Cognizant Digital Business Analyst Certificate Program

The program consists of four 3-week modules, one 2-day in-person workshop after the first module, and a culminating 2-day in-person workshop with the Cognizant Consulting team at the end of the program (all travel expenses paid). All course materials are delivered online with flexibility for students to learn asynchronously with some group work. Instructors will monitor progress and offer assistance throughout the program as needed.

Yes — in order to complete the program and be granted an interview, all students will have to attend both in-person workshops – one after the first module, and one at the end of module four. However, all travel expenses and incidentals will be paid for by Cognizant. At the in-person workshops, you will also meet and network with Cognizant Consulting professionals, and complete your final interview for the Business Analyst role.

The program is closely aligned with the Business Analyst competencies outlined by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) (https://www.iiba.org/) (please note that we are not affiliated with IIBA). The program is customized to cover the competencies expected of entry-level consultants in an IT consulting firm.

The overall framework of the program is shown below:

• Intake - Applicant Screening
• Module 1: Fundamentals of Business Analysis (BA)
• Module 2: Fundamentals of Project Management (PM)
• Module 3: Digital Enterprise (DE)
• Module 4: Business Modeling (BM)
• 2 Day Residential Program (RP)

We expect you to continue in your job as you complete this program. The program is designed for a working professional and provides flexibility on when you want to engage in the course materials. Although there is an expectation for completing each week’s course by the end of that week, you can complete them at your own pace. The majority of interactions are asynchronous. You can watch the course videos and read the course materials at the time of your choosing during the week (within specific deadlines during the days of the week). All program materials are opened to you at the beginning of the week. Some group work will be required.

Faculty from the highly ranked Department of Information Systems within ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business will teach all program modules. We also expect Cognizant executives to record lectures on specific industry related issues to augment the course materials. All course materials are designed to be relevant and applicable in an IT consultant’s career.

Cognizant Technology Solutions is a leading IT Consultancy that advises the world’s most successful businesses on how to navigate the changing landscape of technology and to secure their digital future. Ranked #195 on the Fortune 500, Cognizant has 270,000+ employees worldwide. Cognizant has also received the following Accolades:

• #16 on Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies for 2018
• #17 on Fortune’s Future 50 for 2017
• 10 years as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies
• #18 on Forbes’ Fast Tech 25 for 2016
• #74 on Forbes' Best Employers for Women 2018

Cognizant Consulting is the Consulting arm of Cognizant Technology Solutions. With 6,000 consultants around the world, Cognizant Consulting has grown at 17% year over year and supports engagements across all of Cognizant’s industries and lines of service.

For more information, please visit Cognizant’s Careers page: https://careers.cognizant.com/na/en

Cognizant is experiencing rapid growth and is looking for talented individuals to help support our mission of assisting our clients on their digital journeys. The Business Analyst is a critical role that supports our relationships with clients, and requires individuals with industry and/or customer service experience who also have learned the fundamental consulting skills needed to hit the ground running.

For the past four years, Arizona State University has been ranked as the most innovative university in America by U.S. News & World Report, ahead of MIT and Stanford. The school’s innovation includes a number of highly successful corporate partnerships that not only engage and attract new students but solve organizational issues and provide key benefits for the partner organizations.

ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business is one of the highest-ranked business schools in the nation, and one of the nimblest. In addition to regularly reviewing its curriculum with input from industry stakeholders to ensure that the education students receive meets the needs of professionals and the market, W. P. Carey was among the first AACSB-accredited business schools to offer an online MBA program. Over the past 15 years, its online portfolio has expanded and matured, and U.S. News & World Report ranks W. P. Carey No. 2 in the U.S. for online graduate business programs. The school was also among the first with a full-time business analytics master’s, launched in 2012. The U. S. News and World Report ranks the Department of Information Systems in the W. P. Carey School No. 11 for undergraduate programs in management information systems. By choosing to continue your education with ASU and the W. P. Carey School, you’re acquiring the real-world skills you’ll need to succeed — and the expertise companies like Cognizant are looking for.

You will need to fill an application here. There is no application fee.

Any candidate with over 2 years of work experience and a bachelor’s degree is eligible to apply. We will also entertain applications from senior undergraduate students if they meet the work experience requirements, and will graduate before or shortly after completion of the program. We are open to all types of experience — not necessarily technology related.

ASU will initially screen your application and Cognizant will conduct a preliminary interview to understand your career interests and your fit for the consulting career. If selected, you will receive full scholarship to complete the certificate program.

We expect to enroll approximately 35 students in the first cohort. We expect to offer 3 cohorts in the first twelve months of this program.

The application deadline is February 15 (tentative).

The interview will be conducted virtually, with a member of the Cognizant Consulting team. There is no need to prepare extensively beyond understanding the role of a business analyst and the kind of work that Cognizant does for clients.

Yes! We are looking for candidates all around the US — geography is not important. You will be required to travel to Phoenix, AZ, for four days to complete the two in-person workshop and to interview. All travel and incidental expenses for the workshop will be paid for by Cognizant.

Business Analysts are embedded within our clients at their office locations around the country. Relocation may be required as a condition of employment, and the ability to relocate is strongly preferred. All relocation fees for incoming business analysts and their families will be paid for by Cognizant.

The Business Analyst role represents the entry point for a career with Cognizant Consulting. Opportunities for promotion are based on an individual’s performance and contribution, demonstrated readiness for the next level, and business considerations such as location and/or travel requirements. Upon joining Cognizant, Consultants are assigned a Manager who will guide them in articulating and working towards their individual career goals.

For more information on this program, we encourage you to attend one of our Webinars or watch one of the recorded Webinar sessions.