College of Information Technology

 

The doctoral program in Information Technology (IT) is a multidisciplinary program that integrates the theory and practice of applied computing, information systems, Internet technologies, and the advances in telecommunications and management of information technology. The program addresses the urgent and growing need for a new kind of specialist who understands the unique intersection of these fields. The vision of the doctoral program in IT is to develop technology specialists who are uniquely positioned to advance research and practice in contemporary technologies. The program is geared towards motivated traditional students and technology specialists who are ready to expand their knowledge of contemporary technologies and become research specialists in academic and organizational settings.

The doctoral program in IT provides students an opportunity to develop:

  • An understanding of the theory, nature, and application of information technology;
  • A knowledge of the science and engineering of current and future information technologies, including their analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation;
  • An in-depth knowledge of a thematic area in information technology, for example, applied computing, telecommunications, information systems, or Internet technologies;
  • Competence in conducting basic and applied research;
  • A strong foundation in multidisciplinary areas at the cusp of the information technology area of interest, while ensuring an applied focus;
  • A strong grounding in the fundamentals of conducting and managing high-quality research; and,
  • Solid grounding in the fundamentals of academic teaching.

Admission

Applicants must follow the formal procedures established for admission to the graduate program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Applicants must have:

  • A successfully completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution; preference will be given to students with a master's degree from a related field.
  • Demonstrated superior performance in mathematics, including calculus, discrete mathematics and statistics, and a sequence of courses in the theory and practice of one or more information technology areas.
  • Documented test aptitude, interest and commitment to scholarly activities and research;
  • Proficiency in English, sufficient to engage in advanced studies. (The minimum required score on the TOEFL is 575 or 230 on computer based exam.)

Evaluation for admission will be based on:

  • Class standing during the applicant's baccalaureate and master-level studies;
  • Verbal, quantitative, and analytic scores on the aptitude tests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) (minimum requirement to be considered for this program is 80th percentile or above);
  • Grade point average in mathematics, computer engineering, computer science, information systems, quantitative analysis, information systems engineering, telecommunications, management, or a closely-related field;
  • Letters of recommendation from references, who are able to give an in-depth evaluation of the applicant's strengths and weaknesses with respect to academic work, and who are competent to judge the applicant's probable success in graduate school;
  • Other evidence of graduate potential, such as a portfolio of quality papers or publications, projects, etc., completed by the applicant either in an academic or industrial setting;
  • Evidence of English language proficiency for international students demonstrated on standardized English tests;
  • On-campus visit or telephone interviews.

Application Checklist

Each applicant must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Studies:

  1. A completed Application for Graduate Admission.

  2. A non-refundable application fee as required by the Office of Graduate Studies.

  3. Two official transcripts from each college or university attended.

  4. An official score report from either the GRE or GMAT.

  5. Evidence of English language proficiency for international students, demonstrated by official scores on standardized English tests such as TOEFL.

  6. A statement of intent (using the Statement of Intent Form). If the application is for part-time status in the program, then the applicant must indicate so in the Statement of Intent and must include a roadmap or plan for completing the program in a timely fashion.

  7. Three letters of recommendation from references who are able to give an in-depth evaluation of the applicant's strengths and weaknesses with respect to academic work, and who are competent to judge the applicant's probably success in graduate school. The letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the recommender to the Office of Graduate Studies and must be completed using the Recommendation Form.

  8. Other evidence of graduate potential, if available, in the form of papers, publications, or projects completed by the applicant either in an academic or industrial setting.

  9. A current resume.

The Director of the Doctoral Program may contact the applicant in order to arrange a campus visit or telephone interviews.

Application Deadlines

Applications for admission for the fall semester are due by February 15, and for the spring semester by September 15.

Graduate Assistantships

Students who are interested in applying for a graduate assistantship must contact the Director of the Doctoral Program in IT. A separate form for applying for a graduate assistantship must be completed and sent directly to Professor Zand. See the program's website for details.

Requirements

The doctoral program in IT requires 90 credit hours and consists of foundation courses (typically taken in a master's degree program), doctoral seminars and colloquia, a major field of study, an optional minor field of study, and the dissertation. As with most doctoral programs, the specific program plan pursued by a doctoral student will be highly personalized in terms of course work and research training, depending on interests and interactions with faculty advisors. After fulfilling all course requirements and successfully completing comprehensive examinations in the major and minor field of study as needed, the student presents and defends the dissertation research.

The program consists of:

  1. Foundation courses (minimum of 24 to 36 hours)

    2.  The foundation courses are typically taken in a master's degree program and give students the broad skills to conduct independent research, including studies in such areas as statistics, computer languages, the theory and practice of computing, information systems, systems analysis and design, database concepts, networking and communications, telecommunications, and management of technology.

  2. Research Foundations/Seminars (minimum of 6 to 12 hours, including CIST 9080 - Research Foundation in IT ).


  3. Major field of study (minimum of 18 hours).
    4. Coursework in the major field of study provides students the advanced study needed to develop an in-depth knowledge of their chosen field of research. The student may choose from broad thematic categories such as applied computing, information systems, telecommunications, or Internet technologies.

