PhD plan of study
The PhD program consists of a minimum of 84 semester hours of graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor's degree. Approved master’s degree-level coursework up to 30 hours beyond deficiency and prerequisite courses may be included.
A minimum of 42 hours of doctoral coursework and 12 hours of dissertation credits are required for completion of the degree. The 42 hours of coursework consists of three components:
- Basic program (12 hours): Three courses on research tools and techniques; choose from economics, behavioral science and quantitative methods
- Area of concentration (15 hours): Four doctoral seminars and one additional graduate course in information systems
- Supporting coursework (15 hours): Two supervised research project courses in information systems (6 hours), and other graduate course electives related to your research interests (9 hours)
Program milestones
| Year 1 & 2 | Year 3 & 4 |
|---|---|
| Coursework | Research publications |
| Research publications | Dissertation proposal |
| Qualifying exam | Dissertation defense |
| Research assistantship | Teaching assistantship |
Research papers
Gain practical and in-depth research experience by working with our esteemed faculty. From the beginning of your PhD program, you’ll work on research papers and practices.
During the first two years of our research-focused doctoral program, research project courses give you an opportunity to be mentored by our faculty. Within these courses, you will complete a research paper each year and develop the skills necessary to conduct future research.
Research areas
W. P. Carey faculty and PhD students present their research at leading national and international conferences, and publishing academic journals. Research topics include:
- Business analytics/big data
- Healthcare IT
- IT-enabled services and process innovation
- Information economics and strategy
- Security and privacy
- Social media/ecommerce and mobile platforms
In addition to information systems, our PhD students are often published by leading journals in other disciplines, including accounting, economics, finance, health care management, marketing, managerial decision-making, operations management, strategic management.
Dissertation
Once you successfully complete the PhD exam, you will begin to work with a personally selected faculty member or faculty committee on an original research-based dissertation. Once your research proposal is accepted, you will conduct your research. A final oral defense of your dissertation is required.
Graduation
You are eligible for graduation from the PhD program when you meet the following conditions:
- All Graduate College requirements have been completed
- The final oral examination in defense of your dissertation has been passed
- Your dissertation has been approved by your doctoral committee committee
- Your dissertation has been accepted by the associate dean in the W. P. Carey School and the dean of the Graduate College