University of Texas offers Business Analysis certification for Greater Austin professionals

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Development Center (UT-PDC) at The University of Texas at Austin is proud to offer the Business Analyst Certificate Program (BACP) for local professionals seeking to gain skills in the emerging business analysis (BA) field. Individual workers can sign up or organizations can send their up-and-coming team members to learn business analysis fundamentals.

Business analysis is a rising function, quickly being embraced by corporations around the world. Business analysts are trained to investigate and identify areas of customer need or potential market growth and then propose solutions to how their organization can meet that need, adapt to market change and build new business.

According to ESI International, a component of Informa PLC, business analysts play an increasingly vital role in change management. According to a 2011 ESI report, business analysts "will be recognized as critical to change management to avoid troubled projects. From their enterprise-wide vantage point, business analysts will be relied upon to help executives better understand the impact that change will have on the organization and to help minimize negative impact that results from change."

"I am so proud to offer the Business Analysis Certificate Program," said Liliya Spinazzola, director of UT-PDC. "We have offered this program since 2007, and there continues to be great popular demand for learning these skills. Austin continues to grow quickly, and individual workers and whole organizations see a great benefit to adding this capability to their portfolios. As our market grows, companies recognize that they must adjust to market changes to stay ahead of the competition."

Marsha B. Hughes, instructor of the BACP adds: "Without effective business analysis, projects can go off course, resulting in missed or misunderstood requirements, dissatisfied customers, and costly rework. In this certificate program, participants gain a comprehensive knowledge of the business analysis process, with a focus on the hands-on practice of business analysis tasks and techniques using a realistic case study and engaging group activities."

The program is made up of one and two-day classes offered once a month on the main campus of the university. Courses may be taken individually or as a series to complete the certificate. Upcoming courses from the program include:

• February 13: "Eliciting Requirements: Techniques and Considerations." In this course, participants learn how to conduct measured and comprehensive analysis of business functions and potentials.
• March 21: "Business Analysis Planning and Management." Participants create a BA plan, including documentation, deliverables and prioritization. They also learn to track and manage BA risks, work breakdown, requirement and performance.
• May 23: "Building the Business Case." Participants learn to prepare strong business cases for new projects by analyzing and identifying business needs, desired outcomes, capability gaps and solutions.
• June 20: "Business Analysis Essentials." Participants learn the techniques, terminology, methodologies and core competencies required of successful business analysts.
• July 24 and 25: "Analyzing and Documenting Requirements." This two-day workshop covers the requirements used by business analysts to effectively communicate new business plans to stakeholders.

UT-PDC's Business Analysis Certificate Program is an Endorsed Education Provider (EEP™) of the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®). The curriculum was updated in 2012 to be closer aligned with the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK® Guide), Version 2.0, a recognized industry standard.

For more information, please contact Veronica Phillips at 512-471-2926 or [email protected]. The Professional Development Center is a department of the Division of Continuing and Innovative Education at The University of Texas at Austin. www.utexas.edu/ce/pdc

Contact: Wayne Wenske, Continuing and Innovative Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-232-7392, [email protected]

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SOURCE Professional Development Center