What does a business analyst do?

Business Analysts play a crucial role in guiding organizations through data-driven decision making. They analyze, interpret, and document business processes and data, providing insights to shape strategic decisions.

What jobs can I get with business analysis skills?

Prepare for a career in the high demand field of business analysis. The business analysis skills you learn in this program prepare you for an entry-level role as a business analyst. This program also prepares you for a variety of entry-level roles that require data-driven problem-solving and strategic planning.

Will I be able to complete this course online?

This course is completely online. You can access your lessons, readings, and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

How long does it take to complete the professional certificate?

It typically takes 3 months to complete the 6 courses. But some learners may go through the content faster.

What will I be able to do upon completing the Professional Certificate?

<text variant="body1">When you complete this Professional Certificate, you’ll have an understanding of the fundamental concepts of business analysis and how they apply to an enterprise environment including: <text variant="body1">· Proficiency in identifying, analyzing, and documenting business issues with diverse techniques. <text variant="body1">· Skills in business process modeling and data visualization using Microsoft Excel. <text variant="body1">· Capability in conducting assessments and validating solutions against requirements. <text variant="body1">· Effective communication and change management strategies. <text variant="body1">You’ll also be prepared to take the Microsoft PL-900 exam: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel

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Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructor: Microsoft

43,236 already enrolled

Included with

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

343 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

343 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Gain insight into the steps involved in preparing data for analysis using Excel functions.
Learn to use formulas and functions in Excel for data analysis purposes.
Understand how Excel is applied in business scenarios for data analysis and apply these skills to real-world tasks.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Data Management
Category: Spreadsheet Software
Category: Pivot Tables And Charts
Category: Excel Formulas
Category: Data Synthesis
Category: Data Manipulation
Category: Data Analysis
Category: Data Cleansing
Category: Data Transformation

Tools you'll learn

Category: Microsoft Excel

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

28 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

In this course, you’ll learn how to make use of Excel in business scenarios for data analysis. You’ll also learn how to utilize formulas and functions for data analysis. 

Specifically, this course will help you gain knowledge and skills for preparing data for analysis using Microsoft Excel and take you one step closer to becoming a Business Analyst.  After completing this course, you’ll be able to:  • Identify and explain the steps involved in preparing data for analysis using Excel functions. • Use formula and functions for Data Analysis • Describe how Excel is used in business scenarios for Data Analysis • Apply Excel skills to real-world data preparation tasks.

This module introduces essential Excel elements and techniques begininning with the creation and formatting of worksheets. It explores the Excel features that are useful when viewing large data blocks and explains how to create accurate calculations.

What's included

7 videos17 readings6 assignments2 discussion prompts

7 videosTotal 39 minutes

Course Introduction4 minutes
Business Analysts and Microsoft Excel5 minutes
Introduction to Microsoft Excel7 minutes
Entering and formatting data6 minutes
Reading large data blocks7 minutes
Sorting and filtering data in Excel7 minutes
Module summary: Excel fundamentals4 minutes

17 readingsTotal 215 minutes

Course Syllabus: Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel10 minutes
How to be successful in this course10 minutes
Personalize your learning track10 minutes
How to open an image in a new tab10 minutes
How to locate your downloaded files10 minutes
Additional resources: Accessing Microsoft Excel5 minutes
Regional variations in Excel10 minutes
Working with rows and columns10 minutes
Working with worksheets10 minutes
Exercise: Adding data to a worksheet30 minutes
Exemplar: Adding data to a worksheet10 minutes
Additional resources: Creating workbook content5 minutes
Exercise: Sorting data30 minutes
Exemplar: Sorting data10 minutes
Exercise: Filtering data30 minutes
Exemplar: Filtering data10 minutes
Additional resources: Working with blocks of data in Excel5 minutes

6 assignmentsTotal 95 minutes

Self-Review: Adding data to a worksheet15 minutes
Knowledge Check: Creating Workbook Content15 minutes
Self-Review: Sorting Data10 minutes
Self-Review: Filtering Data10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Working with blocks of data in Excel15 minutes
Module Quiz: Excel Fundamentals30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Discussion prompt: Meet and Greet10 minutes
What features were new to you and which were most useful10 minutes

This module introduces formulas and functions in Excel. It explores how these are important to data analysis and how these are used in business scenarios.

What's included

6 videos9 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 38 minutes

What is a formula?6 minutes
Controlling calculations6 minutes
Controlling calculations in action6 minutes
What is a function formula and how to write it7 minutes
Using the INSERT function6 minutes
Module summary: Formulas and functions7 minutes

9 readingsTotal 120 minutes

Order of precedence in calculations10 minutes
Useful percentage calculations10 minutes
Exercise: Calculating profit and margin30 minutes
Exemplar: Calculating profit and margin10 minutes
Additional resources: Formulas in Excel5 minutes
The AutoSum shortcut10 minutes
Exercise: Preparing a monthly sales report30 minutes
Exemplar: Preparing a monthly sales report10 minutes
Additional resources: Getting started with functions5 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 80 minutes

Self-Review: Calculating profit and margin10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Formulas in Excel15 minutes
Self-Review: Preparing a monthly sales report10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Getting started with functions15 minutes
Module Quiz: Formulas and Functions30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

What features were new to you and which were most useful?10 minutes

The module introduces common functions that help prepare Excel data for analysis in tools such as PowerBI.

