IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate Review

Introduction

A Business Intelligence Analyst is a professional that help draw meaningful insights from raw data by using various tools, insights that are useful in making data-driven decisions. The IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate is one of the common Certification choice for many.

A Business Intelligence Analyst is a specialization of Data Analysis and employs similar tools in the treatment of Business Data.

This blog post will be a review of this certificate, and the things you will need to know before you take this certification. I will share my thoughts on this certification and what a few of my colleagues who have taken this certification thinks of it.

Some of the specifics of this review will include the following:

• What it is the IBM Business Intelligence Analyst Certificate?
• Who is the Certification for?
• Review of each of each of the courses and what you will learn from each
• How long it took me to complete it
• Cost of the IBM Business Intelligence Analyst Certification
• Benefits of the course
• What I don’t Like about the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Certification
• What Can You do With the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate?
• How Much Can You Earn (in Salary with this Certificate).
• Can you get a job with it?
• Pros and Cons of the IBM BI Analyst Certificate
• Is IBM business intelligence BI Analyst Professional Certificate worth it?

What is the IBM Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate?

The IBM Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate (aka IBM BI Analyst PC) is a professional certificate designed to prepare you for entry-level Business Intelligence Analyst job role.

The IBM BI Analyst PC is comprise of 10 independent courses to cover different areas of Business Analysis. We went through the breakdown of each of these courses in the section below.

The course is fully online is offered through the Coursera platform. Like other IBM Certificates, the certificate is designed by the IBM Skill Network Team, so you should expect to see a lot of computer “voice” rather than an actual human face interaction in many of the training materials.

Who is the IBM BI Analyst Certificate for?

Most persons will be able to navigate the IBM Business Intelligence Analyst certificate curriculum (with dedication) even if they lack any foundation in Business Intelligence or Data Analysis.

It is a beginner’s certification that does not require any prior knowledge. The certificate is for

1. People who want to pursue an entry-level position as a Business Intelligence Analyst.
2. Learn the fundamentals of Business Intelligence
3. IT Professionals who want to transition into “Data-Centric” career

Review of each of each of the courses

There are 10 courses that make up the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate; the list of these courses are as follows.

1. Course 1: Business Intelligence (BI) Essentials
2. Course 2: Excel Basics for Data Analysis
3. Course 3: Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excels and Cognos
4. Course 4: Introduction to Relational Database (RMDS)
5. Course 5: SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases
6. Course 6: Data Warehouse Fundamentals
7. Course 7: Statistical Analysis Fundamentals using Excel
8. Course 8: Getting Started with Tableau
9. Course 9: Advanced Data Visualization with Tableau
10. Course 10: The Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Capstone Project

Below are the overview of what you will learn in each of the courses that make up the certification.

Course 1 : Business Intelligence (BI) Essentials

This course is a basic introduction to Business Intelligence. It goes a bit further to showcase some of the process BI analyst use (BI Process) in handling Business Data.

Here is an overview of the topics covered and what you will learn in the course;

• Introduction to Business Intelligence, Concepts, Key components and challenges
• Career options in BI
• Basic BI Tools and Technologies
• Business Context and Processing Requirement, including how to develop a BI Project.
• The BI Process – which include Data Gathering, Cleaning, Analysis and Visualization using BI Tools and Technologies

The course has 6 modules and are as follows;

1. Module 1: Introduction to Business Intelligence (BI)
2. Module 2: The Data Ecosystem
3. Module 3: BI Analytics Landscape
4. Module 4: Gathering and Wrangling Data
5. Module 5: Mining and Visualizing Data and Communication Results
6. Module 6: Applying BI Techniques and Final Project

I like the fact that you get commentaries from Industry experts in BI, giving their inputs at various points in this course, and indeed throughout the entire certification

What I don’t like about the course is that lesson is a computer-generated voice and infographics, rather than a human one-on-one interaction.

This may not be a problem to many people but I personally prefer seeing a human face speaking to me. I relate better that way.

Course 2: Excel Basics for Data Analysis

This course is teaches you how to use Excel Spreadsheet for the cleaning and analysis of Data. Excel is a powerful and important tool you will often employ in Business Intelligence.

