Informatics Education: Job Training and Education Requirements for a Career in Informatics

Published Sep 09, 2009

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Informatics encompasses the usability and application of information technology in a variety of settings. Professionals in informatics, often called informaticists, may work in a number of industries, including health care and computer science. Most schools with informatics programs offer bachelor's degrees that give students a solid informatics education, including courses like multimedia arts and informatics programming.

Informatics Career Summary

Informatics is a broad field related to the application of information technology in other fields. Informatics professionals, called informaticists, are experts in the use of information technology to solve problems in a variety of settings. In a sense, informatics bridges the gap between technology and the people who use it. The field combines the highly technical nature of computer science with concepts of human science fields like psychology and sociology.

Informaticists have a great deal of flexibility in their careers. They may work in a variety of industries, ranging from health care to entertainment. A few career titles that may be assigned to informatics professionals include usability analyst, bioinformaticist, IT consultant, information architect and chemical informaticist.

Education Required for a Career in Informatics

A career in informatics generally requires a bachelor's degree. Students in an informatics program study the complex world of computer systems, as well as social and ethical issues related to information technology. They also learn to assess and apply new technologies and acquire problem-solving and communication skills. Common classes in an informatics education program include introduction to databases, informatics programming, multimedia arts, information systems design and mathematical basics of information.

Job Training and Certifications Required for a Career in Informatics

Specific job training requirements depend on the industry in which an informatics professional is employed. In general, all informaticists should have excellent computer skills. However, they still may have to undergo extensive training on the individual system of their employer.

Certification is not available for informaticists in general but is offered for certain specialties. For example, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, www.nursecredentialing.org, issues certification in informatics nursing.

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