Information systems drive the future of technology. This innovative field blends technical systems and solutions with business strategy and communication to reveal how diverse components can work together to solve complex problems and unleash exciting opportunities.
Information systems is a multidisciplinary field that relies on the diverse contributions of talented professionals. These professionals draw on expertise in areas such as computer science, business management, and data analysis.
It takes great focus and commitment to develop these competencies, but the payoff can be considerable. This means graduates emerge with a robust skill set that makes them invaluable across numerous industries. These professionals find great satisfaction in applying their technological know-how in the business world, where they uncover creative, tech-powered solutions.
Ready to make the commitment to IS success? An exciting journey awaits, but it takes structure and guidance to prepare for today’s most impactful information systems positions. Therein lies the value of pursuing an information systems major, which you can adapt based on your unique goals and interests.
Below, we’ll highlight not only the diverse technical and interpersonal skills you’ll gain through studying computer information systems, but also the specialized competencies you’ll gain as you delve into concentrations such as project management, information assurance, or web and mobile application development.
What Is Information Systems?
Information systems represent a diverse and quickly changing field. They determine how data is collected and managed and how it can be used to support strategic decision-making.
So, what is information systems? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines a singular information system as a “set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information.”
As a field, information systems involves the infrastructure and workflows that help businesses collect and utilize information effectively. This interdisciplinary practice draws on computer science, data management, and even business principles (including project management) to ensure the secure gathering and storage of critical data while also using that data to unleash actionable insights.
Core Skills All Information Systems Students Learn
All IS students, regardless of their long-term professional intentions, can benefit from developing information systems technical skills in core areas such as computer science and data analysis. These technical abilities are complemented by soft skills, which allow aspiring IS professionals to communicate and collaborate effectively. Essential competencies developed while pursuing an information systems degree include:
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking influences every aspect of the diverse IS field, determining how the various components within each information system interact with one another or work together to facilitate progress toward organizational goals. This mindset avoids silos, and, instead, brings an interconnected approach to problem-solving, revealing how changes in one seemingly specific area can have a ripple effect.
Systems Analysis
Moving beyond broad-based systems thinking, systems analysis translates objectives into targeted requirements. This involves design specifications and systems modeling, with the goal of ensuring that IS teams focus on resolving the right problems.
IS coursework tackles this by exploring the basics of systems modeling and design, also offering a deeper dive into object-oriented approaches and techniques such as Unified Modeling Language (UML).
Database Concepts
Organized collections known as databases form the foundation for a myriad of IS functions, so these databases must be well-understood prior to exploring other IS concepts. To that end, students learn how modern databases function and practice structuring and modeling data.
The IS program places a heavy emphasis on Structured Query Language (SQL) for retrieving specific data, along with the relational database systems (such as MySQL) that make it possible to organize and manage this data efficiently.
Tech-Driven Problem-Solving
Soft skills play a critical role in modern information systems. While IS professionals are expected to develop a variety of interpersonal abilities that can be referred to as “soft,” critical thinking and problem-solving are among the most frequently referenced by top employers.
These skills determine how IS professionals tackle a variety of complex industry challenges. Optimally, problem-solving skills for today’s IS experts should integrate tech-driven proficiencies. These proficiencies enable them to utilize large datasets and advanced solutions, like artificial intelligence, while simultaneously aligning technical solutions with strategic goals.
Communication and Documentation
Communication is vital to success in IS and other highly technical fields. It determines how IS teams work together and collaborate or share key findings with diverse stakeholders or executives. Documentation also plays a fundamental role in IS communication, offering a reliable framework to promote consistency and traceability. Both essentials are thoroughly explored within numerous IS courses and electives.
Project-Based Learning
From case studies to labs and even capstone experiences, a variety of projects and experiences allow you to put technical competencies and soft skills into action. This project-based approach can help you gain confidence in your niche of choice while also integrating foundational IS skills that are relevant across all specializations.
Project Management Concentration
Many concentrations encourage IS students to contextualize their technical abilities based on different organizational environments or industry priorities. Given the increasing overlap between IS and strategic initiatives, project management is an especially worthwhile area of focus.
Completing both foundational IS courses and corresponding project management classes can make it easier to span stubborn divides between technical teams and business stakeholders. Key areas covered through project management coursework include:
Strategic Planning Foundations
Planning sets the stage for success in all phases of IS projects. To that end, project planning is a clear area of focus within IS project management coursework, demonstrating how activity sequencing and project management software can help allocate resources and organize workflows. Planning-focused courses also draw attention to feasibility studies, which reveal the practicality of proposed projects.
Resource and Time Management
One of the greatest challenges of modern project management involves keeping complex projects on track without sacrificing the scope or budget. Proper time management techniques and technologies can make all the difference. Project management courses highlight helpful solutions, including visualizations and scheduling tools, which offer an easier-to-understand look at deadlines or dependencies.
Stakeholder Communication
Stakeholder communication aims to keep all relevant individuals informed about project progress and challenges. With IS projects, this also involves promoting greater understanding among stakeholders, who may be less technologically proficient. Project management classes highlight the most useful techniques for conveying project status and keeping stakeholders in the loop.
Team Leadership and Collaboration
Project management is an inherently collaborative field, calling for input from diverse stakeholders and contributions from many types of team members. IS project managers draw on well-developed leadership skills to coordinate these teams and drive effective communication across disciplines. This may involve mediation or conflict resolution skills purposefully developed through project management courses.
Adaptability With Methodologies
Project management once relied on the waterfall methodology to structure complex projects. These days, projects are more likely to be carried out using agile frameworks such as Scrum or Kanban. These frameworks deliver an iterative approach, allowing for greater flexibility and more efficient adaptations throughout project phases.