What you will learn in this course are as follows;

• Create an Excel Spreadsheet and Explain its basic functionality
• How to use Excel as a Data Analysis tool
• Using Excel for Data Wrangling and Data Cleaning tasks
• Analyze Data using Filter, Sort and Pivot Tables features in Excel Spreadsheets

The course module include the following;

1. Module 1: Introduction to Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets
2. Module 2: Getting Started Using Excel Spreadsheets
3. Module 3: Cleaning and Wrangling Data Using Spreadsheets
4. Module 4: Analyzing Data using Spreadsheets
5. Module 5. Final Project

Course 3: Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excels and Cognos

This course is designed to teach you skills in Data Visualizations and Dashboards, which are important components of the Business Intelligence Process.

What you will learn in this course are as follows;

• How to use Excel to create basic visualizations such as line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts
• Creating advanced charts and visualizations such as Treemaps, Sparklines, Histogram, Scatter Plots, and Filled Map Charts
• How to use Cognos and Excel to build and share interactive dashboards
• Story-telling using charts.

The course module are as follows;

1. Module 1 : Visualizing Data using Spreadsheets
2. Module 2: Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Spreadsheets
3. Module 3: Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Cognos Analytics
4. Module 4: Final Project

Course 4: Introduction to Relational Database (RDBMS)

Relational Database management system (RDBMS) is a program for creating, updating or managing Relational Databases. This course is designed to give you essential skills in RDBMS and covers some of the most commonly used RDBMS like MySQL and PostgreSQL.

What you will learn in this course include:

1. Core Concepts of Relational Database
2. How to navigate the different DMS like DB2, MySQL (phpMyAdmin) and Postgre SQL (pgAdmin)
3. Know the distinction between the different RDBMS
4. Some practical applications of RDBMS

The Modules in the course are as follows;

• Module 1: Relational Database Concepts
• Module 2: Using Relational Databases
• MySQL and PostgreSQL
• Module3 : Final Project and Assessment

Course 5: SQL – A Practical Introduction For Querying Databases

This course is an Introduction Structured Query Language (SQL) – one of the most in-demand skills in the tech career marketplace. It prepares you for using SQL in a real-world scenario.

What you will learn in the course include;

• The basics of SQL
• How to perform simple queries using SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE Statements
• How to create Database Instances, Tables and Load Data
• How to use SQL to analyze Real-world Data set.

The course modules are as follows;

• Module 1: Getting Started with SQL
• Module 2: Introduction to Relational Databases and Tables
• Module 3: Intermediate SQL
• Module 4: Working with Real-World Datasets, Final Project and Exams.
• Module 5: Advanced SQL (Honors)

Course 6: Data Warehouse Fundamentals

This course teaches the fundamentals of Data Warehouses. A Data Warehouse is a large Repository of Data, where the data is Organized and Optimized for Analysis and Report.

What you will learn in this course include;

• Database Design, features and Advantages
• Data Models using Stars and Snowflakes Schemas
• Data Warehouse Choice for Organizations
• Querying the Data Warehouse using Cubes, Rollup and Material Views

The modules are

• Module 1: Data Warehouse, Data Marts and Data Lakes
• Module 2: Designing, Modelling and Implementing Data Warehouses
• Module 3: Final Assignment and Quiz

Course 7: Statistical Analysis Fundamentals using Excel

This course is designed to equip you with basic knowledge in Statistics and Excel for Data Analysis (Business Intelligence)

You will learn in this course the following;

• Describe the Fundamental concepts of Statistics and apply them to Data Analysis
• Apply Data Collection and Interpretation Techniques
• Apply Descriptive and Inferential Analysis methods
• Apply Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis and Forecasting

The course module include the following;

1. Module 1: Introduction and Descriptive Statistics
2. Module 2: Data Visualization
3. Module 3: Introduction to Probability Distribution
4. Module 4: Regression Analysis and Forecasting
5. Module 5: Analyzing Sales Performance and Forecasting

Course 8: Getting Started with Tableau

Tableau is one of the most popular Visualization tools that a Business Intelligence Analyst will use to tell a data story. This course is designed to teach you how to get started with it.

You will learn

• Understand Tableau fundamental’s concepts, its significance in data visualization, features etc.
• Analyze and Evaluate the Capabilities of Tableau as a powerful Data Visualization tool for BI analyst.
• Develop Expertise in Tableau Dashboard Designs, Principles and how to Organize Elements effectively

The modules are as follows;

1. Module 1: Introduction to Tableau
2. Module 2: Customizing Visualizations, Creating Dashboards and Stories
3. Module 3: Final Project and Quiz

You get to sign up for a free version of Tableau (Public) Software for this course.

