Which Business Intelligence Professional Certificate is Best for You? Microsoft Power BI vs. Business Analyst

作者：Coursera Staff • 更新于 Oct 30, 2025

Develop a broad understanding of business intelligence or build your technical skills with two different programs from Microsoft on Coursera. Learn more about their differences across topics, tools, and skills, and which is best for your career goals.

[Featured Image] A person in business casual clothing sits at a desk using their laptop.

Key takeaways

When it comes to business intelligence, there can be significant overlap between data analysts and business analysts. Both roles aim to improve organizational decision-making and performance, albeit through different focuses and methods.

Microsoft offers two Professional Certificates to learn business intelligence on Coursera:

To learn data-driven BI: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate.

To learn process-oriented BI and analysis: Microsoft Business Analyst Professional Certificate.

Let’s review the differences between these two business intelligence programs on Coursera.

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Business Intelligence Professional Certificates on Coursera: Key differences

Each of Microsoft’s Professional Certificates caters to different career paths. The Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate is designed for aspiring data professionals seeking to become experts in Power BI and help businesses make informed decisions. The Microsoft Business Analyst Professional Certificate, on the other hand, is designed for aspiring business professionals who want to understand key business processes, including managing stakeholders and mitigating risk.

	Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst	Microsoft Business Analyst
Type	Professional Certificate	Professional Certificate
Level	Beginner	Beginner
Modules	8 courses	6 courses
Estimated time to completion	5 months (at 10 hours a week)	3 months (at 10 hours a week)
Special topic emphasis	Microsoft Power BI, data modeling and visualization, data transformation and cleaning, data analysis expressions (DAX), report and dashboard creation	Business analysis concepts, stakeholder management, business process modeling, project management, and risk assessment
Key skills	Data analysis and visualization using Power BI, data modeling and storytelling, DAX, ETL (extract, transform, load) processes	Stakeholder management, requirements gathering and documentation, business process modeling, data analysis using Excel, project planning, and risk management
Technologies	Microsoft Power BI	Microsoft Power Platform
Ideal for	Individuals who want to learn data analysis using Microsoft Power BI	Individuals who want to understand and improve business processes using various Microsoft tools

Price: You can preview the first module of many courses at no cost. Visit the Learner Help Center for more information about your account, payments, subscriptions, and Coursera policies.

Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate: Topics, tools, and skills

The Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate is the more technical of the two programs. In focusing on business intelligence, it emphasizes using data to gain insights and inform decision-making.

Topics

The topics you’ll cover in the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst program include:

Topics
Data preparation and transformation	Data modeling (using Star Schema)	DAX (data analysis expression) calculations
Data visualization and report design	Dashboard creation and interactivity	Data security and deployment

Tools

As you learn data analysis, you’ll interact with several tools, including:

Tools
Microsoft Power BI	Excel	DAX Studio
SQL	Power Query	Azure

Skills

The data analysis skills you’ll build include:

Skills
Data analysis and interpretation	Data cleaning and transformation	Advanced data visualization
Performance optimization for data models	Data storytelling	Business intelligence strategy

Ideal for:

Aspiring data analysts focused on business intelligence.

Professionals looking to specialize in Power BI.

Those interested in data-driven decision making.

Individuals preparing for the PL-300 certification.

Microsoft Business Analyst Professional Certificate: Topics, tools, and skills

The Microsoft Business Analyst Professional Certificate is the broader program of the two. It emphasizes the strategic and operational side of BI, focusing on analyzing business processes and stakeholder needs to drive improvement.

Topics

The topics you’ll cover in the Microsoft Business Analyst program include:

Topics
Business analysis fundamentals	Stakeholder management and requirements elicitation	Business process modeling and improvement
Data analysis and visualization	Project management and risk assessment	Microsoft Power Platform overview

Tools

As you learn about business analysis, you’ll interact with several tools, including:

Tools
Microsoft Excel	Microsoft Visio	Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power Apps	Microsoft Power Automate	Microsoft Power Virtual Agents

Skills

The business analysis skills you can expect to develop include:

Skills
Stakeholder analysis and engagement	Requirements gathering and documentation	Business process analysis and modeling
Data analysis using Excel	Project planning and risk management	Problem-solving and critical thinking

Ideal for:

Someone interested in a business analyst career.

Professionals interested in stakeholder management and requirements gathering.

Individuals looking to understand various Microsoft business tools.

Those preparing for the PL-900 certification.

Resources for business intelligence on Coursera

Keep learning about business intelligence as a topic, career, and skill set on Coursera. There are lots of free resources to explore, including:

Career Resource Hub: Take advantage of free career development tools designed to support your learning and career growth.

Career Chat: Stay updated on important topics and trends with Coursera’s free weekly newsletter on LinkedIn.

YouTube: Watch informative videos to learn more about different career paths and important skills.

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses.