MIS Degree Programs and Careers
Read about MIS degree options for management and business information systems careers.
What do MIS professionals do?
Management Information Systems—or MIS—focuses on designing computer systems to help people and organizations function more effectively. Those with an MIS degree play a vital role in the technological direction of their organizations because they do everything from constructing the business plan to overseeing network and Internet operations. MIS professionals also apply their vision of where technology can take organizations.
What MIS degree will I need?
- Undergraduates can earn a bachelor's degree in information systems or information technology, or take classes as part of a business degree.
- MBA students can choose concentrations in IS/IT and some schools offer master's degrees and PhDs in MIS/IT.
What's the difference between a master's in MIS and an MBA with MIS concentration?
Both an MBA MIS and a Master of Information Systems degree will prepare you to assume managerial positions within the field of MIS, but there are some distinctions:
- The MBA degree will provide you with more general skills that are transferable to other areas. The MBA degree's broad curriculum also offers client management and other strategic issues.
- The master's will provide you with greater information systems expertise, but fewer transferable skills.
What skills are necessary to work in the business information systems field?
Information systems managers need a broad range of skills—a keen understanding of people, processes, business, and customer's needs. They should also be able to:
- communicate effectively
- understand how to organize information analyze user information needs
- design or evaluate information systems that allow for efficient and effective user interaction
- provide and assure the quality and value of information to decision makers
- understand the economic and social environment in which their organization functions
- be familiar with relevant issues in law, economics, ethics and management
What's the salary and career outlook for those with an MIS degree?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities for MIS professionals are expanding rapidly and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future due to the growth of the e-commerce and telecommunications industries. Opportunities for obtaining a management position will be best for workers possessing an MBA with technology as a core component, advanced technical knowledge and strong communication and administrative skills.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 survey found that the median starting salaries for high-level information technology managers ranged from $90,850 to $146,080.