Why do Students not Choose to Study Information Systems? A Survey Study in Norway

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore why students do not choose to study In-formation Systems. Background Demand for information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) employees and managers has been increased, with the widespread use of information technologies. IT skills shortage is a concern for industries and higher education institutions. The findings of this study can help understanding why students do not choose to study Information Systems. Methodology: This study used an online survey for data collection. The survey link was emailed to 609 undergraduate students at the University of Agder in Kristian-sand, Norway. 62 useable responses were used for analysis. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test were used for data analysis. Contribution: This study provides the results of a survey exploring why students do not choose to study Information Systems at a Norwegian university. Findings: The most indicated reason by the respondents for not choosing to study Information Systems was “little or no knowledge about IS”, followed by “lack of interest in the IS field.” Job availability was identified as the most motivating factor for the participant students in choosing to study their pro-grams at the university. The participants of this study did not consider In-formation Systems as easy to study. Recommendations for Practitioners: Candidate students should be given sufficient information about Information Systems study program and how it differs from other IT-related study pro-grams should be explained well. There is a need to better promote Information Systems study programs to candidate students. Future Research: Future studies should explore the factors impacting enrolment to Information Systems study programs with larger sample sizes and in different universities. Qualitative studies can help a deeper understanding of students’ career decisions. Future studies can also consider comparative studies in different countries.