Information systems
Information systems graduates have developed the knowledge and abilities to become well-rounded business technology professionals with skills in data, IT management and computer networks
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
- Business analyst
- Estimator
- Forensic computer analyst
- Geographical information systems officer
- Network engineer
- IT sales professional
- Technical author
- 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
Practical work experience will help you consolidate the knowledge and skills developed through your studies. It can also boost your confidence and make you a competitive graduate. Relevant experience can include working with data, operating systems, information security or artificial intelligence (AI).
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 ability to analyse business needs and find solutions to business challenges.
Getting student membership of a professional body such as BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT is also useful for keeping up to date with the latest news, networking opportunities and jobs. It also provides a 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
- uniformed and intelligence agencies.
Recruiters in the private sector include:
- IT consultancy firms
- software houses
- IT service providers
- telecom companies
- retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.
Employers within the IT sector range from multinational companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle to small and medium-sized organisations recruiting fewer than 250 people. There are also some opportunities with micro-businesses employing fewer than ten 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:
- emerging technologies, including the appropriate and ethical use of AI
- software development and programming
- systems analysis and design
- database systems and design
- networking and operating systems
- information governance, including data protection and privacy and online safety
- mobile applications
- computer security
- business analysis.
You also develop other skills valued by employers, including:
- problem solving and change management
- communication and collaboration
- commercial awareness and business acumen
- knowledge management and critical analysis of sources of information
- project management for software development
- planning and organisation
- independent learning and critical thinking.
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 degree in information systems can help further develop the skills you've gained through your degree. There may be options to specialise in, for example, blockchain and fintech, health information systems or human-computer interaction.
It's possible to complete a PhD in areas such as information systems and innovation or information and communication systems. Example research areas include 5G or AI networking. Search Find a PhD for opportunities.
Relevant professional qualifications are also available in IT and business areas.
Regular training in new 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.
| Destination | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Employed | 75.5 |
| Further study | 2.6 |
| Working and studying | 9.6 |
| Unemployed | 6.7 |
| Other | 5.5 |
| Type of work | Percentage |
|---|---|
| IT | 48.5 |
| Business, HR and finance | 18.3 |
| Retail, catering and customer service | 4.3 |
| Clerical, secretarial and administrative | 6.8 |
| Other | 30.7 |
Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?
Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.