To help develop skills and knowledge to support successful business change programmes within an organisation.
This short course is to address the range of concepts, approaches and techniques that are applicable to Business Analysis.
This is to help develop skills and knowledge to support successful business change programmes within an organisation.
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In this section
This short course is to address the range of concepts, approaches and techniques that are applicable to Business Analysis.
This is relevant to students requiring an understanding of Business Analysis to strengthen their progression on a business analysis career path. Completion will enable students to support successful business change.
This course aims to:
Course content includes -
Introduction to Business Analysis and Rationale:The Origins of Business Analysis. The Development of Business Analysis. The Scope of Business Analysis Work. Taking a Holistic Approach. A Lifecycle for Business Change. The Framework for Business Analysis Activities. The Role and Responsibilities of a Business Analyst.
The Role of the Business Analyst - Skills and Competencies:Personal Qualities. Business Analysis. Professional Techniques. The Development of Competencies. The Role of the Business Analyst Within the Lifecyle for Business Change. Other Roles with the Lifecycle.
Strategy Analysis:The Context for Strategy. The Definition of Strategy. Strategy Development. External Environment Analysis. Internal Environment Analysis. SWOT Analysis. Executing Strategy. Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators and Performance Targets. The Balanced Business Scorecard.
Project Discipline for Business Analysis Studies:Terms of Reference/Project Initiation. Business and Project Objectives.
The Business Analysis Service Framework:The portfolio of six business analysis services. Description and value proposition of the services. Service activities and techniques.
Understanding the Situation/Issues and Investigation Techniques:Overview of Investigative Techniques. Interviews. Observation. Workshops. Scenarios. Prototyping. Quantitative Approaches. Documenting the Current Situation. Representing a Holistic View of the Business Situation.
Stakeholder Analysis and Management:Stakeholder Categories and Identification. Analysing Stakeholders. Stakeholder Management Strategies. Managing Stakeholders. Identifying and Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives. Defining Perspectives. Business Activity Models.
Modelling the Business System and Business Processes:Organisational Context. An Alternative View of an Organisation. The Organisational View of Business Processes. Value Propositions. Process Models. Analysing the As-Is Process Model. Improving Business Processes (To-Be Business Process).
Identifying Potential Solutions and Defining the Solution:Gap Analysis. Introduction to, and Definition of, Business Architecture. Business Architecture Techniques. Defining a New Business Model. Identifying IS/IT Requirements to Support the New Business Model. Design Thinking.
Establishing the Requirements:A Framework for Requirements Engineering. Actors in Requirements Engineering. Requirements Elicitation. Requirements Analysis. Requirements Validation.
Documenting and Managing Requirements:The Requirements Document. The Requirements Catalogue. Managing Requirements.
Modelling Requirements:Modelling System Functions. Modelling System Data.
Delivering the Requirements:Delivering the Solution. Context. Lifecycles.
Making a Business and Financial Case:The Business Case in the Project Lifecycle. Identifying Options. Assessing Project Feasibility. Identifying and Categorising Costs, Benefits and Risks. Investment Appraisal. Identifying Impacts. Structure of a Business Case. The Lifecycle for the Business Case.
Delivering the Business Solution:Business Analyst Role in the Business Change Lifecycle. Design Stage. Implementation Stage. Realisation Stage.
Class Test (Written) [33%]
A multiple choice and short answer class test to assess understanding of the core foundational topic areas. 60 minutes duration.
Project (Coursework) [67%]
A business-scenario analysis, on a student-group basis, that will produce a 2,500-word report (up to 10% over the word count will be allowed; however, in submission where the word count is greater than 2,750 words, Ulster University Word Limits Principles and Penalties will be applied).
Students must, on an individual basis, submit a 'Self-Evaluation and Peer-Assessment' that will allow students to reflect on their contribution to the success, or otherwise, of the group (there are no words limits for this element).
This course requires on-campus attendance, at our Belfast campus, in Semester 2, starting January 2025.
The course is timetabled for the following days –
* Please note, dates and timetabling are to be confirmed and may be subject to change.
Applicants must:
(a) have gained
(i) a second class honours degree or better from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
(ii) an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification;
and
(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).
In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
Additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlements Status Fees: £583.35
England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands Fees: £583.35
International Fees: £Not Applicable
Payment of Fees and Deposits
Information about how to pay for a course including different payment options is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/finance/student/tuition-fees-payments
Fees and Funding
Information and advice about course fees and a guide to budgeting for your living costs, as well as sources for financial assistance including hardship funding, scholarships, prizes and awards, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/student/fees
See if you can access financial or other forms of support, including mentorship to excel in your studies.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
For further information please contact us via -
Email: FlexEd@ulster.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 28 9536 7199
* Please ensure to include your name, email, contact number and the name of the course you are interested in, with your query.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ulster University Business School (UUBS) aims to be a thought-leader for sustainable business futures.
Our mission is to embolden staff, students and all our stakeholders to become sustainable business futures leaders. We aim to support and showcase sustainability research and education across Ulster University Business School.
We do so by embedding the sustainable futures agenda into five remits: sustainability performance, research and knowledge exchange, learning and teaching, student experience and communications and engagement. We are a member of PRME – the Principles for Responsible Management Education concordat.
Contact: uubssustainability@ulster.ac.uk
We support and develop ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ within the Faculty’s Learning & teaching portfolio. We do so by providing bespoke staff training on ESD and curating an ESD Resources Hub.
All UUBS undergraduate and post-graduate course are mapped against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and students are actively involved in learning for sustainable development.
We seek to enhance the student experience by encouraging our students to become actively involved in sustainability initiatives, such as Carbon Literacy Training, the Big Spring Clean and collaborating with the Northern Ireland Resource Network.
We develop, support and disseminate sustainability-themed research within the Faculty and beyond. Our annual sustainability research networking event creates new research strands within the Faculty’s research portfolio.
We actively support out PhD community to embed sustainability in their research and provide training on methods and critical thinking on sustainability.
We partner with other institutions, such as Queen’s University Belfast and Atlantic Technological University to broaden our sustainability research and create interdisciplinary research links.
UUBS has a dedicated Sustainability Committee, tasked with developing dedicated internal and external communications and engagement activities promoting the sustainability work of the Faculty.
We host an annual Sustainability Business Breakfast, attend and speak at notable sustainability events, such as the SustainExchange Summit, the Belfast Re[Act] Festival and the NI Science Festival.
Our sustainability work is monitored on our bespoke UUBS SDG Dashboard on our dedicated UUBS sustainability webpages. Our sustainability performance team oversees the Faculty’s Academy Restaurant’s Green Academy programme and associated eco-certifications Green Key and Green Tourism Gold Award.
