SLIS: Ph.D. Course Schedule

Important Note:
SLIS will not admit for the doctoral and CHIL programs in 2012. Please visit the website later this year for information about future admissions.

SLIS Ph.D. Handbook | Ph.D. Requirements | SLIS Faculty Expertise and Research Interests | Committees

Phase I - Coursework and Qualifying Examination

Foundation Courses (15 credits) :

Research Issues and Questions in Library and Information Science (SLIS 801) examines a range of issues, theories, and research questions that currently shape academic thinking and discourse in library and information science.
Theory and Research Methods in Library and Information Science (SLIS802) explores problems and issues in theory formulation and research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and multi-method approaches.

Seminar on Information and Society (SLIS 803) examines the historical foundations of library and information science and provides a basis for exploring more recent theoretical and experimental developments.

Introduction to Pedagogy in Library and Information Science (SLIS 804) introduces new doctoral students to the process of doctoral study and the critical aspects of scholarly life.

Seminar on Information Policy and Ethics (SLIS 805) explores the way in which information technologies are currently transforming society and the social, political and ethical issues that accompany these developments at both the individual and societal levels.

Research Methods Courses (6 credits) : Doctoral students will be expected to develop an in-depth knowledge of the models and research methods that are used within Library and Information Science and related disciplines to provide insight into the ways that knowledge and information are created, sought, and employed within the lives of individuals and communities. In order to do so, they will be required to take at least two additional research methods courses, one of which focuses on qualitative methods and one of which focuses on quantitative techniques.

Cognate Courses (9 credits minimum):

Doctoral students will also be required to complete coursework in a second discipline that broadens their perspectives and deepens their understanding of library and information science issues. The choice of cognate area will depend on the student's interests and may be chosen, with the help of his or her advisor, from a wide range of subject areas, including sociology, education, anthropology, computer science, English, geography, history, marketing, philosophy, political science, psychology, and public administration.

LIS Electives: (12 credits minimum):

Student will choose appropriate graduate courses, such as SLIS 806 Seminar on Communication Processes and Information Seeking Behavior, from those listed in the SLIS catalog and the University Graduate School 's catalog. All courses offered for credit toward the degree must be at the graduate level.

Qualifying Examination :

Admission by the School of Library and Information Science for graduate study and completion of PhD coursework are the first steps for PhD students. Decisions concerning admission to PhD Candidacy are subsequently made on the basis of each student's record and a written qualifying examination. Students should take this qualifying examination no later than the semester in which they are taking their 15th hour of course work. A student is allowed only two attempts to pass the admission-to-candidacy exam.

Phase II - Comprehensive Examination

Once admitted to candidacy, students will establish their eligibility for Comprehensive Examination by completing the following:

• All coursework requirements;

• Two papers that are submitted for publication or presentation;

• Two comprehensive literature reviews that correspond to the student's research interests with reference to the student's cognate area.

The examination process is initiated with the acceptance of the literature reviews by the student's faculty adviser. A faculty examination committee then prepares the written examination. After completing the written exam, the student takes a follow-up oral examination. It will typically be considered unsatisfactory progress if a student has not taken the exam one year after completing coursework with no other signs of progress. The student has a maximum of two opportunities to pass his or her comprehensive examination. The student will not be allowed to continue in the doctoral program if the comprehensive examination is not passed.

Phase III - Doctoral Dissertation

Proposal: Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student in consultation with his or her adviser forms a Dissertation Committee and prepares a dissertation proposal to present to the Committee. The proposal typically includes: an introduction; an extensive literature review; a discussion of related theory; a proposed hypothesis/hypotheses; and a detailed methodology.

Doctoral Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation is a demonstration by the candidate that he or she has mastered research techniques and is able to add new knowledge on a significant question or issue. The Dissertation must be completed n o later than five years after passing the comprehensive examination.

Dissertation Defense: The dissertation defense is an oral defense by the candidate of the written dissertation and is conducted by the student's Doctoral Dissertation Committee.

Typical Schedule of Classes

A doctoral student's program of study will vary greatly from student to student. The following is meant to be merely an example:

First Year

Fall Semester: