Information systems

You'll be in demand as an information systems graduate, as your skills are invaluable to employers in a range of sectors who depend on the design, implementation and management of IT

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Application analyst
• Cyber security analyst
• Data analyst
• Data scientist
• Database administrator
• Information systems manager
• IT consultant
• IT technical support officer
• Penetration tester
• Software engineer
• Systems analyst

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Applications developer
• Border Force officer
• Business analyst
• Estimator
• Forensic computer analyst
• Network engineer
• IT sales professional
• UX researcher
• Web content manager

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

It will enhance your skills portfolio to undertake a range of work experience in different aspects of information systems, such as hardware, operating systems, software and team leadership. Some degrees include a placement year or a placement in your final year of study, where you can develop your practical skills and build a network of contacts.

Summer placements and internships in IT are also offered by a range of companies. Speak to your university careers service about where to find vacancies.

Work experience in a corporate environment can help to develop your commercial awareness, client management skills and the ability to understand and communicate the business benefits of IT.

Getting student membership of a professional body such as the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT is also useful for keeping up to date with the latest news, networking opportunities and finding out about the latest jobs. It's also the pathway towards professional membership and chartered IT status.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

There are opportunities for information systems graduates in any organisation that makes use of IT facilities, meaning the range and variety of employers is vast.

Examples of employers in the not-for-profit and public sectors include:

• local and central government
• secondary, further and higher education
• the NHS
• charities
• the media.

Recruiters in the private sector include:

• IT consultancy firms
• software houses
• IT service providers
• telecom companies.

Employers within the IT sector range from multinational companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle, to small and medium-sized organisations, to the smallest companies employing fewer than five people.

Find information on employers in information technology and job sectors.

Skills for your CV

An information systems degree provides you with a range of specialist skills in areas such as:

• hardware, software development and programming
• systems analysis
• database systems and design
• networking and operating systems
• data mining
• emerging technologies
• mobile applications
• computer security
• business analysis.

You'll also pick up other skills valued by employers, including:

• problem solving and change management
• the ability to contribute to a team objective
• commercial awareness and business acumen
• the ability to understand and respond to user or customer requirements
• project management experience
• planning and organisation
• negotiation and influencing.

These skills enable you to interpret employers' informational needs and translate them into business applications, working with a range of other specialists such as computer programmers, software engineers, computer scientists and business analysts.

Further study

Completing a Masters in information systems will sharpen the skills you've developed through your degree. There may be options to specialise, for example in health information systems.

It's possible to complete a PhD in areas such as operations management and information systems, and computer science and information systems.

Relevant professional qualifications are also available in IT and business areas.

Regular training in technical products is important and is offered by product suppliers and ICT training providers. Taking additional courses, especially with market leaders, can help with career progression.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in information systems and networking.

What do information systems graduates do?

56% of information systems graduates are working as programmers and software development professionals, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, cyber security professionals, IT user support technicians, management consultants and business analysts, IT managers, information technology professionals, data analysts, actuaries, economists and statisticians and finance and investment analysts and advisers 15 months after graduation.

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.