Business Intelligence Degrees in Canadian Colleges: A Review

Introduction to Business Intelligence Programs in Canada

Business intelligence degrees are not entirely available in Canadian colleges under the explicit label "Business Intelligence." Instead, institutions offer hybrid programs that combine business education with computer science, mathematics, or data analytics. One example is the Business and Computer Science Bachelor's degree offered at a private university. This program combines a typical business degree with background and experience in computer science. As the institution describes it: "The Business and Computer Science combined major will give you the technical background and understanding to apply IT solutions in a business context and use them to develop opportunities for growth" (University of British Columbia, 2018). Each semester, students take a combination of commerce and computer science courses. The official credential is a Bachelor of Commerce, and the program takes an average of four years to complete.

This kind of BI program is located mainly in the computer science department. Year 1 courses consist of computation, programs and programming, models of computation, and integral calculus. Although commerce essentials are also part of the curriculum — such as managerial accounting — courses in data structures and software construction are the primary focus for the first two years. In years 3 and 4, students study software engineering, artificial intelligence, and management of information systems. The degree maintains a core of basic business courses with heavy emphasis on computer science principles.

University-Level BI Programs: Computer Science and Commerce Hybrids

School of Business at Queen's University

The School of Business at Queen's University aims to encourage students interested in business to pursue avenues related to data management and analysis. While the school focuses primarily on graduate programs, it also offers an undergraduate business program. In the first and second years, students again encounter a computer science–related, mathematically oriented course load. Examples include Introduction to Mathematical Analysis for Management and Enabling Business with Information Systems (Queen's University, 2018). Although years 3 and 4 incorporate a mix of elective courses, the school places emphasis on commerce and science. Overall, the business school focuses more heavily on mathematics and commerce, while still incorporating a computer science component.

This curricular direction reflects a growing trend toward integrating business with computer science and mathematics, driven largely by the demand for big data analysis within the field of business. However, that trend is more pronounced at the master's degree level than at the undergraduate level. As Allen (2018) observes, "big data as a means to solve business problems has been rapidly infiltrating graduate business education for years now. Many graduate B-schools across the world offer courses, concentrations, and master's degrees in business analytics."

Public College and Community College BI Programs

Public College: Business Analysis Program

Business analytics is the more common term for business intelligence in Canada. One public college located in Ontario offers a part-time business analysis program that can be completed entirely online, allowing students to understand and facilitate data analysis within a business setting. The program is designed for "business analysts, project managers, operations managers, systems analysts, quality assurance analysts, marketing professionals and anyone whose role is about defining, and analyzing or solving business problems" (Conestoga College, 2018). Computer science forms a strong part of the core requirements, with course offerings such as Software Testing, Introduction to Analytics and Big Data, and Business Process Modeling and Improvement.

Unlike the private universities described above, this public college provides the convenience of a fully online program. Although it does not offer a comprehensive treatment of business intelligence as a discipline, it provides a varied and robust course load for anyone seeking a stronger grounding in business analysis. Because higher education can be costly — especially for international or distance learners — online programs like this one are not only cost-efficient but may represent a future trend poised to supplement or eventually rival traditional learning environments. As Burd, Smith, and Reisman (2015, p. 37) note, "Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) potentially challenge the traditional dominance of brick-and-mortar institutions as providers of quality higher education. The benefits for students include reduced education costs and global access to exclusive institution courses and instructors." Students at schools like Queen's University generally do not have this option, even at the master's level.

Community College: Marketing Research and Analytics

One community college operates with distance learning as a central priority. It offers a business program called Marketing Research and Analytics, geared toward future needs in the business field such as marketing research and big data analytics. The institution acknowledges the growing demand for business-trained individuals who also have a background in research and analysis. Broken up by semester, students study Computer Applications for Marketing Analytics in the first semester and Applied Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the second semester (Centennial College, 2018). Many of these courses are available online, though not all are part of the distance learning stream.

This community college offers a glimpse of what business intelligence training can look like at a lower cost. While the focus leans more toward research than computer science or mathematics, some computer science content is embedded in both semesters' course loads. The overall impression is that research skills are increasingly recognized as essential to big data analysis. However, there remains a lack of robust options for students seeking a comprehensive business intelligence degree at this level.

Online and Distance Learning in BI Education

The schools that offer online programs tend to be public colleges and, especially, community colleges. This may be attributable to lower operational costs for both the institution and the student, as well as the broader increase in distance learning options across Canada. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) represent one expression of this shift, providing global access to coursework that was previously restricted to on-campus enrollment.

Regarding specific pedagogical approaches, the online programs at the public college and community college provide student portals where learners can access online resources, discuss assignments in chat or forum environments, submit work, and communicate with instructors. This infrastructure aligns with the theory of connectivism, which positions networked digital environments as central to contemporary learning (Goldie, 2016). Similar to online programs in the United States, these Canadian resources have evolved rapidly over a short period to provide greater convenience and flexibility (Braverman, 2017). The long-term growth trajectory for online learning has been consistent: "total enrollment in online courses has consistently increased since 2002. Growth did decline over the past two years, but the proportion of students taking at least one class online continued to rise to 32.1 percent in 2011" (Huffington Post, 2017). Having a distance learning option is increasingly crucial for students pursuing higher education goals.

References

Allen, N. (2018, January 17). 4 key trends happening now in biz ed. Poets & Quants for Undergrads. Retrieved from https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/2018/01/10/four-important-trends-happening-now-business-education/

Braverman, L. (2017). Improving U.S. college graduation rates with quality online and blended degree completion programs. In Handbook of Research on Building, Growing, and Sustaining Quality E-Learning Programs (pp. 40–59). doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-0877-9.ch003

Burd, E. L., Smith, S. P., & Reisman, S. (2015). Exploring business models for MOOCs in higher education. Innovative Higher Education, 40(1), 37–49. doi:10.1007/s10755-014-9297-0

Centennial College. (2018). Marketing — research & analytics (optional co-op). Retrieved from https://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/full-time/marketing-research-analytics/

Conestoga College. (2018). Part-time business analysis continuing education program & courses. Retrieved from

Goldie, J. G. (2016). Connectivism: A knowledge learning theory for the digital age? Medical Teacher, 38(10), 1064–1069. doi:10.3109/0142159x.2016.1173661

Huffington Post. (2017, December 6). Infographics: The growth of online education. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/growth-online-education-moocs_n_3041529.html

Queen's University. (2018, September 27). Queen's Commerce — academics — program fees curriculum. Retrieved from

Sharda, R., Delen, D., & Turban, E. (2017). Business intelligence. Pearson Australia Pty Ltd.

University of British Columbia. (2018). Business and computer science. Retrieved from https://you.ubc.ca/ubc_programs/business-computer-science/