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AcademicsGraduate ProgramsLibrary and Information Science (PhD)
Info Session: Library & Information Science
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Our students learn to analyze the information needs of users — applying a variety of tools and technologies to locate and evaluate information and organize, manage and preserve information and materials so it becomes an accessible source of knowledge.
You'll work closely with experienced faculty and other master's and doctoral students through analytical papers, experience reports, teaching and service activities and self reflective essays. Our students emerge from this degree with a record of publications, professional experience and an extensive portfolio.
SLIS has an established reputation for producing leaders in professional service at local, national and international levels. You'll benefit from an extensive alumni community (and the New England LIS community) that enriches the doctoral experience. Our program emphasizes scholarship, teaching and service and prepares students for research and faculty positions.
Students are required to complete 36 credit hours to achieve the Ph.D. degree. Of these 36 credit hours, 15 are devoted to required coursework and three are devoted to the dissertation. The remaining 18 credits are elective courses. Students often take independent study courses for their research projects or research-related courses at the masters' level or at the doctoral level of other disciplines.
The PhD program in Library and Information Science (PhD/LIS) is composed of a cohesive and collaborative cohort of students who are mentored from enrollment through completion of the dissertation. This flexible PhD/LIS program is unique in its guided preparation in the three areas of research, teaching, and service. During the program, students are able to research a variety of dissertation topics within library and information science as well as information professions. Students emerge from the program with a strong research record, solid teaching experience, a high professional activity standing, and a portfolio documenting their academic achievements and scholarly expertise in their areas of study. Students work with a faculty advisor to tailor the program to their interests and career goals.
Recent Doctoral Topics of Research Include:
Through a combination of required and elective courses, independent study, workshops, and guided experiences, the PhD focused on library and information science prepares students for lifelong activity in research, scholarship, teaching, and service. Students work closely with faculty as they progress through the degree, and are guided by faculty advisors and annual reviews of progress as evidenced by analytical papers and other course work, experience reports related to teaching and service activities, and self-reflective essays. The doctoral program is a small, strong program composed of students who form a cohesive and collaborative cohort, and who will be nurtured from enrollment through to completion of the dissertation.
Doctoral studies can be conducted at various intersections of setting, audience, and activity. Some examples of study areas which build on strengths among our faculty include archives and preservation, reference, metadata, scholarly communication, information retrieval and visual information systems.
A graduate of the Simmons SLIS PhD program:
Approved by SLIS Faculty on October 18, 2017.
Ready to take the next step? We'll guide you through the requirements and deadlines — and get you started on your way.
Apply Now
For Academic Year 2018-19, the PhD program at the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Simmons University has one opening for a Dean’s Doctoral Fellow.