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Information Studies, PhD PHD

The information science PhD program is preparing the next generation of information scientists for academic and professional careers where an in-depth knowledge of research processes and evaluation is needed.

Program Type

Program format.

Hybrid, On Campus, Online

A Research Environment – Vibrant and Diverse

• UW-Milwaukee is an R1 university – one of the nation’s top research universities as recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
• The School of Information Studies (SOIS) ranks fourth internationally and second in the U.S./Canada in department contributions to library and information science (LIS) literature as reported in a study by Walters & Wilder (2015). Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology
• SOIS Faculty rank 10th in Productivity of U.S. LIS and iSchool faculty. by John M. Budd, “Productivity of U.S. and iSchool faculty,” October 2015, in Library & Information Science Research

The PhD program at SOIS establishes a dynamic, inclusive, and supportive intellectual environment from a combination of advising, mentoring and involvement in research projects with faculty.

• Support & Aid
• Distance Option

The information science PhD program emphasizes the study of the representation, storage, retrieval, use and impact of information resources on society.

Graduates will contribute to the knowledge base of the discipline and will take on leadership roles as scholars and administrators in the discipline and the profession.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Information Studies is a STEM-designated program with Optional Practical Training (OPT) eligibility.

Ph.D. Alumni Placements

Our program prepares the next generation of information science scholars. Recent graduates of the information science PhD program have joined the faculty of leading universities in the U.S. and abroad. Others join work in leading research positions in industry, academia, and private organizations.

Faculty Positions

• Simmons University
• Tamkang University,Taiwan
• Chicago State University
• University of Oklahoma
• Kuwait University
• University of Kentucky
• Louisiana State University
• University of Washington
• Arizona State University
• Chungnam National University
• Nanjing University
• Renmin University of China
• King Saud University

Post-Doctoral Scholars

• Penn State/Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
• University of Maryland
• University of California-Berkeley
• University of Missouri

Ph.D. Dissertations

Benjamin Omwando Investigation of Malaria-Related Information in Africa on YouTube

Sukwon Lee Examining Individual Document Evaluation: An Eye-Tracking Analysis

Shannon Crawford Barniskis Convivial Making: Power in Public Library Makerspaces

Meghan Dowell  ‘The Same Information is Given To Everyone’: Algorithmic Awareness of Online Platforms

Tae Hee Lee  Information needs of Korean immigrants in the United States: Selection and use of social media

Bradley Wiles  ‘For What We Do Today Becomes the History of Tomorrow’: A History of the Bay View Historical Society, 1979-2015

Mutasim Abdulrahman A. Alfadhel The Analysis of User Characteristics on Twitter During Early Stage of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Comparison Study Before and After Declaration of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Xin Cai Application of the Markov Chain Method in a Health Portal Recommendation System

Jean Rene Exploring the Information Experience of the Immigrant Toward Public Libraries in New York City

Yifan Zhu An Optimization Analysis of the Subject Directory System on the MedlinePlus Portal – An Investigation of Mental Health, Children, Teenagers, and Older Adults Related Health Topics

Yazeed Alhumaidan A New Framework of Privacy Concerns Assessment in The Context of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT): Mixed-Methods Sequential Exploratory Analysis of YouTube Users

Laura Ridenour Examining the Notion of the Boundary Object in Information Systems: The Transdisciplinary Oeuvre of Cognitive Science

Sukjin You The Ensemble MeSH-Term Query Expansion Models Using Multiple LDA Topic Models and ANN Classifiers in Health Information Retrieval

Musa Dauda Hassan Consumer Health Information Needs, Seeking and Searching Behavior by Rural Residents in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, with a Focus on Vector-Borne Diseases

Adrianna McCleer It Was Never About The Books

Maali Alghnimi Digitization Guidelines for Static & Non-static (Audiovisual) Media: Compliance & Challenges in Academic Libraries.

Hyoungjoo Park The Impact of Research Data Sharing and Reuse on Data Citation in Stem Fields

Yuehua Zhao An Investigation of Autism Support Groups on Facebook

Yanyan Wang Analysis of Family-Health-Related Topics on Wikipedia

Inkyung Choi Toward a Model of Intercultural Warrant: A Case of the Korean Decimal Classification’s Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Dewey Decimal Classification

Ann Graf Facets of Graffiti Art and Street Art Documentation Online: A Domain and Content Analysis

Jennifer Stevenson Social Network Analysis on Wisconsin Archival Facebook Community

Hyejung Han Understanding Children’s Help-seeking Behaviors: Effects of Domain Knowledge

Carol Sabbar The Information-seeking Strategies of Humanities Scholars Using Resources in Language Other Than English

Jennifer Thiele Information Access in Rural Areas of the United States: The Public Library’s Role in the Digital Divide and the Implications of Differing State Funding Models

Renee Bennett- Kapusniak Baby Boomers and Technology: Factors and Challenges in Utilizing Mobile Devices

Melodie Fox Gender as an ‘Interplay of Rules’: Detecting Epistemic Interplay of medical and Legal Discourse with Sex and Gender Classification in Four Editions of the Dewey Decimal Classification

Nicholas Proferes Informational Power on Twitter: A Mixed-methods Exploration of User Knowledge and Technological Discourse About Information Flows

Dalal Al-budaiwi The impact of culture and religion on the perception of freedom of expression between older and younger generations in South Africa and State of Kuwait: An international and comparative study | Advisor: Britz

Jeremy Mauger Framing the policy debate: Competing portrayals of technology in online content regulation and lessons from science and technology studies | Advisor: Zimmer

Soohyung Joo Investigating User Search Tactic Patterns and System Support in Using Digital Libraries | Advisor: Xie

Jihee Beak A child-driven metadata schema: A holistic analysis of children’s cognitive processes and book selection behaviors | Advisors: Olson & Smiraglia

Anna Lauren Hoffman Google Books as Infrustructure of In/Justice: Towards a Sociotechnical Account of Rawlsian Justice, Information and Technology | Advisors: Britz & Zimmer

Edward Benoit III MPLP: A comparison of domain novice and expert user-generated tags in a minimally processed digital archive | Advisor: Xie

Chunsheng Huang Understanding novice users’ help-seeking behavior in getting started with digital libraries: Influence of learning styles | Advisor: Xie

Suyu Lin A Comparative Study on Institutional Repositories (IRs): Comparing Organizational Factors Influencing Initiation and Implementation of Two IR Projects | Advisor: Britz

Kun Lu Assessing systematic topic difficulty based on query and collection features | Advisor: Wolfram

Program Information

Ph.d. brochure.

Ph.D. Handbook

Doctoral Program Coursework

Information science PhD students will need to complete a minimum of 30 credits of approved coursework at the 700-level or higher.

• Foundation Courses in Information Studies (12 credits)
• Research Methods and Design (9 credits)
• Specialized area (9 credits)
• Sample PhD Course Plan – Please note this course plan is TENTATIVE and subject to change without notice.

The complete list of SOIS courses can be found in the UW-Milwaukee Academic Catalog .

Preliminary Examinations / Preparatory Essays Dissertation Proposal Dissertation Dissertation Defense

PhD Program Details

Please visit the UW-Milwaukee, Academic Catalog for complete program details: https://catalog.uwm.edu/community-engagement-professions/information-studies/information-studies-phd/

For information on policies and procedures for doctoral students, please see the UW-Milwaukee, Graduate Policies website .

Full-time onsite information science PhD students are eligible for teaching assistantships. Typical appointments are 33% (13 hours per week) and 9-month appointments. Assistants receive bi-weekly pay, tuition remission, and health insurance coverage based on the Graduate School Schedule.

Financial Aid, Scholarships, Assistantships & Awards

SOIS offers several funding opportunities for its PhD students based on the availability of funding. Funding opportunities can include: travel funding for conference presentations, research support to assist with costs associated with dissertation research, and adjunct teaching opportunities to support their studies.

UWM Graduate School Financial Support Resources

The UWM Graduate School provides competitive scholarships such as Graduate School Fellowships, Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships, Advanced Opportunity Fellowships, Graduate Student Travel Awards and Golda Meir Library Scholar Awards. For more information on the types of funding available, please visit the UWM Graduate School website: uwm.edu/graduateschool/types-of-funding/

Cost of Attendance

UWM Onsite Tuition and Fee Information (Including dissertator fees) Tuition is determined by the UW System Board of Regents, in the summer preceding each academic year. More information is available on the UW System website.

SOIS Online Fees The 2022-23 academic year tuition for one online 3-credit graduate course in the School of Information Studies will cost $2,400 ($800/per credit). This amount is assessed for all online courses regardless of your geographic location. This tuition is assessed in lieu of standard UW System resident/non-resident tuition and campus-segregated fees.

How is this fee determined? The University of Wisconsin System online course regulations determine how this fee is structured. This amount is calculated by adding the off-campus tuition for one credit to SOIS’ online fee. Over the past five years, SOIS has held the increase of this fee to under the percentage applied to general tuition by the Board of Regents.

Students begin the Information Science PhD program in the fall. The Fall 2025 application is open from October 15, 2024 – January 10, 2025. All application materials, as outlined in the application checklist below, must be received by Jan. 10. An applicant whose file is incomplete will not be eligible for review. Application requirements are the same for traditional and distance students.

