Information Systems
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Overview
The Information Systems (IS) Ph.D. program covers two broad areas: (1) acquisition, deployment, and management of information technology resources and services (the information systems function) and (2) development and evolution of technology infrastructures and systems for use in organization processes (system development).
Faculty research in IS spans the research areas of data mining, software management, decision support systems, intelligent agents, information technology (IT) for supply-chain management, e-Business standards, IT outsourcing and business value of IT, among others.
Students are encouraged to generate new knowledge through rigorous research and industrial/business problem solving.
The Illinois Advantage
Faculty excellence and industry funded opportunities have enabled our students to take advantage of the areas of excellence of UIUC in the domain of information technology and management. The program has been designed to provide Ph.D. students with enough flexibility to discover an intellectual niche while ensuring that they acquire:
- General expertise in Information Systems Research
- In-depth knowledge and expertise in a selected sub-area of specialization
- Competence in quantitative and qualitative research methods
Our program is consistently ranked high and our students are very competitive in the market. Graduates of the IS Ph.D. program have gone on to become faculty in institutions such as University of Arizona, University of Florida, University of Wisconsin, Texas A & M University, and University of Illinois - Springfield.
Program of Study
Courses: In addition to the Business Administration core courses, students take courses in the area of Information Systems, courses in research methodology, and pro-seminars in Information systems. Owing to the strengths of the University in diverse areas, students have opportunities to take graduate level courses from other relevant departments on campus.
Research: In the first stage of the program, students work on strengthening their foundation in IS research and research methods. Throughout their tenure in the program, students have ample opportunities for close collaboration with faculty on leading IS projects. Once students establish their research foundation, they begin motivated work toward their dissertation.
Faculty
For a complete list of Information Systems faculty members please visit our faculty directory.
Current Students
For a complete list of current candidates in Information Systems please visit our PhD student directory.
Student Perspectives
"Like other top-rate universities, the faculty in the IS Ph.D. program
at UIUC are exceptional scholars and are recognized as being top researchers
in the field. What makes the program at UIUC unique, however, is that the faculty
go above and beyond to cater the program experience to the unique interests
and needs of students. Likewise, the faculty focus beyond your time as a student
at UIUC to help you develop the skills and experiences necessary to be a productive
IS faculty member immediately upon graduation. Their extra emphasis on developing
graduates who can have successful long-term careers in academia is so valuable
in this highly competitive and demanding field."
- Michele Gribbins, IS Ph.D. candidate
"Information Systems is an interdisciplinary and
evolving research area. The University of Illinois provides you a flexible
curriculum that enables you to explore your own research interests. In addition,
you have access to research opportunities and excellent researchers in a
variety of areas, such as economics, strategy management, marketing, etc.
These resources will help you to develop your academic career."
- Kexin Zhao, IS Ph.D. candidate
"The primary advantage of the IS Ph.D.
program here at the University of Illinois is the close relationship and ease
of intellectual interactions. The relatively smaller size of the IS group allows
more frequent interactions between Ph.D. students and the faculty, and among
the Ph.D. students as well. It's amazing how much my fellow students, including
alumni, are willing to help out when needed."
- Stella Shen, IS Ph.D. candidate
"The great thing about the U of I is
that you get to work with so many fabulous people. There is a lot of opportunity
to work with the Professors, staff and other students. Also, culturally there
is a lot to do. Between the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Big
Ten Sports, especially Basketball, there is always something happening on campus."
-John Burke, IS Ph.D. candidate
"My experience at the U of I has been
an eye-opener. During these last few years, I have been exposed to several
critical dimensions and strategic implications of Information Technology (IT).
U of I is one of the best universities in the world to work on interdisciplinary
IT research. This campus has a great history. More importantly, this campus
has an ongoing research tradition. I feel lucky and proud to be a part of it."
- Prasanna Karhade, IS Ph.D. candidate
"My Ph.D. journey at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign so far has been rich and fulfilling. Our faculty
members are very supportive and helpful. They encourage me to start conducting
research at an early stage and guide me through all the processes. It is pleasant
and enjoyable to work with them and learn from them. The curriculum of our
IS program is also flexible. With my advisor's help, I get to choose courses
that would match my own academic career path. Such an open, friendly, and positive
learning environment is what I always look for."
- Fei Lee, 2nd Year IS Ph.D. student
"Our IS Ph.D. program at UIUC is
distinguished from other programs by its close relationships between faculty
members and Ph.D. students. I can learn invaluable lessons from interactions
with faculty members as well as from the courses. The wide range of research
resources is one of the greatest benefits of the Ph.D. program in business
administration at UIUC. Especially, the library system which is ranked highly
nationwide is what I like most in our campus."
- Wooje Cho, 2nd Year IS Ph.D. student
"In my new and short experience
in UIUC MIS group, I feel like I've been here for a long time. The whole environment
of business school of UIUC is friendly; the faculties are very supportive and
encouraging. There are lots of interactions and opportunities for research
among different areas and you can be one the path which you really like. Finally
you won't be a student here; you are treated as a colleague."
- Javadi Elahe, 1st Year IS Ph.D. student
