Microsoft Power BI, an introduction

About the course

Data is only as useful as your ability to understand and communicate it. Power BI is Microsoft's business analytics platform — and this introductory course shows you how to use it to transform raw data into clear, interactive visuals that drive better decisions.

Designed for confident Excel users ready to level up, this course walks you through everything from connecting and cleaning data sources to building dashboards, applying DAX calculations and publishing reports to the Power BI Service. You'll also explore Power BI Copilot, Microsoft's built-in AI feature for natural language queries.

Whether you're preparing reports for leadership, tracking operational data or working with large datasets across multiple systems, this course gives you a practical, hands-on foundation in one of the most in-demand workplace tools available today.

Address for In Person sessions:

ICTS Training room 102.1
Level 1, Kramer Law building
UCT Middle Campus
Rondebosch

Course content

• Understand the Power BI ecosystem and identify where it adds value in your role
• Download, install and set up Power BI Desktop
• Connect to multiple data sources including Excel
• Clean, transform and shape data using Power Query
• Build data models with relationships, calculated columns and DAX measures
• Create interactive charts, tables, KPIs and dashboards using drag-and-drop tools
• Apply filters, drill-downs and AI features including Power BI Copilot for natural language queries
• Publish reports to the Power BI Service and collaborate with your team in real time
• Manage access, configure security roles and monitor report usage

Enrollment requirements

• Mac users: Power BI Desktop is not currently available as a native macOS application. Mac users can access full Power BI Desktop capabilities by running a Windows Virtual Machine. Please ensure this is set up before the first session.
• External parties: Power BI license: Participants must have an active Power BI license prior to attending. Please confirm your license status before enrolling.

Certification

On successful completion of this course, participants receive a UCT ICTS Certificate of Completion. Attendance at all three sessions is required. Participants who miss more than one session will not qualify for certification.

Cost and registration

• External delegates: R1,500 - enrol directly through The Learning Store (below)
• UCT staff (permanent and T1–T2 contractors): No cost - register via SuccessFactors
• UCT staff with third party accounts: No cost - request a discount voucher code from icts-training@uct.ac.za BEFORE enrolling for the course

NB: Alternative (free) learning resource for staff and students: LinkedIn Learning

More Information

Email: icts-training@uct.ac.za
Phone: +27 (0)21 650 5392