Requirements

IT systems designer - requirements

As an IT systems designer, you’ll use your technical know-how and design skills to come up with ways to develop and improve business IT infrastructure. Learn more about a career as an IT systems designer, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be an IT systems designer?

You’ll need a degree, preferably one in a related subject although you could always go on to do a relevant postgraduate qualification instead. Subjects to consider include:

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be an IT systems designer?

Although employers don’t usually ask for a postgraduate qualification, having one will certainly expand your skills and give you additional career opportunities.

Examples of taught master's courses and postgraduate diplomas include:

Advanced computer science
Artificial intelligence
Cloud and network security
Cyber security
Data science and big data analytics
Finance technology
Information technology
IT security management

What skills do you need to be an IT systems designer?

As an IT systems designer, you’ll see the big picture as well as the detail, communicating your innovative ideas to decision makers to facilitate systems improvements.

Hard skills usually include:

Agile methodology
Data analysis
DevOps
Microsoft Azure
Project management
Python and SQL (programming languages)

Soft skills include:

Communication
Innovation
Management
Problem-solving
Planning

Do you need work experience to be an IT systems designer?

Relevant work experience will help you stand out in what is a competitive industry. You could apply for a placement or internship linked to your degree course or you could offer to volunteer your skills to an organisation such as a small charity. You should try to get some experience of operating systems, hardware, software and managing a team.