Top 2022 Careers and Skills + 10 Programs to Match

Demand for all types of computer science careers shows no signs of slowing down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the growth rate of computer and information technology jobs will rise 13% through 2030 — much faster than most occupations.

Keep reading to learn more about top computer science roles and skills and explore 13 edX programs to help you take the next step in your career.

Meet the Need for Skilled Cybersecurity Professionals

From the sudden shift to remote work to increases in online banking and ecommerce, cybercrime is soaring and cybersecurity professionals are playing an even more vital role in securing digital infrastructures. But according to CyberSeek, close to half a million cybersecurity jobs are unfulfilled. With a rising need and a limited talent pool, there’s never been a better time to become a cybersecurity professional.

Is Cybersecurity Right For You?

• If you are interested in working in cybersecurity but are unsure if it's the right career choice for you, the Essentials of Cybersecurity Professional Certificate from UWashingtonX will introduce you to the field of cybersecurity, its landscape, numerous sectors and roles, competencies, and career pathways.

Program Highlights:

• Gain the essential knowledge and expertise in network security and forensics needed for cybersecurity in enterprise environments in the RITx MicroMasters® program in Cybersecurity.

• Learn concepts around cybersecurity tools and processes, system administration, operating systems, and the basics of security compliance and industry standards in the Professional Certificate in IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals.

Spring into an Information Technology Career

IT jobs are consistently ranked as some of the most valuable positions in the technology sector and open doors to many other careers and fields. A Burning Glass Technologies report conducted in partnership with JFF identifies IT as an area where 84% of roles are “springboard jobs,” with around 16% of workers moving up within five years and at least 65% of IT workers remaining in their career area after five years.

Listed below are a few programs that can help you jumpstart your career in IT.

Program Highlights:

• Advance your IT expertise by earning a MicroBachelors® program certificate in Introduction to Information Technology from WGUx.

• Unlock business value by using information systems and digital technologies in IUx’s Information Systems MicroMasters® program.

Gain In-Demand Cloud Computing Skills or Kickstart a Career

Hiring managers in the Open Source Jobs report rate cloud and containers overwhelmingly as the most important skill today, with 48% of professionals saying it is in high demand. For those interested in developing their cloud computing skills, it’s important to be aware of the rapidly changing world of cloud technology.

“Staying on top of things is important, especially in this cloud-native world,” said Upkar Lidder, senior software engineer at IBM and instructor for several IBM cloud computing courses, such as the Introduction to Cloud Development with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. “You have to keep on top of new frameworks and new solutions that come out every now and then.”

Program Highlights:

• Gain an understanding of cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, and vSphere and how to leverage them to increase business productivity and effectiveness in UMGC and USMx's Cloud Computing MicroMasters® program.

Build a Strong Foundation in Computer Science

While computer science professionals have the option to focus on any one subject area, there’s also value in a generalist approach.

"You can go deep and specialize very heavily in one in-demand field, such as data science, web development, or artificial intelligence, or you can go broad and seek to be more of a generalist, dabbling in a little bit of each."

“As with probably any subject, computing gives you the choice of breadth vs. depth. You can go deep and specialize very heavily in one in-demand field, such as data science, web development, or artificial intelligence, or you can go broad and seek to be more of a generalist, dabbling in a little bit of each. By going broad, you lay a foundation to go deep wherever you need to whenever you need to,” said David Joyner, PhD, executive director of online education and OMSCS for the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and instructor for several courses and programs on edX, such as Computing in Python I: Fundamentals and Procedural Programming.

For Computer Science Beginners:

• Gain a robust understanding of computer science and learn how to scale your web applications in the HarvardX Computer Science for Web Programming Professional Certificate program.

Pursue an Online Master’s Degree In Computer Science:

• The Online Master’s Degree in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin is a rigorous, top-ranked program that provides students with in-depth training on concepts such as deep learning, neural networks, algorithms, cybersecurity, data science, distributed systems, and more. Applicants should have an extensive background in computer science or related sciences.

Learn One of the Top Programming Skills

According to Stack Overflow data, Python is the fastest-growing major programming language worldwide. Learning Python gives you access to a wide, general-purpose language that can be used in a variety of industry, research, and engineering contexts.

Program Highlights:

• Discover the design cycle of computer programming — writing code, executing it, interpreting the results, and revising the code syntax based on the outcomes in the GTx Introduction to Python Programming Professional Certificate program.

“I teach and highly suggest that new coders use Python and its associated packages. In my mind, there is no comparison in terms of online documentation, user community, ease-of-learning, and general capabilities of Python,” said Dr. Clayton Miller, assistant professor for the School of Design and Environment’s Department of Building at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and instructor for the NUS edX course Data Science for Construction, Architecture and Engineering.

Last updated: December 2021