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Business runs on technology, driven by data. Skilled informatics professionals are in-demand to develop and manage the systems that aggregate, analyze, and put data to use to drive business decisions. 

Regardless of your background, if you’re looking for an opportunity to apply your expertise in new and exciting ways, informatics could be a perfect fit. 

What is Informatics?

Informatics is the bridge between technology and business. 

As an informatics student, you’ll learn how to use cutting-edge technologies and develop management skills for high-paying jobs in business, health care, digital media, and more.

"Informatics is essentially that field of computing where we focus on the human and organizational needs by way of technology applications,” says Dr. Michael Totaro, Informatics Program Coordinator. “If a person has interest in technology, computing, information, and data, and how all that can be wrapped together and used for specific purposes, informatics is certainly worth looking at.”

Dr. Totaro is one of several professors in the University of Lafayette School of Computing and Informatics and is program coordinator for the M.S. in Informatics degree program, online and . 

What can I do with an informatics degree?

For those with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated discipline, UL Lafayette’s master’s in informatics is the key to unlocking new opportunities and career paths in data science. 

“Students can merge the area of expertise that they already have and the expertise they're going to develop in informatics,” says Dr. Totaro. 

“Because informatics is so cross disciplinary, that's actually a good situation to be in. Everything that you've learned, everything that you've done, can be useful to you.”

The Master of Science in Informatics is designed to help you to build on any bachelor’s degree with courses around your interests in business, interactive media technology, systems administration, web development, and network security. 

You’ll be prepared to take on data science roles in any industry, applying your knowledge in application development, business process analysis, database development and administration, network security administration, web development, and more.

Who’s hiring informatics professionals?

The short answer? Everyone. 

Informatics, computing and data science are among the fastest growing professions in the country, with opportunities in every industry.

M.S. in Informatics alumni Jason Suire completed his bachelor’s in English before turning to tech. He’s now a cybersecurity architect for IT and business consulting firm CGI and says he appreciates how informatics applies to a wide range of fields. 

“Even if you go into something completely unrelated. If you go into, say, political science, the statistical background and the procedural learning background is extraordinarily helpful in setting up strategies for doing what you need to do,” he says. 

“Operational sciences and operations research is good in any business practice because it helps you parse out and break down the inner workings of a business.” 

Career opportunities in informatics:

• Application development. Translate software requirements into workable programming code and maintain and develop programs for use in business.
• Business intelligence architecture. Build standards and guiding principles to define, assure and govern the creation, enhancement, and evolution of the IT system landscape, facilitating business changes and growth.
• Business process analysis. Provides business process or systems support including root cause analysis, mapping current processes or systems, iterative problem definition and hypothesized improvement opportunities.
• Database development and administration. Plan and manage the performance, integrity and security of a database as well as troubleshoot any issues on behalf of the users.
• IT support specialization. Provide a range of skills, including problem solving, troubleshooting, process improvement, software maintenance, software testing, network design and implementation, load balancing and scalability, vendor management, and more.
• IT business management. Become a vital link between a firm’s information technology capabilities and its business objectives, contributing to the profitability of your company, regardless of size or industry.
• IT project management. Plan, budget, oversee and document all aspects of unit projects while ensuring the scope and direction of each project is on schedule.
• Network security administration. Inform users about computer security, check for security violations, install protective software and act against cyber-attacks.
• Web development. Create the look, layout and features of a website.

Prepare to help businesses and organizations stay ahead through the M.S. in Informatics online or on-campus. .