
- Examine how to develop release criteria
If you’re going to pay by credit card, you can either get started with installment payments or pay in full. Just let your enrollment representative know the option that works best for you.
Corporate Tuition Assistance
-
Corporate TA
Corporate tuition assistance is paid by your employer. You will need to provide appropriate forms for processing, prior to enrollment. Subject to employer benefit policies.
-
Deferred Corporate TA
Pay tuition now and have your employer reimburse you. Additional documentation will be needed to process this payment. Subject to employer benefit policies.
Military Benefits
Active Duty
Villanova offers a 15% savings, per certificate course, to active-duty servicemembers, Guardsmen and Reservists (upon verification of military status).
Veterans
Villanova offers a 15% savings, per certificate course to veterans (upon verification of military status). You may also use your Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits for many of Villanova’s 100% online non-credit programs, based upon your individual eligibility.
Spouses and Dependents
Villanova offers a 15% savings, per certificate course, to active-duty servicemembers, veterans, Guardsmen, Reservists and their spouses and dependents (upon verification of military status).
This reduction is valid off the standard tuition fee rate of the listed courses offered by Villanova University with online administration by Bisk. This reduction is not stackable with other reductions, and you may not use this reduction in conjunction with other reductions.
