Masters in Computer Science Jobs & Careers
Masters in Computer Science Jobs
Today you can select one of several academic tracks in computer science that can in turn lead you to dozens of career options. Every business of any size has a technology professional on board; those that don't employ a computer services consulting firm for purposes of database design, network analysis, systems upgrade and any of the more mundane tasks associated with IT and its vital place in business activity today. There are computer science options in research as well; in product development, in product engineering and in software design and construction. A master's in computer science is still considered the gold standard for a graduate degree in IT or MIS but most often graduates with this credential tend to wind up in research utilizing the theoretical training for computer design and for chip design that has become such an important part of computer science. The use of silicon chips and the millions of transistors arrayed on them is the reason why many universities have combined their electrical engineering school with computer science and computer engineering into a single academic division.
1. Computer Engineer: Professionals in this field who work in product development may find themselves working on the design and testing of microprocessors for thousands of different products today beyond PCs. Automobiles, mobile communications devices, and most home appliances have onboard processors that go through design and testing processes which require oversight from a computer engineer.
2. Computer Systems Analyst: This is generally a consulting position, where a computer science graduate or a systems engineer graduate develops the role of consulting expert on database management, data communications, and the general challenges that management is facing in the use of its IT infrastructure. A systems analyst is also usually responsible for oversight on any system upgrades or changes as they are implemented.
3. Biomedical Informatics: This is an interdisciplinary field that is principally research oriented. Biomedical research may involve clinical trials for new medications or it may involve molecular biology activity that precedes product development and that requires sophisticated management of data. These are the roles of a computer scientist in biotech: designing data management tools and maintaining quality assurance throughout the process.
4. Network Analyst: This position differs from a systems analyst in that it focuses on the characteristics - and limitations - of IT networks. Routing hardware and information assurance software are areas of expertise for the network analyst, who is generally called in to assist in expanding or merging existing networks.
5. Software Engineer: Software has become so dominant in the IT sector that it is generally a separate academic discipline today and certainly a profession that has become increasingly important. Software development is accelerating in the same fashion that technology hardware development proceeds at an ever quickening pace. A software engineer is responsible for design of an application and for making sure that the code works properly once it is written.
6. Computer Systems Engineer: This profession involves the design or redesign of IT networks. Often it involves scaling up an existing system as a business expands; equally often it can involve the merger of two data systems built on separate platforms into a single working unit. Designing interface components for separate systems is where the theory and mathematics of computer science become essential.
7. Business Process Consultant: One of the interesting sidelights in business consulting today is technology transfer from new IT developments into business operations. Computer science professionals work in this field today in many cases if they have expertise in exploiting the new communications platforms that present marketing and customer service opportunities.
8. Computer Science Instructor: There are an amazing number of job listings for computer science professors, assistant professors and instructors at the collegiate level. Many instructors' positions do not require a PhD. Working as an instructor in a community college can be a rewarding choice for a computer science or MIS graduate who would like to avoid the high pressure IT fields in business and research may see this as a refreshing opportunity.
9. Information System Manager: This sounds like a database administrator's position and it can be at times, except for the fact that databases are not sedentary creatures. They are constantly growing and acquiring new features, which means that the professional who manages one will be responsible for scaling up or modifying the software driving an information system, including oversight of system expansion to new sites.
10. Cybersecurity Specialist: Information assurance has gone from a casual task assigned to a database administrator to a fully fledged technology specialty that requires substantial background in operating systems, software programming languages, application design, and the ability to stay on top of new developments in the field. It's an extremely fluid professional environment that calls on professionals in the field to think outside the box because that's what the criminals do.
