Five reasons to study computer science

If you’re considering a career change the array of options can be quite overwhelming. Finding a role you love and can see yourself doing every day for decades to come is one thing, but you must ensure your skills and career choices don’t fall foul of shifts in the employment market, suddenly leaving you in an unsustainable role.

One field that offers a huge number of positives is computer science, here are our top five reasons to retrain in this area:

1. It’s future-proof

We’re now in the digital age and with that comes an urgent need for people with the right skills. The future relies on not only having people with the knowledge to make the most of new technology, but also having teams to keep it secure. Whether it’s theorising, developing or designing; whether it’s hardware, software or data, computer science is an industry that is expanding and will continue to do so.

2. It’s in demand

The meteoric rise of tech in the last 20 years has led to a severe skills shortage within the industry. While computer science is now on school curricula, it still leaves us with a large number of roles to fill today, even the number of university graduates won’t meet the demand, and companies are offering attractive salary packages to get them filled.

3. A wide range of opportunities

Computer science knowledge is required across all sectors and fields, so the opportunities available throughout your career can be wide and varied. Whether it’s retail, oil and gas or logistics, the skills you’ll learn from a Masters in computer science are needed across many sectors around the world, so you can choose to have a varied career or make yourself invaluable to an industry you love.

4. Valuable for businesses

Computer science is critical to innovation and future-proofing companies, it provides the backbone for developing new products and ensuring business are constantly evolving to understand and meet customer demand whilst remaining secure in the process. This gives you the opportunity to make a difference and play a vital part in the direction a business takes.

5. There’s room for growth

After TalkTalk’s security breach back in 2015, the Government suggested that businesses consider introducing a Chief Cybercrime Officer role. This would mean computer science gets a seat on the board, a say in high level business decisions and cyber security would become a part of the initial discussion rather than simply an afterthought.

There are many reasons to study or retrain in computer science for an exciting career spanning hundreds of industries. The University of York now offer three MSc degrees, delivered 100% online, for those who want to change direction. As all learning materials are online, you can study without taking a career break, allowing you to earn a prestigious Russell Group university degree whilst keeping up with work and family commitments. You can also pay per module and choose one of six start dates throughout the year, meaning it’s highly flexible and could be the launchpad to help you break into a whole new career.

Find out more and begin your application