Professional Edge (5 cr)

Objective

Modern business professionals are primarily domain experts, and not necessarily experienced data analysts or advanced business analysts. But they add business analytics expertise and innovative thinking to their core professional competences. In this way, companies are able to gain best competitive advantage utilizing the deep existing subject matter expertise of their workforce, and strengthened it with the knowledge of modern business analytics tools and information systems, as well as opening up the innovative mindset of their employees. This course helps to expand the horizons of the student by advancing his/her professional competence via implementing a selected method of professional development and focusing on expanding own area of expertise in the way agreed with the instructor/programme.

Content

- Focused on advancing innovation mindset & business analytics skills.

Assignments include: a selected method of advancing, implementing, and demonstrating the acquired competence. The student will take responsibility for learning and deepening one's own competence in the pre-defined way, in the field of business analytics and innovation, by applying self-learning, practicing, and utilizing available materials and offerings (e.g. a study trip and/or certification). Student will demonstrate own learning with documented evidence and/or via other assignments.

Location and time

ACCESS TO THE COURSE MATERIALS:

The course is held in Moodle: https://moodle.metropolia.fi/course/view.php?id=4112 Self-enrollement key: Power BI

SCHEDULE:

The course is help in 2 concurrent groups on Wednesday evenings 17-19.30, first on campus (always 1st week) and then online (always the 2nd week, but check the schedule for a specific date!)

On campus group: Wed, 17-19.30, on 22.1 (B349) , 5.2 (B349), 26.2 (C314), 26.3 (C314), 16.4 (B349), 14.5 (B349).

Online group: mostly on Wednesdays at 17-19.30, but there are exceptions. 29.1, 12.2, 5.3, 2.4, 28.4 (Monday!), 19.5 (Monday!). Zoom link for all online sessions: https://metropolia.zoom.us/j/65627931980 Meeting ID: 656 2793 1980

Materials

COURSE CONTENTS (for Options 1 & 2)

The sessions are organized into 6 main topics which correspond to "PL-300 Data Analyst" education materials from the Microsoft Learn training platform. The course provides a comprehensive overview of Microsoft data analytics, covering topics such as:

- get started with Power B
- import data
- model data
- visuailize data
- data analysis
- workspace management & datasets, etc.

Assignments: First, the students complete all Labs assigned in the course. Second, they pass the Pre-exam with the min. score 80% three times, in order to train before the Exam. Third, those students who are ready and willing, take the Exam; or in case opt out earlier or failed, choose an alternative assignment suggested by the instructor (here, doing the first 1-4 Paths and passing the Pre-exam with the min. score 50%). The course also allows for RPL of equivalent professional contents or certifications.

Teaching methods

This course aims to develop & recognize professional competences in the Master´s students in Business Informatics that help to advance the students´ expertise/substance areas and careers.

Modern business professionals are primarily domain experts, and not necessarily experienced data analysts or advanced business analysts. But they add business analytics expertise and innovative thinking to their core professional competences. In this way, companies are able to gain best competitive advantage utilizing the deep existing subject matter expertise of their workforce, and strengthened it with the knowledge of modern business analytics tools and information systems, as well as opening up the innovative mindset of their employees.

This course helps to expand the horizons of the student by advancing his/her professional competence via implementing a selected method of professional development and focusing on expanding own area of expertise in the way agreed with the instructor/programme.

Assignments include: a selected method of advancing, implementing, and demonstrating the acquired competence. The student will take responsibility for learning and deepening one's own competence in the pre-defined way, in the field of business analytics and/or innovation and/or otherwise advancing related professional skills, by applying self-learning, practicing, and utilizing available materials and offerings (and/or certification that will require at least 127 hours for acquiring (the workload of a typical course). Student will demonstrate own learning with documented evidence and/or via other assignments.

For this end, BI programme in the academic year 2024-2025 offers ”Power BI” Data Analysis PL-300 course (based on the ”Learning Community of Power BI” materials) and a related "Power BI" certification (with access until 31.7.2025, end of this academic year).

Exam schedules

01.06.2025

Student workload

The course will require at least 127 hours for acquiring the competence (the workload of a typical course).

Content scheduling

The course offers 3 possible options for completion (and their Assessment criteria):

1) OPTION 1: a completed and issued MS "Power BI" certification - it will lead to grade "5". For receiving a certification voucher from the school, you will need to pass Pre-exams 3 times with the score above 80% for each attempt (we also recommend to get prepared even more extensively, via doing labs and other preparations, as the Certification is more difficult than Pre-exams).

2) OPTION 2: you decide to take "a short cut" and opt out earlier (the minimum requirement is to complete the first 1-4 Learning modules + passing a Pre-exam with the score 50%) or your have failed the Certification - it will lead to "HYV" grade ("PASS" grade).

3) OPTION 3: you can choose RPL based on own, closely relevant course, or some other type of relevant certification or competence; see below. This option is recognized with "HYV" grade for certifications/competences (or a course grade for courses).

In case "Power BI" certification does not interest you (which we will be very sorry about! as this is your main area of expertise), or you do not fit into the timeframe, then - as a substitute - you can choose your own selected course in the area of BI (on the Master´s level, 5 ECTS or more) or complete your chosen BI-related certification instead. Notice that your selected course should strongly relate to the BI area! (or it will not be recognized as a substitute). It needs to be completed before you can graduate (i.e. flexible timing). - To avoid rejections, we strongly recommend to agree on the substitute course in advance.

RPL, Recognition of Prior Learning: as in any other course, RPL is done based on the documented evidence of the earlier developed related core skills (for example, other business analytics courses or relevant certifications). See the course description above of the areas that will fit for RPL.

Further information

Course instructor:

Misa Bakajic, Senior lecturer
+358 50 303 6315
Misa.Bakajic@metropolia.fi

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient performance: has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good overall performance: can apply and articulate concepts and information well both verbally and in writing, certain areas of individual or team output require further attention; shows appropriate level of interest and motivation in individual and team activities. Good presentation delivery and analysis.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent performance in all elements of the course: shows interest and motivation in individual and team activities and assignments, fully applies and clearly articulates concepts and information both verbally and in writing. The student is able to support his/her argument with references to the recommended reading and lecture content. Excellent presentation delivery and analysis.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Sufficient performance: has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.

Assessment methods and criteria

Seen above.

Qualifications

Completed Higher Education Degree.

Further information

The language of tuition is English.