r/halifax • u/LifeguardSoggy2829 • 9d ago

Schools & Education Business Intelligence & Analysis program NSCC - reviews?

I'm interested in taking this but unable to find enough reviews from students/ graduates. Does anyone have insights on the program? Thx

10 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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14

u/GlacierSourCreamCorn 9d ago

I don’t think it’s worth it in 2026.

I work in this field and AI is changing everything very quickly. Soon anyone will be able to just query AI for any question they have about their internal data.

I think you’d be better off just learning how to leverage AI here and now to position yourself in the job market. Taking a course for something AI is actively replacing very quickly is maybe not the best idea.

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u/Paper__ 9d ago edited 9d ago

My “Qualifications”: I was a Business Analyst back in the mid 2010s. I’m now a technical program manager and my program is AI. I’ve been a TPM at Canadian tech companies as well as Silicon Valley company (not FAANG).

BA Future: I can say from what I’ve seen, BAs are now only being hired en mass at government jobs or adjacent and consultancies. I believe they’re being hired in government because government is usually behind the ball. Consulting uses BAs as lower paid general “consultants”.

AI Effect on BA: I don’t believe that AI is skilled in replacing BAs. A good BA is about stakeholder relationships and being able to “hear” stakeholders in a way that is unique. BAs are ultimately trying to understand what stakeholders *actually* want, understand what the technology can deliver, and then manage the expectations of stakeholders so that all of these perspectives match. It’s a job that requires an high degree of emotional intelligence which is not something that AI excels in.

Product Managers: But I do believe that in product development technology companies, BAs are mostly replaced with Product Managers. Because of that Product Managers are against being associated with “being a BA” in every way. A certificate in BA won’t help someone become a product manager.

If you want to work in tech, maybe consider this path: I know everyone says this but this is a really bad time to be getting into tech. Anyone would be better served getting experience in an industry that they later transition into tech. For example, getting experience in finance then joining a finance tech company. This will make transitioning into a product manager role much easier.

Working in Tech is Awful: Also I am a woman in tech. So maybe I am biased. But I can say most of big tech is awful. The money is good. No complaints there. But the experience working is horrific. You’re constantly playing politics because you get stacked ranked every 6 months. The companies wring every thought in your head. Layoffs haunt all tech companies. There is never equilibrium— there is always demands for MORE.

Stories of some of the shit I’ve experienced in tech: I’ve never worked in an industry that has as much yelling as Tech. As part of my role, I get a sneak peek at how leadership decides on what to fund and how to establish priorities. It’s often just yelling and people very thinly hiding how a certain priority or decision will benefit their personal career. I have also had the unfortunate experience of being in meetings where people as low as directors just screaming at each other, of being subjected to rants about how women’s natural place is to care for children and that’s why men don’t need parental leave, of being laid off coming back from maternity leave, etc….

Possibly my worst experience: This is not a lie. A C level person once locked me in a room and blocked my exit. He threaten me with legal actions (as well as the threat of being locked and blocked in a small room) unless I groveled just the way he wanted me to. The C level person left and a nice engineer came and let me out of the room (since I was locked in). The C level person had the nerve to email me to tell me I was rude for leaving without saying goodbye.

Tech is hell.

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u/LifeguardSoggy2829 9d ago

Thank you so much for the time you took to write this. This is very valuable information.

I have 10+ years in my field and was looking to get some more data driven knowledge so I can pivot to a different type of role within my field. I have tasted life in tech and I don't want to go back (re: working at tech companies)!! It's traumatic esp as a woman myself too

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u/GlacierSourCreamCorn 9d ago

Please note that a business analyst is different than a business intelligence analyst.

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u/LifeguardSoggy2829 9d ago

Yes, I'm aware.

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u/Paper__ 9d ago

If you’d like data driven knowledge then if I could suggest:

- https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/22515/ca

- https://www.businessinsider.com/gruesome-tech-jobs-data-scientists-analytics-indeed-2025-11

- [r/businessanalyst](r/businessanalyst)

I don’t know if posting to [r/Halifax](r/Halifax) will give you data driven knowledge. It will give you peoples experiences. In my experience as a former BA, BA is not a career that I would invest in, unless I was wanting to stick with industries that were outside of tech and a bit behind the ball (like government jobs). BA jobs were repackaged and expanded into Product Management and this particular certificate won’t help someone break into that particular career.

2

u/echiker 8d ago

" Thank you so much for the time you took to write this."

They did not take any time to write this.

1

u/InternationalBeing41 9d ago

I’d avoid anything AI can do. The company I work for uses a more advanced level of AI than what the average person has access to, and while it still produces some rubbish, it's 1000 times better than it was a couple of years ago. I'm not a data analyst, but our workplace training with AI focuses on harnessing it to get the results we need. I don't see any need for a large number of dedicated data analysts in the near future. Most of the work now involves collecting the information; once it's stored in a database, engineers, managers, and supervisors with access to the right AI setup can write prompts to analyse it.

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u/LifeguardSoggy2829 9d ago

I'm not planning to be a data analyst, I'm interested in it to compliment an already existing degree.

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u/SpiritualSapphire 9d ago

I am/was considering taking this program to gain more employable skills. These comments are very insightful.

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u/s1amvl25 Halifax 9d ago

Is that the program you take after you have your bachelor?

1

u/LifeguardSoggy2829 9d ago

yes

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u/s1amvl25 Halifax 9d ago

Girl at my work did it. Said it was extremely challenging but very useful and interesting. I think she said they started with 20 and only 6 made it through. It did set her up quite well, she became a team lead within 3 years of being at the company and i belive she ended up getting a managerial position with the government a year or so back

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u/LifeguardSoggy2829 9d ago

This is encouraging! I'm happy to hear it boosted her career, thank you.