About the Program
The Doctoral Program
The doctoral program in Information Management and Systems is a research-oriented program in which the student chooses specific fields of specialization, prepares sufficiently in the literature and the research of those fields to pass a qualifying examination, and completes original research culminating in the written dissertation. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is conferred in recognition of a candidate's grasp of a broad field of learning and distinguished accomplishment in that field through the contribution of an original piece of research revealing high critical ability and powers of imagination and synthesis.
The I School also offers a master's in Information Management and Systems (MIMS), a master's in Information and Data Science (MIDS), and a master's in Information and Cybersecurity (MICS).
Admissions
Admission to the PhD Program
We welcome students from a diverse set of backgrounds; some will be technically educated, some educated in the humanities and social sciences.
The I School accepts only 3-7 PhD students each year from more than 100 applications. Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty.
Applicants are evaluated holistically on a number of factors. A strong academic record is important, but not sufficient. A critical factor is the ability to demonstrate a research record and agenda that fit well with specific I School faculty. In a small, interdisciplinary program, it is important that applicants clearly indicate in their Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) they are interested in researching with, and why.
To be eligible to apply to the PhD in Information Management and Systems program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
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A bachelor's degree or its recognized equivalent from an accredited institution.
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Superior scholastic record, normally well above a 3.0 GPA.
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Indication of appropriate research goals, described in the Statement of Purpose.
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For applicants whose academic work has been in a language other than English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
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Not required: GRE/GMAT. Starting Fall 2021, we no longer require the GRE or GMAT. We recommend you put your time and effort towards the required application materials.
Further information about I School Ph.D. Admissions can be found on the I School website.
Minimum Requirements for Admission
The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
- A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
- A grade point average of B or better (3.0);
- If the applicant has completed a basic degree from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
- Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.
Applicants Who Already Hold a Graduate Degree
The Graduate Council views academic degrees not as vocational training certificates, but as evidence of broad training in research methods, independent study, and articulation of learning. Therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to pursue new subject matter at an advanced level without the need to enroll in a related or similar graduate program.
Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree only if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.
Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.
The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:
- Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
- Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.
Applicants may apply only to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.
Required Documents for Applications
- Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. Unofficial transcripts must contain specific information including the name of the applicant, name of the school, all courses, grades, units, & degree conferral (if applicable).
- Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, by the recommender, not the Graduate Admissions.
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Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants who have completed a basic degree from a country or political entity in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This applies to institutions from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and Quebec (Canada). However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a US university may submit an official transcript from the US university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement:
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courses in English as a Second Language,
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courses conducted in a language other than English,
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courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and
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courses of a non-academic nature.
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Applicants who have previously applied to Berkeley must also submit new test scores that meet the current minimum requirement from one of the standardized tests. Official TOEFL score reports must be sent directly from Educational Test Services (ETS). The institution code for Berkeley is 4833 for Graduate Organizations. Official IELTS score reports must be sent electronically from the testing center to University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall, Rm 318 MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720. TOEFL and IELTS score reports are only valid for two years prior to beginning the graduate program at UC Berkeley. Note: score reports can not expire before the month of June.
Where to Apply
Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
Program Design
The School of Information is an interdisciplinary school examining the design, organization, and management of information and information systems. The School of Information draws on the expertise not only of its own faculty but of the full Berkeley campus. We encourage students to take full advantage of being at this world-class University and not feel bound by disciplinary boundaries.
The PhD degree program at the School of Information is a research program. Each student is expected to work with his or her adviser to ensure that the program of study includes:
- A thorough understanding of research methods and research design.
- The ability to review current research critically.
- The ability to understand emerging trends from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Expected PhD Timeline:
- Semester 1: Identify a faculty adviser
- Semesters 1–4: Complete breadth courses; complete major and minor requirements
- Semester 4: Complete the preliminary research paper
- Semester 5: Complete preliminary exam
- Semester 6–8: Complete qualifying exam; advance to candidacy
- Four semesters after qualifying exam: Complete dissertation and give presentation
Please refer to the School of Information website for more information.
