UNLV Informatics

Doctor of Philosophy in Informatics

The objective of the Ph.D. in Informatics is to provide graduates with an extensive conceptual framework for, and background in Informatics and to prepare them to conduct research in the field.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the requirements of the Graduate College, applicants for admission to the Ph.D. program in Informatics must meet the following requirements.

1. Students are expected to have a master's degree in informatics, information science, computer science or other closely related discipline, before applying to the Ph.D. program.
    
2. A GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.00 scale) or higher in post-baccalaureate course work is required for admission.
    
3. At least three letters of recommendation (preferably from academic sources) attesting to the applicant's professional competence and academic potential are required.
    
4. A personal "statement of purpose", which should be as specific as possible, and should include the applicants objectives and area(s) of interest, is required.
    
5. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with scores forwarded to UNLV.
    
6. TOEFL minimums of 213 (Computer), 550 (paper), 80 (Internet).  Enrollment is limited and competitive.  Applicants must have excellent command of spoken and written English.
    
7. Submission of academic transcript.

Degree Requirements

A student entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree is required to take at least 45 credits of course work subject to the following conditions:

1. At least 15 credits must be in informatics.
    
2. At least 9 credits must be outside of informatics, i.e., in a cognate area.
    
3. At least 12 credits of informatics courses must be at the 700-level (excluding INF 799 credits).
    
4. Includes a maximum of 18 credits of INF 799 (dissertation research).
    
5. Includes 9 credits of Research Methods courses, 3 of which must be in Informatics.

Students must meet a minimum 3.0 GPA for graduation.  Students must also agree to abide by the Association for Computing Machinery's "Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct" for computing professionals.

The Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is an oral examination designed to test the depth and breadth of the student's knowledge in his or her area of research specialization. It must be taken before either  (a) 2 years after passing the comprehensive examination or  (b) 4 years after entering the Ph.D. program. It generally focuses on his/her dissertation proposal. The main purpose of this exam is to evaluate the technical merits and feasibility of the student's proposal for his/her Ph.D. dissertation. The examination must be conducted by the student's Ph.D. committee. This committee consists of five faculty members of whom one must be from outside the Proposed School of Informatics. The student's advisor is the chairperson of this committee. The faculty member from outside the school is selected by the Graduate College from three faculty members who are suggested by the student in consultation with his or her advisor.

The student must prepare a dissertation proposal prior to taking this examination. This proposal should have already been approved by the student's advisor. This proposal must be given to the Ph.D. Advisory Committee members at least two weeks before the date of the qualifying exam. The proposal must contain a discussion of the background literature on the problem area, description of the specific topic of research proposal approach, feasibility arguments, the objective of the research project, and a list of references.

The student begins the exam with a presentation of his or her dissertation proposal. The remaining time is used for discussion and asking questions to determine if the student has sufficient depth of knowledge to carry out the proposed research. The examination cannot be taken more than twice. After successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student is advanced to candidacy for the degree.

Preparation of Dissertation

The candidate must prepare a dissertation on his or her research. The Ph.D. dissertation should represent a significant original research contribution to the field of informatics.

Oral Defense

After completion of the dissertation the candidate must pass a final oral examination in defense of his/her dissertation. The candidate must make the final changes, if any, in the dissertation within three months from the date of the oral defense.

A candidate can defend his or her dissertation at most twice. The Ph.D. dissertation must be approved by each member of the student's PhD Advisory Committee.

Satisfactory Progress

To maintain satisfactory progress in the Ph.D. program a student must:

1. Pass the comprehensive examination within 2.5 years of entering the Ph.D. program.
    
2. Maintain a minimum grade point average required by the Proposed School of Informatics.
    
3. Pass the qualifying examination within 4 years of entering the Ph.D. program.
    
4. Maintain satisfactory progress towards research.
    
5. Students must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree within six years.

If these requirements are not met the school may place the student on academic probation or drop him/her from the Ph.D. program.

Sample Curriculum

The following describes a typical course sequence for the Doctor of Philosophy degree (first two years are equivalent to a UNLV M.S. degree in Informatics).

