There’s no single qualification you need to become a business analyst. Common pathways include earning a relevant degree, gaining practical business analysis experience and earning a professional certification.
By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Bradly E. Roh, PhD, DBA and Interim Dean and Vice President for the School of Business, Technology and Health Care Administration
Reading Time: 9 minutes
Salary figures are drawn from Lightcast data and reflect national trends. Actual outcomes vary based on factors such as experience, industry, location, skills and economic conditions, and are not representative of Capella University graduate results.
To become a business analyst, you’ll typically build a foundation in business and analytical skills, often through a relevant degree, then gain practical experience and consider certification as your career develops.
If you’re someone who likes to work with data to help organizations solve problems and make better decisions, learning how to become a business analyst could be a good career pathway for you to explore. Business analysts dive into how organizations work, discover ways they can improve and use data to help create practical solutions to a company’s everyday problems.
There’s no single path into this field. Many professionals pursue business analysis after earning a degree in business, finance or technology, then building experience in areas like operations, customer service or project management.
Discover the education and skills that can support you, how to build relevant experience and how to demonstrate your skills even if your job title doesn’t include “business analyst.”
A business analyst is a professional who helps organizations identify business needs, analyze data and come up with effective solutions to meet those needs.
Business analysis can be a valuable function for organizations that want to better understand their needs and deliver value for stakeholders. Analysts will often help achieve this by:
Just remember this list isn’t exhaustive, and specific responsibilities vary by employer and industry.
Business analysts are often confused with data analysts, project managers and systems analysts. While there is some overlap between roles, business analysis has a slightly different focus.
If you’re considering pursuing a career in business analysis, it’s important to understand the primary focus of each role so that you can build your goals around the type of work that interests you most.
It’s possible to develop relevant skills through academic study, upskilling in your current role or gaining experience and building a portfolio. There are also industry bodies that offer certifications for professionals at different experience levels.
Business analysts often benefit from understanding how organizations operate and how data can be used to support business decisions. That foundational knowledge involves both theoretical and technical skills, and covers areas like:
If you’re looking for structured exposure to these subjects, a bachelor’s degree may be worth considering. For example, Capella’s online BS in Business, Business Administration specialization explores areas like organizational structure, finance and strategic planning that can help you communicate and collaborate at all levels of an organization.
This program is available in two competency-based online learning formats, so you can choose the one that fits how you like to learn. If you prefer to set your own pace, the FlexPath learning format lets you complete assessments on your own schedule. If you learn best with structure, the GuidedPath learning format sets weekly deadlines and includes discussions with peers and regular feedback from instructors.
After developing foundational knowledge, you can start building skills that will help you understand and communicate business problems.
A practical place to start is Excel, requirements gathering and process mapping, since you can practice all three in most roles. From there, you can add Structured Query Language (SQL) and data visualization tools as you take on more complex analysis. Common analysis and process mapping tools include:
Tools can change, so foundational skills in analytical thinking may serve you longer than mastering just one app. Neither Strategic Education, Inc., Capella University, nor any of their affiliates promotes, endorses or has any business relationship with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Jira or Confluence.
It’s possible to gain experience in the field even if your business card doesn’t say “business analyst.” Look for opportunities within your current job to improve an operational process, analyze customer data or work with financial information. You can also volunteer to gather requirements for a new system, coordinate cross-functional work, create reports or document workflows.
When an opportunity to use your analysis skills comes up, there’s a simple process you can follow. For example, let’s say you’re asked to investigate delays in an internal customer-service process.
If you’re unable to find any professional opportunities like this, you can also demonstrate your skills through academic or personal projects. To make any experience more useful when applying for business analyst roles, ask yourself five questions:
Your answers can then be translated into resume bullets, interview stories or portfolio projects that demonstrate how you approach business problems, analyze information and recommend solutions.
Your business analysis portfolio can be a living document that goes beyond stating which software tools you know how to use. It can show how you think through and approach real business problems. Samples you might show off in your portfolio include:
If you’re unable to share workplace examples for confidentiality reasons, it’s OK to create fictional scenarios or use publicly available datasets. Regardless of where your portfolio samples come from, they should all make the analytical process clear by explaining the problem, analysis, recommendation and outcome or expected impact.
Don’t limit yourself to roles that match the exact title “business analyst.” There are a number of related roles worth exploring like management analyst, financial and investment analyst or budget analyst.
When applying for jobs, review each description for recurring requirements that align with your interests and experience. Tailor your resume to show how your experience demonstrates those capabilities, and use portfolio projects to show what you’re able to do with that experience.
These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Some positions may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications and/or other designations along with a degree. Because many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title, a promotion, salary increase or other career outcome. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals.
Degree and certification requirements can vary by role, organization and industry. Generally speaking, a bachelor’s degree can offer a broad business and analytical foundation for a career in this field. Relevant degree areas may include business, finance, economics, information systems, computer science and data analytics. However, you can also transition into business analysis roles through transferable experience and targeted professional development.
It’s also worth looking into professional certifications offered by industry bodies and professional organizations. For example, the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) offers several certification options.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) also offers relevant certifications like the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA). This is another option that includes eligibility requirements based on prior business analysis experience and training, so it’s a certification you’d likely pursue once you’ve gained some experience in the field.
These certifications are generally optional, and you don’t need to collect multiple certifications. They can be one way to validate business analysis knowledge, and they tend to work best alongside practical experience rather than replacing it.
When organizations talk about “business analysts,” they’re not always referring to just one occupation. There are a variety of roles and responsibilities that fit under this umbrella, and so salary and career prospects vary depending on the position.
But to help give you an idea of what’s out there, it’s worth taking a look at the Lightcast data that documents the national median salaries across related roles.
Actual pay and opportunities vary by job title, industry, location, experience and responsibilities.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a business analyst. A number of pathways can help you pursue a role in business analysis, and many combine foundational education, relevant experience, technical skills and ongoing professional development.
If you’re ready to strengthen your foundation, Capella offers an online BS in Business, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and individual business courses that can help you build skills in areas like financial analysis and problem-solving as you pursue roles in business analysis.
There’s no single qualification you need to become a business analyst. Common pathways include earning a relevant degree, gaining practical business analysis experience and earning a professional certification.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can automate some data analysis tasks. However, many organizations may still rely on business analysts to interpret that data and work with stakeholders to develop and recommend solutions.
There’s no fixed timeline involved with becoming a business analyst. Some professionals may transition into business analysis through existing experience, while others may spend several years developing relevant skills and qualifications.
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