PhD in Management Information Systems (MIS)

The Management Information Systems doctoral program is designed to produce outstanding scholars possessing a breadth of understanding of business integrated with a thorough and penetrating knowledge in Management Information Systems. This program is research-oriented and is directed toward educating scholars who are equipped to expand managerial knowledge in complex organizations. The program focuses not only on business and industry, but also encompasses governmental, service, and social institutions.

Content and Length of Program

The program requires full-time continuous enrollment and consists of approximately two years of coursework. Approximately eleven courses are taken in your major area of Management Information Systems. A minimum of three courses are taken in a supporting area of your choosing and three additional courses are required to fulfill the research methodology requirement. Coursework is followed by a comprehensive exam, the development of a dissertation proposal, and your dissertation research. The program length varies depending on the time required to complete the dissertation. However, four and one half years is a reasonable estimate.

Research Focus and Placement

The Management Information Systems program is research-oriented and is consistently rated among the top ten universities in faculty research productivity. Our Ph.D. graduates are prepared for academic careers in research and teaching. Program graduates have accepted faculty positions at institutions such as Baylor College of Medicine, Arizona State University, Iowa State University , Penn State University , Texas Christian University, University of Colorado - Denver , University of Georgia , University of Houston , University of South Florida , and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee . We typically have eight to ten students enrolled in the program; this provides an ideal student-faculty ratio with extensive individual attention.

Financial Assistance

It is the policy of the Department to provide financial assistance to entering Ph.D. students requesting such aid, subject to funding limitations. Our total support package for Ph.D. students in addition to tuition reimbursement ranges from $21,600 to $28,200, depending on fellowships and teaching responsibilities. Every May or June each Ph.D. student will be evaluated by the Department for continuation in the program and eligibility to receive financial aid.

Advisory Committee

The student's Advisory (coursework) Committee chairperson shall be named during the first semester of the student's enrollment in the program. Approval of the members of the Advisory Committee by the DISC Ph.D. Coordinator is required. This committee has primary responsibility for:

•  Structuring the coursework program and insuring that all program requirements and equivalencies are satisfied.

•  Monitoring the student's progress.

•  Supervising the oral comprehensive examination.

A General Timeline and Milestones for Doctoral Studies in MIS

First year of studies

Fall semester:

* Nine semester hours.

* Appointment of the advisory committee (also called course committee). Required by the end of semester.

* Appointment of the doctoral student mentor. Required by the end of semester.

Spring semester:

* Nine semester hours.

Degree plan completed. Required by the end of semester.

Qualifying examination. Required by the end of the semester.

Summer semester:

* Six semester hours.

Second year of studies

Fall semester:

* Nine semester hours.

Spring semester:

* Nine semester hours.

Summer semester:

* Six semester hours.

Third year of studies

• During the third year of studies: Oral defense of the dissertation proposal. Suggested.

Fall semester:

Nine semester hours.

Comprehensive examination. Required.

Spring semester:

• Nine semester hours.

Summer semester:

• Six semester hours.

Fourth year of studies  

• During the fourth year of studies: Oral defense of the dissertation. Suggested.

Fall semester:

• Nine semester hours.

Spring semester:

• Nine semester hours.

Summer semester:

• Six semester hours.

The Dissertation must be completed within four years of the comprehensive examination (college policy), and a student who fails to successfully defend a dissertation within six years of entering the program must retake the comprehensive examinations (college policy).

Required Examinations

Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine whether the student has achieved acceptable mastery of the Management Information Systems field in order to continue in the program.

Each student has to complete a qualifying examination by the end of the first Spring semester of their studies. MIS faculty will assign the materials, design the qualifying examination questions and grade the questions. The examination is graded as a “pass” or a “fail”. Failing the qualifying examination terminates the student's eligibility to continue in the program.

Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the Comprehensive examination is to determine if the student has achieved acceptable mastery of the Management Information Systems field in order to successfully complete a doctoral degree in this program. The comprehensive examination has a written and oral component.

Each student must complete the comprehensive examination by the end of the Fall semester of the third year of studies after completing the coursework specified in their degree plan (as specified by the College Ph.D. policies). MIS faculty will assign the materials, design the comprehensive examination questions and grade the questions. The examinations are graded as a “pass” or a “fail” and the student will be notified within the timeline specified by the College Ph.D. policies.

If the student has failed either the written or the oral part of the comprehensive examination, they have the right to retake it within six months of the notification. Only one reexamination is allowed.

Annual Review

Consistent with Bauer Guidelines, each candidate will be formally evaluated on an annual basis. This evaluation will encompass the following aspects of the students' performance:

•  Performance in coursework.

•  Performance as a teaching/research assistant.

•  Performance in research and participation in the DISC related research seminar series

•  Progress toward completion of degree.

Form of the Evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted by the DISC Ph.D. coordinator with input from DISC faculty. After considering all relevant information including, but not limited to, that provided by the chairperson of that candidate's Advisory Committee or Dissertation Committee and the student's faculty research or teaching mentors, one of four recommendations will be made to the Associate Dean for Academic and Research Programs:

• The candidate's progress is satisfactory in all regards, and the candidate should be retained in the program.
• The candidate's progress is unsatisfactory in some regards, and the candidate should be carefully counseled and monitored to eliminate these deficiencies.
• The candidate's progress is unsatisfactory and gives cause for serious concern, and the candidate should be placed on probation with a specified time for correcting the noted deficiencies.
• The candidate's progress does not warrant continuation in the program and the candidate should be dismissed from the program.

Written copies of the evaluation will be transmitted to the candidate, the chairperson of that candidate's Advisory Committee or Dissertation Committee, and the Associate Dean for Academic and Research Programs.

Dismissal from Program

In the event that the recommendation is dismissal from the program, a majority vote by the tenure-track faculty in the DISC area is required. Consistent with Bauer Guidelines , the action of dismissing a candidate from doctoral program is the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Academic and Research Programs.