An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus the departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program in regular status.

Graduate School Application Checklist

For complete details on Graduate School Admission Requirements, please visit: uwm.edu/graduateschool/admission/

School of Information Studies Application Checklist

An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program in regular status:

• Have a cumulative GPA in coursework for the master’s degree of at least 3.5 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants possessing a Master of Library and Information Science, or a master’s degree in an allied discipline, are encouraged to apply.
• Submit verbal and quantitative scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past five years. Please note: GRE is recommended but not required for the fall 2025 SOIS admission cycle.
• Submit three letters of recommendation from qualified persons who can attest to the applicant’s aptitude for doctoral study. At least one letter must be from an academic.
• Submit a writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s analytical and critical thinking skills. This may take the form of a published research paper, a term paper from a previous graduate program or an earlier completed thesis.
• Applicants are encouraged to bring at least two years of relevant professional experience prior to entering the PhD program.

Applicants lacking the requisite GPA or academic area may be considered for admission on probation and may be required to complete preparatory coursework.

The PhD Distance Option provides an additional mode of research and study that eliminates some of the barriers associated with the traditional method of pursuing an advanced research degree.

Distance Students Encouraged To Apply!

Distance students (not located near Milwaukee, Wisconsin) are encouraged to apply. Such students will be required to attend a one- to two-day orientation on campus at the beginning of the program and be physically present for all major program milestones, including preliminary exam defense, dissertation proposal defense and formal defense of the dissertation. SOIS doctoral seminars will be streamed live online for distance students to participate synchronously with local students and faculty, and students will be responsible for meeting all other program requirements via online courses or other approved means.

Students begin the Information Studies doctoral program in the fall. An applicant whose file is incomplete will be asked to contact the Graduate School. Application requirements are the same for traditional and distance students. Distance students must also meet the UWM Graduate School residency requirements; physical residency in Milwaukee is not necessary.

Note: PhD students enrolled in the Distance Option are self-funded. There is no financial support provided by the School of Information Studies for this program option.

Internet Connection: Required: Broadband Internet Connection with 5Mbps download and 5Mbps upload and a home network to reliably support these speeds

Highly Suggested: 15Mbps download and 5Mbps upload

Computer: Required: Intel i5 CPU 8GB RAM 160GB HDD

Highly Suggested: Intel i5 CPU 16GB RAM 250GB SSD

Computer Accessories Requirements: Monitor capable of displaying 1920×1080 or higher Webcam capable of 1080p resolution (Suggestion: Logitech C920) Microphone (Suggestions: Rode Procaster, Blue Yeti, Shure SM58) Quality Headphones (Suggestions: Shure SRH440, Sennheiser HD 280 PRO)

Operating System: Windows 10 (preferred), MacOS Sierra

Physical Environment: A comfortable and quiet environment that is free from environmental noises (kids, traffic, etc.) and provides good lighting so that the class can see the distance student and hear them without interference.

Academic Resources

• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Online Programs
• Schedule of Classes
• Academic Catalog
• SOIS Graduate Orientation
• Academic Advising
• SOIS Information Sessions
• Course Syllabi
• IST Tutoring
• FAQs, Forms and Policies
• Fieldwork Forms & Guidelines
• Graduate Graduation Procedures
• Graduate Transfer Credit Guidelines
• Grievance and Appeals Process/ Grade Appeal Process
• New Student Checklist

School of Information Studies Graduate Student Services Northwest Quadrant D 3800 414-229-4707 [email protected]

DiscoverDataScience.org

Ph.D. in Information Systems

with Kat Campise, Data Scientist, Ph.D.

Considering a PhD in Information Systems? At the intersection of computer science, business, and information technology lies a highly specialized field poised for immense growth over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates 16% job growth in the field by 2031, much faster than the average occupation.

This guide is designed for those interested in continuing their education following the completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems or a Master’s Degree in Information Systems , highlighting the curriculum and time commitment required as well as a cost-benefit analysis to help determine if pursing a PhD in Information Systems is the right next step for your career. 

Master’s vs. a Ph.D. in Information Systems

Within the U.S. academic system, a Master’s Degree in Information Systems will lead you down the research path, to a point. Culminating in a master’s thesis, a master’s degree program typically takes 2 years to complete and is considered a shorter and less in-depth application of your coursework than a PhD. In contrast, a PhD in Information Systems program is focused on completing a lengthy dissertation and a set of rigorous exams (this last requirement differs depending on the program and university). A PhD, ultimately, is a research degree that advances a brand-new idea or innovation within the discipline. You could say that a master’s thesis is an exploratory analysis that supports a given hypothesis while PhD research is more extensive and results in a book-length and detailed exegesis of your approved topic.

Career Outlook

According to Kat Campise, Data Scientist, PhD, most PhD trajectories head straight for a career in academics where “publish or perish” is the ongoing mantra. There are exceptions as graduates of PhD programs launch or continue careers in government, finance, technology and business; advancing to positions including, but not limited to, senior information manager, chief information offer, chief technology officer, director of systems development, or director of information technology operations.

It is worth noting that a gap exists between business expectations and academic perceptions of value. The world of business is focused on the “bottom line.” Due to the widespread adoption of data science, businesses are more amenable to an academic research approach, but with the caveat that the value constraints, such as key performance indicators, risk measures, etc. continue to drive the determination as to whether a job function is providing an increase in their financial inflows while keeping costs to a minimum. Also, while a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for many entry-level positions, a master’s degree is often required to advance across most industries. Meanwhile, academia’s valuation is in how (and if) you’re pushing the research in your field of expertise forward. In academia, post-doctoral job expectations include teaching, writing, attaining grant funding, attending and presenting at conferences, and conducting research. The focus here is solely on intellectual capital rather than filling the corporate coffers.

Earning Potential

As of their May 2021 employment survey, the BLS lists the median annual salary for information systems managers as $159,010 . Entry-level information systems (IS) professionals may expect salaries closer to $95,220. However, the top 10% of IS managers often earn more than $208,000 per BLS data. Compensation depended on several factors including education, certifications, specific skill set, and years of experience.

According to Campise, whether you’ll hit the top of the pay scale after you complete an Information Systems PhD depends on where you intend on applying those learnings (i.e., industry and specialization) and how you market yourself. While those who’ve completed a doctorate tend to have higher median earnings than their master’s degree level cohorts, it is not a guarantee.

Guide to Choosing a PhD Program in Information Systems

If after reading the above you’ve decided that you’re ready to embark on the PhD in Information Systems path, then the steps below will take you through the next phase: applying to a PhD program.

Step 1: Assess your location and time commitment constraints

PhD level degrees aren’t for the faint of heart. You’ll be committing a substantial amount of mental and financial energy toward completing all coursework, attempting to publish your research, attending conferences, and following the requirements for your dissertation. Depending on the school, program, and whether you’re a full or part-time student, a typical PhD program takes an average of six years to complete.

Online vs. On Campus

An important factor to consider is whether you wish to complete your PhD through a traditional on campus program or online. While on-campus programs remain popular, numerous respected, accredited schools now offer the flexibility of online PhD programs. Online programs are ideal for working adults who require asynchronous scheduling with the option of evening or weekend classes and meetings. Many online PhD programs are hybrids that require an on-campus presence at certain points throughout the program.

When determining whether an online or in-person program is right for you, consider answering the following questions. Is there a local university that offers a PhD in Information Systems or, alternatively, a PhD in Computer Information Systems? Are you willing and/or have the financial ability to relocate for such a program? Do you have the time to travel to and from campus along with completing the research and writing? What other commitments do you have that limit the time and energy needed to complete a PhD?

Your answers should help you choose between an on campus and online program as well as jump-start your initial list of university options, which should be narrowed down before you reach the final step: applying to one or more universities.

Step 2: Review the curriculum

The PhD emphasis in most disciplines is a theoretical approach. Your academic goal as a PhD in Information Systems student is to learn and test established theories that will lead you to derive a theory of your own. As you peruse the course requirements for each potential university, you may notice the use of the term seminars . Seminars are discussion-based as opposed to traditional lectures where the professors speak at the students. It’s likely that you’ll be assigned published research papers to read, analyze, and discuss with your professor and fellow students during the class. Some PhD programs combine seminars with lectures in terms of the type of courses offered. Others may only incorporate the lecture environment. Consider your learning style while you’re reviewing the curriculum.

The course topics for a PhD in Information Systems usually include theories in information systems, qualitative and quantitative research in information systems along with technical applications via statistics, analytics, and machine learning. You’ll spend a great deal of time thoroughly learning how to conduct research in the field. Many programs offer a concentration option such as healthcare, cybersecurity or analytics.

Since a PhD course of study will consume a huge chunk of time and effort, it’s important to self-assess your level of interest. It’s extremely likely that you’ll have moments of doubt and lack of motivation at some point during the degree, says Campise, but an intense interest in a certain concentration can help carry you through the trials and tribulations.

