PhD: Information Science
The PhD in Information Science trains researchers who study how people use technology and design new ways to use it. Students join a research lab from the start to conduct collaborative research on faculty-led projects, take core courses in theory and in qualitative and quantitative methods, and publish original research. Recent student work has appeared at top-tier computing venues such as CHI, CSCW, AAAI, and FAccT. The department's strengths include human-computer interaction, social computing, technology ethics, and data science.
PhD Program Requirements
The PhD requires a minimum of 30 course credit hours and 30 thesis credit hours, and a dissertation consisting of original research. Most students finish in about five years. Research happens in faculty labs on funded projects: you join a lab, work on research alongside faculty and other students, and draw on methods from the social sciences and humanities as much as from computing. Coursework covers theory, qualitative and quantitative research methods, design, and computational techniques, and students take courses outside the department with the approval of their advisor and the graduate committee. After a written and oral preliminary exam, students specialize in a dissertation area in consultation with their committee.
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
- We encourage applications from individuals from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds. However, all students admitted to the program will be expected to develop a breadth of competencies (including in empirical, computational and design methods) that are essential to being an information science researcher. Ability and willingness to expand skillsets should be demonstrated in the statement of purpose.
Application Materials
- CV or resume
- Statement of purpose (maximum of two pages):
- Your statement of purpose should describe a question, problem or topic in information science that you have a passion to address.
- Please describe how your previous academic training, professional experience and/or personal passions have led you to this question, problem or topic and have drawn you to this degree program.
- Identify the faculty members with whom you would be interested in working and why.
- One unofficial transcript from each college or university attended.
- Three letters of recommendation from people qualified to judge your potential for success in graduate school.
- The most compelling letters will provide specific observations about the candidate’s promise in analytical thinking, scientific communication (both oral and written), research and teaching, as well as a demonstration of teamwork and collegiality.
- GRE scores are not required for students applying to our graduate program. Applicants are welcome to submit a general GRE score but will not be at a disadvantage if they choose not to.
- Optional: A writing sample in addition to the statement of purpose.
- International applicants should also have a TOEFL score of 100, or an IELTS score of 7.0, or a DuoLingo of 120.
Faculty Advisors and Research Interest Matching
Advisor fit is also a critical part of PhD admissions, so we highly recommend that you look into the research areas of specific faculty and their research labs and consider if there is a good potential match for you. Additionally, depending on capacity and timing, some faculty members might be more actively recruiting than others. You should feel free to reach out to faculty members individually to inquire about research areas and advising capacity.
While affiliate faculty can advise PhD students in INFO, we strongly suggest that you name at least one core faculty in your application.
Learn more about our faculty and research labs.
Diverse Students
Information Science is a broad discipline, and our students come from a range of backgrounds. Some have computer science degrees, and come prepared to take on information science with a toolkit of computational and data science methods. Some have little to no experience in computing, but have backgrounds in social science or qualitative research. Some come to us with a rich knowledge of domains (e.g., public health, education, or journalism) to which information science research and techniques can be applied. Some come straight out of undergraduate programs, others have already completed graduate degrees, and others have years of professional experience.
Our program is designed to help Ph.D. students tailor their education towards their own research interests and skill sets while developing a shared body of knowledge around methods, computational techniques, theoretical frameworks, and design practices.
Student Voices: Why CU?
"The breadth of research that the department of Information Science supports has empowered me to pave a unique path in pursuit of my research agenda. I’ve been able to collaborate with researchers across the university and even at other institutions to combine network science, natural language processing, and complex adaptive systems theory to form a robust computational approach to my subject-matter interests.
This, along with the environment cultivated by my thoughtful and supportive peers have made it a delight to call CU INFO my home for the past three years."
"I chose the CU Information Science program because the community here champions the critical voices and scholarships within the field of computing. During my time here I have had some of the most unique and life-changing experiences through research, classes, and teaching that has significantly shaped my approach towards envisioning human-centered design. I feel very proud and humbled to be part of this vibrant community that actively pushes the boundaries of computing research."
As an international PhD student, I was drawn to the INFO department because of its unique interdisciplinary approach. My work sits at the intersection of technology, social impact, and community empowerment, and INFO felt like a place where my ideas could truly take shape.
Working in the PIRL Lab with Amy Voida has been a highlight of my experience. It’s given me the space to pursue questions I’ve been deeply curious about, particularly how nonprofits and resource-constrained organizations can make technology work for them, even when time, funding, and technical expertise are limited. What stands out most is INFO's commitment to research in advancing knowledge and creating tangible impact in the communities we serve.
"The Information Science PhD program at CU Boulder has given me the space to explore my research interests across disciplinary boundaries. I am continually challenged to consider problems from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives, and this program has cemented my identity as an interdisciplinary scholar. The students and faculty in this department are incredibly supportive, and working with the department's Graduate Student Association has given me the opportunity to build our sense of community even further."
INFO Research Topics
Information science faculty and students conduct research that spans topics across the discipline, with a strong focus on human-centered topics such as social computing, data science, ethics and policy, education and learning, accessibility, HCI, and design. (However, note that our department does not have a library science program.)
Learn more about the research groups led by our faculty.
Learn more about the research interests of both our faculty and current PhD students on their profile pages.
Contact the Department of Information Science
CMDI Department of Information Science (INFO)
1045 18th Street, UCB 315
Boulder, CO 80309
303-735-7581