PhD Concentrations Information & Decision Sciences

The PhD program in the department of Information and Decision Sciences is among the top-ranked programs in the country. The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota is widely recognized as a pioneer in the study of management information systems.

 

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Top Ranked
Students here build on storied academic traditions. The University of Minnesota was the first school in the United States to establish a doctoral program in management information systems and continues to be one of the top five programs in the world.

Field-leading Research
The faculty bring diverse expertise to the department and publish their research in numerous field-leading journals. The department is also the home of the highly respected journal, MIS Quarterly. Faculty expertise spans various topics, including:

  • Recommendation systems
  • Peer influence in social networks
  • Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
  • Online community design
  • Organizational Impact of IT
  • IT strategy and governance
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning
  • The dark side of the Internet
  • Smart data pricing
  • Online auction mechanisms
  • Cloud computing
  • Gamification
  • Human-robot interaction

A Community of Scholars
PhD students enjoy strong support from department faculty and regular interaction with distinguished speakers from around the world. Guest lecturers present at weekly seminars and other events hosted by the department and its related research center, the Management Information Systems Research Center.

The Information and Decision Sciences department also offers a highly successful Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, an MIS undergraduate program ranked as one of the top-three programs in the United States, and various MBA courses. PhD students are exposed to these curricula via teaching opportunities that will help jump-start their own career in business education.

Collaboration with Industry
The Twin Cities area is home to a dynamic business community that includes 17 Fortune 500 company headquarters as well as start-ups and entrepreneurs. The Carlson School is closely connected with the local industry, providing many opportunities for research collaboration with industry partners.

In a Vibrant, Modern Metro
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer lakes, parks, bike trails, great dining, professional sports, world-class theaters and museums, and many other amenities. The Twin Cities are routinely ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States. The University's lively urban campus overlooks the Mississippi River, with convenient rail connections to both downtown districts and the airport.

Graduate Placement Success
Graduates of the PhD program in information and decision sciences have continued their teaching and research careers at Boston University, Indiana University, Penn State University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and other respected institutions.

Photo of Shawn Curley
Professor Shawn Curley

Department Coordinator

curley@umn.edu

Professor Gautam Ray
Professor Gautam Ray

Department Chair

gautamr@umn.edu

Cao, Chengxin

Alumni Perspective

"One thing I really appreciated was the breadth of research interests in the department. For every research question I worked on, there was always someone who could guide me and help connect me to the relevant

resources. Also, the department holds a high standard for student research with a lot of support given to each student. This broad view and high standard for research help distinguish our students in the next level academia job."

Chengxin Cao
PhD '17
Information & Decision Sciences
Placement: Iowa State University