Ph.D. in Information Science
and Technology

A human-centered approach to information and digital technologies.

Join a community founded on the idea that information is a manageable resource with a distinctively human component. The Ph.D. in Information Science and Technology provides an innovative and multidisciplinary program where you’ll gain the research skills and perspective to be a leader in academia and the information industries.

  • Join a Ph.D. program that focuses on the human-centered approach to information, blending digital technologies with human uses of information.
  • Gain multidisciplinary research skills to lead in academia and the information industries, drawing from fields like sociology, psychology, policy, and communications.
  • Work with faculty experts from diverse disciplines, including management, computing, and librarianship.
  • Receive full funding as an admitted Ph.D. student, enabling you to focus entirely on your studies.
  • Commit to 4-5 years of full-time, residential study to immerse yourself in advanced research and scholarship.
Quick Info

Next term starts Fall 2025, on campus

78 Total Credit Hours

Courses & Curriculum

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Core Courses – 18 Credits

The PhD program requires 78 credits post-baccalaureate. Up to 30 of these credits can be transferred in for PhD students with a relevant MS degree. Among the 78 credits, 18 are devoted to PhD thesis- the culminating and critical component of the PhD in Information Science and Technology.

IST 999 | 1-15 CREDITS

Research and Teaching Practica – 18 Credits

As such, the program is very flexible and can be constructed to meet individual student’s unique needs. The only formal requirement is that PhD students must complete 12 credits of research and teaching practica (which typically takes four semesters). These practica are apprentice-like experiences working one-on-one with faculty – these serve as the foundation of the PhD in Information Science and Technology and are the common experience shared by all students in the program.

IST 810 | 2 CREDITS
Practical experience in the research process. Students write proposals, discuss ongoing research, prepare critiques of research designs, and engage in all aspects of the research process.
Repeatable

IST 810 | 1-2 CREDITS
Practical experience in the teaching process. Students write syllabi, classroom assignments, or presentations; discuss ongoing teaching assignments; prepare critiques of classes; and engage in all aspects of the teaching process.
Repeatable 7 time(s), 8 credits maximum

The Remaining Credits

The remaining credits are taken through a combination of research methods courses, research seminars, and topical courses so as to maximize the PhD student’s ability to achieve mastery, advance their research skills, and develop as a faculty member.

The PhD program offers two doctoral level classes each semester.  Students can choose any course from the list below, any IST800 special topics classes, any doctoral-level courses outside of the iSchool, or any masters level courses, as well as an independent study. 12 of these credits must be at the 700-level or above.

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.

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.

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.

IST 820 | 3 CREDITS
Principles and applications of appropriate research techniques, including probability and statistics, sampling theory, operations research models, survey techniques, interviewing, observation, and experimental design. Problem formulation, proposal writing, preparation and presentation of final report.

IST 830 | 3 CREDITS
Theory and practice in the analysis, design, management, and evaluation of existing and hypothetical information systems, including computerized storage and retrieval systems, libraries, management systems, and networks

Pursue Your Interests.

Our program combines a flexible curriculum based on your individual research interests, and focus areas that allow you to pursue your personal areas of interest. Through a series of guided research experiences with faculty combined with courses on methods, theories of digital technologies, and theories of information, you’ll explore how the interactions between people and information technology can shape the world around us.

Explore Faculty

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Advance With Expertise.

Work closely with our esteemed faculty, join a research lab, and pursue investigation in your areas of expertise. Here, you’ll have the support of a close-knit group of professionals, and the resources of a major research university. You’ll gain mastery in your field, and the experience you need to take the next step in your career.

Meet Our Community

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Join Our Ranks.

You embrace interdisciplinary nature of the information field, and invite alternative views and approaches to research. As a lifelong learner, you aspire to a career in academia or are otherwise committed to research. We invite you to apply to our program.

Apply Today

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Syracuse University is accredited by
the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education Accreditation.

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