Business Analysis Fundamentals - IIBA endorsed (Udemy.com)
Gain the core BA skills you need to start strong - and earn PD Hours/CDUs to kickstart your analysis career!
Created by: Jeremy Aschenbrenner
Last updated September 2025
Our take
Based on the ratings of 73,446 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in September 2025. No course pays to be reviewed.
Jeremy Aschenbrenner's course is a theory-first introduction to business analysis. It runs 8.2 hours over 79 lectures and 15 sections. The syllabus covers what a BA does, project methodologies, business cases, then requirements elicitation, analysis, specification and approval. No prior knowledge is needed, and the listing says it counts toward professional development hours for IIBA certification. It is aimed at career changers, recent graduates, and people who were handed BA duties without the title.
Reviewers like the structure and the pace of the lessons. The complaints are just as consistent. Nearly every review of three stars or lower says there is too much theory, some repetition, and almost no hands-on work. People want to write real requirements, see case studies, and use tools like Jira or Confluence. One reviewer found the interviewing segment too long. Elicitation is the biggest section, at about two hours.
The score is 4.6 from over 73,000 reviews, and about half of those are five stars. The syllabus includes a short section on AI and the last update was in September 2025, so it does not feel stale. For a first look at the field it is a solid pick. If you already do the job, one reviewer calls it superficial. Pair it with something practical if you want hands-on practice.
Pros
- Walks the whole requirements process, from elicitation to approval, in a clear order
- Reviewers praise the structure and a pace that suits an introduction
- Listing says it counts toward professional development hours for IIBA certification
- Last updated in September 2025, with a short section on AI in the BA role
Cons
- Mostly theory, with little hands-on practice or real project examples
- Repetitive in places, and the interviewing segment runs long for some
- Too basic for working analysts; one reviewer calls it superficial
An exceptionally well-structured introductory course that successfully bridges foundational business analysis theory with real-world application.
Beginner is accurate: no prior knowledge needed, and it targets career changers, newcomers and accidental analysts.
What you will learn
- Business Analysis basics – learn what a Business Analyst is, what they do, and how they do it
- A breakdown of six project methodologies including traditional Waterfall and Agile frameworks
- Learn how to properly initiate a project by creating a business case that aligns with the business objectives
- Understand the basics of project requirements and six of the popular techniques used to elicit those details from your stakeholders
- Gain an overview of various modeling diagrams to help you recognize and understand project documentation
- Conduct requirement specification - including categorizing, deriving (breaking apart), prioritizing, and validating
- Have the confidence to successfully facilitate requirements approval meetings
Course content
15 sections · 79 lectures · 8.3 hours of video 4 quizzes, 10 articles
- 1Welcome to the Course! 2 free previews4 lectures · 2 min
- 2The Basics: From Business Analysis to Business Analyst 4 free previews6 lectures · 1 quiz · 23 min
- 3Business Analysis Skills and You4 lectures · 13 min
- 4Approaching Change6 lectures · 35 min
- 5The Logical Mindset5 lectures · 9 min
- 6The Emergence of AI5 lectures · 1 quiz · 14 min
- 7Initiating a Project6 lectures · 1 quiz · 50 min
- 8Requirement Basics6 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.1 hours
- 9Requirement Elicitation12 lectures · 2.1 hours
- 10Requirement Analysis6 lectures · 44 min
- 11Requirement Specification9 lectures · 58 min
- 12Requirements Approval4 lectures · 24 min
- 13After the Project2 lectures · 19 min
- 14Miscellaneous Other Topics3 lectures · 13 min
- 15Bonus Section1 lecture · 1 min
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Aspiring Business Analysts - including recent college graduates and those looking to make a career change.
- New Business Analysts wanting to improve their craft
- Other positions that are performing business analysis duties such as administrators, managers, and project leads.
