Business Analysis

Associate Certificate Part-time School of Business + Media

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Overview

The Business Analysis Associate Certificate provides students with practical skills in analyzing business processes, identifying problems, and recommending solutions. You'll learn process modeling, business case development, change management, and stakeholder engagement through flexible, part-time courses taught by industry experts.

About the program

The Business Analysis Associate Certificate program provides the knowledge, skills, tasks, and techniques required to plan, execute, and control business analysis activities in business change and improvement initiatives. The program covers the following major topics:

Business analysis knowledge
Business need assessment and change management
Planning and work management
Requirements life cycle management, including:
- Requirements elicitation
- Requirements analysis, traceability, and monitoring
Solution design and evaluation

Business Analysis should not be confused with Business Analytics. People working in these two disciplines may work together, but the work itself is distinctly different.

Business Analysis is the practice of analyzing and improving business processes, products, and services, by collecting and analyzing data, with the goal of adding value and improving process efficiency. Business Analysts are change agents that engage with leadership, recommending changes based on data. Job titles include but are not limited to business analyst, systems analyst, business process analyst, product manager, and business management consultant. If this type of work interests you, this program may be right for you.
Business Analytics is the practice of taking raw data and using statistical analysis and data visualization to make data informed decisions that help the business. These insights are shared with the leadership of the organization so that better business decisions can be made. Job titles include but are not limited to business data analyst, analytics specialist, business intelligence analyst, customer insights analyst, and digital intelligence analyst.

Who it’s for

This program will attract candidates looking to enter this field. Target candidates include the following:

Technical professionals looking to transition into business analysis
Industry practitioners with no formal business analysis education looking to upgrade their skills
BCIT diploma and degree graduates seeking to augment their business analysis skills
Recent immigrants with foreign credentials seeking entry into the Canadian job market
Post-secondary graduates seeking to enhance their employability
Successful secondary school graduates seeking to start a career in business analysis

What grads can do

BCIT is an academic partner of the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®). The program educates on the content of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide).

The program helps to prepare students to write the:

IIBA – Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™)
IIBA – Certification of Capability in Business Analysis™ (CCBA®)
IIBA – Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®)
PMI – Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®

Entrance Requirements

Application processing

This program is open to declarations beginning:

February 1st* for the January intake
May 1st* for the April intake
October 1st* for the September intake

*or next business day

Entrance requirements

Notice to applicants: As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure students are best prepared for their studies, Flexible Learning programs will be adopting English Language Proficiency standards (Categories 1, 2, and 3) as part of their declaration requirements effective April 2025.

Declarations submitted for program intakes beginning April 1, 2025 or later will be evaluated using the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement below.

English language proficiency: Category 2 – English Studies 12 (67%) or equivalent

International applicants

This program is not available to international students. View available programs

Program declaration

Declaring your Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) program ensures that BCIT is aware of your intent to complete a program as it is currently outlined and provides you the opportunity to apply for transfer credit.

To submit your declaration:

Answer all questions completely.
If required, convert transcripts and documents to PDF files.
Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.

Declare Now

Upon approval, a program plan letter will be sent to you confirming your program of study. Please allow approximately eight weeks for processing.

Learn more about program declaration

Scheduled Intakes

Ongoing Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) intakes: January, April, and September.

Costs & Supplies

Tuition fees

Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Flexible Learning Tuition & Fees page for more information.

Books & supplies

This program requires a one-year membership to the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®), and once purchased through BCIT, it will be activated by the second session of the first course, OPMT 1500. The IIBA membership purchased through BCIT will include:

A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide), downloadable through IIBA’s website, which is a required text for this course.
ECBA exam fee, providing access to write the exam.
Access to other IIBA benefits. Please refer to IIBA’s website for a full listing of the IIBA membership’s benefits.

The IIBA Membership & ECBA Exam Bundle is to be purchased from the BCIT Bookstore at a cost of $265 CAD (subject to change from IIBA™).

Note: This bundle provides a cost saving of approximately $200 CAD compared to purchasing directly with IIBA for students. It is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

IIBA Membership
If you require more than one year to complete your course or the program (e.g., spreading courses across more than 12 months, needing to repeat a course), you will be required to renew your IIBA membership, payable directly to IIBA. The renewal cost is $139 USD (subject to change from IIBA™).

