Ph.D. in Information Systems (DISS)
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This program offers a course of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Information Systems or the Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Science or the Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security.
The program is especially well suited to professionals working in areas such as information system planning, information security, systems analysis and design, project management, information system administration, information science, or software engineering. It provides information technology professionals with the knowledge and ability to develop creative solutions to substantive real-world problems in information systems. Each student must complete eight core courses, two research courses, and a dissertation.
Students taking courses attend four cluster sessions per year, held quarterly over an extended weekend (Friday, Saturday, and half-day Sunday) at the university. These sessions bring together students and faculty for participation in classes, seminars, and dissertation counseling, and provide ample opportunity for student-faculty and student-student interaction. Between sessions, students work on course assignments and research, and participate in online activities that facilitate frequent interaction with the faculty and with other students.
The concentration in information security is recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) based on its certification of the school’s curriculum for compliance with the requirements of NSA national training standards NSTISSI No. 4011 (Information Systems Security Professionals) and CNSSI No. 4013 (System Administrators). Students who complete the concentration may also request a graduate certificate.
A graduate with a Ph.D. in Information Systems will have the ability to: (1) acquire advanced knowledge and deeper understanding of the field of information systems; (2) communicate professionally and ethically about information systems research issues; (3) identify, analyze, and synthesize scholarly literature related to information systems; and (4) generate new knowledge through research/scholarship and disseminate that knowledge to others by demonstrating the necessary technical and intellectual skills to produce a written document that makes an original contribution to the field of information systems.
Program-Specific Admission Requirements
This program is designed for the student with a master’s degree in information systems, information science, computer science, information technology, or a related area. In addition to holding a relevant master’s degree, the applicant should satisfy graduate prerequisites or have equivalent experience in information systems, programming languages, database systems, systems analysis and design, and telecommunications and computer networks. Alternatively, GSCIS master’s students in information systems, information security, or information technology may apply for early admission into the Ph.D. program.
Curriculum for the Ph.D. in Information Systems
The program requires at least 64 credit hours, of which 40 are for courses and at least 24 are for the dissertation. Courses and dissertation registrations are as follows:
Required Core Course (four credits)Elective Courses (four credits each) (Select seven of these.)
Research Registrations Students are required to complete two sections (four credits each) of DISS 898, Directed Research, before entering candidacy. Students must register for the course with a particular faculty member as directed in the course description. Students are advised to register for the two sections of Directed Research in sequence, not in parallel. Students are further advised to wait for the second year of study before registering for Directed Research. Students may repeat Directed Research with the same faculty member only with permission of that faculty member.
Dissertation RegistrationsCurriculum for the Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Science
The Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Science focuses on information aspects of information systems including access to and management of information. It requires at least 64 credit hours of which 40 are for courses and at least 24 are for the dissertation. The dissertation must be in an area closely related to information science. Courses and dissertation registrations are listed below:
Required Core Courses (four credits each)Elective Core Courses (four credits each)
Any four additional DISS 700-level courses.
Research Registrations Students are required to complete two sections (four credits each) of DISS 898, Directed Research, before entering candidacy. Students must register for the course with a particular faculty member as directed in the course description. Students are advised to register for the two sections of Directed Research in sequence, not in parallel. Students are further advised to wait for the second year of study before registering for Directed Research. Students may repeat Directed Research with the same faculty member only with permission of that faculty member. In addition, students in the concentration must choose a research area (and faculty member) in information science.
Dissertation RegistrationsCurriculum for the Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security
The Ph.D. in Information Systems with Concentration in Information Security was developed to address the rapidly growing global problems of maintaining and securing computer information. The program requires at least 64 credit hours, of which 40 are for courses and at least 24 are for the dissertation. The dissertation must be in an area closely related to information security. Courses and dissertation registrations are as follows:
Required Core Courses (four credits each)Elective Core Courses (four credits each) (select three of these)
Research Registrations Students are required to complete two sections (four credits each) of DISS 898, Directed Research, before entering candidacy. Students must register for the course with a particular faculty member as directed in the course description. Students are advised to register for the two sections of Directed Research in sequence, not in parallel. Students are further advised to wait for the second year of study before registering for Directed Research. Students may repeat Directed Research with the same faculty member only with permission of that faculty member. In addition, students in the concentration must choose a research area (and faculty member) in information security.
Dissertation Registrations
