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Director of information services education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of information services. Directors of information services usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 69% of directors of information services hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,340 real director of information services resumes to see exactly what director of information services education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of information services are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online director of information services courses to help get the education required to be a director of information services.

There are certain director of information services certifications that you should consider. These director of information services certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and ITIL Foundation.

What education do you need to become a director of information services?

What degree do you need to be a director of information services?

The most common degree for directors of information services is bachelor's degree, with 69% of directors of information services earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of information services?

You should major in business to become a director of information services. 26% of directors of information services major in business. Other common majors for a director of information services include computer science and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for directors of information services

Directors of information services often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of information services in the US based on their resumes.
Director of information services common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.49%
University of Maryland - College Park6.34%
Purdue University5.63%
Michigan State University4.93%
University of Texas at Austin4.93%

Best majors for directors of information services

Best colleges for directors of information services

The best colleges for directors of information services are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A director of information services with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of information services. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors of information services.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for directors of information services

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3. Information Technology Essentials

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Introduction to Information Technology and Information Systems...

4. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

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Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

5. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

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Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

6. Customer Service Foundation

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An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

7. The Absolute Beginners Guide to Information Technology 2023

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Gain a solid foundation knowledge of all 4 main branches of Information Technology...

8. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems

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Learn about the exciting world of Management Information Systems and its impact on the way organisations now function...

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14. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

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15. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

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Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

17. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now

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The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...

18. IT Service Management with ITIL 4 Foundation -Full Training

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Learn about ITIL 4, ITSM, Concepts of Service Management, the Four Dimensions, Service Value System and Practices...

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Windows Service Tutorial: How to Create Windows Services in C# .Net/Visual Studio, Windows Service debugging techniques...

20. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!

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Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of information services

The most affordable schools for directors of information services are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for directors of information services are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors of information services.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of information services

The hardest universities for directors of information services to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for directors of information services are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors of information services based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of information services

The easiest schools for directors of information services to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of information services without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors of information services.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,026

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

Average director of information services salary by education level

According to our data, directors of information services with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $149,375 annually. Directors of information services with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $146,216.
Director of information services education levelDirector of information services salary
Master's Degree$146,216
Bachelor's Degree$136,668
Doctorate Degree$149,375
Some College/ Associate Degree$113,229

Director of information services education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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