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How to Become a Business or Management Analyst

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Recently, we wrote about why you should consider getting a degree in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics, and here we’ll explain how to leverage this degree to get a job as a business analyst or management analyst.

This is a great career that offers the chance to serve as a critical employee whose role involves helping organizational leaders make better-informed decisions, and it’s the perfect job for anyone interested in technology, statistics, and analytics.

In this article, we’ll explain why you should consider launching a career as a business analyst, what business and management analysts do at work, and what you’ll need to study to achieve success in this challenging, competitive industry.

After you’ve read about how to get a job as a business analyst, fill out our information request form to get additional details on our online Bachelor’s Degree in MIS and Business Analytics, which is the perfect program for anyone looking to break into this field.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

Is Business and Management Analysis a Good Career?

Yes, this is a great potential career option for anybody who likes technology and mathematics, especially statistics and analytics.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t report data for the role “Business Analyst”, they do provide details for “Management Analysts”, and their findings are quite promising.

First, BLS reports that Management Analysts earn a median pay of $93,000 per year as of May 2021 and that the typical entry-level education requirement is a bachelor’s degree.

BLS also reports that demand for these professionals is growing and that the employment of management analysts will grow by 11% between 2021 and 2031, which is a faster rate of growth than the average for all occupations.

Knowing that these professionals are well-paid and in-demand, you can rest assured that it’s a great time to consider getting into this field.

What do Business Analysts Actually Do?

Professional business analysts play an incredibly important role in modern businesses, helping to bridge the gap between their technical teams and management executives.

How do they do this? They’re the individuals responsible for interpreting data collected by the IT teams and using it to provide strategic business advice to organizational leaders.

As a business or management analyst, you may be asked to handle a whole series of tasks requiring technical and analytical skills, including:

  • Gathering and organizing information to help solve problems, improve procedures, increase profits, etc.  
  • Analyzing financial data to run reports and conduct analyses of efficiencies, including reviewing revenue, costs, profits, etc.
  • Interviewing employees, clients, and other stakeholders to help determine resources needed for business operations.
  • Providing data-driven advice, suggestions, and recommendations to the management team to improve organizational results.
  • Developing new solutions, procedures, strategies, systems, or other changes to improve business practices and operational performance.
  • Monitoring organizational changes, technological updates, etc., to verify that any deployed recommendations are effectively improving performance

As you might imagine, this is an incredibly important role since it involves providing advice to organizational leaders.

Great business analysts can significantly improve the performance of organizations, while poor management analysts can cause major problems for the organizations that take their advice.

This is why the hiring process for business analysts can get quite competitive, and why it’s so critical that anyone looking to break into the industry first develops an impressive resume, including respected academic credentials which prove they have the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities required to succeed in this challenging role.

Do I Really Need a Degree to Get a Job as a Business Analyst?

Probably, as the BLS reports that management analytics typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and several years of work experience to find success in the industry.

Because the work you complete in this role is so critical to organizational health, it’s incredibly unlikely that a company will trust you to provide them with advice unless you’ve got the academic credentials to prove that you know what you’re doing.

The best way to prove that you’re ready to take on these difficult assignments is to get your degree in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics from CSU Global.

This degree was designed to provide you with everything you need to serve as a successful business or management analyst, as the program will develop your abilities to:

  • Set and control operational and technological budgets.
  • Use information systems to develop effective business strategies.
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret data to improve decision-making and guide management processes.
  • Research, plan and make technology-related decisions at any level of the organization.

Our MIS and Business Analytics program will also provide you with the essential background knowledge you need to fully understand core business practices, including detailed expertise in critical business units like:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Strategy

If you’re serious about getting into the industry as a professional analyst, you couldn’t pick a better program than our Degree in MIS and Business Analytics, as it’ll provide everything you need to succeed in this complex and challenging role.

What Can I Do to Increase My Odds of Success?

The most important step you can take to improve your odds of launching a successful career in business or management analysis is to complete a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, like our B.S. in MIS and Business Analytics.

However, after you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree, you’ll have several other options to improve your resume and increase your marketability, including completing a relevant master’s degree and earning related certifications.

If you’re interested in pursuing a master’s that would help you be a better business analyst, you should certainly consider CSU Global’s M.S. in Data Analytics, which was designed to help you learn how to review key performance metrics, interpret the data, and develop effective strategies for improving organizational performance.

And if you’d like to explore certification options to help improve your resume, CIO.com reports that there are 10 different certifications you should consider, including:

  • Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
  • IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)
  • IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)
  • IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
  • IIBA Agile Analysis Certification (AAC)
  • IIBA Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA)
  • IQBBA Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA)
  • IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE)
  • PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA)
  • SimpliLearn Business Analyst Masters Program

Whether you choose to pursue just the bachelor’s degree, or you decide to go for a master’s or certification program as well, you’re sure to be better positioned to achieve success in this industry after you’ve put in the time and work to complete these important academic endeavors. 

Should I Study Online or In-Person?

When it comes time to choose between studying in-person or online, we suggest opting for the online option.

Why? Because studying online will allow you to enjoy more flexibility and freedom, in that online learning allows you to study whenever, and from wherever you like.

Should you choose to study with us at CSU Global, you’ll get to enjoy several excellent benefits, including:

  • No requirements to show up at set times or in physical locations.
  • Monthly class starts.
  • Accelerated courses.

These benefits will make it much easier to finish your degree, allowing you to accomplish your educational goals even if you’ve got other important responsibilities that you can’t ignore.

If you’re a busy working professional, or if you have family responsibilities, then you should certainly consider studying online with CSU Global.

Why Should I Choose to Study at CSU Global?

Our online Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and designed to give you everything you need to launch a successful career as a business or management analyst.

This program has proven to provide a great deal of value to graduates, who report earning an average annual salary of $72,181 just one year after completing their degree, and a salary that’s 47% higher than the national average for all bachelor’s degree holders (BLS, 2019) three years after their graduation.

The program is also widely recognized as one of the best in the field, as it recently earned an excellent ranking:

  • #1 Best Online Bachelor’s in Management Information Systems Programs from Best Colleges.

You can rest assured that your degree will be well-respected by industry professionals too, as CSU Global itself is a recognized industry leader in higher education, having recently earned several important rankings, including:

  • A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges in Colorado from Best Colleges.
  • A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges & Schools in Colorado from Best Accredited Colleges.
  • A #10 ranking for Best Online Colleges for ROI from OnlineU.

Finally, we’re dedicated to keeping your costs down, which is why we offer competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee that promises your affordable tuition rate won’t increase between enrollment and graduation.

For additional details about our fully-accredited online Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!