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IBM Systems Analyst Professional Certificate

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IBM

IBM Systems Analyst Professional Certificate

Prepare for a career as a systems analyst. Build in-demand skills & hands-on experience employers want. No prior experience or degree required

John Rofrano
IBM Skills Network Team
Daniel C. Yeomans

Instructors: John Rofrano

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4.7

(70 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 months to complete
at 8 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Earn a career credential that demonstrates your expertise
4.7

(70 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 months to complete
at 8 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Build the job-ready skills systems analysts use, including process modeling, requirements gathering, and stakeholder management in just 4 months.

  • Learn how to create data visualizations and dashboards using tools like Excel and Cognos to support business decision-making.

  • Develop working knowledge of IT systems design, analysis, software testing, deployment, and maintenance strategies.

  • Apply generative AI techniques to solve complex systems analysis problems.

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Taught in English
Recently updated!

December 2025

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Professional Certificate - 9 course series

What you'll learn

  • Understand the role of a Systems Analyst in Business Information Systems (BIS) and their impact on organizational success

  • Develop foundational knowledge of Systems Analysis and its importance in identifying business needs

  • Identify system issues and articulate their implications for business processes

  • Recognize the basics of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and its phases

Skills you'll gain

Category: Communication
Category: Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
Category: Business Analysis
Category: Feasibility Studies
Category: Software Design
Category: Systems Development
Category: Business Process Modeling
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Business Communication
Category: Product Lifecycle Management
Category: Software Development Methodologies

What you'll learn

  • Ideal for non-project management professionals to help develop key project management skills and be more successful in their business or IT roles

  • Job-ready skills in project, stakeholder, and requirements management, including key tools such as user stories, RACI charts, and Agile frameworks

  • Identify stakeholders, analyze them, and apply effective communication and stakeholder engagement strategies; Elicit, document, & manage requirements

  • Leverage generative AI tools to support project management, stakeholder engagement and requirements gathering

Skills you'll gain

Category: Stakeholder Engagement
Category: Business Analysis
Category: Requirements Analysis
Category: Prioritization
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Milestones (Project Management)
Category: Project Management Software
Category: Risk Management
Category: Project Coordination
Category: Kanban Principles
Category: User Story
Category: Communication
Category: Product Lifecycle Management
Category: Waterfall Methodology
Category: Communication Planning

What you'll learn

  • Build job-ready skills in business process modeling, Lean, Six Sigma, and systems thinking to excel in business analysis and process management roles

  • Develop and interpret process models and maps that represent current and desired states, enabling better communication and decision making

  • Analyze processes to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities using mapping, narratives, and analytical frameworks

  • Integrate systems thinking, Lean, Six Sigma, and AI-enabled methods to design, implement, and sustain optimized processes with measurable impact

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Process Modeling
Category: Systems Thinking
Category: Process Mapping
Category: Six Sigma Methodology
Category: Process Analysis
Category: Process Improvement
Category: Lean Methodologies
Category: Process Flow Diagrams
Category: Generative AI
Category: Quality Improvement
Category: Stakeholder Analysis
Category: Dataflow
Category: Business Process Management
Category: Lean Six Sigma
Category: Prioritization
Category: Agile Methodology
Category: Change Management
Category: Matrix Management
Category: Business Process Improvement
Category: Process Design

What you'll learn

  • Create basic visualizations such as line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts using Excel spreadsheets.

  • Explain the important role charts play in telling a data-driven story. 

  • Construct advanced charts and visualizations such as Treemaps, Sparklines, Histogram, Scatter Plots, and Filled Map Charts.

  • Build and share interactive dashboards using Excel and Cognos Analytics.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Microsoft Excel
Category: Dashboard
Category: Pivot Tables And Charts
Category: Tree Maps
Category: Histogram
Category: IBM Cognos Analytics
Category: Data Visualization
Category: Data Presentation
Category: Interactive Data Visualization
Category: Data Storytelling
Category: Scatter Plots
Category: Data Visualization Software
Category: Data Analysis
Category: Looker (Software)

What you'll learn

  • Define operating systems, computer components, programming concepts, databases, and explain the differences between commercial and open software

  • Summarize the importance of computer networks, including wired and wireless connections; explore network resources and storage types in MS Windows

  • Describe how to protect against security threats, address public browsing security concerns, and list password management best practices

  • List the benefits of cloud computing, describe the cloud infrastructure layer, virtual machines, and summarize features of ticketing systems

