Business Intelligence and Analytics

The business intelligence and analytics program at Tiffin University prepares students to display skills in data analysis and programming and apply their interpretation of collected data to help businesses understand trends, solve business problems and measure performance. Through this data, students will be able to assess company needs and create reports and visual presentations to assist corporate decision-makers in evaluating possible areas of improvement, expansion or upgrades – across many industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, technology, finance and engineering.

Business intelligence and analytics is a high-growth field. Advancing technology, increasing accessibility and improving benefits are some of the main factors driving the growth of the business intelligence market, accentuating the need for business intelligence analysts. Data security will become a major concern for business intelligence users and providers in the near future and data scientists will likely experience role shifts but will remain vital to the operation of the business intelligence industry.

Tiffin University’s BIA program prepares students with knowledge and skills that are directly applicable for the field.

Business skills include: 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills in order to share recommendations often based on highly technical data with colleagues in an approachable, easily digestible way.
• Superior leadership abilities to brainstorm and collaborate with team members.
• Creative problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
• Ability to work within a diverse, global workforce oriented around customer satisfaction.
• Gain skills in making data-informed decisions by evaluating different options, considering risks and benefits and understanding the impact on business outcomes.
• Acquire a deep understanding of business principles, including finance, marketing, operations and supply chain management.
• Learn the fundamentals of project management to effectively plan, execute and monitor data analytics projects. Develop skills in setting goals, managing resources and meeting project deadlines.
• Understand the ethical implications of data analytics and ensure responsible and ethical use of data. Learn about privacy regulations, data governance and best practices for handling sensitive information.

Technical skills include: 

• Database design and data architecture
• Data mining and analytics
• Machine learning
• Develop proficiency in programming languages commonly used in data analytics, such as Python and R
• Data security and privacy
• Data visualization, including tools such as Tableau and Qlik
• Handle all variants of Structured Query Language (SQL)
• Proficient in ETL (extract, transform, load)
• Understand which situations need Hadoop, R and SAS – and use these effectively
• Cloud computing and data storage technology (Google’s BigQuery and Amazon’s Redshift)
• Big data technologies

The business intelligence and analytics program at TU will also prepare students to pass the most important certifications that could help start or advance a career as a business intelligence analyst that include:

• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
• PMI Professional in Business Analytics (PBA)
• IIBA Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA)
• IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
• IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)
• Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Tableau Desktop Specialist/Associate
• Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification
• Oracle Business Intelligence Certification
• SAS Certified BI Content Developer for SAS 9
• IBM Certified Designer: IBM Cognos Analytics Author V11

Our students have experience with business intelligence and analytics, through real-world projects, internships and collaborations with industry-leading organizations. This includes:

• Applied projects in virtual environments
• Access to AI and Data tools remotely
• Industry collaborations and data hackathons
• Guest speakers and industry talks
• Faculty engagement in an online format
• Data exploration and visualization labs
• Participate in business intelligence and analytics simulations
• Internships and industry placements

FORMAT

Online – Offered in two terms per semester starting in January, March, May, July, August and October

SAMPLE COURSES

BIA 273 Applied Business Statistics – This course introduces students to descriptive and inferential statistics for use in business-related applications. Measures of central tendency and dispersion, simple probability, data analysis, and statistical inference are examined. The use of computer software for analyzing statistical data is addressed.

BIA 300 Data Analysis and Business Modeling – This course is designed to introduce the concept of business analytics. Analytics helps businesses make better decisions by using sound judgment and data. This is a skill development class that explores how statistics are used in business. Students in this course develop a specialized skill set used in a variety of roles within an organization.

BIA 299 Business Analytics – This course examines methods that have been studied in previous Business Intelligence major courses and those from the business core proven to be of value in recognizing patterns and making predictions from an applications perspective. Course learning involves utilizing a variety of software to aid in the review of analytical cases to improve understanding of enterprise-level analytics. Students build a data warehouse, using data profiling and qualityskills, and lifecycle models introduced in the course.

BIA 400 Machine Learning for Business Modeling – This course covers the Machine Learning process in Python, reinforcing concepts from Python fundamentals. Students will learn how to create predictive classification models for business, fine-tune and test the process, and how to interpret the results.

In the last few years, Business Intelligence and Analytics has become a highly in-demand job across the globe. In the United States, professionals in the business intelligence and analytics field can expect job growth over the next several years as well as competitive salaries.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job market for data scientists is expected to grow by 34% from 2024 to 2034. The BLS also states that the annual median pay for data scientists in 2024 was approximately $112,000 per year. Additionally, according to the BLS, the job outlook for management analysts is expected to grow by 9% and their annual median salary was about $101,000 in 2024.

CAREERs

• Accessibility Specialist
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Business Intelligence Data Modeler
• Business Intelligence Developer
• Business Intelligence Project Manager
• Business Intelligence Specialist
• Business Performance Analyst
• Data analyst – Business Intelligence
• Data Engineer
• Data Governance Specialist
• Data Scientist
• Data Visualization Specialist
• E-commerce Specialist
• Information Management Program Manager
• Management Analyst
• Software Consultant
• SQL Server Business Intelligence

What is Business Intelligence and Analytics?

Business intelligence and analytics enables organizations to turn large volumes of data into actionable insights, helping them make informed decisions and stay competitive in a fast-paced, data-driven world.

What is a bachelor’s in Business Intelligence and Analytics?

The bachelor’s in business intelligence and analytics program equips students with data analysis and programming skills to interpret data, identify trends, solve business problems, and create reports and visualizations that support informed decision-making across a wide range of industries.

What can i do with a degree in Business Intelligence and Analytics?

A degree in business intelligence and analytics prepares graduates for a wide range of careers focused on analyzing, managing, and visualizing data to support business decisions. Career paths include roles in business intelligence analysis, data science and engineering, data governance and visualization, performance and e-commerce analysis, project and program management, software consulting, and related business intelligence specialties across industries.