ECBA™ Exam
This exam is to be taken during the final session of the first course, OPMT 1500. If you are unsuccessful on the ECBA exam and wish to retake it, you will be required to pay a retake fee. Please refer to IIBA’s website for details regarding this fee. If you do not show up to the ECBA exam and cannot prove this was due to an extenuating circumstance, you will have to pay IIBA the full exam fee, as per the IIBA Extenuating Circumstance Policy.

Courses

Program matrix

Check current availability of courses for this program.

1. Required courses:			Credits
	OPMT 1500	Business Analysis Fundamentals This course introduces you to the basic principles and concepts of Business Analysis. Designed to provide a foundation of the subject matter required for other courses in business analysis, this course covers key knowledge areas, including planning, business need identification, requirements gathering, analysis and management and solution approach and evaluation. It also introduces key tasks and techniques that support these knowledge areas. You will learn these topics through lectures, exercises and discussions, case studies and/or scenario-based problem solving, both individually and working in teams. It is mandatory that this course be taken first in the program. If one other course is taken at the same time, it is recommended to take an elective or OPMT 2520 Needs Assessment and Planning. The course also includes writing the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™) exam through the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®). Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2520	Needs Assessment and Planning Fundamentally business analysis creates value for the organization. To achieve this, the organization must be clear on the business' needs. This course provides you with frameworks and approaches to define the necessary business change and assess both the value and risk associated. This course also covers the development of a work plan that identifies the approach, deliverables, activities, and schedule required to accomplish this change. You will learn these topics through lectures, exercises and discussions, case studies and/or scenario-based problem solving, both individually and working in teams. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1500 course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2530	Stakeholder Engagement and Requirements Definition At the centre of business analysis is the ability to draw out and clearly articulate the requirements of key stakeholders. This course provides exposure to a variety of methods and tools used to elicit, document, and confirm requirements. The results of stakeholder engagement and elicitation is a core input for business analysis activity. You will learn these topics through lectures, exercises and discussions, case studies and/or scenario-based problem solving, both individually and working in teams. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1500 OPMT 1500 may taken in advance or concurrently with this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2540	Requirements Lifecycle Management Requirements and potential design solutions are core elements and key deliverables of the business analysis process. This is often iterative work that involves confirmation and modification as the project or work progresses. Therefore, requirements and subsequent designs need to be managed throughout the lifecycle from elicitation to retirement. This course covers the complete requirement lifecycle and the activities that control this process. The organization, stakeholders, solution requirements and designs must be aligned and maintained for the project to provide value. You will learn these topics through lectures, exercises and discussions, case studies and/or scenario-based problem solving, both individually and working in teams. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1500 OPMT 1500 may taken in advance or concurrently with this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2550	Requirements Analysis and Solution Evaluation A business analyst, as part of a team, works to translate stakeholder requirements into solutions that provide value to the organization. This course covers the structuring of requirements, assessing potential design alternatives and ensuring that the implemented solution provides intended benefit to the organization. This course will also expose you to approaches for modelling and confirming the utility of both requirements and designs. You will learn these topics through lectures, exercises and discussions, case studies and/or scenario-based problem solving, both individually and working in teams. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1500 OPMT 1500 may taken in advance or concurrently with this course. course outline	3.0