  4. Minor field of study, when included (minimum of 9 to 12 hours).
    5. Based on the advice of the supervisory committee, the student may choose an appropriate minor area of study. For example, a student specializing in the behavioral aspects of IT may be advised to take statistical methods as a minor, whereas a student interested in applied computing related to bioinformatics may be advised to take areas in the biological sciences or mathematics as a minor.

  5. Colloquia (minimum of 3 hours) – CIST 9040, 9050, and 9060 (1 credit each) are required for all students.


  6. Comprehensive exam.


  7. Dissertation proposal.


  8. Dissertation (minimum of 24 hours).


  9. Students will be provided the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses as part of their training for teaching, while ensuring that the teaching does not interfere with the timely completion of their doctoral studies.


  10. In addition, students must meet all other requirements as specified by the Graduate School.

Course Work

Courses at the 8000 and 9000 level may be counted toward the degree, with some restrictions. There is no limit on the number of 8000-level courses which may be counted in the foundation courses, since these are typically taken in a master's degree program. The majority of courses beyond the master's foundation and excluding the dissertation credits should be at the 9000 level. For the doctoral degree requirements beyond the foundation courses, the following restrictions apply:

  1. No more than 9 hours of dual-level courses (4---/8--6) can be included in the doctoral requirements in the plan of study.
  2. No dual-level courses (4---/8--6) can be included in the student's major field of study.
  3. The major field of study must include a minimum of 9 hours of 9000-level courses.

Supervisory Committee

Each student will have a supervisory committee that is responsible for planning and supervising the student's research, including approval of the dissertation proposal, the completed dissertation, and the final oral defense. The supervisory committee is chaired by the student's dissertation advisor. All members of the committee must be Graduate Faculty. The advisor should be a full-time faculty member in the College of Information Science and Technology. At least one member of the committee must be from an outside area.

 

Program of Study

After students are admitted into the program and with appropriate consultation, they will formulate a preliminary plan of study. Each student's plan will be periodically reviewed and modified, if necessary, to ensure that reasonable progress is being made toward completing the program.

Once the supervisory committee is formed, a program of study must be approved and filed with the Office of Graduate Studies. The program of study must be approved within three weeks of the appointment of the supervisory committee. At least 45 hours of the student's doctoral course work is to be completed after the approval of the program of study.

Comprehensive Exam

The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to assess the student's readiness for research. The exam has a written component and an oral component. The student must pass both parts of the exam in order to be admitted to candidacy.

The written component is a sit-down, in-house exam, taken in two parts on two consecutive days.

  • Part 1: The first day is common to all students taking the exam and covers key issues related to research in Information Technology. A readings list will be provided.
  • Part 2: The second day covers the student's major field of study and may include in-depth questions on basic research methods and techniques, as appropriate to the student's major field of study and as determined by the supervisory committee.

The oral component is a defense of the dissertation proposal. The supervisory committee arranges for the proposal defense and determines whether or not the student has passed.

  • In order be eligible to take the comprehensive exam:
  • The major field of study must be completed or near completion, i.e., the student must have completed at least 15 of the 18 required hours for the major field of study;
  • The student must be making satisfactory progress in all other respects; and
  • The student's supervisory committee must approve readiness for the exam.

The student must first pass the written component before being eligible to take the oral component. The student must pass all parts of the exam in order to pass the exam. If the student fails any part of the exam, then only the failed part need be retaken.

The Dissertation

The dissertation should treat in depth a subject from the candidate's major field of study/research area as approved by the supervisory committee. The dissertation must show technical mastery of the field and document original research that contributes to current knowledge. Students are encouraged to begin thinking about dissertation topics from the very beginning of their programs, and to use seminars and coursework to explore meaningful topics and build toward mastery in a specific area.

A formal defense of a dissertation proposal is required. The proposal is presented to the student's supervisory committee and other interested parties, and the committee decides whether the student is ready to proceed with the research. As noted above, the defense of the dissertation proposal constitutes the oral portion of the comprehensive exam.

The student is advised to consult informally and continuously with the supervisory committee until the committee accepts the dissertation. After the dissertation research is completed, the dissertation must be presented to all members of the supervisory committee in time to permit review and approval, and the manuscript must be turned in at least thirty days in advance of the final oral examination.

A final, oral defense of the dissertation is required. The oral defense is before the student's supervisory committee and other interested parties. The committee decides whether the student has successfully completed the research, as agreed and described in the approved proposal.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy, a student must: (1) pass the written comprehensive exam, (2) successfully complete all coursework with satisfactory grades, and (3) pass an oral defense of the dissertation proposal before the supervisory committee.


Satisfactory Progress

A minimum of three years of full-time graduate study is normally required to complete a doctoral program. The maximum time allowed by the Graduate School is eight years from the filing of the student's program of study in the Office of Graduate Studies. Checkpoints are established to help guide students through the program and make sure they are meeting their goals. Students not making satisfactory progress will be counseled out of the program.

For more information about the Ph.D. in IT …


Contact Professor Mansour Zand, Associate Director, (402) 554-2847, mzand@mail.unomaha.edu; or Professor Yong Shi at yshi@unomaha.edu

The program's website is at http://phd.ist.unomaha.edu/.