MIS degree careerInformation technology (IT) moves staggeringly fast. The misnamed Moore's Law, circa 1965, tells us that transistors double in quantity on integrated circuits every two years. It is not a natural law, but more of an observation that holds true over a surprisingly long time, some 50 years. The pace of improvements has slowed, but not the general direction of IT itself: to keep up, you need to be moving fast. Having a Master of Science in Information Systems (MIS) degree could not only get you moving, it could keep you on the track toward major career advancement. 

Atomic IT: The Evolution & Competition

Once IBM started tinkering with moving individual atoms to explore atomic-level data storage, Moore's Law (or Observation, if you prefer) met its match. When you are talking about moving 12 individual freakin' atoms around to store one bit of information, you soon will be building computers on pinheads. You are simply not going to get any faster. So, too, with your postgraduate degree work. Once you attain an MIS degree, you are moving at top speed in a highly competitive field. You are but one step away from the ultimate educational attainment: a doctorate. 

Doctorate, Schmoctorate: How Much Can You Make with an MIS Degree?

A doctorate in information systems is handy if you plan to teach undergraduates about information systems, or you yearn to spend your days in labs shoving around individual copper atoms. An MIS degree is the tool of choice for actually conducting business, improving a company's bottom line, and rising in your career in a for-profit organization. 

Education is like driving your own snowplow - you widen opportunities as you plow ahead in your career, rather than see future choices diminish. Get an undergraduate degree in IT and you could snag a solid entry-level position. Work your way up, return to school and, in as little as 15 months, earn a master's degree in your area of interest and talent. More opportunities - and greater financial rewards - open up for you. If you are any good at all at IT, you will not take our word for it, so look to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for evidence: 

  • All Computer and Information Systems (CIS) Managers made an average annual wage of $127,640 in May, 2014
  • CIS Managers working in computer systems design and related computer fields earned mean annual wages of $143,690 as of May, 2014
  • CIS Managers working on securities and commodities exchanges had average annual wages of $201,030 for May, 2014

True, some of these high-level managers have MBAs, but many have MIS degrees and added certifications. 

Measuring the Benefits of the MIS Degree

Often overlooked when discussing higher education is the effect the process has on your mind. Not everyone can handle classwork, a full-time job, and group case studies. Just seeking the MIS separates you from clock-watchers at your company. Your mind flexes, grows and quickens to take in all the new information. You become smarter, sure, but you also improve the quality of your thinking. You are a better-disciplined, more confident employee. You learn to reason, communicate, and negotiate. 

These are intangible benefits of being in an MIS program. What of measurable results? You may not even notice the improved quality of your mind, but you will notice your increased skills: 

  • Understand the impact of software development and networking on cloud computing
  • Improve your comprehension of virtualization
  • Design, install and manage complex relational databases
  • Manage an entire information system project from conception through inception
  • Have the skills and confidence to evaluate information systems, their effect on your company's bottom line, and their possible flaws
  • Remedy problems with existing information systems
  • Design and install new information systems using suitable programming languages
  • Design, implement and maintain desktop, mobile and cloud-based applications

Limitations & Certifications

One of education's greatest gifts, and something that comes early to a student in an MIS program, is the self-awareness of your own limitations. For the marvelous depth and detail a good MIS program offers, it also highlights where your weaknesses are. You see immediately what certifications and specializations you not only would enjoy earning, but may need to be an effective senior IT manager:

  • You may tend more towards people than technology, so you will pursue work in IT project management
  • You may prefer the 0s and 1s, so software engineering attracts you
  • You may prefer dollars and euros; IT business analysis could be your bailiwick

For each niche, you can find professional IT certifications to build off your MIS degree and rise not only in your current organization, but in other, better companies. 

Let's Get Started: Learn More About the MIS Degree!

The career track you choose will undoubtedly lead to better opportunities, but until you earn the MIS degree, you cannot get in the race. Begin by contacting ECPI University for more information about the Master of Science in Information Systems, where you could earn your graduate degree in as little as 15 months of year-round classes. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

Learn more about ECPI's College of Technology TODAY!

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