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Information Resources Management

Types of Degrees Information Resources Management Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Information Resources Management have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	6
Bachelor’s Degree	148
Master’s Degree	1,042
Doctor’s Degree	21

What Information Resources Management Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Information Resources Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Information Resources Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Information Resources Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Information Resources Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Information Resources Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Information Resources Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Information Resources Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	—
Microsoft Visual Basic	Development environment software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	✓
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
C#	Object or component oriented development software	—
Management information systems MIS	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Firewall software	Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Information Resources Management graduates include:

• Computer Science Assistant Professor
• Computer Instructor
• Java Programming Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Cybersecurity Instructor
• Computer Science Teacher
• Computer Technology Instructor
• Adjunct Computer Science Professor
• Computer Science Adjunct Instructor
• Information Security Systems Instructor
• Computer Applications Instructor
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Computer Science Adjunct Professor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Information Resources Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	46.1%
Doctoral degree	40.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.4%
Some college courses	1.0%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Information Resources Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 66.7% of Information Resources Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	405	33.3%
Men	813	66.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Information Resources Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	566	46.5%
Asian	135	11.1%
Hispanic or Latino	125	10.3%
Black or African American	191	15.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.6%
Two or More Races	49	4.0%
Race Unknown	90	7.4%
International Students	46	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Information Resources Management Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Information Resources Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$68,818
4 years	$76,884
5 years	$85,819

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $85,819 — roughly 25% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Information Resources Management Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Information Resources Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	0
Bachelor’s	8	2
Master’s	15	2
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Information Resources Management Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Information Resources Management graduates earn a median of $76,884 four years after completion — roughly 102% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Management Information Systems and Services	52.12
Knowledge Management	52.1207
Management Information Systems and Services, Other	52.1299
Management Information Systems, General	52.1201

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.