Information Studies, Ph.D.

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Major Core (9 hours)
LIS 6033	Intellectual Traditions in Information Studies	3
LIS 6713	Research Methods and Design in Information Studies	3
LIS 6970	Special Topics in the Theory of Information Studies	3
Additional Methodology Courses Outside SLIS (6 hours)
Two additional methodology courses selected from a list maintained by the School of Library & Information Studies		6
Major Specialization (12 hours)
Four courses focused on creating a major area of specialization, as approved by committee chair and graduate liaison. 1		12
Doctoral Seminar (8 hours)
LIS 6962	Doctoral Seminar (2 hours per semester for four semesters)	8
Guided Electives (12 hours) 2
6 hours from 6000-level LIS courses		6
6 hours of graduate coursework offered outside of SLIS		6
General Electives (30-33 hours)		30-33
Must be approved by committee and graduate liaison. Up to 30 hours may be credited from a prior master's degree in a related field (with permission of committee chair and graduate liaison).
Dissertation Research (10-13 hours)
LIS 6980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	10-13
Total Credit Hours		90

¹

This can be 4 semesters of LIS 6920, Directed Research, to create a specialization in research.

²

It is recommended that these courses are chosen carefully with a view to (a) acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for designing and implementing a research study in the student’s area of interest, and/or (b) exploring a particular cognate area relating to the student’s research interests and becoming acquainted with faculty who may serve as external dissertation committee members.

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General Requirements for Doctoral Degrees

A student should expect to spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years beyond the bachelor’s degree to obtain the doctoral degree. During this period the student will take appropriate graduate coursework, successfully complete the general examination, and successfully defend and submit the final dissertation.

All coursework applied to the doctoral degree must carry graduate credit.

The doctoral degree requires at least 90 post-baccalaureate hours, including both formal coursework and hours of research.

The minimum hour requirement for a specific doctoral degree program cannot be waived.

No more than one-half of the credit hours, both OU and overall, excluding Research for Doctoral Dissertation (6980), may be S/U-graded coursework.

The student must be in residence at OU for at least two consecutive 16-week semesters during the pursuit of the doctoral degree while enrolled and engaged in coursework or research activities as prescribed by the major academic unit.

For more detailed regulations and requirements for Doctoral degrees, please consult the Graduate College Bulletin: http://www.ou.edu/gradcollege/forms/bulletin