Business Analytics Undergraduate Microcredential

The Business Analytics undergraduate microcredential has been created to help students tailor their education to their professional goals and recruiting firms' market expectations. In brief, the microcredential signals your knowledge of business analytics fundamentals to external stakeholders, like firms, during recruiting efforts.

This microcredential can be shared digitally on Linkedin and is issued on a blockchain, so anyone can verify it is issued from the Gies College of Business. A sample digital certificate and badge can be seen below:

What are some rules/criteria for being eligible for this microcredential?

1. Completion of this microcredential is an optional part of the Gies Business undergraduate programs.

2. No priority for class registration will be given for courses required in the microcredential.

3. The microcredential will not be displayed on the degree transcript nor on the student academic record.

4. Students with a single major must earn at least 3 hours of course credit distinct from credit earned for their major or minor. Students should consult with an academic advisor to ensure proper planning.Note: This requirement is not enforced for double majors.

5. Credit/No Credit courses cannot be applied to the microcredential.

6. Students need to attain a grade of B+ (3.3 GPA) or higher in each of the courses.

7. No application is required. Students who meet the requirements for the microcredential will receive a digital certificate and badge approximately three (3) weeks after final grades have been posted.

What courses can take I to earn the microcredential?

Foundational Core (at least 1 of the following)

BADM 210: Business Analytics I (3 credit hours)

BADM 211: Business Analytics II (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: BADM 210; CS 105 or equivalent.

CS/IS/STAT 107: Data Science Discovery (3 credit hours)

Modeling and Methods (at least 2 of the following)

BADM 352: Database Design and Management (3 credit hours)

BADM 356: Data Science & Analytics (3 credit hours)

BADM 374: Management Decision Models (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: ECON 203 or BADM 210.

BADM 453: Business Intelligence (3 credit hours)

Application Domain (at least 1 of the following)

ACCY 302: Decision Making for Accounting
Prerequisite: ACCY 202 or equivalent; BADM 210 or concurrent enrollment or equivalent; and recommend concurrent enrollment in ACCY 301 for Accountancy majors.

BADM 336: Modeling the Supply Chain (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: BADM 335.

BADM 351: Social Media Strategy (3 credit hours)

BADM 379: Business Process Improvement (3 credit hours)

BADM 373 Quantitative Foundations for Business Analytics (3 credit hours)

FIN 490: Applied Financial Statement Analysis (3 credit hours)

Some courses above might have restrictions by major or pre-requisites. These prerequisites are unlikely to be waived for the purpose of obtaining this microcredential.

FAQs

Does the business analytics microcredential count towards a degree? Are the courses at a graduate level or undergraduate level?

The Business Analytics microcredential is issued based on a sequence or group of courses that provide students with opportunities to develop business analytics expertise. The goal of the microcredential is to contribute to a student's ability to meet standards of competence within business analytics. The microcredential is not a degree program, and students do not earn credit toward a specific undergraduate or graduate degree. The courses for this certificate are all undergraduate courses.

Can I earn credit towards a particular undergraduate or graduate degree by completing the microcredenital?

No, students who complete the requirements for this microcredential cannot transfer credit toward a degree. Microcredentials, such as this, provide professional education but do not carry credit toward an undergraduate or graduate degree.

What is the difference between a certificate and a certification?

Microcredential certificate programs such as this provide professional training in relevant topics for the field. Certifications are awarded by governmental and professional agencies and often need to be renewed to remain active.

Do I have to apply to a specific program to begin taking the certificate courses?

Students do not need to apply to a program to begin taking courses. Certain courses, however, are restricted in entry to specific majors. So, students have to find options within each course category (Foundational Core, Modeling & Methods, and Application Domain) that apply to their specific major to fulfill the microcredential requirements.

Is there a start date for the certificate programs?

There is no specific start date for the business analytics certificate program. Students should keep in mind that not all courses are offered each semester, so it is important to plan ahead to complete the necessary requirements.

Is there a course substitution policy?

Even though there are analytics courses offered around the campus in various departments/colleges, those courses cannot be used to substitute for the courses in this certificate sequence. This is a strict rule. Please do not request substitutions.

Will I develop any programming or tool proficiency by taking the business analytics microcredential course sequence?

Yes, certain courses in this sequence (BADM: 210, BADM: 211, CS/IS/STAT: 107, BADM: 352, BADM: 356, BADM: 453) are designed to give you proficiency in tools/programming like Excel, Tableau, Python, and R. It is still up to the student to make the most of these opportunities and go beyond what is taught in the courses to develop high proficiency levels in these tools/programming languages.

Do I need programming language knowledge as a pre-requisite?

No programming knowledge is assumed prior to taking the courses listed for the microcredential. However, it is always helpful to develop proficiency in one or more languages, such as Python and R, to help prepare yourself for data-driven career opportunities and for self-development.

When can I register for these courses? Are there any exceptions?

The eligibility criteria for each of these courses are independently determined and must be met by the student for successful course registration. Most students would be able to register for these courses in the junior and senior years when their college core and major pre-requisites are met.

Is it possible to waive any restrictions noted above for the microcredential pre-requisite courses?

No exceptions are permitted.

How long will it take to complete the microcredential courses?

There are no other criteria than those explicitly stated above. Depending on the course schedules and registration enrollment criteria, students need to plan for three or four courses. Administrators and course instructors will not make the certificate a priority during the enrollment period. Students enroll in these courses like any other courses they enroll in.

Note: Some courses may have restrictions on the major or some prerequisites. Please reach out to an academic advisor if you have questions.

How will I receive the digital certificate and badge for this microcredential?

Learners who complete all requirements for the microcredential will receive the certificate and badge approximately three weeks after the semester in which the requirements were completed.

I did not receive the digital certificate or badge, whom should I contact?

Email ProfessionalCredentials@business.illinois.edu for assistance.

Please submit all other questions pertaining to the certificate to bacertificate@business.illinois.edu