Skills you'll gain

Category: Cloud Computing
Category: Cybersecurity
Category: Computer Hardware
Category: Operating Systems
Category: Computer Networking
Category: Database Software
Category: Software Installation
Category: Computer Security Awareness Training
Category: Cloud Infrastructure
Category: Project Management
Category: Technical Support and Services
Category: Network Troubleshooting
Category: Data Storage
Category: Computer Programming
Category: Hardware Troubleshooting
Category: Information Technology
Category: Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

What you'll learn

  • Create data flow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, and unified modeling language diagrams to visualize data, system architecture, and workflows

  • Evaluate existing IT systems by assessing system architecture, features, performance, and UI/UX to identify inefficiencies and propose improvements

  • Conduct cost-benefit analyses, operational feasibility studies, and risk assessments to compare IT solution alternatives and recommend solutions

  • Integrate system analysis, modeling, and evaluation techniques in a project to propose a digital transformation strategy for a business

Skills you'll gain

Category: Systems Analysis
Category: Risk Management
Category: Systems Design
Category: Enterprise Resource Planning
Category: Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
Category: Computer Science
Category: Business Process Modeling
Category: Business Process
Category: Process Flow Diagrams
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Product Lifecycle Management
Category: Data Modeling
Category: Business Communication
Category: Systems Architecture
Category: Digital Transformation
Category: Agile Methodology
Category: Solution Design
Category: Prototyping
Category: Information Technology
Category: Business Analysis

What you'll learn

  • Create test plans and traceability matrices linking business needs to outcomes, and coordinate testing among QA teams, developers, and stakeholders

  • Build deployment checklists with clear launch steps, go/no-go criteria, rollback plans, and data validation techniques

  • Define key system metrics to support post-launch tracking, organize response plans, and guide improvement through retrospectives

  • Create a Testing and Release Kit with test strategy, validation checklist, and support plans for post-launch success

Skills you'll gain

Category: Software Testing
Category: Release Management
Category: Behavior-Driven Development
Category: Test Driven Development (TDD)
Category: CI/CD
Category: Application Deployment
Category: Test Planning
Category: Digital Transformation
Category: Systems Thinking
Category: Software Quality Assurance
Category: Business Process Automation
Category: Performance Testing
Category: Data Modeling
Category: Risk Management
Category: Product Lifecycle Management
Category: Data Validation
Category: Maintainability
Category: Software Development Life Cycle
Category: Systems Analysis
Category: Process Flow Diagrams

What you'll learn

  • Demonstrate job-ready systems analysis skills to design IT solutions that enhance business operations and data management

  • Create process models, entity-relationship diagrams, and dashboards to visualize and optimize business workflows

  • Implement data quality, security, and compliance measures aligned with industry standards and best practices

  • Design comprehensive IT solutions that address stakeholder needs and support data-driven business decisions

Skills you'll gain

Category: Requirements Analysis
Category: Database Design
Category: Stakeholder Engagement
Category: Data Visualization
Category: CI/CD
Category: Functional Requirement
Category: Requirements Elicitation
Category: Process Mapping
Category: Business Process Modeling
Category: Data Management
Category: Application Deployment
Category: Process Flow Diagrams
Category: System Testing
Category: System Design and Implementation
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Development Testing
Category: Project Management
Category: Systems Analysis
Category: Software Design Documents
Category: Business Analysis

What you'll learn

  • Apply prompt engineering and generative AI tools to gather business requirements, produce documentation, and create systems architecture diagrams

  • Create structured systems analysis, solutions architectures, optimized processes, interactive dashboards, and improved stakeholder communications

  • Generate and improve workflows by producing Business Process Model and Notation diagrams, process flowcharts, and journey maps using generative AI

  • Integrate gen AI with business analysis platforms, such as Jira, Confluence, Miro, and Power BI, to improve deliverable quality and efficiency

Skills you'll gain

Category: Generative AI
Category: Systems Analysis
Category: Systems Architecture
Category: Business Process Modeling
Category: Software Architecture
Category: Solution Architecture
Category: AI Workflows
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Business Process Automation
Category: Consulting
Category: Business Analysis
Category: Technical Consulting
Category: Business Communication
Category: Stakeholder Analysis
Category: Systems Thinking
Category: ChatGPT

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Instructors

IBM Skills Network Team
86 Courses1,723,720 learners
Daniel C. Yeomans
SkillUp
31 Courses171,240 learners
SkillUp
SkillUp
114 Courses393,569 learners

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IBM
SkillUp

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¹Based on Coursera learner outcome survey responses, United States, 2021.