What You Can Do with an Informatics Degree
Business runs on technology, driven by data. Skilled informatics professionals are in-demand to develop and manage the systems that aggregate, analyze, and put data to use to drive business decisions.
Regardless of your background, if you鈥檙e looking for an opportunity to apply your expertise in new and exciting ways, informatics could be a perfect fit.
What is Informatics?
Informatics is the bridge between technology and business.
As an informatics student, you鈥檒l learn how to use cutting-edge technologies and develop management skills for high-paying jobs in business, health care, digital media, and more.
"Informatics is essentially that field of computing where we focus on the human and organizational needs by way of technology applications,鈥 says Dr. Michael Totaro, Informatics Program Coordinator. 鈥淚f a person has interest in technology, computing, information, and data, and how all that can be wrapped together and used for specific purposes, informatics is certainly worth looking at.鈥
Dr. Totaro is one of several professors in the University of 69传媒 School of Computing and Informatics and is program coordinator for the M.S. in Informatics degree program, online and .
What can I do with an informatics degree?
For those with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in an unrelated discipline, UL 69传媒鈥檚 master鈥檚 in informatics is the key to unlocking new opportunities and career paths in data science.
鈥淪tudents can merge the area of expertise that they already have and the expertise they're going to develop in informatics,鈥 says Dr. Totaro.
鈥淏ecause informatics is so cross disciplinary, that's actually a good situation to be in. 69传媒69传媒thing that you've learned, everything that you've done, can be useful to you.鈥
The Master of Science in Informatics is designed to help you to build on any bachelor鈥檚 degree with courses around your interests in business, interactive media technology, systems administration, web development, and network security.
You鈥檒l be prepared to take on data science roles in any industry, applying your knowledge in application development, business process analysis, database development and administration, network security administration, web development, and more.
Who鈥檚 hiring informatics professionals?
The short answer? 69传媒69传媒one.
Informatics, computing and data science are among the fastest growing professions in the country, with opportunities in every industry.
M.S. in Informatics alumni Jason Suire completed his bachelor鈥檚 in English before turning to tech. He鈥檚 now a cybersecurity architect for IT and business consulting firm CGI and says he appreciates how informatics applies to a wide range of fields.
鈥淓ven if you go into something completely unrelated. If you go into, say, political science, the statistical background and the procedural learning background is extraordinarily helpful in setting up strategies for doing what you need to do,鈥 he says.
鈥淥perational sciences and operations research is good in any business practice because it helps you parse out and break down the inner workings of a business.鈥
Career opportunities in informatics:
- Application development. Translate software requirements into workable programming code and maintain and develop programs for use in business.
- Business intelligence architecture. Build standards and guiding principles to define, assure and govern the creation, enhancement, and evolution of the IT system landscape, facilitating business changes and growth.
- Business process analysis. Provides business process or systems support including root cause analysis, mapping current processes or systems, iterative problem definition and hypothesized improvement opportunities.
- Database development and administration. Plan and manage the performance, integrity and security of a database as well as troubleshoot any issues on behalf of the users.
- IT support specialization. Provide a range of skills, including problem solving, troubleshooting, process improvement, software maintenance, software testing, network design and implementation, load balancing and scalability, vendor management, and more.
- IT business management. Become a vital link between a firm鈥檚 information technology capabilities and its business objectives, contributing to the profitability of your company, regardless of size or industry.
- IT project management. Plan, budget, oversee and document all aspects of unit projects while ensuring the scope and direction of each project is on schedule.
- Network security administration. Inform users about computer security, check for security violations, install protective software and act against cyber-attacks.
- Web development. Create the look, layout and features of a website.
Prepare to help businesses and organizations stay ahead through the M.S. in Informatics online or on-campus. .