PhD Information Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The Ph.D. program consists of the following components: a history and foundations of IS seminar (4 graduate hours); research methods (8 or more graduate hours); electives (36 graduate hours); field exam; and thesis (32 or more graduate hours). Thus, a minimum of 48 graduate hours of coursework plus 32 graduate hours of thesis credit are required.

Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include IS 509 History and Foundations of Information Science; IS 519 Research Design in Information Science; IS 529 Doctoral ProSeminar (taken twice for 1hr each time); IS 599 Thesis Research (32 hrs min applied toward degree); IS 599 Thesis Research (32 min hrs applied toward degree).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The general admission requirements of the Graduate College apply. Consideration is also given to language study and computer skills, relevant work experience, letters of reference, and evidence of leadership. International students must score at least 620 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (260 on the computer-based test; 104 on the iBT version); or 7.5 on each section of the IELTS. The M.S. in bioinformatics requires a strong background in information science including undergraduate-level computing and mathematics. The C.A.S. requires a master's degree in library and information science and a grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) in the master's program. School Librarian Licensure Candidates interested in the School Librarian Licensure program must first be admitted and enrolled as a degree-seeking student within the School of Information

Domestic applicants: USD 15,168 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $31,266. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 31,266 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://ischool.illinois.edu/degrees-programs/graduate/phd-information-sciences/apply

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