FALL YEAR 1

INF700
Theoretical Foundations of Informatics (core, 3 cr.)
Overview of theoretical concepts in informatics, including first-order logic, computability theory, complexity theory, graph theory, sets and relations, combinatorial math, and statistics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

INF710
Informatics Systems and Networks (core, 3 cr.)
In-depth study of various types of information systems and networks. Topics include: types of information systems; data and knowledge management; computer networks and the Internet; wireless and mobile network; e-business and e-commerce; network management. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

COG7XX
Cognate or Informatics Elective Course 1 (3 cr.)
 

SPRING YEAR 1

INF720
Information Security (core, 3 cr.)
Overview of the principles and the technologies behind information security. Topics include: risks and vulnerabilities; principles of information security; encryption; security mechanisms in information systems; administration of information security, information crime, and legal and ethical issues. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

INF730
Human Computer Interaction (core, 3 cr.)
This course covers the fundamental concepts and techniques for design, implementation, and evaluation of human computer interfaces. Topics include Foundations of Human computer interaction, design and implementation techniques for graphical user interfaces, evaluation techniques, and different interface models. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

COG7XX
Cognate or Informatics Elective Course 2 (3 cr.)
 

FALL YEAR 2

INF740
Digital Media Design, Technology and Representation (core, 3 cr.)
This course covers principles of design to visualize new media concepts in any medium. Students are exposed to new and emerging digital media technologies and applications. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

COG7XX
Cognate or Informatics Elective Course 3 (3 cr.)

COG7XX
Cognate or Informatics Elective Course 4 (3 cr.)
 

SPRING YEAR 2

INF790 Informatics Project (3 cr)
Advanced project in informatics. May be repeated, but only three credits will be applied to the student's program. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.

COG7XX Cognate or Informatics Elective Course 5 (3 cr.)

INF/COG792 Internship (3 cr.)
Supervised internship in business, industry, government, or educational institution providing experience to use skills and knowledge acquired in informatics course work. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.
 

FALL YEAR 3

INF760 Advanced Theoretical Foundations of Informatics (3 cr.)
Advanced course to cover mathematical methods for information modeling, analysis, and manipulation. This course requires various research article reading and discussions. The topics include proof techniques, first-order logic, computability theory, complexity theory, and statistics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.

INF770 Social Foundations of Informatics (3 cr.)
This course covers the relationships between social systems and information and communication technologies. It focuses on social factors that influence the organization of information technologies, possible applications of information technologies in social and organizational systems, and how the human social factors and technological tools mutually contribute to the field of Informatics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.

INF794 Research Methods (3 cr.)
Catalog Description: Examination of research methods including: the scientific method, literature review, sampling, statistics, research design, and analytical technique. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and INF 700.
 

SPRING YEAR 3

COG7XX
Cognate or Informatics Elective Course (3 cr.)

INF780
Science, Humanities, Fine Arts, and other Domain Informatics (3 cr.)
Variable topic. Emphasis is on new developments and research in science, humanities, fine arts, and other domain informatics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.

ELE7XX
Elective Course 1 (3 cr.)
 

YEAR 4 Until Completion

ELE7XX
Elective Course 2 (3 cr.)

RES7XX
Research Methods Course 1 (3 cr.)

RES7XX
Research Methods Course 2 (3 cr.)

INF799
Dissertation Research (18 cr.)
Research analysis and writing towards completion of dissertation and subsequent defense. May be repeated but no more than 18 credits will be allowed in the degree. S/F grading only. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and INF 700.
 

NOTES:

1. Advanced Mathematical and Logical Foundations of Informatics, Social Foundations of Informatics, and Science, Humanities, Fine Arts, and other Domain Informatics are capstone courses at the PhD level.  These courses will lay the foundation for future study of, and research and innovation in, the interdisciplinary field of Informatics.   Specifically, these three courses set the stage for original research and design in domain-centered, human-centered and technology-centered Informatics. These courses will also prepare PhD candidates for research expectations of industry and academe.
    
2. Nine credits of theory and methodology applicable to the student’s specialty in Informatics are required.  Of these, one course (3 credits) will be offered within the School of Informatics.  The remaining 6 credits would be selected from other departments with the approval of the supervisory committee.  For examples, course in statistics, quantitative or qualitative data analysis, ethnographic methods, cognitive science, experimental or theoretical computer science, project management, and entrepreneurship could qualify depending upon the student’s specialty.
    
3. Six (6) hours of electives may be taken from relevant disciplines to the student’s specialty.  Many students may choose to take these electives from Informatics or the Cognate area, however other 700-level courses may qualify with the approval of the supervisory committee.