Information Studies (INFS)
Graduate Degree Program
College: Information Studies
Abstract
The PhD program at Maryland's iSchool offers an interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching provided by faculty at this leading public research university. Small classes and wide-ranging research projects enable students to work closely with faculty mentors to gain experience in identifying knowledge gaps, investigating both theoretical and practical solutions, evaluating results, and creating and disseminating new knowledge. A range of required research courses, two foundational doctoral seminars, and electives chosen by the students and their faculty mentors provide both the structure necessary for individuals to become successful researchers and the flexibility that allows them to pursue the research areas about which they are most passionate.
What Are the Unique Aspects of the Doctoral Program?
Maryland’s iSchool is at the center of groundbreaking research in the fast-moving field of information studies. With a multidisciplinary faculty studying such diverse topics as online communities, information systems, information policy, human-computer interaction, and digital cultural heritage, the iSchool cultivates doctoral students from a wide range of backgrounds. The PhD program offered at the iSchool provides students with training in interdisciplinary theory, research, and pedagogy as preparation for original research that connects communities, technologies, and information.
The iSchool’s location near Washington, DC, the information capital of the world, offers unparalleled opportunities for students to pursue research and employment opportunities. Our PhD students hold internships at and conduct research in government agencies, top technology and design firms, and the nonprofit sector; and graduate to jobs in academia, industry, and government.
What are the Goals of the Doctoral Program?
Upon successful completion of the doctoral program, graduates have:
- Knowledge of the foundations of the field of information studies.
- Mastery of research methods and design.
- Understanding of the research in a specialized content area.
- Proficiency in synthesizing and applying knowledge from a variety of areas.
- Expertise in conducting research and disseminating new knowledge.
Financial Assistance
Information on the availability of financial assistance is available on the Ph.D. program’s website at http://ischool.umd.edu/phd. The College seeks to offer funding to entering doctoral students throughout their study in the doctoral program, contingent on factors such as successful progress through the doctoral program, likelihood of timely completion of the doctoral program, qualifications, and the availability of funding.
Contact
Student Services Office
4110 Hornbake Building, South Wing
4130 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2038
Fax: 301.314.9145
Email: ischooladmission@umd.edu
Dr. Eun Kyoung Choe
Director of Ph.D. in Information Studies Program
4105 Hornbake Building South Wing
4130 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Email: ischooladmission@umd.edu
Website: https://ischool.umd.edu/
Relationships: Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) (Z093) History and Library & Information Science (HILS) Human-Computer Interaction (HCIM) Information Management (INFM) Library and Information Science (LBSC) Library and Information Science (online) (LBSO) School Librarianship (Z114) Youth Experience (Z113)
General Requirements
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcript(s)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Program-Specific Requirements
- Letters of Recommendation (3)
- Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) (optional)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional)
- GRE Subject (optional)
- CV/Resume
- Writing Sample (one required, up to two more optional)
- Portfolio PDF Upload (optional)
Additional Admissions Requirements
- The Graduate School application form including a non-refundable application processing fee
- One official copy of each transcript from each academic institution attended sent directly from the institution
- Maryland in-state tuition form, if applicable
- Three recommendations sent directly by the student’s references. It is preferable to request at least one letter from a former professor who is able to give an in-depth evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant’s academic work.
Application Deadlines
| Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline |
|---|---|
| Domestic Applicants | |
| US Citizens and Permanent Residents | December 8, 2023 |
| International Applicants | |
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants | December 8, 2023 |
RESOURCES AND LINKS:
Program Website: https://ischool.umd.edu/
Application Process: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions
The College operates six research centers: Center for Archival Futures (CAFe), the Center for Advanced Study of Communities and Information (CASCI), the Computational Linguistics and Information Processing (CLIP), The Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL), the Social Data Science Center (SoDA), and the Trace Research & Development Center (Trace). The College also facilitates three interest groups: the Sociotechnical Cybersecurity (STC) Interest Group, the Search Mastery Interest Group, and the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series.
iSchool faculty and doctoral students also participate in or have affiliations with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), as well as the Departments of Computer Science, Criminal Justice, English, Geographical Sciences, and Sociology, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the School of Public Policy, and the College of Education and the College of Journalism.