2. Complete 3.0 credits from the following list of electives :			Credits
	ASCM 1000	Basics of Supply Chain Management As the entry-level learning program, Basics of Supply Chain Management combines key concepts from the ASCM/APICS Foundations of Supply Chain Management body of knowledge. This course covers the basics; including definitions and problem solving, and a review of these concepts in actions and how these affect the firm's ability to compete in the marketplace. Key concepts are introduced, for planning and controlling the flow of products and services into, through, and out of an organization. Fundamental relationships among the various activities that may occur in the supply chain network from suppliers to customers are explained. It details ten modules of supply chain management. These include: [1] introduction to supply chain, [2] demand management, [3] S&OP and master scheduling, [4] material requirements planning, [5] capacity management & production activity control, [6] aggregate inventory management & introduction to distribution, [7] item inventory management, [8] purchasing & sourcing strategies, [9] quality systems, [10] continuous improvement Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	BUSA 3105	Leadership 1 - People Skills A dynamic course for new or aspiring supervisors. Students develop strong interpersonal skills and increase their awareness of the importance of people skills in today's organizations. Students develop critical core inter-personal skills along with individual performance through group interactions, role playing, lectures and practice sessions. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 1173	Agile Project Management Students in this course will focus on agile project methodologies for software development. Web and mobile technologies require face paced development in an environment where requirements evolve and change frequently. Students in this course will be introduced to the history and rationale of agile project management, as well as the required roles and environment necessary for agile teams to be successful. Student in the course will learn how agile project operate, the impact of agile on project areas such as scope, schedule, cost, quality and risk, including the reporting and resources required to manage agile projects. Finally, students will develop an understanding of the benefits of agile project management when applied in an appropriate setting. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 1187	Project Management Essentials This course teaches students a variety of skills including project definition, WBS, SOW, activity development, network diagrams, three-time estimate method to assess risk and schedule a project, resource levelling, time cost trade-offs and estimating, earned value, reporting and progress measurement during project, project termination and the role of project personnel. This course is based on the Project Management Institute (PMI)® Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and can be used as credit towards the BCIT Associate Certificate in Project Management www.bcit.ca/study/programs/5085acert. PMI® and PMBOK® are trademarks of PMI® Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 1198	Operations Management Fundamentals Educates the student on the importance of managing operations across all industries by presenting the fundamentals in productivity improvement based on a systematic, scientific problem solving methods. Includes economic feasibility, recording techniques, assembly and analysis of data, critical examination, the development and selection of alternative solutions. Case materials explore applications to manufacturing, warehouse, office, materials management and general management. Students uncomfortable with basic algebra applications are encouraged to take OPMT 0199 prior to the course. Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites are required for this course. course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2298	Business Process Improvement Continuous improvement is an organized approach to identifying opportunities for improvement that can help an organization meet its goals for increasing profits, reducing costs, and accelerating innovation. The approach is also used to enhance the quality of a product or service, and to improve safety. This course presents to Business Operations Management students & Project Management students basics of continuous process improvement via PDCA methodology. PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a systematic approach to an ongoing review of workflows and outcomes to identify ways to improve them both. An emphasis will be placed on team problem solving approaches and the development of teamwork skills. This course provides an ideal foundation for students aspiring to pursue further education in continuous improvement via Lean, Kaizen or Six Sigma. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1198 course outline	3.0
	OPMT 2510	Project Quality and Risk Management Understanding and delivering on stakeholder needs is the ultimate objective of all projects. Measuring performance and completeness of deliverables is at the core of project quality management. This must happen in the context of an uncertain environment. The ability to identify and manage this uncertainty is critical to success. This course will examine the methodologies and tools used to manage project quality and risk. Prerequisite(s): 50% in OPMT 1187 course outline	3.0

Total Credits:			18.0

Check current availability of courses for this 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.

Program Details

Program goals

The goal of the program is to provide industry-ready graduates an entry-level pathway to the business analysis profession through a detailed applied curriculum, reputable academic credential, and the opportunity for three potential International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®) certifications and Project Management Institute (PMI) Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) certification.

This program aligns with the knowledge requirements necessary to write the IIBA ECBA and PMI PBA industry certifications. By completing this program, graduates will be able to:

Apply a suite of knowledge/skills, methodologies, and tools required to plan, execute, and control business analysis activities in business change and improvement initiatives.
Create the outputs necessary to plan and manage business analysis activities.
Identify, define, and verify the business need and stakeholder requirements.
Assess and select appropriate methods for engaging stakeholders and identifying and defining stakeholder requirements.
Manage requirements and solution definition, including changes, over the course of an initiative.
Analyze requirements and define and assess design options.
Evaluate the defined business solution to ensure that stakeholder requirements are met and that value is delivered to the organization.
Outline the use and perspective of business analysis principles in specific key business sectors and functions.

Program length

The program can be completed in as little as a year, based on completing two courses per term for three terms.

Program delivery

In person: This program is delivered on campus.

Program location

Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC

Graduating & Jobs

Apply for graduation

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.

All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.

Professional associations

About IIBA
IIBA is a professional association dedicated to supporting business analysis professionals to deliver better business outcomes. IIBA connects almost 30,000 members, over 100 chapters, and more than 500 training, academic, and corporate partners around the world. As the global voice of the business analysis community, IIBA supports recognition of the profession, networking and community engagement, standards and resource development, and comprehensive certification programs.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI is the leading authority in project management, dedicated to guiding the way to project success. Since 1969, PMI has shone a light on the power of project management and the people behind the projects.

Contact Us

Ruth MacKay
Flexible Learning Program Assistant – Operations Management
Tel: 604-412-7417
Email: Ruth_MacKay@bcit.ca

Juan Azmitia
Flexible Learning Coordinator – Operations Management
Tel: 604-453-4005
Email: Juan_Azmitia@bcit.ca

Questions or comments?

Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.