Admission Requirements
Doctoral students in information technology are selected on the
basis of scholarship and potential from among applicants with
appropriate degrees from institutions of high standing. Generally,
a master's degree in an information technology-related area is
required for admission to the program. Students without an
appropriate master's degree who otherwise satisfy admission
requirements will usually be encouraged to first seek such a degree
in one of the seven master's programs offered through this school.
Application packets are available from the Office of Admissions and
from the Office of the Dean of SITE.
An undergraduate grade average of B (3.0/4.0) and a graduate grade
average of 3.5/4.0 are nominal and normative requirements for
applicants to the program. The admissions process includes
submission of the application for admission, undergraduate and
graduate transcripts from previous colleges and universities
attended, GRE test results when available, three letters of
reference, a resume and detailed statement of career goals and
aspirations, and a self-assessment of past background. All of an
applicant's background is examined prior to making an admissions
decision.
Among appropriate fields of study that provide an immediate basis
for doctoral study in information technology are engineering,
computer science, operations research, statistics, mathematics,
physical sciences, economics, and psychology.
To ensure a common ground of fundamentals, students should have a
background in topics such as calculus, differential equations,
linear algebra, discrete structures, probability, and statistics.
In addition, students entering the doctoral program in information
technology must have a sound working knowledge in computing as
demonstrated by examples of programs or applications developed and
tested in at least one high-level programming language environment.
Since much of the course work within this program requires
computational proficiency, experience with a variety of languages
and computer hardware is useful, as is an understanding of computer
architecture. Highly qualified students who do not present evidence
of appropriate course work for the program may be admitted and then
required to take appropriate articulation courses.