Step 3: Perform a cost-benefit analysis

Completing a PhD comes with financial and opportunity costs. If there are ample grants or fellowships available for research, then you may be able to earn some money or reduce tuition costs while you’re completing the degree. This is not guaranteed. Working full time during a PhD might be marginally feasible. Tuition costs vary between $7,000 and more than $30,000 per year. That’s only the tuition and doesn’t include your living and travel expenses (for conferences). Attaining a graduate assistantship and/or teaching lower-level university courses can help offset the financial outflow. On the other hand, you may lose some work experience (in the business world) or need to put your job search on hold while you complete the PhD requirements. That said, it’s important to carefully weigh the sacrifices you’ll be making in the short term with the potential benefits that can occur in the long run. If you’re planning on entering or returning to the realm of private business, practice your research skills and run a search on various job sites. Review information systems jobs, their salary, and compare that to the education requirements. Can you earn significantly more with a PhD in Information Systems or by attaining a PhD in Computer Information Systems? Also, what are the factors motivating you to complete this advanced research degree?

Step 4: Analyze the admission requirements

Minimum scores on the GRE or GMAT are required for entrance to most PhD programs. International students are generally required to take either the TOEFL or the IELTS; the TOEFL tends to be the favored test for English proficiency. Each school will have their own cutoff range which is usually listed on the department’s website (wherever the PhD in Information Systems is housed). As always, official transcripts will be required, and many set a Master’s Degree in Information Systems as the minimum level of education considered as viable for program entry. This, however, is not 100% consistent. Other majors may be admissible, and in some cases a bachelor’s degree might be acceptable in lieu of a master’s degree.

Expect to spend additional money on application fees (approximately $60+). You’ll find that most applications must include a Statement of Purpose (SOP), and likely another writing sample. Some PhD applications also require the addition of a research paper that you’ve written in a prior class or have published (in a journal or a conference paper). The SOP for a PhD application should address how your research interests align with either the department or specific faculty members. You’ll likely be choosing your dissertation committee members from within the departmental faculty, so matching their research focus is particularly important. Research interests evolve throughout the degree, but it’s ok to focus on a specific area when applying.

On Campus Listings

Arizona State University  – Tempe, Arizona PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems Program Length:  84 Semester hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $11,864 (Resident), $23,372 (Non-resident) Course  Offerings

Auburn University  – Auburn, Alabama Ph.D. in Business-Information Systems Program Length:  28 Credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $1361 per hour credit (Resident) $2,431 per hour credit (Non-resident) Course  Offerings

Baylor University  – Waco, Texas PhD in Information Systems Program Program Length:  54 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $22,400.2 estimate tuition and required fees per semester Course Offerings

Carnegie Mellon University  – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Ph.D. Studies in Information Systems & Management Program Length:  54 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $27,396 Course Offerings

Colorado Technical University  – Manitou Springs, Colorado Ph.D. Studies in Information Systems & Management Program Length:  100 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:   Not required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $598 per credit hour Course Offerings

Drexel University  – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PhD in Information Science Program Length:  24 post-master’s course credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Not Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $1,265 per credit hour Course Offerings

Emory University  – Atlanta, Georgia PhD Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) Program Length:  4 years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $20,900 per semester Course Offerings

Florida State University  – Tallahassee, Florida Management Information Systems  Program Length:  27-33 credit hours yearly Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $479.32 per credit hour (resident) $1,110.72 per credit hour (non-resident) Course Offerings

Georgia State University  – Atlanta, Georgia Information Systems Program Length:  66 credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  Tuition will be completely covered if you are accepted into this program. For out-of-state graduate students, this represents a benefit of approximately $49,000 per year if you register for fall, spring and summer. Course Offerings 

Harrisburg University  – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems Engineering & Management Program Length:  30 credit hours per semester Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $800 per semester hour Course Offerings 

Indiana University – Bloomington, Indiana PhD in Information Systems  Program Length:  40.5 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $1,330 per credit hour Course Offerings 

Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa PhD in Information Systems  Program Length:  74 credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $10,504 (Resident), $23,790 (Non-resident) Course Offerings 

Michigan State University – East Lansing, Michigan PhD in Business Information Systems Program Length:  30 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $769.50 per credit (Resident), $1,498.50 (Non-resident) Course Offerings

Mississippi State University – Mississippi State, Mississippi PhD in Business Information Systems Program Length:  71-74 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $4,325 per term Course Offerings

New Jersey Institute of Technology – Newark, New Jersey Ph.D. in Information Systems Program Length:  33-48 credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $31,074 (resident) $40,802 (non-resident) Course Offerings   

New York University – New York, New York Doctoral Program in Information Systems Program Length:  5 years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $111,616 (based on nine month academic year) Course Offerings 

Nova Southeastern University – Fort Lauderdale, Florida PhD in Information Systems  Program Length:  64 Credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus or Hybrid GRE Required:  Not Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $12,075 per term Course Offerings 

Purdue University – West Lafayette, Indiania PhD Management Information Systems Program Length:  4 Years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  Tuition-waiver and other funding opportunities are provided for the entire four-year duration Course Offerings

Rutgers University – Newark, New Jersey Ph.D. in Accounting Information Systems Program Length: 72 credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $8,616.00 term (Resident) $14,652.00 term (Non-resident) Course Offerings

Temple University  – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PhD Management Information Systems Program Length:  4 Years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  All admitted students receive full financial support including tuition and stipend Course Offerings

Texas Tech University  – Lubbock, Texas Ph.D. in Business Administration, Concentration in Management Information Systems Program Length:  60 Semester credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $326 per credit (resident) $741 per credit (non-resident) Course Offerings

University of Arizona  – Tucson, Arizona Management Information Systems Program Length:  42 units Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $837 per unit (resident), $1,781 per unit (non-resident) Course Offerings

University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, Arkansas Information Systems PhD Program Length:  72 graduate semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree and 42 graduate-only semester hours beyond the master’s degree Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $23,548 per academic year (resident), $40,766 per academic year (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Colorado Denver  – Denver, Colorado PhD. Computer Science and Information Systems  Program Length:  60 course hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $10​,760 per year (Resident) $31,640 per year (Non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Georgia  – Athens, Georgia PhD in Business Administration (Management Information Systems) Program Length:  5 years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $363 Credit hour (Resident), $1,029 Credit hour (Non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Houston  – Houston, Texas Ph.D. in Management Information Systems (MIS) Program Length:  51 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  Students receive a tuition waiver for four years (less student-paid fees). It is recommended to have a “fund” of $5,000 designated for paying the tuition every semester which will be reimbursed. Course Offerings 

  University of Illinois at Chicago  – Chicago, Illinois PhD in Management Information Systems Program Length:  60 Semester Hours Delivery Method:  Campus or Online GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $10,716 (in-state), $12,853 (out of state) per semester Course Offerings 

University of Iowa  – Iowa City, Iowa PhD in Management Sciences Program Length:  72 Semester Hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  100% covered tuition cost and fees Course Offerings =

University of Maryland  – College Park, Maryland Information Systems PhD Program Length:  42 Credits Minimum Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $717.00 per credit (resident), $1,548.00 per credit (non-resident) Course Offerings

University of Maryland Baltimore County  – Baltimore, Maryland Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems Program Length:  5 area courses Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $640.00 per credit (Maryland resident), $1,099.00 per credit (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Massachusetts-Amherst  – Amherst, Massachusetts PhD Program in Information Systems Program Length:  45 credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Not Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $8,262.00 Total Tuition & fees for 12+ credits (resident), $16,812.50 Total Tuition & fees for 12+ credits (non-resident) Course Offerings 

  University of Memphis  – Memphis, Tennessee Ph.D. in Management Information Systems Program Length:  60 hours (minimum) Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:  $609.00 per credit (TN Resident), $801.00 per credit (Non-TN Resident) Course Offerings 

University of Michigan-Dearborn – Dearborn, Michigan Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering  Program Length:  50 hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Not Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $406 per credit hour (Resident), $778 per credit hour (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of North Carolina Charlotte – Charlotte, North Carolina Ph.D. in Computing and Information Systems Program Length:  72 post baccalaureate credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $2,168.50 for 9+ Credit Hour (NC resident), $8,885.50 for 9+ Credit Hour (NC resident) Course Offerings 

University of North Carolina Greensboro – Greensboro, North Carolina Ph.D. in Information Systems Program Length:  71-84 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $3,700 per semester (in-state), $10,600 per semester (out-of-state) Course Offerings 

University of North Texas – Denton, Texas Information Systems Ph.D. Program Program Length:  Minimum of 69 hours of graduate credit beyond the Master’s degree or 99 hours of graduate credit beyond the Bachelor’s degree. Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $21,646 annual cost (resident), $29,332 annual cost (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ph.D information systems (IS) Program Length:  16 course credits are required for graduation Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Not Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $39,470 plus the general fees and health insurance per academic year Course Offerings 

University of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania PhD in Information Systems and Technology Management Program Length:  12 Courses Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $1,308 per credit Course Offerings 

University of Rochester – Rochester, New York PhD in Business Administration major in Computers and Information Systems Program Length:  90 credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $1,925 per credit Course Offerings 

  University of South Florida – Tampa, Florida PhD in Business Administration Information Systems Concentration Program Length:  Minimum of 90 Credit Hours beyond the Bachelor’s Degree Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $431.43 per credit (resident), $863.64 per credit (non-resident) Course Offerings

University of Texas at Austin – Austin, Texas Information Systems Doctoral Program Program Length:  4 to 5 years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $5,530 per semester (resident), $19,365 per semester (non-resident) Course Offerings

University of Texas at San Antonio – San Antonio, Texas Ph.D. in Information Technology Program Length:  84 semester credit hours Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $705.45 per semester credit hour (resident), $1,640.58 per semester credit hour (non-resident) Course Offerings 

  University of Texas Dallas – Dallas, Texas PhD in Management Science, Information Systems Concentration Program Length:  4 to 5 years Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $29,286 – $29,740 Total (resident), $53,128 – $54,364 Total (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Utah – Salt Lake City, Utah Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major field in Information Systems Program Length:  55 degree hours minimum Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $264.06 per credit hour (resident), $929.38 per credit hour (non-resident) Course Offerings 

University of Washington – Seattle, Washington Information Systems PhD Specialization Program Length:  30 Credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $16,590 annual tuition (resident), $20,881 annual tuition (non-resident) Course Offerings  

Washington State University – Pullman, Washington PhD in Management Information Systems Concentration Program Length:  37 Credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required 2020-2021 Tuition:   $23,485 per academic year (resident), $37,721 per academic year (non-resident) Course Offerings

Walton College – Fayetteville, Aarkansas PhD in Management Information Systems Concentration Program Length:  72 Credits Delivery Method:  Campus GRE Required:  Required Tuition : $23,548 per academic year (resident), $40,766 per academic year (non-resident) Course Offerings

Online Listings

University of Bridgeport – Bridgeport, Connecticut PhD Technology Management Delivery Method:  Online GRE Required:   minimum score of 155 in both Verbal and Quantitative Tuition : $31,305 per year Course Offerings

Capella University PhD in Information Technology Delivery Method : Online with in-person research seminars GRE Required : No Tuition : $965 per credit, $2,895 Comprehensive exam, Dissertation $2,895 per quarter Course Offerings

Capitol Technology University PhD in Technology Delivery Method: Online GRE Required : No Tuition: $933 per credit Course Offerings

University of the Cumberlands – Williamsburg, Kentucky PhD Information Systems Delivery Method:  Online GRE Required:   Tuition : $500/credit hour + $50 technology fee per Bi-term Course Offerings

Dakota State University – Madison, South Dakota PhD Information Systems Delivery Method:  Online GRE Required : Yes, taken within the last 5 years. Exceptions granted for those who meet specific prerequisites. Tuition : $34,500 Course Offerings

Northcentral University PhD Information Systems Delivery Method : Online GRE Required : No Tuition : $68,365 Course Offerings

Syracuse University Doctor of Professional Studies in Information Management Delivery Method : Online GRE Required : No Tuition : Scholarships, grants and fellowships available Course Offerings

Walden University PhD in Management Information Systems Management specialization Delivery Method : Hybrid GRE Required : No Tuition : $68,360 – $144,220 Course Offerings

2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for computer and information systems managers reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2023.

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• Programs : PhD in Information Studies

PhD in Information Studies

alt="Doctoral PhD students collaborating in the Information eXeprience Lab"

Where Grand Challenges Meet Interdisciplinary Solutions

We live in the Information Age, offering unprecedented opportunities but also unmatched threats and challenges. Information systems and technologies are fundamentally shaping the behaviors of individuals, organizations, and society. To understand the dynamics of our world, and to help shape a future that reflects social values, research at the School of Information crosses disciplinary divides, bridges the arts and the sciences, and applies human insights to technological advances.

Our flexible curriculum and immersive mentorship with  world-class faculty who are experts in their fields prepare students to become high-quality, high-impact researchers, scholars, and teachers. Throughout the doctoral program, students will learn to reason and evaluate ideas and data across disciplines, see beyond current approaches to problems, and cross disciplinary boundaries in search of answers to the grand challenges facing today's modern information society.

Join Our Community of Innovative Scholars

At the School of Information, you will work with faculty who are among the best in the world in their areas of expertise. You will be immersed in an environment that offers the facilities and resources of one of the premier research universities in the US, and live in a city that is both a rapidly growing center for IT research and development and one of the country's most vibrant cities in which to live and work.

Admissions & Funding

Learn about admissions procedures as well as funding available for doctoral students.

Program Overview

Our curriculum offers flexibility to tailor your coursework and explore research interests.

Meet Our Faculty

Over 20 full-time, world-class faculty come from diverse, interdisciplinary backgrounds.

Research at the iSchool

We're tackling the greatest challenges facing today's modern information society — how to understand the extraordinary complexity of information, to discover principles and processes for managing its massive scale, and exploring ways to leverage it to enhance our lives.

PhD Degree Requirements

• Committees & Annual Review
• Coursework & Plan of Study
• Qualifying Procedure
• Proposal & Dissertation Defense

What Do We Look For?

The study of information extends beyond any existing field. Our PhD students come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, and we welcome applications from interested candidates regardless of the field of study in which you completed your prior degree(s). A master's degree is not required to apply. 

We seek the best and brightest people who thrive on challenges:

People dedicated to creating new forms of information systems that can augment human and organizational capabilities.

People committed to exploring the human and technological principles and processes that underlie information complexity.

People energized by a vision of a diverse society where access to relevant information is not a luxury, but a requirement.

People appreciative of the importance and challenge of preserving and disseminating information on the human cultural record.

If you want to join us in helping to forge a better information society:  Apply to the PhD Program

Our Vision & Values

The School of Information is committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives through excellence in research, teaching, and public engagement. Our core values underpin our efforts to shape the field of information for human and social benefit.

About The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest public universities in the US. Beyond our top-ranked international graduate program, UT Austin is one of the world's premier research universities and is located in one of the sunniest and most vibrant cities in which to live and work: Austin, TX.

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Department of Technology, Operations, and Statistics | Doctoral Program in Information Systems

Doctoral program in information systems.

Authoritative curriculum information can be found exclusively in the University Bulletin. All other content, including this page, is for informational purpose only. You can find the curriculum for this program on this page of the Bulletin.

• Overview of the Doctoral Program in Information Systems

Program Requirements

Doctoral Courses

• Doctoral Students and their Research
• Information Systems Faculty

Overview of the IS Doctoral Program

Mission: To educate and train scholars who will produce first-rate IS research and who will succeed as faculty members in first-rate universities. We offer tracks in technical perspectives on IS, economic perspectives on IS, and organizational/management perspectives on IS. Admissions and performance: We enroll an average of three students each year out of more than 100 highly qualified applicants. Students enrolling typically have GMATS over 700 or GREs over 1400. International students typically have TOEFLs higher than 640. Our students are highly competitive within Stern and nationally. Recently our students have received school-wide awards as "outstanding doctoral students." They have won acceptance at doctoral consortia sponsored by the Academy of Management and the International Conference on Information Systems. And they have won national dissertation research competitions.

Advising and evaluation: The IS doctoral program faculty director advises all first-year doctoral students. During the first year students have many opportunities to get to know the research interests of all departmental faculty. By the beginning of the second year, students have selected a concentration advisor who will guide them through the comprehensive exam process and up to the thesis stage. By the middle of the third year students will have selected a thesis advisor. Each year every student submits a statement of intellectual progress to his/her advisor. All faculty meet to review the progress of all students in a day-long meeting each year. At this time, the student's intellectual progress is reviewed and plans for the following year are considered. The results of this review include a formal letter to the student assessing the previous year's work and offering guidance for the following year's work. All students take a comprehensive written and oral exam at the end of the second year. Students defend their thesis proposal by March of their fourth year and defend their completed dissertation at the end of the fourth year or during the fifth year.

Research and interaction with faculty: The heart of the IS doctoral program is immersion in a community of researchers. Every student has a formal research apprenticeship with one or more faculty members each year. Every student participates in formal and informal research seminars each week with departmental faculty and visitors. Every student presents research in progress and works toward producing publishable papers, usually with a faculty co-author. Students learn to be researchers by doing research. They learn to be research colleagues by working with others and critiquing their research.

Placement record: In the past ten years, our graduates have accepted faculty positions at such schools as University of California at Berkeley, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, University of Texas at Austin, the University of British Columbia, National University of Singapore, The Wharton School and the University of Cambridge, UK.   Please click on the links on the right to learn how to apply, to attend an information session, and to contact the Stern School Doctoral Office. 

Natalia Levina Coordinator, Information Systems Doctoral Program IOMS Department

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All students take a common core of courses during their first year which provides an overview of the major research areas in IS and the fundamental knowledge necessary for specialized course work in the second year. In the second year students take specialized course work in one of three concentrations: technical perspectives, economic perspectives, behavioral/managerial perspectives.  

