Hi all,

I've been working as a Business Systems Analyst for 4 years now for a large international travel company. My main duties are regression testing using FitNesse. I design and code my own scripts for booking airline segments in our Host CERT system when new programs are coded before they are implemented into PROD. IN addition I design scripts for other duties such as validation scripts for data mediation and testing. I use KDM, unix, SQL etc also.

Had an opportunity to work as a BA in Texas (country relocation-got offered the position due to my experience and skills but later the immigration attorneys decided not to proceed as they wanted an IT specific degree for visa purposes).Was gutted!

In addition I see many BA positions asking for IT degrees and Masters now. I only have a Biology degree and a certificate in MCSE.

Now I'm very keen on obtaining a MSc in IT in London.

But there is such a huge array of IT degrees out there which one would be best to follow a career as a BA?

Thanks

There are MSc degrees in Business Analysis, and also in Business Systems Analysis & Design which combines business analysis with technical skills. This might be a good match given your background, but it really depends on where your interests lie as well. There may be educational prerequisites for these types of programs. You should be able to find information online for programs in your area.

Many BAs could probably tell you they've found work without necessarily having a BA or an IT degree - but as you've discovered, you do need a related degree to get a work visa for the US, and probably true for many other countries as well. Since you're keen on getting an MSc, best thing is probably just to compare programs in London - see which has the best fit for courses that interest you, cost, and schedule too if that's important (if you want full-time or part-time, for example). You can compare the course subjects offered in a Master's program against the Knowledge Areas in the Business Analysis Book of Knowledge (BABOK) to find a good fit for a BA career.

Sandy