Business Analysis and Consulting - PgCert

About this course

About

This new, part-time programme is ideal for people who would like to work in a consultancy role in the professional services or technology sectors, or for experienced tech professionals who want to progress their careers in business analysis and consulting or management. The programme focuses on working within organisations but is also relevant for freelance consultants and business owners who wish to develop transferrable management skills and knowledge to apply in an entrepreneurial context.

The content has been informed by global industry partners and formulated to provide real-world practical experience through project-based learning, industry-based scenarios and live case studies. This will ensure that the business and consulting skills provided are highly applicable to those working in tech roles across a range of sectors.

With a particular focus on the challenges of the changing business environment, the course aims to enhance the employability of learners within dynamic professional services and tech sectors.

The PG Cert Business Analysis and Consulting is made up of four modules;

• Business analysis and consulting

• Stakeholder and client management

• Technology and data science in consulting

• Consulting in practice

Upon successful completion of this course, you have the opportunity to advance onto the Business in Technology MSc.

This course is also avaialble to study fully online with intakes in September, November, January, March, May and July.

Attendance

4 modules

September 2023 to August 2024, with either a half-day or evening sessions weekly.

Start dates

• September 2023

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The course utilises a unique blended delivery mode, combining on-campus teaching with online learning. Online sessions will take the form of pre-recorded lectures and prepared resources that students can access in their own time to suit their individual circumstances.

Assessment is 100% via coursework – both individual and group work.

The programme will apply the principles and practices of business analysis and consulting to real-life projects and scenarios. This work-based learning will provide students with ‘real-life’ work experiences where they can apply academic and business analysis and consultancy skills.

Assessments will also focus on the application of technology and data science in business analysis and consulting. The projects will be a real-life consultancy projects sourced from industry, an employee work project, or a case study.

Assessments will take the form of reports and business case writing, professional conversations, business simulation tasks, online presentations and learning logs.

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:

• the relevant generic national Qualification Descriptor
• the applicable Subject Benchmark Statement
• the requirements of any professional, regulatory, statutory and accrediting bodies.

Attendance and Independent Study

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 near the start date and may be subject to 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 of attendance will often 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- or 20-credit modules and postgraduate course 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. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Masters 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

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be via one method or a combination e.g. examination and coursework . Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

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 and the assessment timetable. 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 four learning outcomes, and no more than two 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.

Calculation of the Final Award

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 Masters 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 correct for academic year 2019-2020.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

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 staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced 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.

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 correct for the academic year 2021-2022.

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

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 staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced 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 correct for academic year 2021-2022.

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.

Year two

Business Analysis and Consulting

Year: 2

Status: C

The aim of this module is to provide the skills and capabilities required to undertake effective business analysis to manage and implement change. It focuses on developing the practical, evaluative and analytical skills required to influence and develop strategy and performance that achieve sustainable outcomes. Subjects covered in include business analysis tools and processes, understanding and evaluating business needs, business problem solving, benefits realisation and impact measurement.

Stakeholder and Client Management

Year: 2

Status: C

This module aims to enable participants to apply the principles and practices of effective stakeholder and client management, particularly in implementing sustainable change and delivering sustainable outcomes. The module will develop the skills and capabilities required to influence and manage key stakeholders and manage clients. Subjects covered include stakeholder analysis, client and stakeholder management and influencing and negotiating.

Consultancy in Practice

Year: 2

Status: C

This module aims to develop and apply valuable business analysis and consulting skills; in particular, business investigation and analysis, reporting, benefits realisation and stakeholder and client management. The module uses project-based learning methodologies to provide students with an understanding of how business analysis and consulting skills and knowledge can be applied to a 'real life' consulting project. This is particularly relevant to students requiring an understanding of business analysis to strengthen their progression on a management career path within the Business Analyst/Consulting sector.

Tech and Data Science in Consulting

Year: 2

Status: C

This module aims to explore a variety of data storage, management and analysis paradigms in order to enables students to effectively understand the OSEMN data science pipeline.

Within this module, the OSEMN pipeline will be applied to obtaining meaning and insights from an array of disparate data sources which align to the definition of big data.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

Standard entry conditions;

Applicants must:

(a) have gained

(i) an Honours or non-Honours degree 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 is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or

(ii) an equivalent standard in a Graduate Certificate or Graduate 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.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

• English language requirements
• Your country

Exemptions and transferability

N/A

Careers & opportunities

Career options

This course is ideal for people who would like to work in a consultancy role, particularly in the professional services or technology sector. Its also suitable for people experienced in technology or tech-led project roles who want to progress their careers in business analysis and consulting or management.

The aim of the programme is to enable managers and/or future managers to review and analyse organisations to meet future challenges including digital transformation and tech-led transformation.

Work placement / study abroad

N/A

Apply

Start dates

• September 2023

Contact

For more information visit

• Visit Ulster University Business School
• Visit The Business Institute

Disclaimer

Testimonials

“This course has developed me as an individual, I have become more confident in my role, and no longer believe in ‘big words’ as a quality for my position. Each module was able to deliver various topics that have developed my skillset more to areas I knew little about or struggled on prior. I can safely say that I am more competent in data analysis, report writing, presenting and time management. The course deliverables, directors and classmates have helped me realise that a vast majority deals with imposter syndrome, and that I am in fact more confident in my role after overcoming this.”

“When reflecting on my course journey a main observation has been how it has increased my confidence in my skills and abilities. The teaching aspects have elevated my knowledge base; however, the methods of knowledge transfer, intake and assessment are the elements that have sealed in the knowledge and generated the increased confidence in my skills and abilities.”

“The course has had a halo-effect on my career, the course indirectly helped me secure freelance work, and succeed in the interview process for my current role. The course may be slightly different work, but it elevated my business perspective, and I felt more confident and fluid in my opinions, recommendations, professional conversations and pitches.”