What's included

6 videos13 readings7 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 40 minutes

How inconsistent data can affect data analysis6 minutes
Why understanding date calculations is important6 minutes
Dynamic date and time entries6 minutes
Using the IF function8 minutes
Using nested IF and IFS function8 minutes
Module summary: preparing data for analysis using functions7 minutes

13 readingsTotal 175 minutes

Functions which can be used to standardize text data10 minutes
Exercise: Standardizing text-based data30 minutes
Exemplar: Standardising text-based data10 minutes
Additional resources: Using functions to clean or standardize text5 minutes
Other useful date calculations10 minutes
Exercise: Calculating the number of working days remaining in the year30 minutes
Exemplar: Calculating the number of working days remaining in the year10 minutes
Additional resources: Date and time functions5 minutes
AND and OR functions10 minutes
IF functions10 minutes
Exercise: Adding a data column using the IFS function30 minutes
Exemplar: Adding a data column using the IFS function10 minutes
Additional resources: Logical functions5 minutes

7 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

Self-Review: Standardising text-based data10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Using functions to clean or standardise text15 minutes
Self-Review: Calculating the number of working days remaining in the year10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Date and Time Functions15 minutes
Self-Review: Adding a data column using the IFS function10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Logical Functions15 minutes
Module Quiz: Formulas and Functions30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

What features were new to you and which were most useful10 minutes

In this module, you will learn essential skills in Microsoft Excel to enhance data manipulation and reporting capabilities. You’ll discover how to create dynamic data blocks using tables, allowing for flexible data organization and analysis. Additionally, you’ll learn how to create PivotTables, a powerful feature for summarizing and analyzing large datasets efficiently. Furthermore, you'll explore how to leverage PivotTables and slicers to create dynamic reports, providing insights and visualizations that adapt to changing data inputs. These techniques will empower you to efficiently manage and analyze data, enhancing your productivity and decision-making abilities in Excel.

What's included

10 videos5 readings8 assignments1 discussion prompt

10 videosTotal 57 minutes

Creating Tables5 minutes
Naming and Managing Tables5 minutes
Modifying tables6 minutes
What is a Pivot?5 minutes
Working with PivotTables6 minutes
Customizing results7 minutes
Using the "Show values as" feature6 minutes
Slicers and timelines6 minutes
Calculated fields5 minutes
Module Summary: Working with Pivots6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 45 minutes

Formatting a table10 minutes
Formulas in tables10 minutes
Pivoting the analysis10 minutes
GETPIVOTDATA function10 minutes
Additional Resources: Working with Pivots5 minutes

8 assignmentsTotal 135 minutes

Activity: Creating and formatting a table10 minutes
Knowledge Check: Creating dynamic blocks using tables15 minutes
Activity: Creating a PivotTable10 minutes
Activity: Conducting an analysis using a PivotTable20 minutes
Knowledge Check: Creating Pivots15 minutes
Activity: Creating a report20 minutes
Knowledge Check: Advanced Pivots15 minutes
Module Quiz: Working with Pivots30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

What features were new to you and which were most useful10 minutes

In this module, you will be assessed on the key skills covered in the Course.

What's included

1 video3 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

1 videoTotal 6 minutes

Course Recap: Preparing data for analysis with MS Excel6 minutes

3 readingsTotal 70 minutes

About the final project and assessment10 minutes
Final Project: Creating an executive data summary30 minutes
Exemplar: Creating an executive data summary30 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 120 minutes

Self-review: Creating an executive data summary30 minutes
Course quiz: Preparing data for analysis with MS Excel90 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Reflect on Learning10 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(78 ratings)

Microsoft

288 Courses2,525,534 learners

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Microsoft

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Showing 3 of 343

Reviewed on Sep 20, 2025

Not Mac friendly for some of the questions at the final but overall great course.

Reviewed on Aug 28, 2024

Learned a great deal of info and refreshed some old details.

Reviewed on Dec 30, 2024

course was quite interesting and engaging throughout

Frequently asked questions

This program is for you:

· If you want to start or switch to a career in the field of business analysis.

· If you are interested in the field of business analysis, just beginning to work with business analyst solutions and services. Earning a Microsoft Business Analyst certificate can help advance your career or help you address gaps in your knowledge, skills, and abilities.

You don’t need any background knowledge to take this Professional Certificate. Whether you’re just starting out or a professional in a relevant field, this program can be the right fit for you.

Whether you’re looking to start a new career or change your current one, Professional Certificates help you become job ready. Apply your new skills on hands-on projects that showcase your expertise to potential employers and earn a career credential to kickstart your new career.

Yes. We highly recommend taking the courses of each certificate program in the order they are presented. The content in the courses builds on information from earlier courses. The final course contains a practice exam that assesses your knowledge of the content covered in the previous courses. As such, it makes the most sense to take the courses in the order they are presented.

When you complete this Professional Certificate, you’ll have an understanding of the fundamental concepts of business analysis and how they apply to an enterprise environment including:

· Proficiency in identifying, analyzing, and documenting business issues with diverse techniques.

· Skills in business process modeling and data visualization using Microsoft Excel.

· Capability in conducting assessments and validating solutions against requirements.

· Effective communication and change management strategies.

You’ll also be prepared to take the Microsoft PL-900 exam: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel

Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Build your subject-matter expertise

There are 5 modules in this course

Excel Fundamentals

What's included

Formula and functions

What's included

Preparing data for analysis using functions

What's included

Working with Pivots

What's included

Final project and assessment: Preparing data for analysis with MS Excel

What's included

Earn a career certificate

Instructor

Offered by

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.

Learner reviews

Frequently asked questions

Who is this program for?

What background knowledge is necessary?

What is the main benefit of a Professional Certificate?