The PhD Business Administration in MIS produces high-caliber faculty who are ready to assume responsibilities at top-tier research universities and generate high-impact research. A hallmark of our program is the close collaboration between faculty and Ph.D. students. The program includes highly acclaimed faculty with an excellent research record and extensive experience in mentoring doctoral students.
- MIS faculty are on the editorial board of leading academic journals such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and the Journal of the Associaton for Information Systems.
- MIS faculty and doctoral students work on exciting and innovative research projects funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, IBM, Samsung, Lockheed Martin, Merck, and Campbell Soup.
- The MIS research portfolio covers a range of topics including e-commerce, innovation, competitive strategy, social media, virtual teams, and mobile computing.
The program requires about two years of course work and added time for the dissertation. The average expected time to completion is five years.
ADMISSION
Admission to the Fox School of Business and Management Ph.D. MIS specialization is highly competitive. All applicants must take the GMAT and have obtained a master’s or undergraduate degree from an accredited university. Successful applicants typically possess an aptitude for critical thinking and have good knowledge about the state of art of applied information technology.
Application Deadlines: While applications are rolling, we will start processing applications on January 5. You are strongly encouraged to apply early as additional University-wide scholarships may be available for outstanding, early applicants. The program only admits students in the fall of each year. For additional information please contact Joseph Allegra, Senior Associate Director.
FUNDING
All admitted students receive full financial support including tuition and stipend. We also provide generous travel support to present your work at leading academic conferences and there are fellowship opportunities for top-quality Ph.D. students. For truly outstanding candidates, we also provide incentives through additional summer funding. In addition, there may be additional funding available for students through grants and projects that are currently in progress inside the department. For additional information please contact Joseph Allegra, Senior Associate Director.
The MIS faculty at Fox are at the top of their field, and it seems like there is a constant stream of scholars visiting from institutions all over the world, delivering seminars about whatever cutting edge research they happen to be working on. With access to great minds like these, I always have the opportunity to bounce my ideas off others, to obtain great feedback, regardless of the topic.
Gord Burtch, MIS PhD Graduate, Associate Professor at Boston University
CURRICULUM
The MIS doctoral program consists of sixteen doctoral-level courses, which include four core courses (Math Preparation, Business Statistics I & II, Theory of Choice), at least three theory electives and at least three research method electives (the choices are dependent on the students’ research interests and qualification and are decided upon consulting with the concentration advisor and faculty mentor of the student), four MIS concentration seminars (one proseminar + three research seminars) and two electives of students’ choice.
The faculty’s expertise here covers almost all aspects of IS research, and that gives us an edge in knowing different research streams and research traditions in IS.
Yili Hong, MIS PhD Graduate, Professor at University of Houston
Paper Requirement
PhD students in MIS are required to complete two research papers: first-year summer paper and second-year summer paper. Students will be asked to present a proposal of their research papers in May of the first and second year and the final presentation in the beginning of the second and third year. After each presentation, the MIS faculty will evaluate whether the student has satisfactorily completed the research paper and presentation requirement.
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
PhD students in MIS are required to pass a Comprehensive (Preliminary) Exam in the end of the second year. The Comprehensive exam is designed to test whether the student has a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the theories, methodologies, and empirical findings in MIS. The exam primarily focuses on the knowledge gained in the concentration seminars and theory courses, albeit other pertinent materials may also be included in the comprehensive exam.