Faculty and students participate in cooperative research with staff of the University Libraries, the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL), and other campus units. Students have access through cooperative arrangements and programs to the resources of Archives II, the National Agricultural Library, the Library of Congress, and other prominent research facilities.
| Last Name | First/Middle Name | Graduate Faculty Status | Academic Credentials | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertot | John | Full Member | Ph.D., Syracuse University. | Professor, History and Library & Information Science Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Bonsignore | Elizabeth | Full Member | PhD Information Studies, 2011; MS Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, 1991; EdM Education/Human Resources, 1989; BS English Language and Literature/Letters, United States Naval Academy, 1985. | Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Choe | Eun Kyoung | Adjunct Member | Ph.D., University of Washington, 2014 | Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Clegg | Tamara | Full Member | B.S., North Carolina State University, 2002; Ph.D. Georgie Institute of Technology, 2009 | Associate Professor, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership Assistant Professor, History and Library & Information Science Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, School Librarianship Assistant Professor, Youth Experience Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction |
| Dearstyne | Bruce W. | Adjunct Member | B.A., Hartwick College, 1966; Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1974. | Lecturer, History and Library & Information Science Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Diker | Vedat | Adjunct Member | PhD, SUNY - Albany | Director, Library and Information Science Senior Lecturer, Information Management Senior Lecturer, Information Studies |
| Druin | Allison J. | Full Member | B.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design, 1985; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987; Ph.D.,University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, 1997. | Associate Dean, Information Studies Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| Elmqvist | Niklas | Full Member | PhD., Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2006 | Director, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Information Studies Associate Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Frias-Martinez | Vanessa | Full Member | M.S., Columbia University, 2003; Ph.D., Columbia University, 2008 | Associate Professor, Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, History and Library & Information Science Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies |
| Golbeck | Jennifer | Full Member | PhD., Computer Science, University of Maryland | Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Information Studies Associate Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Golub | Evan | Full Member | PhD., Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 2009. | Senior Lecturer, Information Studies |
| Heger | Kenneth | Full Member | PhD, University of Maryland | Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science Lecturer, Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) |
| Jaeger | Paul T. | Full Member | B.A., New College, 1996; M.Ed., University of North Florida, 1998; J.D., Florida State University, 2001; MSLIS, Florida State University, 2003; Ph.D., Florida State University, 2006. | Professor, History and Library & Information Science Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies |
| Kacorri | Hernisa | Full Member | PhD Computer Science, City University of New York, 2016; MS Computer Science, City University of New York, 2014; MS Advanced Computer Systems, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2011; BS Computer Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2007. | Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Killam | Howard William | Adjunct Member | MA, Marymount University | Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Kirschenbaum | Matthew G. | Full Member | B.A., SUNY Albany, 1992; M.A., University of Virginia, 1994; Ph.D., 1999. | Professor, English Language and Literature Affiliate Associate Professor, American Studies Affiliate Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Affiliate Associate Professor, Information Management Affiliate Associate Professor, Information Studies Affiliate Associate Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Kraus | Kari Michaele | Full Member | B.A., Texas A&M University, 1991; M.A., Texas A&M University, 1995; Ph.D., University of Rochester, 2006. | Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, English Language and Literature Assistant Professor, Information Studies |
| Kules | Bill | Full Member | PhD., Computer Science, University of Maryland, 2006. | Visiting Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Visiting Associate Professor, Information Management Visiting Associate Professor, Information Studies Visiting Associate Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Kurtz | Michael | Adjunct Member | Ph.D. Georgetown University. | Visiting Professor, Information Studies Visiting Professor, Library and Information Science Visiting Professor, Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) Visiting Associate Professor, Information Management |
