The course Business Intelligence at Algonquin College is an excellent course for those who wanted to make a shift of career to the Data analytics side and that was the reason I chose the course also because at Algonquin they have the option of doing a co-op after the completion of the course.
Course Curriculum
Overall the course curriculum of my 1st program BISI was a bit intensive for a 1-year program but very useful for industry experience. I was able to get a co-op from the program which helped me a lot to advance my career and get a field job while studying. The Project Management, course is also good in terms of relating to what is needed in the job market
Exams
My score: IELTS 7.5 Listening 8.5 Reading 8.5 Writing 6.5 Speaking 6.5. The requirements are usually more than IELTS band 6.5 but can depend on the course.
Placement
For the placement of BISI program, out of 42 students in the program 40 were able to secure a co-op after the program and government companies like CRA, AAFC, Canada Post and private companies like Nokia and others visited the on-campus hiring for co-op term. For project management program co-op also the opportunities were very good.
Internship
Yes. I did one co-op term and later got extended as a part-time employee at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. The pay for the co-op term was $3750/month for 4 months.
Events
The college has very good space for events, clubs and other activities.
Fees
For the BISI program the total fees for the 2019 Fall were $22,000 and for Project Management 2020 Fall was $17,800.
Scholarship
No, I didn't receive any scholarship.
Faculty
From my 1st year program BISI, Prof. Jim Myronyk is an excellent Program Co-ordinator and knowledgeable person who has number of experience in the industry. All the faculties are very experienced but sometimes they can be less approachable and helpful considering the current scenario of online classes because the course has lots of hands-on experience with different tools and it can be difficult in a virtual environment.
Hostel
I lived in a shared accommodation off-campus since the college residence is too expensive for an international student in my perspective. For an average shared room with 2/3 people it can be $300 per month including utilities based on the location you live (downtown houses can be more expensive). While for the second year I started living in my own personal room in a shared house which is around $500-$550 including all utilities.