Course 9: Advanced Data Visualization with Tableau

In this course, you will explore further Data Visualization with Tableau. It is designed to sharpen your Data Visualization skills with Tableau.

In this course, You will learn the following:

• Explore the Advanced Feature of Tableau
• Unlock Strategic Insights using Tableau
• Enhance your Decision-making.

The course module are as follows;

1. Module 1: Data Sources, Data Modelling and Advanced Analytics
2. Module 2: Advanced Formatting and User Experience
3. Module 3: Final Project and Final Exam

Course 10. The Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Capstone Project

I find this to be a very important aspect of the IBM BI Analyst PC. It provides you an opportunity to apply data analysis techniques acquired in the previous courses to real-world datasets, extract meaningful insights and discover patterns.

You can incorporate the Capstone project into your work portfolio to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers.

You will learn practical skills in the various modules with hands-on projects.

1. Module 1: Data Cleaning and Preparation using Excel
2. Module 2: Data Querying and Analysis using PostgreSQL
3. Module 3: Data Visualization and Statistical Analysis
4. Module 4: Data Visualization and Dashboards with Tableau
5. Module 5: Present your BI Analysis Findings
6. Module 6: Final Exam
7. Module 7: Ace Your Job Hunt (Bonus module)

How Long It Takes to Complete the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate

Most persons I know and sampled online were able to complete the entire course in 3-4 months. This was based on a 1-2 hours per day study schedule.

The most time-consuming of the courses was Course 5: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases (25 hours). I would also suggest you spend enough time in the Capstone projects in Course 10.

Overall duration of all the 10 courses is about 143 hours.

How Much It Cost to Get the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate

The Cost of the Certification is the cost of your monthly subscription to Coursera. If you like in the US/Canada, this comes down to $49 per month.

The overall cost of you taking this Certification will be dependent on how long you take to complete the certification.

To save cost, you can explore other options such using the Audit option and applying Financial aid for those that are eligible (HOW TO GET COURSERA CERTIFICATE FOR FREE).

The table below is summary is a summary of how much it will cost you to get the IBM BI Analyst Certificate considering different completion time:

Month(s)	Cost in the USA/Canada	Cost in the UK	Cost in Most Part of Africa
1	$49	£47	$39
2	$92	£94	$78
3	$147	£141	$117
4	$196	£188	$156

What Can You do With the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate?

The IBM BI Analyst PC prepares you for a career role primarily as a Business Intelligence Analyst. There are however other job roles that has Data as the main pillar, for which you can apply this knowledge gained from this certification.

Some other job roles that are within the BI career skillset include the following;

• BI Developer – where you can combine the skill with Software Engineering
• BI Project Management – to Manage BI Projects
• ETL Developer
• ELT Designer and Developer
• Power User or Analyst
• BI Application Designer and Developer

These a specialized roles and may require additional training. At least, you can get started with this course.

How Much Can You Earn With The IBM Business Intelligence Analyst Certificate

The typical salary range for people who hold this certificate I found from different job forum in the US is between $75K – $140K per year. Data from Glassdoor were also within this range.

Can you get a job with the IBM BI Analyst Certificate?

You can get a job with this certificate. As with other Professional Certificate, you also do need to show proficiency in other skillsets, including non-technical skills.

There are enough basic hands-on practical demos in the IBM BI Analyst Certificate course to kickstart a career in BI Analytics.

Pros and Cons of the IBM Business Intelligence Certificate

The follow are the Pros and Cons of the Certificate

Pros

1. Industry Recognition – IBM Certificate are standard certificates that gets wide acceptance amongst many employers
2. Course Content – I think the course contents are excellent and adequate especially for beginners
3. Cost – The cost is relatively low, compare to what you pay for some bootcamps and training
4. Practical Skills – You get some hands-on practical demos in the course

Cons

1. Course may not be appealing to people who prefer a human teaching the courses rather than having a computer voiced narration
2. I would have loved to see Power BI in addition to Tableau as the Visualization Tool. Power BI and Tableau are two of the most common Visualization tools, this course focuses on Tableau.

Is it worth it or should you take the Certification

I think the value proposition of the Certification is good, especially compared to what it will cost you to get it. It is worth taking.

The IBM BI Analyst PC teaches you to pursue a career in Business Intelligence (and related disciplines), you get an Industry-recognized Certificate that validates you skills and some ready projects you can include in your job search portfolio.

Reference : https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/bi-analyst