PGCP vs. MSc in Business Analytics

Key takeaways:

• Over the past few years, a career in Business Analytics has gained a lot of demand.

• To make a career in Business Analytics, you must pursue an M.Sc. in business analytics or a PGCP in business analytics.

• M.Sc. in business analytics is a two-year master’s program that provides an in-depth understanding of the field.

• PGCP in Business Analytics is a one-year post-graduate certificate program ideal for working professionals who wish to enhance their careers in the field.

Business analytics is a process of studying and exploring the data with the help of various statistical tools. A business analyst helps businesses to make strategic decisions by studying and filtering the data. This domain is extremely vast and diverse, and lets individuals explore varied roles across different industries.

Last year, business analytics had approximately 9.4% of global job openings, wherein India had 11.6% of total business analytics job openings. Not only that, as digitalization goes on increasing, there will be a lot of demand for business analytic jobs. Therefore, to make the most out of the opportunities and become a successful business analyst, you must pursue either a master’s in business analytics or a PGCP in business analytics. 

How can I learn business analytics skills?

The ultimate role of a business analyst is to identify the data and provide meaningful insights for the businesses for effective decision-making. However, you must first educate yourself on the fundamentals of Business Analytics.

The next step is to take a course, depending on your needs. Instead of pursuing short-term online courses, you can pursue either PGCP in business analytics or a master’s in business analytics for better opportunities. 

Additionally, after 70% completion of the course, work on various live projects to enhance your practical skills required to master business analytics, such as Python, R, Excel, SAS, etc.

You can also develop data visualizations and practice presenting them. This will improve your understanding of various data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Excel, etc. 

Furthermore, you must create your business analytics portfolio to showcase your work, your understanding of the real-world problems using numbers, and much more 

PGCP in Business Analytics vs. M.Sc. in Business Analytics – A comparison

Want to know the difference between PGCP and M.Sc. in business analytics? Here’s a detailed comparison of the same –

Points of comparison	PGCP in Business Analytics	M.Sc. in Business Analytics
Suitability	Best suits for professionals wanting to enhance their skills or career switch in business analytics.	Best suits for freshers who want to specialize in business analytics.
Duration	12 months	24 months
Skills earned	Excel various Analytical tools such as MS Excel, Python, R, SPSS, Tableau, SQL, etc. Also, upgrade your analysis and management skills.	Excel analytical tools such as MS Excel, Hadoop, Jira, Power BI, Tableau, SAS, Spark, Python, R, etc.
Career opportunities	Business Analyst, Data Scientist/ Architect, Market Research Analyst, Healthcare Analyst, IT Analyst, Quantitative Analyst, Project manager, Predictive Modeller, Statistician, Analytics Manager, etc.	Business Analyst, Data Architect/ Scientist/ Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Application Architect, Market Research Analyst, Analytics translator, Consulting analyst, Quantitative Modeller/ Analyst, Operations Research Analyst, etc.

What is PGCP in Business Analytics?

PGCP or Post Graduate Certificate Program in business analytics is a one-year certification program for all aspiring professionals who wish to pursue a career in this field.

Why PGCP in business analytics?

PGCP in Business Analytics is a course that trains candidates with an industry-oriented approach. The course covers everything that one needs to pursue a successful career in the field. The course also provides the candidates with enhanced domain knowledge and analytical skills, which helps them to land better job opportunities.

Who should pursue PGCP in Business Analytics?

The course perfectly suits professionals who want to enhance their skills or those who want to switch their careers to business analytics. Also, freshers can start their career by pursuing this course. It is also well-suited for someone who has more than 2 to 3 years of work experience in the relevant field.

What are the eligibility criteria for PGCP in Business Analytics?

• Graduates in any discipline with Statistics as one of the subjects from a recognized university or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) with a minimum of 50% of marks or equivalent grade are considered eligible for this course.

What is the duration of PGCP in Business Analytics?

The total duration of PGCP in Business Analytics is 12 months. While pursuing this course, you need to invest at least 15 to 20 hours per week.

Where can I pursue PGCP in Business Analytics?

You can pursue this course on one of India’s largest online learning platforms – Online Manipal. Here, the prestigious Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) offers an online PGCP in Business Analytics, widely accepted by different government authorities, corporations, etc.

Skills one can earn from PGCP in Business Analytics

After completing PGCP in Business Analytics, you can excel in various Business Analytics tools such as MS Excel, Python, R, SPSS, Tableau, SQL, etc. It will also allow you to upgrade different analysis and management skills along with understanding of the following –

• Financial reporting and statement analysis
• Business statistics
• Managerial economics
• Database management
• Financial management
• Econometrics
• Data analysis
• Visualization

This course will enhance your analytical skills and ability to work across various industries and sectors.

