Interdisciplinary Information Science PhD Program

Applicants must meet all general admission requirements and be accepted by the UNT Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. International students must also apply and be admitted by UNT-International. Once admitted a student must then meet all admissions requirements for the IIS PhD Program.

To ensure full processing by all offices, including international admissions and scholarships, all program application materials are due by November 1 of the year preceding the fall semester of initial enrollment; applicants will not be admitted for spring semesters.

Toulouse School of Graduate Studies admission criteria include:

• overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.4 (4.0 scale) in prior study
• scores on the Graduate Record Examination; and
• for international students, see below

UNT International admissions:

• For complete information go the UNT-International
• All applicants to UNT must show proof of English language proficiency
• minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or evidence of successful completion of a noncredit intensive course in English from the UNT Intensive English Language Institute.

Admission to the doctoral program is based on a holistic review process that uses multiple criteria related to both academic history and potential for success in the research field.

IIS PhD Program admission criteria include:

• completed master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution;
• three (3) letters of recommendation;
• evidence of experience, knowledge, skills, and aspirations from the following:
• personal statement
• curriculum vita
• scholarly writing sample
• (optional) interview--prospective students are strongly encouraged to interview with a doctoral advisor or faculty member prior to application

An admission committee comprised of interdisciplinary program faculty members reviews applications. Members of the committee evaluate and balance a number of factors which, when taken together, provide evidence that an applicant possesses superior scholastic ability, has the potential for success in a rigorous graduate program of research study, and will perform well within the broad context of the information field.

Admissions are highly competitive, depending on applicant qualifications and the availability of faculty to mentor doctoral students. Not all qualified applicants can be accepted. If additional information is needed to evaluate the admissibility of an applicant, an interview may be requested. 

See Admissions and Application form for a complete listing of the steps required to become an IIS PhD Student.