Mandatory Breadth Courses (3)

• Behavioral Research Methods
• Micro-economics
• Technical Foundations
• Each student is required to take 1 Probability and 1 Statistics course, from a list of approved courses.
• Technical Research in IS
• Economics Research in IS
• Behavioral/Managerial Research in IS
• Research Apprenticeship

YEAR TWO - Each student chooses one concentration track

Technical Track:

• A programming requirement, may be satisfied in a variety of ways
• Honors Analysis of Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Optimization
• Database Systems
• Machine Learning/Data Mining
• Other courses based on student's interest
• Research apprenticeship

Economics Track:

• Mathematical Methods for Economists
• Econometrics
• Game Theory
• Students will take elective courses in the Stern Economics Department, at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, in Operations Management, Statistics, or at Courant as specified in consultation with the advisor

Behavioral/Managerial Track:

• Any two of the following four Stern Management Department Courses
• Organizational Behavior
• Managerial Cognition
• Organizational Theory
• At least one research methods or statistics course beyond the first year courses.
• Students may take doctoral level courses in Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Public Policy, History, Education, or Law.
• Electives in the area of interest
• Thesis research
• Teaching apprenticeship (in year 3 or 4)
• Teaching one course (in year 3 or 4)
• INFO-GB.3345 (B20.3345)  Doctoral Seminar in Digital Economics  (offered in Spr 2012) This course introduces students to scientific paradigms and research perspectives related to the economics of information technologies. Topics in 2012 include information goods, piracy, digital rights management, network economics, sponsored search auctions, user-generated content, contagion in networks, technological innovation, IT productivity, the digital commons and online privacy.  
• INFO-GB.3382 (B20.3382)  Research Seminar on IT and Organizations: Social Perspectives (offered in Spr 2012) The course introduces students to sociological and organizational literature on the role of Information Technology in organizations and society.  
• INFO-GB.3383 (B20.3383)  Networks, Crowds & Markets   
• INFO-GB.3386 (B20.3386)  Technical Foundations of IS  
• INFO-GB.3355 (B20.3355)  Behavioral Research Methods  
• INFO-GB.3391 (B20.3391)  Research Seminar in Data Science   (offered in Spr 2012) In this course we will take a deep dive into selected topics in data science. The focus will be two-fold. First, we will read textbook segments, classic papers, and new research, with the goal of understanding research in data science. Second, we will study the actual practical application of data science methods to extract knowledge from large-scale data. We will cover topics such as machine learning, data mining, information retrieval, text classification, sentiment analysis, similarity analysis, network analysis, graphical models, Bayesian models, topic models, model evaluation, crowd-sourcing and micro-outsourcing, massive-scale data processing, reducing data for analytic purposes, and more. The selection of which topics are covered in a particular semester will be based on: (i) the current research and business environments, (ii) the research interests of the IS faculty, and (iii) the interests of the students in that semester. We also will discuss applications that are of current interest, such as recommender systems, social-network marketing, online advertising, Mechanical Turking, and more.

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Program at a Glance

This program is designed for students who seek training in advanced theoretical and applied issues in the field of information systems. The training prepares students for conducting leading-edge research in topics ranging from the design of optimized systems to the effective use of such systems in organizations. Students undergo rigorous training in research methodologies, as well as in the design of information systems. The research conducted is often interdisciplinary in nature and is characterized by strong analytical or econometric modeling of new and emerging issues in information technology management and creation. The program prepares students mainly for academic positions in research universities; some students may be placed in research positions in industry, government or consulting organizations.

The PhD in Information Systems program is characterized by a high ratio of research faculty to students, which fosters close working relationships. Students have the opportunity to be involved in ongoing faculty research projects under the mentorship of experienced professors. The close interaction with faculty enables students to quickly learn to identify and develop research ideas and create their own research agenda. Students also develop their teaching skills under faculty mentorship by teaching organized classes.

Successful candidates must possess a strong aptitude for abstract thinking and quantitative analysis to address relevant business problems. Students admitted into the PhD in Information Systems program devote the first few years to coursework and research projects, preparing for the qualifying examinations and developing their preliminary dissertation proposal. The next one to two years are devoted to dissertation research and writing. Students must complete at least 75 semester hours of approved graduate work before a degree may be conferred. Credit may be granted for courses taken elsewhere.

Program Contact

Srinivasan Raghunathan, PhD

Ashbel smith professor phd area coordinator, information systems.

[email protected] | (972) 883-4377 | JSOM 3.425

The Information Systems Doctoral program at the Naveen Jindal School of Management offers an outstanding opportunity for research in the Information Systems discipline. Our faculty’s research productivity usually ranks at the top in the world. More importantly, we work at the forefront of a variety of research topics and methodologies. Come join us to make this program even stronger!

Faculty research pursuits range from quantitative modeling to empirical studies, mathematical programming, applied stochastic processes, statistics, econometrics and economics.

With analytical depth and methodology, drawing from disciplines such as economics, operations research and econometrics, their research is both prevalent and employed in today’s rapidly changing technological world.

The UT Dallas Top 100 Worldwide Rankings of Business Schools based on Research Contributions in Information Systems Research, Journal on Computing, MIS Quarterly , 2017–2021.

Advanced and rigorous coursework, methodology and design, and significant placement on student research are the hallmarks of the Information Systems program.

The Information Systems program is characterized by a high ratio of research faculty to students, which fosters close collaboration. Students have the opportunity to be involved in ongoing research projects under the mentorship of renowned, distinguished faculty.

The program is designed for students to develop a strong aptitude for abstract thinking and quantitative analysis to address relevant business problems for their careers in academia or industry.

As shown in the table below, our Information Systems students have obtained top academic and industry appointments.

The close interaction with faculty enables students to quickly learn to identify and develop research ideas and create their own research agenda. Students also develop their teaching skills under faculty mentorship by teaching organized classes.

Below are examples of student publications in 24 leading business journals from 2017-2021.

Abhijeet Ghoshal , Atanu Lahiri, Debabrata Dey, 2021. “Support forums and software vendor’s pricing strategy.” Information Systems Research , vol. 32.

Srinivasan Raghunathan, Mehmet Ayvaci, YeongIn Kim , Huseyin Cavusoglu , 2021. “Designing payment contracts for healthcare services to induce information sharing: the adoption and the value of health information exchanges (hies).” MIS Quarterly , vol. 45.

Subodha Kumar , Min Chen , Min-Seok Pang, 2021. “Do you have room for us in your IT? An economic analysis of shared IT services and implications for IT industries.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 45.

Young Kwark , Liangfei Qiu, Gene Moo Lee, Paul A. Pavlou, 2021. “On the spillover effects of online product reviews on purchases: evidence from clickstream data.” Information Systems Research , vol. 32.

Sirong Luo, Dengpan Liu , Radha Mookerjee, 2021. “The effects of auction-based pricing mechanisms and social characteristics on microloan performance.” Productions and Operations Management , vol. 30.

Ganesh Janakiraman, Sameer Mehta , Vijay Mookerjee, Milind Dawande, 2021. “How to sell a data set? Pricing policies for data monetization.” Information Systems Research , vol. 32.

Jiahui Mo , Sumit Sarkar, Syam Menon, 2021. “Competing tasks and task quality: an empirical study of crowdsourcing contests.” MIS Quarterly , vol 45.

Murat M. Tunc , Huseyin Cavusoglu , Srinivasan Raghunathan, 2021. “Online product reviews: is a finer-grained rating scheme superior to a coarser one?” MIS Quarterly , vol. 45.

Mingwen Yang , Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, Vijay Mookerjee, 2021. “The race for online reputation: implications for platforms, firms, and consumers.” Information Systems Research , vol. 32.

Mingwen Yang , Varghese S. Jacob, Srinivasan Raghunathan, 2021. “Cloud service model’s role in provider and user security investment incentives.” Production and Operations Management , vol. 30.

Milind Dawande, Ganesh Janakiraman, Manmohan Aseri , Vijay S. Mookerjee, 2020. “Ad-blockers: a blessing or a curse?” Information Systems Research , vol. 31.

Chenzhang Bao , Kirk Kirksey, Indranil R. Bardhan, Bruce A. Myers, Harpreet Singh, 2020. “Patient–provider engagement and its impact on health outcomes: a longitudinal study of patient portal use.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 44.

Leila Hosseini , Vijay Mookerjee, Chelliah Sriskandarajah, Shaojie Tang, 2020. “A switch in time saves the dime: a model to reduce rental cost in cloud computing.” Information Systems Research , vol. 31.

Jianqing Chen, Srinivasan Raghunathan, Lusi Li , 2020. “Informative role of recommender systems in electronic marketplaces: a boon or a bane for competing sellers.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 44.

Sameer Mehta , Vijay Mookerjee, Milind Dawande, Ganesh Janakiraman, 2020. “Sustaining a good impression: mechanisms for selling partitioned impressions at ad exchanges.” Information Systems Research , vol. 31.

Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, Danish H. Saifee , Atanu Lahiri, Indranil R. Bardhan, 2020. “Are online reviews of physicians reliable indicators of clinical outcomes? a focus on chronic disease management.” Information Systems Research , vol. 31.

Ying Xie, Jayarajan Samuel , Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, 2020. “Value of local showrooms to online competitors.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 44.

Jyotishka Ray , Syam Menon, Vijay Mookerjee, 2020. “Bargaining over data: when does making the buyer more informed help?” Information Systems Research , vol. 31.

Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, Vijay Mookerjee, Mingwen Yang , 2019. “Prescribing response strategies to manage customer opinions: a stochastic differential equation approach.” Information Systems Research , vol. 30.

Zhengrui Jiang , Dipak C Jain, Xinxue Shawn Qu, 2019. “Optimal market entry timing for successive generations of technological innovations.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 43.