Breadth Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| I. Foundation | ||
| INFO 218 | Concepts of Information | 3 |
| II. Engineering and Design | ||
| INFO 202 | Information Organization and Retrieval | 3 |
| INFO 206A | Introduction to Programming and Computation | 2 |
| INFO 206B | Introduction to Data Structures and Analytics | 2 |
| INFO 213 | Introduction to User Experience Design | 4 |
| INFO 247 | Information Visualization and Presentation | 4 |
| INFO 251 | Applied Machine Learning | 4 |
| INFO 253A | Front-End Web Architecture | 3 |
| INFO 253B | Back-End Web Architecture | 3 |
| INFO 256 | Applied Natural Language Processing | 3 |
| INFO 257 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 259 | Natural Language Processing | 4 |
| INFO C262 | Theory and Practice of Tangible User Interfaces | 4 |
| INFO C265 | Interface Aesthetics | 3 |
| III. Social Aspects of Information | ||
| INFO 201 | Research Design and Applications for Data and Analysis | 3 |
| INFO 203 | Social Issues of Information | 3 |
| INFO 214 | User Experience Research | 3 |
| INFO 217A | Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Research | 3 |
| INFO 218 | Concepts of Information | 3 |
| INFO 225 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 233 | Social Psychology and Information Technology | 3 |
| INFO 271B | Quantitative Research Methods for Information Systems and Management | 3 |
| INFO 272 | Qualitative Research Methods for Information Systems and Management | 3 |
| INFO 283 | Information and Communications Technology for Development | 3 |
| INFO 288 | Big Data and Development | 3 |
| IV. Information Economics, Law and Policy | ||
| INFO 205 | Information Law and Policy | 3 |
| INFO 232 | Applied Behavioral Economics for Information Systems | 3 |
| INFO 234 | Information Technology Economics, Strategy, and Policy | 3 |
| INFO 236 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 239 | Technology and Delegation | 3 |
| INFO 289 | Public Interest Cybersecurity: The Citizen Clinic Practicum | 3 |
| INFO 290 | Special Topics in Information | 1-4 |
Major/Minor Areas
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Human-Computer Interaction | ||
| INFO 213 | Introduction to User Experience Design | 4 |
| INFO 214 | User Experience Research | 3 |
| INFO 217A | Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Research | 3 |
| INFO 247 | Information Visualization and Presentation | 4 |
| INFO C262 | Theory and Practice of Tangible User Interfaces | 4 |
| INFO C265 | Interface Aesthetics | 3 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Information Economics and Policy | ||
| INFO 232 | Applied Behavioral Economics for Information Systems | 3 |
| INFO 234 | Information Technology Economics, Strategy, and Policy | 3 |
| INFO 290 | Special Topics in Information | 1-4 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Information Law and Policy | ||
| INFO 205 | Information Law and Policy | 3 |
| INFO 236 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 239 | Technology and Delegation | 3 |
| INFO 289 | Public Interest Cybersecurity: The Citizen Clinic Practicum | 3 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Information Organization and Retrieval | ||
| INFO 202 | Information Organization and Retrieval | 3 |
| INFO 247 | Information Visualization and Presentation | 4 |
| INFO 251 | Applied Machine Learning | 4 |
| INFO 256 | Applied Natural Language Processing | 3 |
| INFO 257 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 259 | Natural Language Processing | 4 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Information Systems Design | ||
| INFO 206A | Introduction to Programming and Computation | 2 |
| INFO 206B | Introduction to Data Structures and Analytics | 2 |
| INFO 251 | Applied Machine Learning | 4 |
| INFO 253A | Front-End Web Architecture | 3 |
| INFO 253B | Back-End Web Architecture | 3 |
| INFO 256 | Applied Natural Language Processing | 3 |
| INFO 257 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 259 | Natural Language Processing | 4 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Social Aspects of Information | ||
| INFO 201 | Research Design and Applications for Data and Analysis | 3 |
| INFO 203 | Social Issues of Information | 3 |
| INFO 214 | User Experience Research | 3 |
| INFO 218 | Concepts of Information | 3 |
| INFO 225 | Course Not Available | 3 |
| INFO 233 | Social Psychology and Information Technology | 3 |
| INFO 271B | Quantitative Research Methods for Information Systems and Management | 3 |
| INFO 272 | Qualitative Research Methods for Information Systems and Management | 3 |
| INFO 288 | Big Data and Development | 3 |
| INFO 290 | Special Topics in Information | 1-4 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
| Information and Communication Technologies and Devleopment | ||
| INFO 203 | Social Issues of Information | 3 |
| INFO 213 | Introduction to User Experience Design | 4 |
| INFO 214 | User Experience Research | 3 |
| INFO 283 | Information and Communications Technology for Development | 3 |
| INFO 288 | Big Data and Development | 3 |
| Plus outside courses upon approval of your advisor | ||
Faculty and Instructors
* Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.
Faculty
Morgan Ames, Assistant Adjunct Professor. Science and technology studies; computer-supported cooperative work and social computing; education; anthropology; youth technocultures; ideology and inequity; critical data science.
Research Profile
David Bamman, Assistant Professor. Natural language processing, computational social science, machine learning, digital humanities.
