Management Information Systems
Why Me?
“I am interested in information technology (IT) and its application in organizations. I have an interest in research, teaching about, and in helping to invent a future around, applications of IT.”
If that sounds like you, keep reading; this may be the first step towards an exciting and promising career!
Ph.D. versus MS
Deciding between getting a Ph.D. or an MS? (Note: a master's degree is not required in order to pursue a Ph.D.) Typical differences between working in academia with a Ph.D. versus working in industry with an MS:
- Individuals with a Ph.D. create knowledge; individuals with an MS apply knowledge (e.g., created by those with a Ph.D.).
- A Ph.D. enables an individual to choose and work in the areas and issues that pique his or her interest. An individual with an MS typically works on problems that are important to others (e.g., his or her supervisor).
- Individuals with a Ph.D. get paid for learning new things; individuals with an MS typically pay to learn new things (e.g., by taking advanced classes).
- Individuals with a Ph.D. have many more opportunities to teach undergraduate and/or graduate classes.
What is Management Information Systems?
MIS faculty teach and research about the application of information systems in organizations. This includes the study of social networks, cloud computing, IT consumerization, virtual reality, negotiation systems, collaboration technologies, office automation, electronic payments, strategic information systems, electronic commerce, collective intelligence, tele-medicine, electronic markets, social media, information requirements analysis, systems development methods, enterprise resource planning systems, systems implementation, adoption, and diffusion, mobile computing, and much more. The information technologies and systems we teach and research transform people’s lives, jobs and, for industry after industry, business models, products, supply chains, and distribution channels.
We are also interested in the implications of those technologies for people and society; personal privacy, infrastructure dependency, security, safeguarding of intellectual property, and IT-related stress all capture the interest of MIS faculty. So too do the political implementations of the internet, the evolution of the field, and IT in developing nations. And that’s just today! Ours is one of the most dynamic fields; the area your dissertation will focus on in several years may not have even been conceived of today.
The Goal
In addition to furthering your knowledge about information systems, you will be given the opportunity to develop the research skills and mindset necessary to be a successful scholar. In our seminars, as well as those you will take in other disciplines, you will learn about research methods, data analysis approaches, and theories applicable to your research. You will also gain necessary teaching expertise and experience.
Ph.D. Dissertation Topics
Rather than restrict our students’ research to specific topics in information systems, students have the freedom to explore topics in which they have strong interests. When these topics require expertise not available within our MIS faculty, we are happy to draw from other disciplines within the University of Houston as well as from other Universities in order to create appropriate dissertation committees. Below are some dissertation topics that have been explored by our past Ph.D. students.