Xinxue Shawn Qu, Zhengrui Jiang, 2019. “A time-based dynamic synchronization policy for consolidated database systems.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 43.

Byungwan, Koh , Il-Horn Hann, Srinivasan Raghunathan, 2019. “Digitization of music: consumer adoption amidst piracy, unbundling, and rebundling.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 43.

Milind Dawande, Ganesh Janakiraman, Zhen Sun , Vijay Mookerjee, 2019. “Data-driven decisions for problems with an unspecified objective function.” Journal on Computing , vol. 31.

Yue Zhang , Jian-Yu Fisher Ke, Nan Hu , Ling Liu, 2019. “Risk pooling, supply chain hierarchy, and analysts’ forecasts.” Production and Operations Management , vol. 28.

Vijay Mookerjee, Milind Dawande, Ganesh Janakiraman, Manmohan Aseri , 2018. “Procurement policies for mobile-promotion platforms.” Management Science , vol. 64.

Srinivasan Raghunathan, Lusi Li , Jianqing Chen, 2018. “Recommender system rethink: implications for an electronic marketplace with competing manufacturers.” Information Systems Research , vol. 29.

Srinivasan Raghunathan, Young Kwark , Jianqing Chen, 2018. “User-generated content and competing firms product design.” Management Science , vol. 64.

Vijay Mookerjee, Yong Tan, Depngpan Liu , 2018. “When can ignorance be bliss: organizational structure and coordination in electronic retailing.” Information Systems Research , vol. 29.

Vijay Mookerjee, Dengpan Liu , 2018. “Advertising competition on the internet: operational and strategic considerations.” Production and Operations Management , vol. 27.

Mingzheng Wang, Yu Zhang, Zhengrui Jiang , Haifang Yang, 2018. “T-closeness slicing: a new privacy-preserving approach for transactional data publishing.” Journal on Computing , vol. 30.

Sarkar, Sumit, Menon, Syam, Mo, Jiahui , 2018. “Know when to run: recommendations in crowdsourcing contests.” MIS Quarterly , vol. 42.

Feng, Haiyang, Jiang, Zhengrui , Liu, Dengpan . “Quality, pricing, and release time: optimal market entry strategy for software-as-a-service vendors.” MIS Quarterly , 2018, vol. 42.

Bardhan, Indranil, Zheng, Zhiqiang, Ayabakan, Sezgin . “A data envelopment analysis approach to estimate it-enabled production capability.” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Janakiraman, Ganesh, Sun, Zhen , Mookerjee, Vijay, Dawande, Milind. “Not just a fad: optimal sequencing in mobile in-app advertising.” Information Systems Research , 2017, vol. 28.

Ghoshal, Abhijeet , Lahiri, Atanu, Dey, Debabrata. “Drawing a line in the sand: Commitment problem in ending software support.” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Mookerjee, Vijay, Cai, Yuanfeng, Jiang, Zhengrui . “How to deal with liars? Designing intelligent rule-based expert systems to increase accuracy or reduce cost.” Journal on Computing , 2017, vol. 29.

Nault, Barrie, Raghunathan, Srinivasan, Koh, Byungwan . “Is voluntary profiling welfare enhancing?” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Raghunathan, Srinivasan, Cezar, Asunur , Cavusoglu, Huseyin. “Sourcing information security operations: the role of risk interdependency and competitive externality in outsourcing decisions.” Production and Operations Management , 2017, vol. 26.

Raghunathan, Srinivasan, Kwark, Young , Chen, Jianqing. “Platform or wholesale? A strategic tool for online retailers to benefit from third-party information.” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Ray, Jyotishka , Samuel, Jayarajan , Menon, Syam, Mookerjee, Vijay. “The design of feature-limited demonstration software: choosing the right features to include.” Production and Operations Management , 2017, vol. 26.

Zhang, Jie, Hu, Nan , Pavlou, Paul. “On self-selection biases in online product reviews.” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Zheng, Zhiqiang, Ayabakan, Sezgin , Kirksey, Kirk, Bardhan, Indranil. “The impact of health information sharing on duplicate testing.” MIS Quarterly , 2017, vol. 41.

Chen, Hongyu , Zheng, Zhiqiang, Ceran, Yasin. “De-biasing the reporting bias in social media analytics.” Production and Operations Management , 2016, vol. 25.

Hann, Il-Horn, Koh, Byungwan , Niculescu, Marius. “The double-edged sword of backward compatibility: the adoption of multigenerational platforms in the presence of intergenerational services.” Information Systems Research , 2016, vol. 27.

Janakiraman, Ganesh, Sun, Zhen , Mookerjee, Vijay, Dawande, Milind. “The making of a good impression: information hiding in ad exchanges.” MIS Quarterly, 2016, vol. 40.

Lee, Chul Ho , Geng, Xianjun, Raghunathan, Srinivasan. “Mandatory standards and organizational information security.” Information Systems Research , 2016, vol. 27.

Mookerjee, Vijay, Ceran, Yasin , Singh, Harpreet. “Knowing what your customer wants: improving inventory allocation decisions in online movie rental systems.” Production and Operations Management , 2016, vol. 25.

Xia, Hao , Dawande, Milind, Mookerjee, Vijay. “Optimal coordination in distributed software development.” Production and Operations Management , 2016, vol. 25.

Admission Procedures

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree. Admission is based on grade point average, graduate examination test score (GMAT* or GRE), letters of reference (at least three, with two from academic references), business and professional experience (if applicable), a written statement of personal objectives and compatibility with faculty research activities. Since the School of Management starts making first-round admission decisions on December 9, it is best to complete the entire application process no later than December 8. While applications will be accepted after that date, applying after December 8 may significantly lower your chance of acceptance. Applications for admission can be made using the UT Dallas Graduate Application website .

* UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management prefers the GMAT admission test, however, we gladly accept the GRE test as well.

Degree Requirements

Calculus, matrix algebra, computer programming and statistics are prerequisites for the doctoral program – every admitted student is responsible for ensuring he/she has satisfied these prerequisite requirements before joining the program.

Doctoral students in Management Science benefit from exposure to multiple functional areas in management. To ensure this benefit, students who enter the program without an MBA (or equivalent degree) are required to complete a combined minimum of four courses (at the master’s or doctoral level) in at least three functional areas. This cross-functional exposure is beneficial for students engaging in cross-functional research, positioning their research for broader appeal and effectively teaching business school students with diverse specializations.

The Management Science PhD core curriculum consists of a minimum of 9 courses.

Please visit the Management Science Degree Plan page for core and secondary core course requirements.

Nine hours in any approved field.

Students are required to take a sequence of specific courses. Students should consult with faculty members in their respective areas to decide on the sequence of courses.

Twelve hours of special topics and seminars in the information systems area.

Students are required to write original research papers in both their first and second summers. The second-year paper is presented in a seminar attended by faculty and other students and must be judged to be passing by the faculty before the student can advance to candidacy.

PhD in Information Systems students take a written preliminary exam at the end of their first year in the program over a set of core methodology courses ( MECO 6315 Approaches to Statistical Inference, MECO 6345 Advanced Managerial Economics, MECO 6350 Game Theory, OPRE 7353 Optimization). At the end of their fifth semester in the program, students take a qualifying exam (consisting of two parts: a written exam that tests their knowledge of information systems theory and applications and a completed research paper).

PhD students must successfully complete the preliminary and qualifying examinations, respectively, to enter PhD candidacy. The area faculty will determine whether a student has successfully completed the exam requirements based on the student’s performance. Criteria to evaluate students may include results from the in-class written portion of the exams, quality of research papers and/or presentations, performance in special courses (e.g., seminar courses), satisfactory GPA as determined by area faculty and other forms of assessment as required by the student’s area. An unsatisfactory performance in any one of the criteria for either the preliminary examination or the qualifying examination may result in dismissal from the program.

Once the student has passed the qualifying exam and paper requirements, work on the dissertation can commence. The dissertation is written under the direction of the dissertation committee. Twelve to 24 semester hours may be granted for the dissertation toward the minimum 75-hour requirement for the degree. At a time mutually agreeable to the candidate and the dissertation committee, the candidate must orally defend the dissertation to the committee.

The Dissertation Proposal must be successfully defended at least one semester prior to the term of graduation. The requirements for the proposal defense should be discussed with the dissertation committee prior to scheduling the defense. Dissertation Proposal Defenses will be open to all faculty and PhD students of the Jindal School of Management.

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The School of Information offers four degrees:

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program educates information professionals to provide leadership for an information-driven world.

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is an online degree preparing data science professionals to solve real-world problems. The 5th Year MIDS program is a streamlined path to a MIDS degree for Cal undergraduates.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an online degree preparing cybersecurity leaders for complex cybersecurity challenges.

Our Ph.D. in Information Science is a research program for next-generation scholars of the information age.

• Fall 2024 Course Schedule
• Spring 2025 Course Schedule

The School of Information's courses bridge the disciplines of information and computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and policy. We welcome interest in our graduate-level Information classes from current UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students and community members.  More information about signing up for classes.

