Careers
Students concentrating in Informatics will have many opportunities available to them after graduation. The concentration will provide excellent preparation for jobs in the IT industry as product managers, human factors engineers, usability specialists, information analysts in sciences and science related industries, and designers working with large software development teams. Contrary to popular perceptions from media reports, the IT job market continues to be very strong, and recruiters visiting the university frequently are seeking students with the ideals and skill sets that would be provided by this program. Combined with work in specific knowledge domains, from nursing to economics, graduates of Michigan’s Informatics concentration will be vital in leading organizations to harness emerging technologies. The deep understanding of the connections between information technology, data analysis, and organizations and society is also excellent background for students seeking to enter law school, business school, medical school, or schools of public policy. Finally, depending on the track they complete, students will have preparation for graduate study in statistics, computer science, information, bioinformatics, and various life sciences disciplines.
Graduate Study
An undergraduate concentration in Informatics will lay the ground work for further study at the graduate level. Undergraduate concentrators will obtain the right background for graduate study in a range of quantitatively-based fields, including those who are interested in the rapidly growing fields of bioinformatics, and chem.-informatics. With the addition of a small number of specialized electives, concentrators will be highly qualified for masters and doctoral level training in statistics and computer science, at Michigan as well as at other top-ranked universities. The School of Information and the national network of iSchools would also welcome and admit students with an undergraduate concentration in Informatics. Indeed, a primary motivating factor motivating SI’s participation is the prospect that a significant number of Informatics students may find SI an attractive next educational step.
