Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Information Technology at Illinois Institute of Technology is designed to prepare students for a career in academic or industrial research. The program focuses on several areas of information technology, including software development, cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, system technologies, business development, and management.

Program Details

• Program Type: Doctoral
• Degree: Ph.D.
• Department: Information Technology and Management
• College: College of Computing
• Program Location: On Campus
• STEM Designated: Yes
• Meets F-1 Visa Requirements: Yes

Program Description

The program aims to equip students with the skills to lead, manage, and work with teams in an enterprise environment to collaboratively arrive at optimal technology solutions. Students will research, design, and deliver optimal technical and policy technology solutions for the problems of business, industry, government, nonprofit organizations, and individuals.

Curriculum

To receive a Ph.D., coursework requirements must be met and qualifying exams, including a comprehensive exam, passed. A thesis defense is required. Graduates of this degree should be able to demonstrate mastery of one or more core areas of information technology through original research, and publish documentation of such research.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program is competitive and applicants must have high grade-point averages, GRE scores, and (if required) TOEFL scores. Students may enter the program directly after completing only a bachelor’s degree in information technology or after completing a master’s degree in information technology or a related field. Preferred research areas and preferred Ph.D. advisers should be clearly mentioned in the cover letter.

Program Directors

• Marwan Omar
• Yong Zheng

Research Areas and Featured Faculty

Cybersecurity

• Marwan Omar
• Maurice Dawson
• Yibo Hu
• Ann Rangarajan

Data Science and AI

• Yibo Hu
• Yong Zheng

Web Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Recommender Systems, Information Retrieval

• Yong Zheng

Information Systems and Socio-Technical Systems

• Ann Rangarajan

National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

The United States Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency have designated Illinois Institute of Technology as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

North American Defense and Security Academic Alliance

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) North American Defense and Security Academic Alliance (NADSAA) exists as a collaborative information-based enterprise dedicated to strengthening and normalizing relationships between the two commands and academic institutions. That relationship stimulates and develops new thinking, examines cross-organizational solutions, and helps cultivate future generations of defense and security practitioners.