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• Information Economics
• Information Organization
• Information Policy
• Information Retrieval & Search
• Information Visualization
• Social & Cultural Studies
• Technology for Developing Regions
• User Experience Research

Research by faculty members and doctoral students keeps the I School on the vanguard of contemporary information needs and solutions.

The I School is also home to several active centers and labs, including the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) , the Center for Technology, Society & Policy , and the BioSENSE Lab .

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I School graduate students and alumni have expertise in data science, user experience design & research, product management, engineering, information policy, cybersecurity, and more — learn more about hiring I School students and alumni .

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Ph.D. Admissions

Next start date: August 2025

Application Deadline: December 3, 2024, 8:59 pm PST

We welcome students from a diverse set of backgrounds; some will be technically educated, some educated in the humanities and social sciences.

All application materials must be received by the deadline. We encourage you to apply early. The I School’s Ph.D. program does not accept applications for spring term admissions.

Admissions Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree or its recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
• Superior scholastic record, normally well above a 3.0 GPA
• Indication of appropriate research goals, described in the Statement of Purpose
• For applicants whose academic work has been in a language other than English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Not required: GRE/GMAT . Starting Fall 2021, we no longer require the GRE or GMAT. We recommend you put your time and effort towards the required application materials. Read more about our decision to drop the GRE/GMAT requirement .

Selection Criteria

The I School accepts 3–7 Ph.D. students each year from more than 100 applications. Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty.

Applicants are evaluated holistically on a number of factors. A strong academic record is important, but not sufficient. A critical factor is the ability to demonstrate a research record and agenda that fit well with specific I School faculty. In a small, interdisciplinary program, it is important that applicants clearly indicate in their Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) they are interested in researching with, and why.

Application Requirements

We encourage you to check out our Ph.D. Admissions FAQ for information about commonly asked application questions.

(1) Statement of Purpose & Personal History Essay

The Statement of Purpose and Personal History are two separate essays.

The Statement of Purpose should describe your aptitude and motivation for doctoral study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans and research interests, and your future goals. Please be sure to identify in your Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) you are interested in researching with, and why. We expect that candidates are able to demonstrate a research record and agenda that fit well with specific I School faculty.

For additional guidance, please review the Graduate Division's Statement of Purpose Guide .

In addition to explaining how your personal experiences have influenced your decision to pursue graduate studies, your Personal History Essay may include any relevant information describing barriers to accessing higher education that you have overcome, efforts you have made to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in higher education, or research that you have undertaken that focuses on underserved populations or related issues of inequality.

For additional guidance, please review the Graduate Division’s Personal Statement Guide . There is no minimum length for the Personal History Essay.

These two essays are used in part to evaluate the candidate’s writing skills. Pursuant to UC Berkeley policy, the statements must be written by the candidate her or himself. For admitted students, application materials must comply with the Code of Student Conduct .

Both essays should be uploaded as PDF documents, as part of the online application .

(2) Three Letters of Recommendation

Ph.D. applicants should provide letters which speak directly to their ability and potential to perform academic research at the doctoral level. Recommenders must submit their letters online; please follow the instructions in the online application .

(3) Current Curriculum Vitae

Please upload a current curriculum vitae (C.V.) as a PDF document as part of the online application .

(4) College Transcripts

As part of the online application, upload copies of the official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed abroad and at U.S. institutions. Be sure to include a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.

Each transcript should be uploaded as a separate PDF document; please refer to the instructions on the online application .

Applicants who completed their undergraduate degree in a recognized academic institution outside the United States are required to upload a copy of their degree conferral certificate. If a degree conferral certificate has not yet been obtained, please upload a provisional certificate. Applicants who have not yet graduated from undergrad are not required to submit a provisional certificate at this time. For specific questions, please contact the School of Information at [email protected] .

(5) TOEFL or IELTS Scores

UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that applicants who received their degrees in countries other than the U.S., U.K., Australia, or English-speaking Canada submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores. This includes applicants with degrees from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. Only applicants who have completed a full year of U.S. university-level coursework with a grade of B or better are exempt from this requirement.

For students taking the TOEFL, UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that your most recent score be at least 90 on the Internet-based version of the TOEFL.

For students taking the IELTS, UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that your most recent score be at least 7.0 out of 9.0 on the IELTS Academic test.

UC Berkeley Graduate Division does not accept TOEFL ITP Plus for Mainland China, IELTS Indicator, or Duolingo scores. For more information, see  Graduate Division’s Evidence of English Language Proficiency .

Submitting Scores

To be valid, the TOEFL or IELTS must have been taken within the past 18 months: for applicants for Fall 2025 admission, test scores taken before June 2023 will not be accepted. Please have your test scores sent directly to UC Berkeley by the testing authorities prior to application submission, and at the latest, by the application deadline. It may take 10-15 days for official score reports to transfer to our system. For the TOEFL exam, the school code for UC Berkeley is 4833, and the department code for the I School is 99.

For the IELTS exam, please submit an electronic report from the testing center; no institution code is required. Here is the Graduate Division’s office address for identification purposes: University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720.

More information: TOEFL website ; IELTS website

(6) Application Fee

(submitted with the online application)

• Fee for domestic applicants: $135.
• Fee for international applicants: $155.

Application Fee Waiver : The I School is pleased to offer application fee waivers to eligible Ph.D. applicants. Prior to submitting your application, please complete our Application Fee Waiver request form , and we will contact you within two business days with further instructions.

All application materials must be received by the application deadline. Applications will be reviewed throughout December and January, and admissions decisions will be released by early February.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or for additional guidance: [email protected] or (510) 664-4742.

*Test Report Form must be sent directly from IELTS. IELTS Indicator scores are not accepted.

Computer Ownership Requirement

We require that students own a computer. No particular configuration or operating system is required. However, students will be expected to complete assignments using office productivity software (e.g., Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, etc.), web browsers, etc., and should own a computer capable of running such software. More specific guidance will be provided upon acceptance to the program.

Contact the admissions team with questions about the Ph.D. program or application.

Ph.D. Applicant Feedback Program

The I School Ph.D. Applicant Feedback Program is a student-run initiative that aims to assist underrepresented students with their application essays and C.V. as they apply to the UC Berkeley School of Information Ph.D. program.

More Information

• Ph.D. Admissions FAQ

Ph.D. in Information Studies

The Ph.D. program is rigorous and rewarding, with a strong research focus. It is structured so that students can gain maximum benefit from a cohort experience; a purpose-designed program of coursework coupled with research apprenticeships, and strong faculty mentoring. Our students are strongly encouraged to present and publish their research in academic, professional and community venues.

Students are admitted and will move as a cohort through the first year and a half of the program, although they will each be assigned upon admission a faculty advisor who will guide them through the first stage of their studies. Students are not expected to have a research topic upon entry to the program, although the interests that they express in their application will be used to help to identify an appropriate initial advisor.

Upon completing the required coursework, usually in April of their second year, students will sit a written qualifying examination. After passing the examination they will propose, write, and defend a dissertation and will be advised by the faculty member who serves as the chair of their dissertation committee.

Academic Information

Program information and requirements.

Upon admission to the school, a faculty adviser is assigned based on the evidence in the student’s statement of interest at the time of application and on the general commitments of the faculty. Students may change advisers with agreement of faculty. The adviser has the responsibility to assist the student in planning a program of study that meets the requirements of the Ph.D. program and to guide the student in the dissertation research. Until advancement to candidacy, there are yearly formal evaluations of progress that involve the student, the chair, the faculty adviser, and other faculty. After advancement to candidacy, the evaluation of progress is the responsibility of the formal doctoral committee.

MAJOR FIELDS OR SUBDISCIPLINES

The courses offered in the doctoral program cover a range of areas of inquiry in the theory and methodology of information studies, focusing on information-related artifacts (e.g., documents, texts, images, records, collections), agents (e.g., producers, managers, seekers), contexts (e.g., cultural, economic, legal, social, technological), institutions (e.g., organizations, professions, disciplines), practices (e.g., production, design, recording, representation, organization, replication, preservation, retrieval, communication, management, interpretation, use, destruction, policymaking), properties (e.g., authenticity, authorship, identity, reliability, trustworthiness, truth), values (e.g., aesthetic, ethical, functional), and related phenomena (e.g., data, evidence, heritage, knowledge, memory, and misinformation).

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 72 units of coursework is required.

Students are required to take six core courses in the theory and methodology of information studies: Information Studies  291A, 291B, 291C, 298A, 298B, and 298C. Students also are required to take three elective courses chosen from graduate courses offered in this department, and three elective courses chosen from graduate courses offered outside of this department.

In addition to the course requirements listed above, doctoral students are required to participate in the Doctoral Research Colloquium, to participate in research apprenticeship activities by enrolling Information Studies 596 for three quarters, and to be reviewed annually by the Doctoral Program committee until advancement to candidacy.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Not required.

WRITTEN AND ORAL QUALIFYING EXAMS

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations the University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to University requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

Students are required to pass a written qualifying examination on the theory and methodology of information studies.

After passing the written qualifying examination, the student is required to pass the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is based on the oral defense of the dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal and oral defense should be completed within one year after passing the written examination. The oral examination covers the significance of the chosen topic of research, the methodology and feasibility of the research, and the depth of the student’s knowledge in the specific field of the dissertation research.

ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

TIME-TO-DEGREE

(1) From graduate admission to the written qualifying examination: Expected—one to six quarters.

(2) From graduate admission to the oral qualifying examination: Expected—one to nine quarters.

(3) From graduate admission to the final oral examination: Expected—one to fifteen quarters.

Degree: PhD

NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters): 9

NORMATIVE TTD: 15

MAXIMUM TTD: 24

TERMINATION OF GRADUATE STUDY AND APPEAL OF TERMINATION

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in  Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure of the comprehensive examination on two successive tests. A recommendation for termination is made by the Executive Committee of the faculty based on the advice of the faculty adviser and the chair. The chair notifies the student in writing of the decision. The student may appeal the decision through formal petition to the faculty.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

290. Research Seminar: Information Studies

Units: 1 to 2

Seminar, one to two hours. Designed for Ph.D. students. Emphasis on recent contributions to theory, research, and methodology. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.

291A. Doctoral Seminar: Theoretical Traditions in Information Studies

Seminar, four hours. Nature of information studies — ontological, epistemological, and ethical accounts of information and of information arts and sciences. Conceptions, theories, and models of information; information-related artifacts, agents, contexts, institutions, practices, properties, values, and related phenomena. Interdisciplinary context — subfields of information studies and cognate disciplines. Frameworks for theory construction, such as critical theory, discourse analysis, hermeneutics, phenomenology, semiotics, social epistemology. Letter grading.

298A. Doctoral Seminar: Research Methods and Design

Seminar, four hour. Survey of quantitative, qualitative, and historical research designs. Ethical issues; conceptualization and measurement; indexes, scales, and sampling; experimental, survey, field, and evaluation research; data analysis. Letter grading.

298B. Special Topics in Methodology of Information Studies

Seminar, four hours. Enforced requisite: course 298A. Topics include anthropological fieldwork methods, archival methodology, bibliographical studies, textual analysis, discourse analysis, historical methods, information visualization, network analysis — bibliometrics, informetrics, scientometrics, social network analysis. Letter grading.

298C. Special Topics in Methodology of Information Studies

Written Qualifying Examination, Dissertation Proposal and Oral Qualifying Examination

After the Written Qualifying Exam, the second formal requirement of the Ph.D. program is that the student prepares an extensive dissertation proposal and defends it in an Oral Qualifying Examination (OQE). Students are encouraged to start work on their proposals while taking courses in preparation for the WQE. The proposal should be completed and accepted within one year of passing the WQE.

Resources to Help You Succeed

Funding for suitably qualified students is available through scholarships, fellowships, and research assistantships.

Cost of Attendance

Visit the Graduate Division website for more information. Graduate Division Website

Spectrum Scholars

The Spectrum Scholarship Program was established in 1997, when the American Library Association committed resources for 50 annual scholarships of $5,000 a year for Spectrum’s first four years. The Spectrum Scholarship Program continues to fund scholarships through the initial endowment and the generous contributions of individuals and organizations whose donations support named scholarships in the Spectrum Family of Funds.

The University of California, Los Angeles endeavors to match the Spectrum award for all Spectrum Scholars. The award is determined annually pending availability of funds.

Spectrum Scholarship Program

FILL Internships

FILL (“From Interns to Library Leaders”) is a Library Services and Technology Act grant project designed to promote public librarianship through paid internships at libraries that are members of the Metropolitan Cooperative Library Association. For more information about the FILL program and the libraries participating, visit the FILL website.

FILL Website

UCLA Graduate Fellowship Opportunities and Funding Listserv

Various fellowships are offered to both entering and continuing graduate students. For specific award information and to sign up for funding opportunities, visit the UCLA Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) database.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database

Graduate Work-Study Program

Federal work-study grants are available based on financial need. The minimum amount is $5,000 with a $15,000 maximum per student between July 1 and June 30. Additional information regarding eligibility and the application process can be found below.

Learn More About Our Students

Student resources.

Ph.D. Course Descriptions

Ph.D. Course Schedule

Ph.D. Student Handbook

Admissions Resources

Ph.D. Application Step-By-Step Guide

Information Sessions for this Program

Graduates of the program may engage in creative research, ordinarily as part of a career in university teaching or in policymaking or consulting for corporate, non-profit, or governmental institutions, and in professional leadership for information institutions. The Department has an outstanding record of placement for graduates in positions of academic and professional leadership.

Doctoral study requires intellectual creativity, discipline, and dedication. UCLA’s Department of Information Studies seeks students capable of undertaking a sophisticated, interdisciplinary, and innovative program of scholarly investigation. It offers students who undertake this demanding program an extraordinary educational experience.

Anne J. Gilliland

Miriam Posner

Assistant professor.

Shawn VanCour

Associate professor, administrative manager.

Ryan Lebre [email protected] 310-983-3206

Admissions Officer

Michelle Maye (310) 825-5269 [email protected]

Office of Student Services

1009 Moore Hall (310) 825-8326

Information Studies Student Governing Board (SGB)

[email protected]

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PhD in Information Sciences

Join a renowned community of scholars.

The work of our faculty defines the field and puts scholars like you at the forefront of the information society. When you join the iSchool, you'll benefit from the excellence and reputation of the nation's leading school in library and information studies. Our interdisciplinary research program responds to new social and technological opportunities for producing, analyzing, disseminating, and accessing information.

PhD students are guaranteed financial support for five academic years (excluding summers) through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Our students come from a variety of academic backgrounds and professional experiences, creating a collaborative, innovative, and vibrant community of scholars.

The Information Sciences PhD program is a residency program. Students are required to complete all coursework while located in Champaign-Urbana. Students may choose to complete their research outside of Champaign-Urbana at the discretion of the faculty advisor. Please note that if an international student leaves Champaign-Urbana at any point during their study, this may impact funding opportunities through the iSchool.

• Request information

PhD student William Langston chose the iSchool not only for its national and international reputation but also because it provides opportunities for interdisciplinary work and innovative research.

Our program opens doors, preparing students for successful careers. Recent graduates have obtained faculty positions with numerous universities including Denver, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland-College Park, Michigan, Simmons, South Florida, UNC-Greensboro, Washington & Wayne State. Additionally, recent graduates have secured their first jobs in in a range of settings, including:

• Privacy Researcher, Facebook
• Research Scientist, PatientsLikeMe
• Consultant, Deloitte
• Data Scientist, U.S. Government
• Digital Scholarship Librarian, DePaul University
• Instructional Data Specialist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Cataloger, Princeton University
• Core Investigator, Veterans Health Administration

Program overview

Work closely with your faculty advisor to create educational experiences both within and outside the classroom to support your professional goals. With only two required courses— History and Foundations in IS (IS 509) and Research Design in IS (IS 519) —you can customize your degree through a broad range of electives. Your program will consist of 48 hours of coursework and 32 hours of dissertation work. Required milestones that will help to build your research expertise include:

• Field exam in a significant sub-area of IS
• Research presentation to demonstrate research competency
• Dissertation culminating in a public presentation, defense, and submission

For a more detailed program overview, please visit Program Overview .

• Plan your program
• Explore our course catalog

What I like best about the iSchool is its inclusive culture and expansive opportunities. The welcoming faculty and staff are always there to offer academic and non-academic support. Because the iSchool's researchers work in very different subfields, PhD students are able to explore a range of research topics and collaborative opportunities across disciplinary boundaries. Wenyi Shang, PhD Candidate

• Meet our distinguished faculty
• Meet our doctoral students

Explore your research focus

You want to do important work that makes an impact and to collaborate with leaders in the field. We have the resources and the expertise to help you accomplish just that.

iSchool researchers address key challenges at the intersection of people, information, and technology in highly multidisciplinary ways. Our strategic research vision drives the scope of our research projects and presents a distinct imprint for the substance and impact of our work in areas such as:

• Scientific data and knowledge practices
• Organization of knowledge and information
• Data curation
• Digital humanities
• Digital libraries
• Community informatics
• Youth services and digital youth
• Informetrics
• Human-computer interaction
• Human-centered data science and social computing
• Information privacy, security, and ethics
• Health and bioinformatics
• History of information

ASPIRE Illinois offers an opportunity for traditionally underrepresented students in graduate education to explore and consider graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Toward this aim, the program provides preapplication supports and hosts campus visits.

• Learn more about ASPIRE Illinois

Support for leading-edge research

Flourish at a research university.

The University of Illinois is a preeminent public research university, which means you will have access to exceptional resources beyond those in the iSchool:

• Blue Waters Petascale Supercomputer
• University Library
• Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
• National Center for Supercomputing Applications

Get the support you need

Research Services supports and promotes the research activities of the iSchool, large or small, funded or unfunded. At the iSchool, you'll find supportive staff ready to help you with:

• Project planning and consulting
• Grant proposal development
• Research administration
• Research policies & IRB
• Student grants
• Research infrastructure

PhD student Andrew Zalot chose the iSchool mostly because of its faculty but found an "amazing community of doctoral students" and a positive culture in which to collaborate and engage in creative research opportunities.

Questions? I can help.

Upcoming Events

Kanyao han's dissertation defense, zachary kilhoffer’s dissertation defense.