2022-2023 Graduate Catalog w/ November Addendum 
    
    Nov 24, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog w/ November Addendum [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 their final dissertation defense. Upon a student’s defense of their dissertation as well as completion of all other milestones and graduate requirements, the student will be awarded the doctoral degree in their program of study.

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 

  • Evidence of research potential. Such evidence could come from submission of a Master’s Thesis (or equivalent published research). Students that are finishing the thesis may submit the incomplete thesis as part of their application packet. Students that have no published thesis or other research should have other means of showing potential, such as courses taken or significant documented projects.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Harrisburg University Information Systems Engineering and Management Ph.D. 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.

*Work experience is a requirement for successful applied learning during the full course of your degree program. If you are an F1 student, eligible CPT authorizations are required. If you are unable to work, you must submit a Waiver of Required Work Experience to your program lead.

Information Systems Engineering and Management Requirements


The following courses comprise the 36-48 semester hours required for the Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering and Management.  The semester hour value of each course appears in parentheses ( ). Details about Milestones can be found in the Ph.D. Guidebook on the Records and Registration SharePoint Site.

Complete 9 to 21 semester hours from the following graduate and doctoral Breadth courses:


(the number of semester hours required is based on the student’s individual Plan of Study specified by the Admissions Committee):   

Complete the Doctoral Research Seminar:


6 semester hours of ISEM 780  and defense of dissertation proposal 

Complete the dissertation process:


12 semester hours of ISEM 799  and defense of the dissertation