Information Systems

The PhD program in information systems (IS) prepares students for an academic career of scholarly research and university-level teaching. From studying human-computer interaction, online reviews and social media design, to IS implementations and strategy, doctoral students explore real-world IS problems using a variety of methods, including surveys, experiments, archival, and analytics.

Message from Coordinator About Academics Students

Message from Coordinator

Traci J. Hess

PhD Coordinator, Berthiaume Professor of Information Systems

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The Information Systems (IS) PhD fosters creative thinking and a practical, problem-solving approach to behavioral and strategic issues commonly addressed in the field of information systems.

Our program provides students with a strong foundation in the current practice and new opportunities in information systems studies. Research in our program targets the intersection between the implementation, design, and use of IS, and business applications of IS, to produce managerially relevant research. Our goal is to develop outstanding researchers and teachers who make substantive contributions to scholarship and to place them in academic research institutions

The doctoral program is successful because it offers:

World-class faculty who actively research and publish in the top IS journals
Collaborative and creative intellectual community that supports doctoral student scholarly development
Comprehensive and relevant coursework that equips students with the theories and methods needed to investigate IS problems
Individual attention from multiple faculty to support students in early research endeavors and multiple publication opportunities
Preparation for the IS academic job market
Exposure to the IS research community from around the world through international conferences (AMCIS, ICIS, HICSS, ECIS, etc.) and on-campus research talks

We welcome applications from individuals who are intellectually curious about the development and application of IS and are eager to pursue a career in academia.

About the Program

Overview

Isenberg’s PhD in Information Systems is a multidisciplinary residential program that prepares students for careers in academia. Students will broaden their understanding of information systems theory and practice, and they will conduct independent research based on their interests. Small class sizes and a low faculty to student ratio allows for individual attention from faculty.

Teaching instruction is provided, and students are provided with teaching opportunities to support their development as world class business instructors.

Areas of Study

Research in information systems draws from a number of fields including psychology, sociology, human-computer interaction, computer science, marketing and management. Topics of study include:

IS theories and literature
Human-computer interaction
Technology acceptance and continuance
Behavioral research methods
Theories in psychology and sociology
Statistics
Big data analytics

Research

Our program offers access to a unique group of world-class faculty who conduct research in the following areas:

Human-computer interaction; decision support systems and online decision-making
Website design and signaling; Online consumer impulsiveness; B2C electronic commerce strategy
Social media capabilities and affordances; online reviews
Societal impacts of IS; Green IS
Enterprise systems adoption and post-adoption diffusion behaviors
Big data analytics use and strategy
Healthcare systems implementation and use

Academic Overview

Students generally complete a PhD in Information Systems within 4-5 years, beginning their studies in the fall semester. Students must take 45 credits of coursework, building foundational knowledge in information Systems and Research Methods before taking minor and elective courses. The program includes a first year core exam (summer paper); a comprehensive examination generally taken after completing the second year; a 3-course teaching requirement and a dissertation.

Coursework

Here’s a sample of our required IS studies courses:

IS Seminal Readings and Theory
IS Seminal Readings and Methods
General and Experimental Research Methods
Statistics and Econometrics
Multivariate Statistics
Structural Equations Modeling

Prior electives have included seminars in psychology, sociology, marketing, management, and computer science; other electives or independent studies are offered depending on faculty availability and student interest.