Key Strengths

Click here for the Information Systems Department website.

Doctoral students in the Information Systems program are actively involved in collaborative research projects with faculty members and also conduct independent research.

Students have worked on field research projects that have led to publications in premier journals, such as MIS Quarterly and Information Systems Research, and premier conferences, such as the International Conference on Information Systems and Academy of Management Conference.

In addition to connections to IT organizations within leading businesses, students have access to world-class enterprise systems infrastructure, including SAP R/3 and related SAP products, several data mining tools (Teradata Miner, SAS Enterprise Miner, IBM Intelligent Miner, and SAP BW), as well as process analysis tools such as EPC diagrams, SAP Solution Manager, and IBM Web Sphere Business Integration Modeler.

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Academic Requirements

Requirements for the Ph.D. in Business Administration with emphasis in Information Systems include core courses and elective courses in the area as well as research tools and courses in supporting fields.

In addition to a dissertation (18 hours), the degree program generally consists of the following coursework (43 hours): research tools (9 hours); ISYS core courses (21 hours); ISYS elective courses (6 hours); and supporting field courses (7 hours). In addition to the 61-hours post-Master’s hours, there is an additional requirement that the student satisfactorily complete a one-hour Graduate Colloquium during the fall and spring semesters of each of the first two years, or as long as the student is attending classes on campus in pursuit of the degree.

After completion of the required coursework for the first year, requirements for the degree include successful completion of a Qualifying Examination focused in Research Tools. Final requirements for the degree include successful completion of a Comprehensive Examination, successful defense of a Dissertation Proposal, and successful defense of the Dissertation.

To view detailed descriptions of the following Walton College courses, visit the Graduate School Catalog.

Research Tools (9 hours)

• ISYS 5203 Statistics and Quantitative Analysis
• ISYS 5623 Statistical Analysis
• ISYS 5723 Computer Methods in Research 

Information Systems Courses (17 hours)

• ISYS 5423 Seminar in Systems Development
• ISYS 5503 Decision Support Systems
• ISYS 5833 Data Management Systems
• ISYS 6333 Research Seminar (I)
• ISYS 6333 Research Seminar (II)
• ISYS 6333 Research Seminar (III)
• ISYS 6333 Research Seminar (IV)

Students are also required to enroll in ISYS 6011 each semester:
ISYS 6011 Graduate Colloquium (I) (II) (III) (IV)

Computing Electives (9 hours)

These graduate level electives should be selected from the ISYS Department, the Computer Science Engineering Department, or the Computer Science Arts and Sciences Department. Elective courses are selected in consultation with the student's Departmental Ph.D. Graduate Advisory Committee.

Supporting Fields (7 hours)

In addition to WCOB 6111 Teaching Seminar, courses for this requirement will be determined in consultation with the student's Departmental Graduate Advisory Committee. All courses taken for this requirement must be graduate level and/or taken for graduate credit. These courses are normally taken outside the ISYS Department.

Comprehensive Exams

1. Qualifying Exam in Research Tools (at the end of the 1st year of coursework)
2. IS Exam (at the end of all class-based coursework)

Dissertation Requirements (18 hours)

• Successful defense of Dissertation Proposal
• Successful defense of Dissertation