Doctor of Professional Studies
In Information Management

Take your career to the highest level of mastery.

You’ve gained valuable experience throughout your career. Now, you’re looking for the next step, something that will help you gain fresh perspective, hone your skills, and become a leader in your organization or industry.

Apply cutting-edge research to real-world challenges in your field.
Gain the knowledge and skills needed to drive innovation and career advancement.
Complete a thesis that enhances your professional expertise.
Qualify for senior positions that demand specialized knowledge and innovative thinking.
Expand your network and broaden your perspective in information management.

Quick Info

Next term starts May 2026, on campus

16 Courses / 51 Total Credit Hours

What can I do with a doctorate of professional studies in information management?

Our DPS in Information Management is designed for mid-career professionals like you. You’ll join a cohort of peers across industries, all seeking to advance their knowledge and practice in the information field. From IT professionals, to data analysts, to project managers, and beyond, you’ll study alongside a diverse group of experts who will broaden your thinking and strengthen your network.

TOP 0

CAREERS IN TECH LISTED
BEST FOR JOB SATISFACTION

Forbes

Median Salary
For Tech Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Expected Growth of
tech jobs

Much faster than average, BLS

Courses & Curriculum

The Doctorate of Professional Studies in Information Management is a 51-credit program completed over 36 months. The curriculum involves coursework in methods and theory, a thesis proposal, and thesis research and writing.

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Thesis – 39 credits

Thesis

IST 997 | 1-6 CREDITS

Students will devote 39 credits to the thesis, IST 997, the culminating and critical component of the DPS program. Specific semesters cover: topic selection, literature review, methods chapter, data collection/analysis, thesis proposal defense, thesis proposal public presentations, findings/implications chapter, Introduction, and thesis defense.

Methods and Theory: 9 Credits

Research Methods in Information Science and Technology

IST 776 | 3 CREDITS
Philosophies, approaches, and practices of research in information transfer. Statistics as a tool and as a framework for understanding the research process.

Statistical Methods in Information Science and Technology

IST 777 | 3 CREDITS
Classical statistical procedures used in information transfer research. Emphasis on underlying rationale for each procedure and on criteria for selecting procedures in a given research situation.

Theories of Information

IST 790 | 1-3 CREDITS
May include the organization of bibliographic information in libraries, information centers, and retrieval systems; vocabulary control in information retrieval systems, classification theory; problems in the organization of media.

Residency: 3 credits

Students will be required to complete a 3 credit in-person residency at the beginning of the summer semester for the year in which the student is admitted.

Introduction to Doctoral Studies

IST 801 | 3 CREDITS

This course defines what it means to be a scientist (Ph.D.) or practitioner/researcher (DPS), what is meant by science, and what are some of the core concepts in the broad intellectual spaces represented by faculty at this (and other) iSchool(s). As such, this overview is very directed towards concepts, perspectives, and issues that are relevant to the doing of science by researchers in iSchools.

Intensive Seminars: 0 credits, required

Students are required to complete IST 880 in-person, five times for zero credits. The seminars take place in semesters 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8.

Intensive Seminar

IST 880 | 0 CREDITS
Residential seminar for Doctorate of Professional Studies distance students. Skill building and mentoring for doctoral coursework and dissertation preparation. Portfolio evaluation of work accumulated during the semester.
Repeatable 7 time(s)

Find Your Cohort.

Your cohort of mid-career professionals will learn alongside you throughout the program, which means you’ll experience a diversity of perspective, and gain a lifelong network.

Learn More

Expand Your Network.

Connect with leaders in the tech field, forge friendships and connections with peers in your industry, and gain a lifelong network. Life here is active in and outside of the classroom.

Meet Our Community

Join Our Ranks.

If you embrace the interdisciplinary nature of information, invite alternative views and approaches to research, and commit yourself to pursuing your career at the highest level, then the iSchool is the place for you. Explore some of our recent thesis topics to get a sense of what you could pursue here.

Explore research topics

Below are some examples of research our current DPS students are engaged in:

Visually Displaying Uncertainty in Climate Model Outcomes
Words Matter: Ensuring the inclusion of marginalized populations in the digital surveillance of depression and suicidal ideation
The Impact of Sociocultural Barriers on Information Seeking Behaviors of First-Generation Haitian Americans’ Financial Literacy
A Novel Framework to Improve the Findability of Research Open Datasets
What factors Influenced the degree to which U.S. Army Signal Brigades adopted and accepted videoconferencing groupware technologies during the Covid-19 lockdown?
Enhancing Teacher Training in Rural Ghana Using the Internet Backpack
Measuring Completeness of County-level Cybersecurity Compliance with Election Security Mandates
What We Will Believe Tomorrow Based Only on Today: Assessing Transition Probability Estimation Methods for Social Media Beliefs
How the democratization of design education is changing the practices in design: A case study looking at the Do-It-Yourself Designer
How Disruptions in Indirect Procurement Impact an Organization’s Adoption of Technology: An Applied Research Thesis