PhD in Information Curriculum & Degree Requirements

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Offered on our main campus in Tucson, Arizona, the PhD in Information consists of 36 credits of major coursework, 9 to 15 credits of minor coursework and 18 dissertation credits.

On this page you'll find the degree requirements and related information for the PhD in Information, including suggested PhD timeline, PhD curriculum (research methods, graduate seminars, directed research, elective courses and dissertation research), annual review, comprehensive examinations, proposal and dissertation defense, scholarship expectations and transfer units, as well as links to the PhD Student Handbook and U of A Graduate College PhD requirements.

Suggested Timeline

YEAR 1

Complete INFO 507: Information Research Methods

Submit Plan of Study at end of Year 1

YEAR 2

Complete course work

YEAR 3

Complete comprehensive exams at beginning of Year 3

Complete dissertation committee appointment form after passing comprehensives

Complete and defend dissertation proposal by end of Year 3

YEARS 4-5

Conduct dissertation research and writing

Defend dissertation by end of Year 4 or Year 5 (depends on progress, funding and support from faculty advisor)

PhD Student Competencies & Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the PhD in Information Science, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a deep knowledge in the student's subfield of study
  2. Demonstrate a broad knowledge across the field of information
  3. Critically analyze published research results in student’s primary area of study
  4. Conduct ethically responsible original research on a significant problem in information
  5. Effectively communicate and defend results of research to peers and broader scientific audiences

PhD Curriculum

The PhD in Information curriculum is comprised of a first-year course, research methods courses, graduate seminars, directed research, elective courses and dissertation research for a total of 54 units, not including an additional 9-15 units for the non-Information PhD minor.

First-Year Course: Information Research Methods

All PhD students begin by taking INFO 507: Information Research Methods during their first year in the program. In addition to exposing students to current research topics and methods within information science, the goal is that this sequence will create a cohort among entering PhD students each year.

INFO 507: Information Research Methods introduces fundamental methods for both qualitative and quantitative research in information studies. Additionally, the seminar introduces students to established and emerging areas of scholarly research in iSchools to encourage them to identify a personal research agenda. The seminar is organized in two main parts: the first part introduces relevant research methods (quantitative and qualitative), whereas the second part overviews specific research directions currently active in the College of Information Science. The second part of the seminar will be covered by guest faculty who research in each of the covered areas.

Research Methods (6 units)

Students are required to take 6 units of research methods courses that focus on the methodology they are likely to use in their own research. This requirement may be waived if the student has acquired sufficient methodological grounding prior to entering the PhD program. In that case, the student will be required to take one additional elective to complete the 36 units of major coursework.

Graduate Seminars (6 units)

Students are required to take two research seminars in the College of Information Science. The research seminars will focus on various specific topics in information science. Normally, students will be required to read and discuss research articles on that topic and write a research paper or carry out a research project. Typically, one or two seminar courses are offered each year. Course information is distributed to students prior to registration.

Directed Research (9 units)

Students are required to take a total of 9 units of directed research (LIS/INFO 692) where they will apprentice on a College of Information Science faculty member's research project. Directed research credits should be selected in consultation with the major advisor, cover both quantitative and qualitative methods, and help the student prepare for comprehensive exams and anticipated dissertation research. Most students work on three separate projects under the supervision of three separate faculty members in order to provide a breadth of knowledge of research methods. The number of credits awarded for working on a particular project may vary depending on the size of the student's contribution to that project.

Students take Directed Research under a faculty member outside of the College of Information Science only if it is in an area not offered by our faculty. Petitions to work with outside faculty are reviewed by the director of graduate studies and the major advisor.

Elective Courses (12 units)

Students are required to take four elective graduate courses from within the College of Information Science (INFO/LIS). Students should select electives in consultation with their major advisor. Elective courses outside of the college must be approved by the major advisor and the director of graduate studies.