| Lawley | Katy Newton | Full Member | Ph.D. University of Maryland. | Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Lazar | Amanda | Full Member | PhD, University of Washington, 2015; BS University of California, San Diego, 2011. | Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Marciano | Richard | Full Member | PhD, University of Iowa. | Professor, History and Library & Information Science Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies Professor, Library and Information Science Professor, Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) |
| Oard | Douglas William | Full Member | M.Elect.E., Rice University, 1979;B.A., 1979; Ph.D., University of Maryland-College Park, 1996. | Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Professor, Library and Information Science Affiliate Professor, Computer Science |
| Owens | Trevor | Adjunct Member | PhD., George Mason University. | Lecturer, History and Library & Information Science Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Piety | Philip | Adjunct Member | M.A., Georgetown University, 2003; Ph.D., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2008 | Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Preece | Jennifer J. | Full Member | B.Sc., University of Ulster, 1971; Ph.D., Open University, 1985. | Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Punzalan | Ricardo L. | Full Member | PhD. University of Michigan. | Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) |
| Rhoads | Vera | Adjunct Member | Lecturer, Information Studies | |
| Sahasrabudhe | Vikas | Adjunct Member | PhD., Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley. | Lecturer, Information Studies |
| Shilton | Katie | Full Member | B.A., Oberlin College, 2003; MLS, UCLA, 2007; PhD., UCLA, 2011 | Director, Information Studies Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Information Studies Associate Professor, Library and Information Science Associate Professor, Curation and Management of Digital Assets (online) |
| Spangler | Robert | Adjunct Member | Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies | |
| Srikantaiah | Taverekere | Adjunct Member | B.S., Mysore University, India; M.S, Karnatak University, India; M.I.S., M.P.A., University of Southern California; Ph.D., University of Southern California. | Visiting Professor, Information Management Visiting Professor, Information Studies Visiting Professor, Library and Information Science |
| St. Jean | Beth | Full Member | B.A., Smith College, 1988; M.S. University of Michigan, 2006; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2012. | Assistant Professor, History and Library & Information Science Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Subramaniam | Mega M. | Full Member | Ph.D. Florida State | Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Information Studies Associate Professor, Library and Information Science Associate Professor, School Librarianship Associate Professor, Youth Experience |
| Summers | Timothy | Full Member | PhD., Case Western Reserve University. | Lecturer, Information Studies |
| Tausczik | Yla | Full Member | PhD. Social and Personality Psychology, University of Texas at Austin. | Assistant Professor, History and Library & Information Science Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Vanderheiden | Gregg | Full Member | PhD., University of Wisconsin-Madison | Professor, History and Library & Information Science Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Professor, Information Management Professor, Information Studies Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Vitak | Jessica | Full Member | Ph.D. Michigan State University, 2012. | Assistant Professor, History and Library & Information Science Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Wang | Ping | Full Member | Ph.D., University of California - Los Angeles UCLA 2005. | Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Associate Professor, Information Management Associate Professor, Information Studies Associate Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Weaver | Kathy | Full Member | PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore. | Director, Information Management Lecturer, History and Library & Information Science Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |
| Weeks | Ann C. | Adjunct Member | B.S., Indiana State University, 1971; M.L.S., Indiana State University, 1973; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1982. | Professor of Practice, Human-Computer Interaction Professor of Practice, Information Management Professor of Practice, Information Studies Professor of Practice, Library and Information Science Professor of Practice, School Librarianship Professor of Practice, Youth Experience |
| Weintrop | David | Full Member | Ph.D., Northwestern University | Associate Professor, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership Assistant Professor, Information Management Assistant Professor, Information Studies Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science |
| Winter | Susan | Full Member | PhD, University of Arizona | Lecturer, History and Library & Information Science Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction Lecturer, Information Management Lecturer, Information Studies Lecturer, Library and Information Science |