Should a systems analyst be able to program?

A systems analyst does not necessarily need to be able to program at a developer level, but basic programming knowledge is very useful. It helps to better understand technical constraints, capabilities, and development processes.

For example, knowledge of SQL basics allows data analysis, and understanding programming logic helps formulate requirements and create technical specifications that are understandable to developers.

Thus, the ability to program at a basic level increases the efficiency of communication between the analyst and the development team, but deep programming is usually not part of the systems analyst's responsibilities.