Dissertation Research (18 units)

After comprehensive exams, students will take a total of 18 units Dissertation Research (LIS/INFO 920). Students are required to submit a one-page proposal approved by the advisor before registering in Dissertation Research. The proposal will form a basis to evaluate student performance in the course and assign grading.

View More Information on the Dissertation and Recent PhD Dissertation Titles

PhD Advisor

The student's PhD advisor is their guide and mentor. They will advise students, encourage them, promote their work and keep them on track. (Eventually, the PhD student may become more of an expert than their advisor in the student's chosen field.)

Students are assigned an advisor during their first year. Students may change advisors with college approval, but are required to always have an advisor in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

View College of Information Science Core Faculty

Annual Review

Students and their advisor will complete an annual review of student performance each academic year (typically in April). The annual review form should be submitted to the director of graduate studies for review.

The Graduate Committee reviews each student to ensure satisfactory academic progress. If the major advisor and the committee agree that progress is unsatisfactory, the student will be placed on internal academic probation. The student will then work with the advisor to create a one-year action plan to bring the student back to the expected performance level and get approval from the Graduate Committee. By the following academic review, the student must have successfully completed the action plan and made satisfactory academic progress to remain in the program.

Comprehensive Examinations

In general, we follow the Graduate College guidelines for comprehensive examinations, but have more specific requirements to maintain the high quality of the exams. Exams will involve the minor department to the degree required by that department. The minor cannot be the same as the major. The announcement of comps and their results are handled through the GradPath (see GradPath Forms).

Student options for the exam may vary depending on when they were admitted to the program. We recommend completing the Comprehensive Exam Cover Sheet with the major advisor and committee members to the areas to be covered on the exam.

Essay-Format Exam

An option for students who entered prior to Fall 2018 and the only option for all students who entered Fall 2018 or after:

Question-Based Exam

Option for students who entered prior to Fall 2018:

Dissertation Proposal & Defense

Once students have an approved doctoral Plan of Study on file; have satisfied all coursework, language and residence requirements; and have passed the written and oral portions of the Comprehensive Examination, they may appoint their dissertation committee for defense of the dissertation prospectus and final dissertation defense. 

This committee should include at least four faculty members. Two of these may come from outside of the College of Information Science and all must be tenured, tenure-track or other approved equivalent. Students follow Graduate College guidelines for special provision members. See the Graduate College guidelines on dissertation committees for additional information. 

To form the committee, students complete the Committee Appointment form through GradPath. Announcement of dissertation defense and its result are also handled through the GradPath. See GradPath forms.

Sample Dissertation Outline

  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Theoretical Framework
  • Research Questions
  • Research Plan (Data, Methods, Evaluation, etc.)
  • Assessment of the Success of the Research/Risk Factors

Proposal Format

The written proposal is distributed to committee members in advance of the dissertation defense for multiple rounds of comments.

Oral Defense of Proposal

  • Lasts 1-3 hours
  • Includes a candidate presentation
  • Includes a question-and-answer session
  • Includes committee deliberation (closed to the public)
  • Is good practice for the dissertation defense

Approval of the proposal is recorded in GradPath.


Scholarship Expectations

All doctoral students need to meet the following research seminar and presentation requirements: 

  • Attend and participate in-person in six or more research presentations per year
  • Give a public research-related presentation yearly after the comprehensive exam
  • Make two primary-authored submissions while in the PhD program (papers, posters, demonstrations or research proposals)

Transfer Units

Transfer credits and courses may be shared between degrees. The College of Information Science follows Graduate College policy. View more information.

Students may transfer in up to 30 units of previous graduate-level coursework from Information Science or a related field, subject to the approval of the major advisor and the director of graduate studies. Such coursework should provide important foundational insight into information studies. Students must submit a Transfer Credit form in GradPath before the end of the first year of study to have courses evaluated for transfer eligibility.

Student Handbook & Graduate College Requirements

Learn more at the following resources:

Ready to shape the future of information?

Learn more about the PhD in Information by contacting us at infosci-grad@arizona.edu, or review the admissions process and begin your application now:

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