Business Analysis Masters Certificate Course Descriptions

Business Analysis Fundamentals
3 days - 21 PDUs / 2.1 CEUs

Whether you are new to business analysis, or are experienced and want a more formal approach, it’s essential to know and practice the “fundamentals.” This course trains participants to help business clients articulate their needs and wants, and to document them clearly, concisely, and completely. By grasping this core Business Analyst (BA) skill, BAs can contribute significantly to successful projects and the products they create.

Through a realistic case study and interviews, participants discover and then practice writing “good” requirements. The course also explores and lets attendees practice a simple process for validating and verifying requirements to ensure they are well-documented. Also, attendees learn the importance of traceability and how to construct a traceability matrix.

Business Process Modeling
2 days - 14 PDUs / 1.4 CEUs

View the requirements gathering and management process in a whole new light when you learn a
4-step method to capture requirements in a consultative manner.

Overview several methods, models and techniques for IT professionals to work within the business as consultants. Become more effective at managing the effort to produce products that will delight your customers.

Develop skills and learn techniques to translate customer needs into project requirements. It provides a framework for identifying business problems, and linking requirements to business objectives in order to solve business problems and set project scope. The approach taken is applicable to all types of requirements gathering efforts, including systems development projects.

Many practical and engaging exercises and role playing help walk people through the concepts presented, and afford ample practice with the techniques learned.

planning and managing requirements
2 days - 14 PDUs / 1.4 CEUs

This course provides the essential skills and knowledge for Business Analysts to develop a requirements plan, what deliverables they will produce, and how they will control and manage changes to those deliverables.

Use cases provide a structured, industry-standard way of eliciting and documenting functional requirements. The process enhances communication between business analysts and business customers, and lays the foundation for user interface design and test case development. They also provide insights into data requirements, and help clients articulate their needs in ways other requirements activities can’t.

This course provides the right blend of knowledge and skills for people to understand and model use cases effectively. Attendees will learn where use cases are most effective, a step-by-step method for creating them, and numerous guidelines and tips to enhance creating them. Participants also receive a comprehensive Use Case template that can be readily used back on the job.

This three day comprehensive course builds your knowledge and skills in the agile approach to defining, estimating, and prioritizing requirements. Using Scrum as a reference, you will learn how to build a Product Backlog, estimate sprints, write user stories, use burndown charts, and complete reviews and retrospectives. You will learn techniques for building and managing a Product Backlog of user stories, and techniques for prioritizing requirements for releases and iterations. The techniques described use Scrum as a reference, and apply equally well to other agile methods.

Perhaps the single most challenging part of a project is getting the requirements right. This course presents many methods, tools, models, and techniques to help elicit and analyze requirements. Participants will practice eliciting, analyzing, modeling, and tracing requirements as they work through an engaging case study. In addition, attendees will learn about the importance of building relationships and trust in the requirements process as they categorize stakeholders and analyze their roles, responsibilities, and influence.

Gathering and analyzing requirements for BI projects have several components that are unique on IT projects. One of the complexities includes uncovering and defining multiple dimensions of information that clients want to see reported. Another challenge is to make data flexible enough to allow as-yet unknown querying and “mining.” Finally, the promise of BI involves using it to help make future predictions and support good decision-making.

Want to make sure that you are ready for the CBAP® exam and increase your odds of passing it on the first try? This comprehensive workshop will prepare you for the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) exam and help you make the most of the limited study time you have. The course was designed, created, and is taught by CBAPs to help others focus on the critical areas to study and to provide insights into the exam. It is current with the framework of knowledge outlined by the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) version 2.0 and includes over 750 sample CBAP® exam questions to make you ready and know what to expect come test time. Additionally, you’ll learn test-taking tips and strategies, along with other practice exercises to reinforce the material. .

This course teaches you how to ask questions and gather supporting data that enables you to easily understand business issues and identify improvement areas. To avoid “jumping to solutions,” this course presents approaches that encourage critical thinking and ways to understand root causes of problems. This course also helps to teach methods for gaining acceptance from business colleagues through simple and effective documentation techniques.

Data Modeling
2 days - 14 PDUs / 1.4 CEUs

Learn the principles and processes of logical data modeling. Practice a 4-step method for modeling data using industry standard data model diagramming methods. Also learn how to "normalize" data to provide long-term data stability and value.

Develop your ability to control a session in order to achieve objectives. Take back to work a structured planning, managing, and follow-up approach for facilitated sessions.

Learn several facilitation process techniques and guidelines for why, when and how to use them. Learn how to effectively manage people dynamics. Engage in numerous exercises to practice the techniques presented.

Influencing Without Authority
2 days - 14 PDUs / 1.4 CEUs

How do we establish enough influence over key stakeholders to get our work done when we have no “real” authority over them? We know what needs to be done and we know how to do it, yet we can’t get our boss, our colleagues, and yes, even the people who report to us, to do “the right thing.” Some days it feels like we’re just banging our head against the wall. The result… a whopping headache!

This interactive workshop discusses:

• The nature of “influence” vs. “persuasion;” “power” vs. “authority”
• Watermark's Influencing Formula
• Watermark's 5-step Influencing Model to guide you through how to influence when you don't have the right level of authority
• Roles and responsibilities of key project stakeholders
• Tools and tips for “herding cats,” Communications Plans, Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), RACI, and Stakeholder Influence Matrix
• Handling difficult people situations using the SAFE model
• The nature of perception

Project Management Fundamentals
3 days - 21 PDUs / 2.1 CEUs

Learn methods and techniques necessary to effectively initiate, plan, control and report on projects. Hone skills essential to effectively deal with various expectations of business and technical partners, management and staff.

Overview real-life examples, that illustrate all aspects of the project life cycle. Walk away with a structured approach to project management.

Software Testing for Business Analysts
2 days - 14 PDUs / 1.4 CEUs

Software testing is often executed at one of two extremes: too little or too much.

This course presents methods and techniques for software testing, with emphasis on a practical, structured approach.

Various levels and types of testing are covered, which can be used in numerous situations.