The Best Degrees for Breaking into the Tech Industry

The technology industry continues to be one of the strongest in the world with ever more profitable and diverse offerings for a number of different industries. This is reflected in the wide range of skills that now have a place in the technology industry, many of them unrelated to electronics or computing. The home computing market has developed into the mobile computer market and the prevalence of smartphones across the developed world has put a previously unthinkable amount of computing power in the palms of our hands. The technology industry is an exciting one and one that truly has a huge impact on the lives of millions of people across the globe. Below are some of the degrees you should consider studying if you’re hoping to one day break into the technology industry.

Master of Science in Information Security and Assurance Program

As technology becomes ever more ubiquitous and omnipresent in our lives it is also becoming more interconnected, which exponentially increases its potential to improve people’s lives. This inter-connectedness comes at a cost, however, and that cost is that communications between devices can be intercepted and tampered with. The field of cybersecurity has evolved to understand how computer systems are vulnerable and how we can protect them. There are increasingly huge amounts of data being stored by public and private institutions on remote servers in the cloud. A black market for information stolen from such systems has sprung up and breaches of peoples’ private data are becoming an increasingly big problem for the industry as a whole.

A MSIA degree examines the forensic nature of cybersecurity, as well as the real world non-computer systems that are in place to track and fight the increasingly complex nature of cybercrime. As such, the information assurance program is one of the most relevant technology fields for the current landscape.

Software Development

Software development involves more than just coding; it examines the whole nature of software development from conception to design to production. Coding is now something anyone can learn from home to the same degree as a professional. Sites like Code Academy offer free tutorials and are a fantastic place to not only begin your learning but also to give programming a try. Learning software development, individually or as part of a small team, is a very marketable skill for someone looking to freelance or to work in-house with a company designing either full software packages or smaller apps.

Computer Science

Contrary to popular belief, computer science involves little programming and is in fact focused on hardware rather than software. The subject also looks at the underlying theory and science behind computers and how this has evolved and allowed more complex machines to be designed and built. Computer Science is a degree that pairs well with other subjects such as engineering or math.

Now is a better time than ever to land a job within the technology industry and degrees in business management, accounting, and marketing are all increasingly important non-technology degrees that the industry is starting to value more and more. Whatever your unique talents, there will be a role in the sector for you.

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