PhD Degree Requirements

To be awarded a Ph.D. in Information Science from the UW Information School the following requirements must be met:

  1. Pass a Preliminary Review in the quarter following the completion of 20 quarter hours of study in the Ph.D. program.
  2. Pass 2nd Year and 3rd Year Reviews (assuming General Examination has not yet been taken).
  3. Successfully complete (minimum cumulative GPA 3.25) all course requirements as stipulated by the Information School.
  4. Complete the Information School’s requirement for teaching and research practica.
  5. Pass a General Examination upon completion of coursework and practica components to attain formal candidacy for the PhD program (Candidate’s Certificate).
  6. Successfully defend a dissertation proposal before a Supervisory Committee.
  7. Successfully defend a dissertation before a Reading Committee (Final Exam).

Expected Time for Program Completion

Full-Time

Full-time study for the PhD in Information Science is preferred and the Information School is committed to helping to support students wherever possible through graduate assistantships. The standard program for full-time study is two years for the coursework and practica components. These components are followed by a general exam to determine candidacy. You will then normally complete another two years of full-time study. These two years will normally involve one half year focused on the preparation and defense of the dissertation proposal followed by one and one half years focused on the completion and defense of the dissertation. Estimated total full-time study is 4 years.

Part-Time

Many outstanding PhD students cannot afford to devote 4 years to full-time study and would prefer to study for their doctorate part-time. The Information School acknowledges this preference but also recognizes how important it is to establish collegiality, intellectual community/ecology, trust, relationships, and a sense of belonging that are essential to active participation in a research culture. This bonding is essential for the academic apprenticeship and mentoring of the Information School’s PhD program. For these reasons, the Information School requires all candidates to enroll as full-time students for the first year of study. If you then choose to complete your PhD part-time, completion of the degree will normally take longer than the time estimated above for full-time study.