- Those going for their ECBA certification - this course is qualifies for 9 hours of Professional Development
What you need before you start
- This course covers all of the fundamentals - no prior knowledge is required
How it compares
Against the other 1,210 rated Udemy courses in Business on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 74% of them
- Reviews73,446#3 of 1,211 by number of reviews
- Length8.2 hourslonger than 85% of them
- Last updatedSeptember 2025more recently than 50% of them
Course Description
Looking to get ECBA®, CCBA®, or CBAP® certified or recertified? - This course qualifies for 7.5 PD Hours/CDUs!
THE ULTIMATE FOUNDATIONAL COURSE – LEARN THE CORE BUSINESS ANALYSIS KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN BUILD UPON AND START YOUR CAREER IN BUSINESS ANALYSIS THE RIGHT WAY.
Set yourself up for success and learn the key concepts you’ll need to thrive in your Business Analyst career!
With over a decade of experience working as, hiring, and managing Business Analysts, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to build a successful career in this field. Now, I want to help you do the same.
This course distills everything I’ve learned into a clear, easy-to-follow way that lays the groundwork for your journey in business analysis. It’s designed to give you the essential knowledge every Business Analyst needs - the kind of foundational understanding that makes everything else easier to learn and apply.
Because let’s face it, without a solid foundation, building a rewarding future is nearly impossible. But with one in place? You’ll be ready to hit the ground running, spot opportunities as they arise, and grow into a confident, capable analyst.
Whether you're exploring the field or already stepping into a Business Analysis role, this course will help you start strong and stay ahead.
Your enrollment includes lifetime access to every lecture, activity, handout, and quiz—plus personal support if you ever get stuck or have questions. Get ready to launch a fulfilling new chapter in your career.
Just ask the students who’ve already taken this course:
"The pace is perfect for those who are actively engaged, and there is a lot of value in the lectures, activities, and additional resources provided. I wholeheartedly recommend this course." – Kenni
“The course is just awesome! Tbh [to be honest], I did not expect much from the online course and was really surprised when it turned out to be sooo interesting. The information is well-structured and divided into sections which makes it really easy to understand and grasp the important points. I enjoyed the way Jeremy conducts the lectures and truly hope to enroll into some more of his courses in future! Thanks a ton” - Nataliia
“Great quality work. I like how Jeremy breaks everything down, so it's understandable even if you don't have any background in the business analysis. Awesome courses!!!” - Oleg
Why be a Business Analyst in the first place?
1. Potential Earnings – Let’s be honest it’s the main reason we work in the first place. So, you’ll be happy to hear that a typical Business Analyst (BA) earns over $78,000 per year. And that is only the average. Work hard, continue to increase the value you provide, and just imagine how much you could end up making!
2. Market Growth – The Business Analysis job market is expected to grow at a rate of 19% over the next 10 years, so get in now and take advantage of an industry that’s on the rise. In fact, per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, American employers will need 876,000 business analysis-related professionals in 2020. It is a great time to be versed in business analysis!
3. Career Springboard – The skills you learn as a Business Analyst are crucial to a host of many other professions, everything from IT to Business. This career path isn’t just a job, it’s an investment in your future.
4. Use Existing Industry Knowledge – Similarly, the skills you’ve learned outside of the business analysis world are highly valued in the industry – so rather than starting anew, you can be put your experience to good use.
5. It’s Never Boring – With new projects always on the horizon, and different challenges to tackle each day, the role of a Business Analyst never grows stale.
So if you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career, I highly encourage you to take a serious look into business analysis!
What exactly is included in this course?
- Business Analysis basics – learn what a Business Analyst is, what they do, and how they do it
- A breakdown of six project methodologies including traditional Waterfall and Agile frameworks
- Learn how to properly initiate a project by learning how to create a business case that aligns with business objectives
- Understand the basics of project requirements and six of the popular techniques used to elicit those details from your stakeholders
- Gain an overview of various modeling diagrams to help you recognize and understand project documentation
- Conduct requirement specification - including categorizing, deriving (breaking apart), prioritizing, and validating
In addition to all the tools you’ll need to start planning the project, you’ll also get a foot into the field by way of an industry expert…
I’m not just the instructor who wrote this course, I will also act as both a resource and a mentor to guide you to a long and rewarding career in Business Analysis!
This is what my students had to say about the content of this course:
"The course is awesome, didn't see similar before. Like how Jeremy explains, how he highlight key points and how he provide us by different types of a very useful templates, which we can use in our daily job. Really, excellent course, and will wait with a big impatience for another ones. Highly recommended for everybody who wants to become an experienced business analyst. Jeremy and his courses will definitely help you to achieve your goal!" - Aykhan
“If I had to rate this […] I would give 10 out of five!! this is one of the great lectures I have ever had. Extremely satisfied and learnt a lot!! Thanks Jeremy!!” – Swati
“Great inside knowledge from Jeremy, clear and concise. Explains Business Analysis concepts in a way that is easy to understand and gives a solid base of the fundamentals.” - German
Still Unsure?
I understand – you’re a Business Analyst at heart and you like to have all the information at hand before making a decision… so here’s a list of extra bonuses that are included, as part of your enrollment to the course:
- A Business Requirements Document (BRD) Example Template – so you can utilize your newly learned requirement documentation skills. Documenting requirements into a template like a BRD will play an integral part of your day-to-day as a Business Analyst.
- A Business Case Template – Organize your thoughts and sell the value of your project by using our intuitive and easy to follow template
Instructor Details
- 4.6 Rating
73,446 Reviews
Jeremy Aschenbrenner
Come learn with more than 750,000 students from around the world!
Hello! My name is Jeremy Aschenbrenner, but many know me better as The BA Guide, and I'm happy you are here.
I’m a veteran Business Analyst with thousands of projects completed throughout my career. I've managed business analysis projects for companies in diverse industries including health care, telecom, automotive, transportation, consumer packaged goods, car rental agency, food and beverage, financial services, consulting, and more.
Through personal experience, I quickly learned that business analysis can be confusing and even intimidating. There’s endless business jargon, technical terms, techniques, and methodologies to learn, and countless visual diagrams, artifacts, elicitation sessions, interfaces, and KPIs to wrap your head around. I’ve been there and learned all of that. Many years ago, I also learned a valuable lesson about myself: I really enjoy teaching others. This was the inspiration for The BA Guide.
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Reviews
By Lakshya Mishra on 9/3/2026
This course was one of the best thing I bought to upskill myself it covers all the basic fundamental and structure which will be needed for upcoming industry standard and it is very well updated with current market as well (AI, Case study, methodologies, frameworks etc.) thank for guiding me Jeremy surely loved this course.
By Rohaida binti Abdullah on 7/3/2026
Learn a lot and it seems similar to what i am currently doing, helps me improve in a new way of working and new ideas.
By Souvik Das on 6/17/2026
An exceptionally well-structured introductory course that successfully bridges foundational business analysis theory with real-world application.
By Moloy Josué on 6/15/2026
well, the content is rich, but too theorical. it should have less littérature or keep the same littérature by direcly making practical cases.
By Mehboob Bandiwadekar on 6/9/2026
he seems to be one of the best teacher covers everything does not leave even a small doubt people could think of. Great job
By Karolina Adamczak on 6/8/2026
I really like it when each point was explained in details with examples so much quicker to understand and visuals scenario.
By Anjolaoluwa Oluwaleye on 5/31/2026
It broke down the foundations pretty well. Though I believe it's very theoretical for now, I believe it would make more sense in practice.
By Stephen Morley on 5/6/2026
Very good as a fundamentals course. The information provided in the lectures is helping me to make informed decisions about the Business Analyst Professional Designations.
By Shivani Singh on 4/24/2026
It is a really knowledgeable and skill full course so far. Looking forward for more interesting learning’s and build my career as a business analyst.
By Keefelakae Moloi on 3/12/2026
This is a very beautiful course, very insightful into becoming a BA. The trainer is knowledgeable and well-paced in explaining the material
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 92 / 100












