What can you do with a master’s in computer science degree?

A master’s diploma in computer system science can be the gateway into a single of the most properly-compensated, superior-demand from customers careers currently. Computer and research scientist occupations are envisioned to increase 22% from 2020 to 2030 and had a median pay of a lot more than $131,000 in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Stats. 

People today who gravitate toward graduate computer system science programs may perhaps be wanting to update or improve their present technical skillset—or they may possibly be hunting to pivot their occupations. Irrespective, there is a good deal of home for far more of these industry experts across all sectors. 

But what kinds of careers and options are out there to master’s in pc science graduates? In which are these experts most needed, and why?

To come across out far more about the demand from customers for laptop or computer science-educated personnel, Fortune spoke to Indrajit Ray, the associate chair of the section of personal computer science at Colorado State College. The on the web master’s in laptop or computer science system at Colorado Condition landed the No. 2 place on Fortune‘s 1st-ever ranking of the greatest on the internet master’s diploma applications in computer science.

“Our existing modern society is considerably knowledge-pushed,” Ray states. “What has improved within the very last 10 years is the ability to fast process that data and make perception out of the elaborate hidden capabilities in that data—and in the system create additional and more data.”

It’s no magic formula that companies are trying to find to develop into extra data-driven in their organization tactics. With computer science, better hardware and algorithms make this attainable, resulting in significant demand from customers for laptop or computer science graduate diploma holders. 

Work that involve collaboration with area experts from other disciplines to address complicated difficulties are generally the most common positions for graduates with a master’s diploma in computer science, Ray notes. This involves areas like business enterprise provide chain management, scheduling and operations, health care, finance, facts management, and extra. 

Moreover, there are roles for computer science degree-holders who are included a lot more straight in acquiring personal computer components, networks, cybersecurity engineering, databases, working units, superior-performance computing, programming languages, and software software program design. 

“Based on my possess practical experience in our plan as nicely as anecdotal evidence from discussions with colleagues from other universities, acquiring a master’s diploma in personal computer science—and associated disciplines these kinds of as personal computer engineering, details technology or computer and information science‚ is a popular way to pivot careers,” Ray suggests. This makes sense presented the demand and large pay back related with these occupations. 

That remaining said, many of the students in Colorado State’s master’s degree program in pc science are mid-occupation experts who have a bachelor’s diploma in personal computer science and 10 or more yrs of applicable expertise. These learners have to have to greatly enhance their depth of awareness, or obtain new expertise in emerging spots this kind of as cybersecurity, synthetic intelligence, and device studying to continue to be suitable in their work, Ray says. 

Grads with a master’s diploma in laptop or computer science have additional chances than those people with just undergraduate levels in the industry. For case in point, pc and data exploration experts are expected to have a master’s diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Figures. This is typical for details scientist positions, as effectively, which are also in significant need. 

People with an undergraduate degree might have less career chances since they require advanced know-how in classic laptop science parts like computing theory, algorithms, programming languages, computer components and networks, and operating methods. Work candidates also essential to know swiftly rising spots like cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine understanding, Ray tells Fortune. 

Ray describes the in general contribution of personal computer experts as two-fold: Persons with a master’s diploma in laptop science carry in specialized know-how and competencies to determine engineering, company, and societal troubles that pose novel troubles in computing—and then they build the theories, models, and solutions to tackle people troubles. 

“Currently, two sorts of positions are in very higher demand and expected to continue to be so in excess of the next various many years,” Ray claims. “These are careers that involve experience in cybersecurity and these requiring experience in facts management, knowledge mining, and info analytics.”

In the future a few decades, 463 exabytes of info will be designed every single day globally, estimates Raconteur. While this implies fantastic potential for effective alternatives and perception throughout many areas, this exponential growth in knowledge also usually means extra security and privacy possibility and difficulties.

“Unfortunately, industries have been extremely gradual to respond mainly because to a substantial bulk safety is an afterthought,” Ray claims. “Things are switching, which is good—this sector is expected to increase much a lot quicker than common.”