Project management courses provide a solid introduction to these methodologies, revealing how they influence everything from project planning to progress tracking. They also maintain a clear focus on how projects can be completed on time and within the approved scope.
Information Assurance Concentration
Information assurance safeguards information systems by promoting the pillars of security known as the CIA Triad: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although information assurance shares much in common with cybersecurity, it tends to take a more strategic approach, which may be broader in scope.
The many elements of information assurance can be explored through an industry-driven concentration that complements your IS degree nicely. CompTIA Security+ plays a central role in this concentration, with the goal of helping you feel confident that you can pass this important certification exam.
Risk and Threat Identification
Success with information assurance begins with understanding which threats exist and how they play out. Critical components of risk identification include threat modeling, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing. These can be explored through IS coursework, which highlights common types of internal and external attacks, along with the many opportunities to prevent these issues.
Security Policy Design
Compliance shapes modern information assurance, with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Europe’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) having a huge impact on which strategies are adopted and how they are implemented. Internal security frameworks align with key regulations while ensuring accountability and proper governance.
IS courses delve into information protection policies, demonstrating how these are drafted, deployed, and, when necessary, revised. Policy-focused coursework emphasizes practical application by encouraging you to develop and apply security programs that clearly align with organizational objectives.
Encryption and Secure Communications
Encryption forms the basis for secure communication in today’s highly vulnerable digital landscape. This transforms plain text (readable) into ciphertext (not readable), making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access sensitive information.
Encryption concepts can be difficult to master, but you’ll gain a strong start with information assurance coursework. This will introduce you to today’s most impactful encryption protocols and strategies. Cutting-edge coursework will also prepare you for upcoming changes that could take cryptography to the next level: shortened certificate lifespans, for example, or even post-quantum cryptography.
Penetration Testing
Often referred to as ethical hacking, penetration testing brings a proactive approach to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities. This involves mock cyberattacks, which can teach ethical hackers a great deal about existing weaknesses that might otherwise be overlooked.
Many IS graduates pursue dedicated roles as pen testers, and even if you prefer to explore other information assurance opportunities, pen testing skills will prove relevant. These can be gained through information assurance coursework, including an entire class dedicated to ethical hacking. In addition to highlighting frequently used methods of attack, this class reveals valuable countermeasures.
Web and Mobile Application Development Concentration
Many of today’s most exciting and impactful innovations occur within the context of web and mobile application development. This can be a great field for exploring the creative side of IS while addressing a diverse range of challenges and delighting users.
The Web and Mobile Application Development Concentration uses an experiential approach to help future developers gain relevant skills, along with a thorough overview of the field’s most impactful frameworks and programming languages.
Mobile App Programming
Mobile application development focuses on designing software for mobile devices. These diverse apps can be a joy to develop, but, as experts at IBM explain, they must “meet user expectations for real-time, convenient ways to conduct transactions and access information.”
Within the Web and Mobile Application Development Concentration, separate classes focus on the intricacies of Android or iOS app development. These classes provide many opportunities to actively practice programming skills while designing and testing applications for smartphones, tablets, and even wearable devices.
Front-End Development
Focused on the user-facing aspects of websites or applications, front-end development shapes user interfaces (UIs) and user experience (UX). This calls for an in-depth understanding of relevant programming languages, such as HTML and JavaScript. To that end, IS concentration courses offer a deep dive into client-side concerns, exploring the many tools and frameworks needed to create responsive web pages.
Back-End Integration
Back-end web development involves numerous behind-the-scenes processes, occupying what is often called the server side. This determines overall application functionality, ensuring the smooth and secure flow of data.
Coursework focused on back-end integration highlights the programming languages and tools needed to fulfill client-side requests. Classes also touch on essentials such as messaging middleware and application programming interfaces (APIs).
User Experience (UX) Principles
User experience determines how users interact with applications. According to IBM, this reveals how users truly feel about digital products or services, referencing diverse components of their experience, such as “ease of use, accessibility, visual design, functions of the user interface.” Through targeted coursework, you can learn how to enhance human-computer interactions by unleashing a variety of impactful UX tools and techniques.
Agile App Development
In today’s fast-paced app development landscape, iterative and incremental strategies are increasingly preferred. Known as agile, this framework draws on project management principles to demonstrate the value of collaboration and adaptation. With the right coursework and concentration, you can embrace the art of iterative development while also learning how to deploy updates efficiently and effectively.
Which Information Systems Concentration Should You Choose?
Think carefully about what, specifically, draws you to IS as a field and how this may influence both your education and your career path. If, for example, you are intrigued by the creative or innovative side of IS and hope to shape the applications of tomorrow, you are a natural fit for the Web and Mobile Application Development concentration. If, however, you feel called to leadership roles, you could have a bright future in IS project management.
Still struggling to choose the right pathway? Take a closer look at various curricula to reveal which concentration courses are most likely to spark interest. Combine this degree-focused research with a detailed exploration of aligned roles or career pathways so you can feel confident in your specialization and your professional future.
Keep in mind that all three concentrations will help you develop transferable skills that you can use to pivot into other roles or niches, helping you remain professionally relevant as the IS field continues to evolve.
Start Building Your Information Systems Skill Set at Baker College
Ready to achieve your full potential within today’s diverse information systems ecosystem? Pursue your vision of IS excellence: enroll in one of the information systems degree programs at Baker College. We offer many tracks and specializations, touching on the numerous ways in which information systems power our modern digital world. Learn more about our degree in information systems or get started with your application today.