Best Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence for 2019
Business intelligence is a growing field that combines elements of data analysis, business management, and information technology. Requiring strong analytical and leadership skills as well as technical proficiency, the profession is as lucrative as it is challenging. According to Payscale , business intelligence analysts earn a median annual salary of $68,000, with experienced professionals making as much as $121,530 a year. Common job titles in the field include data scientist, business intelligence director, or director of analytics.
For many working professionals, earning a business intelligence degree online is an accessible, affordable way to enter the field. Featuring flexible schedules and convenient delivery methods, web-based undergraduate business intelligence degrees teach students the fundamental skills, concepts, and specialized knowledge needed to excel in the industry. In the following guide, we'll examine what you need to know about choosing the right program, earning an online business intelligence degree, and life after graduation.
Top 15 Online Bachelors in Business Intelligence for 2019
Admissions Rate
22%
Graduation Rate
47%
Online Enrollment
82%
Retention Rate
75%
Default Rate
7%
Liberty was founded in 1971 in Lynchburg, Virginia and offers more than 250 online programs. The school offers an online bachelor of science in information management systems with a business intelligence major. This program emphasizes the application of biblical principles in business intelligence and includes major coursework on topics like military intelligence, terrorism, and intelligence analysis. The program also prepares students to sit for Java and Cisco certifications.
Students complete most online courses in eight weeks, with occasional 16-week in-depth course options. Active duty military students, veterans, and military spouses receive discounted tuition and a textbook voucher worth up to $400 per term, and eligible students may also receive transfer credit for military training. Distance learners have access to resources including online ministries, private student discussion groups, a writing center, and 24/7 online tutoring available.
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What Else Can I Expect From an Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence Program?
Business intelligence is rarely offered as a stand-alone major. Instead, most schools feature a business intelligence minor or concentration within another major, such as business administration or information management systems. These programs typically include courses in computer science, business theory, and data modeling. While course options and curriculum structures vary considerably from school to school, you're likely to encounter one or more of the following business intelligence online courses.
Concentrations Offered for an Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence
Curriculum for an Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence
An undergraduate business intelligence curriculum usually consists of general education courses, core business administration classes, and electives. Typically offered as electives, business intelligence online courses address concepts in computer science, business management, and data analysis. While course requirements differ according to school and program, many curriculums include classes like the examples below.
Decision support presentation: Learners develop engaging, effective, and relevant presentations using fundamental communications programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students sharpen their technical writing skills through assignments that explore the impact of security and privacy issues on reporting.
Data visualization: This course surveys the data visualization process, from design principles to pattern discovery. Course participants examine the qualities of meaningful data displays, methods of presenting quantitative and qualitative data, and the ways in which data presentation may influence decision-making.
Project management: Lectures present the methods, tools, and techniques used in information systems project management. Students learn to plan, execute, manage, control, and complete projects conducted in complex team environments. By exploring both external contracts and internal resources from an organizational perspective, candidates gain valuable and broadly applicable project management skills.
Strategic business analytics and decision making: Using personal examples and case studies, course participants solve real-world problems that affect businesses and organizations. Candidates collect and analyze data to determine effective systems and solutions appropriate to each situation. Sometimes offered as a capstone, this class examines the ties between intelligence, data, decision-making processes, and corporate success.
Fundamentals of data mining: In this course, candidates learn to recognize and solve common business problems by identifying meaningful data patterns. Introducing concepts such as clustering, sequential pattern discovery, and classification, coursework presents data-driven methods of addressing logistic challenges.
How Long Does it Take to get an Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence?
While most full-time students earn their business intelligence degree online in about four years, there are several factors that influence the length of time you'll spend in school. These variables include program format, curriculum structure, and any transfer credits a student may hold. Degrees featuring accelerated and self-paced coursework may be completed more quickly than highly-structured cohort programs, which maintain stricter deadlines. In addition, schools that operate on a traditional 15-week semester system tend to offer slightly longer programs than those using an eight-week format.
Transferring credits may significantly shorten a program's duration. On average, a bachelor's degree in business intelligence consists of 120 to 128 credit hours. Some programs, however, allow students to transfer up to 90 credits from other institutions. Many schools also offer additional credit through prior learning assessments, professional and military experience, certifications, and volunteer work.
Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence Careers
Business intelligence professionals analyze and solve problems in a variety of corporate, government, and educational settings. Blending business theory with data management strategies and technical know-how, this broad field encompasses many career paths. Occupations in this field appeal to a spectrum of aptitudes, personalities, and interests.
Bachelor's in Business Intelligence Salary
Individuals with a business intelligence degree enjoy a healthy job market and ever-expanding employment opportunities. The BLS projects computer and information science jobs to grow 13% between 2016 and 2026. Starting salaries for business intelligence professionals vary considerably depending on the title of the position, workplace policies, and the job's geographical location. Analysts, managers, developers, and administrators all have different career trajectories and job requirements, and their salaries differ accordingly. Education and experience, however, will affect earnings across the board.
Management analysts work toward overall organizational improvement. By gathering and analyzing information, they develop cost-reduction and revenue-enhancing strategies and improve efficiency. Most hold at least a bachelor's degree in business, and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation may enhance your job prospects.
Median Salary: $82,450 Projected Growth Rate: 14%
Accreditation for Online Bachelor's in Business Intelligence Degrees
From financial aid eligibility to credit transfer policies and employment options, accreditation influences many aspects of education and employment. Accreditation is a process used by private organizations to ensure that colleges and universities uphold the highest academic and ethical standards. Accrediting organizations maintain registration with the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and confer regional, national, or specialized accreditation.
Regional accreditation is the most respected designation, and many employers prefer to hire graduates of regionally accredited institutions. Credits earned at regionally accredited schools easily transfer, while those from nationally accredited schools do not. Regional accreditation is usually reserved for nonprofit, academically-focused universities, while national accrediting agencies typically evaluate for-profit vocational and technical schools. Specialized accreditors grant approval to field-specific programs like business, nursing, or library science. Accrediting agencies that assess business schools include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Business Intelligence Professional Organizations
Whether you're a recent graduate, a college student, or considering a business intelligence major, joining a professional organization is a wise move. Along with hosting networking events such as seminars and conferences, these associations offer access to the latest research through publications, continuing education programs, and online courses. Many sponsor exclusive award, scholarship, and grant opportunities for student affiliates. Plus, membership looks great on any resume. Here are three organizations that may interest you.