Research Profile
Joshua Blumenstock, Associate Professor. Machine learning, development economics.
Research Profile
Jenna Burrell, Associate Professor. Technology appropriation in non-Western societies, technology and socio-economic development, qualitative research methods.
Research Profile
Jennifer Chayes, Associate Provost, Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society; Dean, School of Information; Professor . Machine learning and its applications in cancer immunotherapy, ethical decision-making, and climate change.
Research Profile
Coye Cheshire, Professor. Sociology, trust, social media, social psychology, social networks, collective action, social exchange, information exchange, social incentives, reputation, internet research, online research, online dating, online behavior.
Research Profile
John Chuang, Professor. Computer networking, computer security, economic incentives, ICTD.
Research Profile
Paul Duguid, Adjunct Professor. Trademark, information, communities of practice.
Research Profile
Hany Farid, Professor. Digital Forensics, Image Analysis, and Human Perception.
Research Profile
Daniel Gillick, Assistant Adjunct Professor. Natural Language Processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistics, speech recognition.
Research Profile
Morten Hansen, Professor. Creating great companies, collaboration, corporate transformation, leadership.
Research Profile
Marti A. Hearst, Professor. Information retrieval, human-computer interaction, user interfaces, information visualization, web search, search user interfaces, empirical computational linguistics, natural language processing, text mining, social media.
Research Profile
Chris Jay Hoofnagle, Adjunct Professor. Internet law, information privacy, consumer protection, cybersecurity, computer crime, regulation of technology, edtech.
Research Profile
Douglas Alex Hughes, Assistant Adjunct Professor. Experiments and Causal Identification, Social Networks, Political Behavior and Outcomes.
Paul Laskowski, Adjunct Assistant Professor. Information economics, telecommunications policy, network architecture, innovation.
Research Profile
Clifford Lynch, Adjunct Professor.
Research Profile
Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason, University Librarian and Chief Digital Scholarship Officer, Professor. Incentive-centered design, competition and antitrust policy in information-technology related industry.
Research Profile
Deirdre Mulligan, Associate Professor. Privacy, fairness, human rights, cybersecurity, technology and governance, values in design.
Research Profile
Geoffrey D. Nunberg, Adjunct Professor. The theory, history and social role of information .
Aditya Parameswaran, Assistant Professor. Data management, interactive or human-in-the-loop data analytics, information visualization, crowdsourcing, data science.
Research Profile
Zach Pardos, Assistant Professor. Education Data Science, Learning Analytics, Big Data in Education, data mining, Data Privacy and Ethics, Computational Psychometrics, Digital Learning Environments, Cognitive Modeling, Bayesian Knowledge Tracing, Formative Assessment, Learning Maps, machine learning.
Research Profile
David Reiley, Adjunct Professor. Field experiments, advertising, auctions and other pricing mechanisms, charitable fundraising, and electronic commerce.
Research Profile
Michael Rivera, Assistant Adjunct Professor. Research design, political science, voting and political behavior, technology and politics, civic participation and social media.
Research Profile
Kimiko Ryokai, Associate Professor. Human-computer interaction, tangible user interfaces.
Research Profile
Niloufar Salehi, Assistant Professor. Computer-mediated communication, human-computer interaction.
Research Profile
Annalee Saxenian, Professor. Innovation, information management, entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley, regional economic development, high skilled immigration, Asian development.
Research Profile
Steven Weber, Professor. Political science, international security, international political economy, information science.
Research Profile
Lecturers
Luis Aguilar, Lecturer.
Research Profile
Olukayode Segun Ashaolu, Lecturer.
Sara Cambridge, Lecturer.
Research Profile
Steven Fadden, Lecturer.
Jez Humble, Lecturer.
Research Profile
Xavier Malina, Lecturer.
Nick Merrill, Lecturer.
Fred Nugen, Lecturer.
Research Profile
James Reffell, Lecturer.
Research Profile
Stephen Trush, Lecturer.
Peter Frank Weis, Lecturer.
Emeritus Faculty
Michael Buckland, Professor Emeritus. Information management, information retrieval, metadata, library services.
Research Profile
Michael D. Cooper, Professor Emeritus. Analysis, design, database management systems, implementation and evaluation of information systems, computer performance monitoring and evaluation, and library automation.
Research Profile
William S. Cooper, Professor Emeritus.
M. E. Maron, Professor Emeritus.
Nancy A. Van House, Professor Emeritus. Digital libraries, science, information management, technology studies, knowledge communities, user needs, information tools, artifacts, participation of users.
Research Profile
Contact Information
Senior Director of Admissions
Julia Sprague
102 South Hall
Phone: 510-642-9242