Information Studies (INFS)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Information 

Abstract

The PhD program at Maryland's INFO College 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 INFO College is at the center of groundbreaking research in the fast-moving field of information. With a multidisciplinary faculty studying such diverse topics as online communities, information systems, information policy, human-computer interaction, and digital cultural heritage, the INFO College cultivates doctoral students from a wide range of backgrounds. The PhD program offered at the INFO College provides students with training in interdisciplinary theory, research, and pedagogy as preparation for original research that connects communities, technologies, and information.

The INFO College'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.
  • 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 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/

Courses: INFM INST LBSC

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

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 3, 2024
International Applicants
F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants December 3, 2024

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.

The INFO College 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, 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. Distinguished University Professor, English Language and Literature
Affiliate Associate Professor, American Studies
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, English Language and Literature
Associate Professor, History and Library & Information Science
Associate Professor, Information Management
Associate Professor, Library and Information Science
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, 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, 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