Moraine Park’s Online Accounting program was ranked #11 in best online accounting programs in the nation by University HQ, a leading independent education organization providing students with resources to prepare them for their career and educational journeys. 

“Moraine Park’s ranking reflects our faculty, staff and management’s dedication to helping students master the skills necessary to reach their education and employment goals,” Joan Falter, Moraine Park Accounting Instructor, said. “The accounting team works with our advisory team to ensure that our program meets current needs. Online students have shared surprise in their ability to interact one-on-one with the accounting faculty.” 

The ranking is based on unbiased government reports that analyze admission, retention, graduate rates, diplomas awarded, programs offered, graduate salaries, loan default rates and the percentage of students receiving financial aid. 

“This ranking in addition to the fact that we don’t charge higher out-of-state tuition will continue to build our out-of-state student body,” Falter said. 

Moraine Park’s Online Accounting program was an early adopter of online learning and has been quick to increase synchronous online options. 

“Consistency among modalities and instructors ensures a cohesive learning experience throughout the program,” Julie Dilling, Moraine Park Accounting Instructor, said. “This minimizes students’ cognitive load because they know what to expect as far as cadence and requirements in each of the program courses.” 

Moraine Park provides many resources for students to aid in their successful learning outcomes such as academic advising, counseling, disability services, student life, employment services, tutoring and more, which are all available to online students. 

“In the future, we expect to build on past success,” Falter said. “We will continue implementing new modalities such as synchronous online classes in order to provide online learners with a remote ‘face-to-face’ option.” 

Moraine Park’s Online Accounting program was also ranked #4 in the nation by The Best Schools, an educational and professional resource for students. 

The demand is growing rapidly for business analysis skills and related jobs not only nationally but also locally in Wisconsin.  The U.S. Department of Labor shows that jobs related to business analysis (management analysts) are projected to increase 14% nationally from 2018-2028 compared to the average growth rate of all occupations of 5%.[1]   The growth in Wisconsin is 13% for the same timeframe[2].

To enhance our Business Analyst Associate degree program and better meet the needs of this growing field, Moraine Park Technical College partnered with the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA^®) in summer 2020.   The IIBA academic affiliation allows Moraine Park to align all of our business analyst courses to globally recognized standards and seek endorsement for our curriculum. 

As the business analysis profession and practice continues to evolve, so do the needs of academic institutions around the globe to get their graduates job-ready and enter the workforce ready to meet tomorrow’s business challenges. IIBA is committed to the growth of the business analysis profession by supporting education providers. Through IIBA’s Academic Program, it endorses business analysis courses and programs for academic institutions of all sizes. An IIBA endorsed course:

1. Asserts alignment to A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge^® (BABOK^® Guide), the internationally recognized body of knowledge for the practice of business analysis
2. Meets industry and internationally recognized standards and best practices in business analysis, ensuring learners develop the skills companies need most in 2021 and beyond
3. Allows students to apply the endorsed course hours towards the professional development requirements for the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™), designed specifically for students with no work experience

Moraine Park is pleased to announce that the following business analyst core courses were recently endorsed by IIBA:

• Business Analyst Essentials
• Business Analyst Planning and Monitoring
• Elicitation Techniques
• Requirements Life Cycle Management
• Requirements Analysis and Design
• Business Analyst Strategy Analysis
• Business Analyst Solution Evaluation

“I’m very excited to obtain IIBA endorsement for core courses within our BA program.  This endorsement sets us apart from other business analysis training or programs, ensuring that students are learning the essential knowledge, standards, and techniques in business analysis”, states Jo Ann Giese-Kent, Business Analyst Instructor.    

Bobbi Fields, Associate Dean of Business and IT, adds, “The IIBA is considered the premier professional organization committed to business analysis. Recognition by the IIBA acknowledges the quality of our academic program. Students are better positioned for professional certification, networking opportunities, and resources to grow their careers.”

The online Moraine Park business analyst program prepares students to decipher organization structure, policies, and operations. Graduates will be prepared to define problems, scope, and learn to gather business and stakeholder requirements or needs.  They will explore the use of a variety of best practice techniques, analytics, and relevant technologies to validate, analyze, and synthesize information to gain insights and connect the dots.  The Moraine Park Business Analyst training also includes strategy analysis and solution evaluation to assess performance and value.

If you’re ready to develop your business analysis skills and be part of a fast growing career, check out the following program overview video https://youtu.be/GALQJsV47Qg​ and connect with admissions today at https://www.morainepark.edu/admissions/new-student/how-to-apply-for-admissions/.

About IIBA

International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®) is the professional association dedicated to supporting business analysis professionals to deliver better business outcomes. IIBA connects almost 30,000 Members, over 100 Chapters, and more than 500 training, academic, and corporate partners around the world. As the global voice of the business analysis community, IIBA supports recognition of the profession, networking and community engagement, standards and resource development, and comprehensive certification programs. For more information visit iiba.org.

[1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm

[2] EMSI/QCEW & American Community Survey

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Most of us, by now, have heard of or know someone that has or is homeschooling their children. But how many of us really know what that means?

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