A business or organization that aims to use technology to help it achieve its strategic goals needs information systems. With a degree or certificate in information systems you will be able to help a wide variety of industries.

As information is power, professionals in computer information systems (CIS, or simply, IS) are vital players in the current information economy. The design and management of systems that store, collect, analyze, process, and distribute information are vital for large and developing companies in every industry.

For instance, professionals who specialize in geospatial information systems model, visualize, and analyze systems that aid strategic planning and decision making. They help make geographic information both accessible and meaningful to planners, scientists, decision makers, and other interested parties. Information systems topics cover all industries that use local and regional information in their initiatives.
As such it is clear that information systems is growing rapidly and plays a crucial role in our economy. An information systems specialist can work as a network systems analyst, network and computer systems administrator, or computer systems analyst.

Those with a graduate degree in information systems can find employment in various industries. In 2007, top employers for such graduates included insurance companies, computer design services, software publishers, and data processing services. Those wanting higher remuneration should apply to telecommunications, securities and commodities companies, and other financial institutions.
One can obtain either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer information systems. Many students also pursue a business degree, for instance an MBA. Such an education that combines technology and business is much sought after by employers.

The coursework usually comprises communications, networking, a little bit of computer programming (mostly SQL and another language used for database query and programming), as well as systems development and analysis. A few courses cover proprietary IS platforms, such as Cisco, Oracle, or Microsoft.

Many students find that working for an information systems degree via a distance learning institution is better at preparing them for the tough demands made by employers. This is because online courses have a built-in technology component not available in campus-based courses. Also, distance learning leads to savings in time and money as you can work toward meeting degree requirements much faster.

A degree in information systems is a new addition to university and college programs in the United States. As computers become more common, many procedures and processes are being automated. Information systems technology renders it easier to analyze, gather, and process information for meaningful results.

With the growing awareness of the benefits of the Internet and computer networks, industries and corporations have started looking for specialists in information systems to help create procedures and processes that can save costs, time, and energy by digitization and automation. A degree in information systems will help the student to understand the importance and benefits of information systems to organizations. People with information systems degrees are expected to be aware of the basic infrastructure needed to create complex information systems, as well as design and architecture, apart from upper-tier application development for enabling user interaction and process automation.

In the increasingly competitive scenario both the private and public sector organizations are investing millions of dollars to enhance their systems and remodel infrastructure to ensure more sophisticated and robust information systems.

Recent graduates with degree in information systems have been able to secure jobs immediately. Most people who have majored in information systems command greater salaries than engineering graduates. Yet another benefit of having a degree in information systems is the opportunity afforded to work in different departments. Those with degrees in information systems have been able to contribute to information technology and database management departments in many industrial organizations.

By studying information systems you get to understand many different fields of work. An information systems degree focuses on both the engineering and management sides of information systems.