What are the career opportunities after PGCP in Business Analytics?

PGCP in business analytics opens doors to many industries and opportunities. After successful completion of this course, you can take up the following roles –

• Business Analyst
• Data Scientist
• Market Research Analyst
• Healthcare Analyst
• IT Analyst
• Quantitative Analyst
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Technology Analyst
• Project manager
• Predictive Modeler
• Data Architect
• Statistician
• Analytics Manager

What is M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

Masters of Science in Business Analytics is a two-year full-time postgraduate program for all aspiring graduates who wish to pursue a career in Business Analytics.

Why M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

M.Sc. in Business Analytics is a master’s program that trains candidates to upgrade their existing skills to the next level. After completing this program, the candidates can either opt to be a consultant, go for a Ph.D., or focus on industry-oriented research positions.

Are you in a dilemma on choosing M.Sc. in Business Analytics? Read more here to solve your dilemma.

Who should pursue M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

M.Sc. in business analytics is appropriate for candidates who aspire to focus on research-based roles in the field or higher studies further.

What are the eligibility criteria for M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

The M.Sc. Business Analytics eligibility criteria is just the same as that of the PGCP in Business Analytics. However, candidates with significant IT, Computing, Mathematics, or Statistics as the main subjects will be preferred for this course.

What is the duration of an M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

The total duration of an M.Sc. in Business Analytics is two years. This master’s program requires you to invest at least 15 to 20 hours per week.

Where can I pursue M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

You can pursue this course at Online Manipal, which is India’s distant learning platform. MAHE offers an online M.Sc. in Business Analytics Program, which is widely accepted by various government institutions, corporations, and educational institutions.

Skills one can earn from M.Sc. in Business Analytics

After completing your M.Sc. in Business Analytics, you will be able to successfully use various business analytic tools such as MS Excel, Hadoop, Jira, Power BI, Tableau, SAS, Spark, Python, R, etc. Here, you also get to upgrade various skills such as planning, monitoring, management, collaboration, etc. M.Sc. 

The MSc. business analytics syllabus gives you an in-depth understanding of the following topics –

• Financial reporting and statement analysis
• Business statistics
• Managerial economics
• Econometrics
• Database and financial management 
• Data analysis and visualization
• Machine learning 
• Time series visualization

In this course, you also get to select a specialization to choose from, either Marketing or Finance. Apart from that, this course will enhance your knowledge about the field and improve your technical skills.

What are the career opportunities after M.Sc. in Business Analytics?

M.Sc. in Business Analytics course is designed for those who want to step foot in the world of data science and big data. So, after successful completion of this course, you can work in the roles given below – 

• Business Analyst
• Data Architect
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Statistician
• Data Scientist
• Data Analyst
• Application Architect
• Project manager
• Market Research Analyst
• Analytics translator
• Consulting analyst
• Quantitative Modeller or Analyst
• Operations Research Analyst

Candidates can also opt for higher education or a Ph.D. after completing this course.

Read more about career options after an M.Sc. in Business Analytics here.

PGCP vs. M.Sc. in Business Analytics – Which one should I choose?

Don’t know what to choose between PGCP and M.Sc. in Business Analytics? Here are a few points that will help you to make the right decision.

	PGCP in Business Analytics	M.Sc. in Business Analytics
Field of Graduation	If you are someone with a technical background, that is, if you have an undergraduate degree in the field of computer science or engineering, pursuing this course will help you to get broader industry exposure and specialize in the field of business analytics.	If you are someone with a commerce or business background, a master’s degree in Business Analytics will enhance your profile. Not only that, it will help you to get an in-depth understanding of the field and help you gain better opportunities in the future. Nowadays, online Business Analytics masters also hold a lot of importance in India.
Work Experience	If you are a working professional with 2+ years of experience in this field, this course is the best fit for you.	If you are a recent graduate with no or less experience working in the industry, the best option to fast-track your career growth is to opt for an M. Sc. in Business Analytics.
Plans	If you are planning to continue working in the field of business analytics or if you want to enhance your business analytics skills, this is the right course for you.	If you are planning to focus on research-related job roles or if you want to do a Ph.D. in Business Analytics, this is the right career option for you.

In a nutshell

Business Analytics is a crucial part of every business; hence, there is a lot of scope for a career in this field. To do so, certification or a degree in Business Analytics is extremely important to validate your expertise in front of employers. MAHE provides two types of courses in Business Analytics, suiting candidates with different profiles. Both PGCP in Business Analytics and M.Sc. in Business Analytics are offered on Online Manipal.