Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science

Information Science is an interdisciplinary program within the Faculty of Computing and Information Science. It brings together faculty, researchers and students who share an interest in studying digital information.Information Science examines information systems in their social, cultural, economic, historical, legal, and political contexts. Computer science is an important part of the program, but the emphasis is on systems and their use, rather than on the technologies that underlie them.Information Systems draws from Computer Science and Operations Research, Human Computer Interaction from Communication, Psychology, and Cognitive Studies, Social Studies of Computing from Science & Technology Studies, Law, and Economics, with many others. The Ph.D. program has been approved by the Education Department in the State of New York.

The focus of the Information Science Ph.D. program is on technological systems and their use - the ways that people use technology and how that use affects us. Digital technologies have become pervasive in culture, economy, law, government, and research, dramatically changing the way people work and live. The proliferation and significance of these complex technological systems of information demand a new focus in academic scholarship - one committed to cross-disciplinary study, astute about both the technical and the social, and devoted to integrating theory, investigation, design, and practice. At Cornell, graduate work is organized as fields, each with a Director of Graduate Studies. The field of Information Science studies the design and use of information systems in a social context: it studies the creation, representation, organization, application, and analysis of information in digital form. The Field of Information Science spans both the Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses, with faculty and students in both locations.

A baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
All transcripts or academic records must be official documents provided in the original language. If that language is not English, they must be accompanied by certified translations into English.
University minimums for the iBT version of the TOEFL are: Writing, 20, Listening, 15, Reading, 20, Speaking, 22. You must receive the minimum score on each subsection.
The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS.
Letters of recommendation (three for the PhD program)
Personal Statement
Academic Statement of Purpose
GRE scores are not accepted
English Language Proficiency Requirement for all applicants
Resume and writing samples are not required but may be submitted if you feel this will enhance your application