About PhD Program
Please note, the MIS Department will not have an incoming PhD class in the fall of 2010. Individuals interested in our program should consider applying for the following year.
The primary goal of the PhD program in MIS at the University of Georgia is to develop competent scholars and teachers — individuals who will excel in research and teaching positions at other major universities. With this goal in mind, we have developed a PhD program that will provide you with significant individual flexibility, while at the same time ensuring that you acquire the necessary conceptual and methodological skills to begin work toward a leadership position in your field.
The program typically takes a four-year, full-time commitment. Students spend their first two years completing course work in MIS, research methods, and a supporting field, usually related to the student's dissertation research topic. The doctoral dissertation is completed in the final two years. Students are expected to remain at the University of Georgia until their dissertation is successfully defended.
Prerequisites
Mathematics Prerequisite (six semester hours):
Calculus is a prerequisite for the PhD program.
Foundations in Business Administration (12 semester hours):
Accredited graduate business programs throughout the country require that students have a foundation in business administration — course work that represents a broad field of business. Please note that if you have a BBA or an MBA degree from an AACSB accredited business school, then these foundation hours will be waived automatically.
Admission Procedures
Applications for admission to the program are included in the Terry College of Business PhD/MA information and application packet.
Accepted applicants generally have a GMAT score in the mid 600s to low 700s or a total of verbal and quantitative GRE score in the upper 1400 to upper 1500 range.
TOEFL
Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores. Official scores are those sent to the Admissions Office by the Educational Testing Service. The scores may not be more that two years old.
Applicants who have received degrees from accredited institutions in the U.S. or from institutions in countries where English is the primary language (e.g., the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand) usually are not required to submit TOEFL scores. If such an applicant received his/her degree more than two years prior to application to the Graduate School and has been residing/working in a country where the primary language is not English, he/she will be required to submit current TOEFL scores. Students who are currently enrolled and have been enrolled at least one year at a regionally accredited U.S. institution may have the TOEFL requirements waived if their work shows a strong quality of performance.
The minimum score for admission to the PhD in Business is 580. For information on taking the TOEFL, write to:
Test of English as a Foreign Language
Box 899
Princeton, NJ 08541
MIS PhD Requirements
- An in-depth knowledge of systems theory and practice, MIS and related theory, MIS techniques, and MIS technology.
- Research skills appropriate to study problems arising within the MIS domain.
- A sufficiently detailed knowledge and understanding of an MIS sub field to conduct leading edge research in that sub field.
PhD students gain their skills through formal courses, research apprenticeships, faculty and industry interaction, presentations at seminars, and writing research papers. PhD students are expected to present two conference papers and submit one journal paper during their four years in the program.
Find more details about the MIS doctoral program structure.
Doctoral students are required to take a minimum of five major field courses.
Students must also take three courses in research methods and three courses in a supporting field. In the past, supporting fields have included strategic management, artificial intelligence, and production and operations management.
Previous graduate course work may satisfy some of the requirements.
The Terry College of Business requires two forms of prerequisite course work for students seeking a PhD You may satisfy these requirements through previous undergraduate or graduate course work, or by taking the specified courses during your first quarters in residence.
Placement
The primary goal of the PhD program is to prepare you for a research and teaching position at a major university. While many of our PhD students have taken positions at universities in nearby states (e.g., Auburn, Florida Atlantic, Clemson, and Alabama at Birmingham), other students have joined the faculties at such institutions as University of Oklahoma, University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, William and Mary, and University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
PhD Program Facts
- We have 13 PhD students.
- Several of our PhD students have won awards for teaching and for research.
- We have a strong tradition of collaborative research in our PhD program. Most faculty work jointly with individual students and groups of students on research papers (and, of course with other faculty members).
- Most PhD students graduate with several conference and journal publications.
