2019-2020 Graduate/Doctorate Catalog 
    
    Nov 22, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate/Doctorate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Information Systems Engineering and Management, Ph.D.


Doctorate education focuses on enabling the student to make original contributions to their respective fields of study. There are two phases of the doctoral program at HU, an initial learning phase that can include coursework, seminars, research, and fieldwork that contributes to the student’s knowledge in the program of study; and a second research phase that focuses on student’s original research culminating in his/her final dissertation defense. Upon a student’s defense of his/her dissertation as well as completion of all other graduate requirements, the student will be awarded the doctoral degree in his/her program of study.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Harrisburg University ISEM Program is to create information systems thinkers and leaders with the ability to add to the body of knowledge and practice in today’s and tomorrow’s academic, public and private organizations.

Program Goals

The Information Systems Engineering and Management program will produce Ph.D. graduates who:

  • Create original knowledge and understanding by contributing new theories, concepts, or new applications of existing theories to a discipline or area of professional practice;
  • Advance research efforts and disseminate results to peers and the community including conferences, journal outlets, and/or internal organizational formats; and,
  • Integrate theories and concepts through critical reflection, synthesis, and interpretation for solutions of private, public, national, or global problems.

Student Outcomes

HU Competencies ISEM PhD Program Outcomes
Critical Thinking
  • Examine existing theories and applications
  • Recommend research opportunities for unanswered issues or questions
  • Construct and justify new explanatory conceptual or applied frameworks and justify their use
  • Infer relationships among existing theories from diverse disciplines
  • Synthesize theories and/or applications
  • Interpret integration results
Information Literacy
Written and Oral Communication
Entrepreneurship
Teamwork
  • Evaluate research resources
  • Plan research activities
  • Justify proposed research methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and research designs
  • Interpret and defend research findings or application results
Global Awareness
Ethical Awareness
Civic Engagement
  • Infer relationships among existing theories from diverse disciplines
  • Synthesize theories and/or applications
  • Interpret integration results

Additional Requirements for Admission to the Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering and Management


The following are requirements in addition to those that are part of the general doctoral admissions requirements:

  • Minimum GPA: 3.30
  • GRE score in the 65th percentile or above in the Quantitative portion

Knowledge equivalent to the following required ISEM courses


Knowledge equivalent to the following elective ISEM courses


Specific Course Requirements for the Ph.D. in ISEM


The following courses assume the completion of the 36 semester hours required for the Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering and Management. Each course listed represents a three-semester hour value. Details about each of the Milestones listed can be found in the PhD Guidebook on MyHU.

Complete the 6 courses from the following upper-level courses - 18-semester hours:


Qualifying examination upon completion of doctor-level coursework


Complete the Doctoral Research Seminars (6 semester hours) and defend dissertation proposal


Comprehensive examination to qualify for doctoral thesis research work


Complete the dissertation process (12 semester hours of ISEM 799: Doctoral Studies) and defend the dissertation