Studies & Degrees in Information Systems Management
Information Systems Management Study Programs
Information systems management is the study of how organisations plan, buy, build and run the computer systems they depend on. It sits between computing and business. Students learn enough technology to understand databases, software and networks, and enough management to decide which systems an organisation needs, what they cost and how to bring them into use. In the United States the subject is usually called management information systems (MIS).
The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University gives a clear picture of the content. Its information systems specialisation is built on coursework in data management, systems analysis, business analytics and information technology strategy. Required courses include computer programming, database systems and software requirements analysis. Electives cover information systems planning and management, electronic commerce, and IT security, audit and controls.
Qualifications and levels
The name of the degree varies from one university to the next.
- Bachelor's degrees. In the United States the subject is often a major or specialisation inside a business degree, as at Ohio State. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that MIS programmes usually include business classes as well as computer-related ones. Other universities place it in a college of computing or information: the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State lists a B.S. in Enterprise Technology Integration, which connects IT, cloud, databases and business intelligence.
- Master's degrees. The Master of Information Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University lasts sixteen months, or three semesters, and is taught full-time and in person. An internship is required; it can be waived for applicants with 3 years of prior work experience. The programme has two tracks, one of them in business intelligence and data analytics. At Copenhagen Business School, the MSc in Business Administration and Information Systems is a full-time master's programme of 2 years and 120 ECTS credits, taught in English.
- Spain. Official university degrees follow a fixed structure: a bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Business schools also offer their own master's programmes in this field. Ask each school whether a programme is an official university degree and what recognition it has.
- Minors and certificates. Some departments offer shorter options. The Department of Information Technology and Operations Management at Florida Atlantic University has undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as minors, concentrations and certificates, in areas that include management information systems, business analytics and cyber security.
Applicants do not always need a technical background. Copenhagen Business School tells applicants to its master's programme that they do not need to be programming experts, but should be interested in how technologies work.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 46 active schools for information systems management. Of these, 28 are in the United States, 4 in Spain and 2 in Australia. Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe have one each. In the United States the list includes The Ohio State University, San Diego State University, Penn State, Carnegie Mellon University and Florida Atlantic University. In Spain it includes the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and IMF Business School, which both teach online. Elsewhere it includes Copenhagen Business School, the Universität Duisburg-Essen, the University of Wolverhampton and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in Australia.
Most of the listed programmes are taught in English. English is also used outside English-speaking countries, as the Copenhagen master's programme shows. Programmes in Spain are normally taught in Spanish. Check the language of instruction of each programme before applying.
Careers
Graduates usually start in roles such as business analyst, systems analyst or technology consultant and move into management later. Ohio State points its students to careers in technology consulting, systems and business analysis, data and technology services and corporate IT.
The management roles themselves need experience. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and information systems managers plan, coordinate and direct computer-related activities in an organisation, under titles such as chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO) or MIS director. They typically need a bachelor's degree plus related work experience, which the Bureau puts at 5 years or more, and some employers require or prefer a graduate degree. The Bureau counted about 685,800 of these jobs in the United States in 2025 and projects employment to grow 16 percent from 2025 to 2035. The largest employers were computer systems design firms (19 percent) and finance and insurance (13 percent). These figures describe the United States only.
Frequently asked questions
Is information systems management the same as computer science?
No. Computer science concentrates on programming, algorithms and how computers work. Information systems management combines some of that technical content with business subjects, and focuses on choosing, introducing and running systems inside an organisation.
Do I need to know how to program before I start?
It depends on the programme. Bachelor's programmes such as the one at Ohio State teach programming from an introductory course. Copenhagen Business School says applicants to its master's programme do not need to be programming experts.
How long does a master's degree in this subject take?
Between one and two years in most cases. The Carnegie Mellon programme lasts sixteen months, the Copenhagen Business School programme 2 years (120 ECTS credits), and official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
Can I become an IT manager straight after graduating?
Usually not. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that these managers typically need a bachelor's degree plus related work experience of 5 years or more.