Program Overview
The doctoral program in information technology equips students with advanced knowledge in fundamental areas of IT. Graduates conduct and present scholarly research, positioning themselves for leadership roles in academia, research, industry, and government. The program features a research focus, requiring publications in reputed journals and conferences. Students also benefit from dedicated faculty mentors, a high-tech location, and personalized attention.
Program Outline
Objectives:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals in four of the following seven areas:
- data structures and algorithms
- operating systems
- computer networks
- database systems
- project management
- software engineering
- human computer interaction
- Conduct and document scholarly research.
- Present scholarly research.
Careers:
Graduates assume leadership roles in their current careers or in academic, research, government and state-of-the-art industry positions. Many in the private sector are promoted to higher-level positions with their current employers or start their own ventures to develop innovative products.
Other:
- The program requires 18 credits of coursework, a qualifying examination and a minimum of 24 credits of dissertation beyond the master’s program.
- Doctoral students are required to demonstrate research capabilities and publish in reputed journals or conferences in order to graduate.
- The required course AIT 790 Research Methodology, IT Technical Writing and Presentation is counted as the required 18 credits of coursework for students in the doctoral program.
- A dissertation consisting of peer-reviewed published work is required.
- Students are strongly recommended to have at least three research publications in peer-reviewed international conferences and/or journals before graduation.
- Students have the option to select the computer science track, which requires three specific computer science courses (9 credits).
- Students in the computer science track must pass the following areas of the qualifying exam:
- operating systems
- advanced data structures and algorithms
- computer networks
- Students in the computer science track must also pass one of the following areas:
- database management systems
- computer security
- software engineering
- Publications in the computer science track are expected to be related to computer science.
- The program has accomplished and dedicated faculty mentors with diverse research interests, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, universal usability, data mining, e-learning, digital signal processing and bare machine computing.
- The program offers an advantageous location in the high-tech Baltimore/Washington corridor.
- The program offers small-school attention with big-school resources and facilities.
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