University of North Texas 
A student must earn a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the Master's degree or 72 hours beyond the bachelor's degree. This includes organized coursework, directed study and research, and the dissertation. Additional courses above the 60 hours may be stipulated as needed, such as the research tool requirement.
Degree plans must be planned and approved under faculty supervision. A degree plan form has to be completed for each student.
General Program Plan
Credit hours in the General Program degree plan are distributed as follows:
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Core Areas |
Interdisciplinary Core |
INFO 6945 - Doctoral Seminar in Information Issues |
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Subject Core |
INFO 6000 Seminar in Information Science INFO 6700 Seminar in Communication and Use of Information INFO 6660 Readings in Information Science |
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Methods Core |
INFO 6940 Research Design Quantitative Research Methods / Statistics (3 credit hours) Qualitative Research Methods (3 credit hours) |
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Areas of Emphasis
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Information Theory and Design
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This area explores ways to structure information and knowledge for a multitude of information systems and uses, including measures and methods for the evaluation and study of information systems, related communication processes, and subsequent systems application and design or redesign. Courses are selected with approval of major advisor |
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Information and Behavior
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Studies relate to Human Information and Communication Behavior and the systematic response to these behaviors by using information technologies to advance communication and learning. Courses are selected with approval of major advisor |
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Information Policy and Management
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Inquiries focus on Organizational Behavior, in respect to information and the management of information, and of the organizations and systems that handle information. Courses are selected with approval of major advisor |
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Electives (9 hrs) |
Courses are selected with approval of major advisor | |
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Dissertation (12 hrs) |
INFO 6950 Doctoral Dissertation | |
Concentration Program Plan
Credit hours in the degree plan with a specific Concentration are distributed as follows:
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Core Areas |
Interdisciplinary Core |
INFO 6945 - Doctoral Seminar in Information Issues (1 credit hour, repeated in three semesters, for total of 3 credit hours) |
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Subject Core |
INFO 6000 Seminar in Information Science INFO 6700 Seminar in Communication and Use of Information INFO 6660 Readings in Information Science |
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Methods Core |
INFO 6940 Research Design Quantitative Research Methods / Statistics (6 credit hours for Cybersecurity; Consumer Behavior and Experience Management; Health Informatics ; and Data Science concentrations; 3 credit hours for Journalism concentration) Qualitative Research Methods (3 credit hours) |
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Concentration Core (12-15 hrs) |
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Cybersecurity Concentration Core (12 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Cybersecurity Concentration degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Cyber Security Concentration program. |
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Consumer Behavior and Experience Management Concentration Core (15 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Consumer Behavior and Experience Management Concentration degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Consumer Behavior and Experience Management Concentration program. |
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Health Informatics Concentration Core (12 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Health Informaitcs degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Health Informatics Concentration program. |
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Journalism Concentration Core (15 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Journalism Concentration degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Journalism Concentration program. |
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Data Science Concentration Core (15 hrs, (15 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Data Science Concentration degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Data Science Concentration program.
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Core Areas |
Geospatial Information Science Concentration (15 hrs. Courses are selected with approval of major advisor.) | Please consult the Geospatial Information Science Concentration Course Requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the GIS Concentration program. |
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Core Areas |
Linguistics Concentration Core (15 hrs, required) |
Please consult the Linguistics Concentration degree requirements for the list of Concentration Core courses in the Data Science Concentration program. |
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Concentration Electives (9-12 hrs depending on a specific concentration) |
With approval of major advisor. | |
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Dissertation (12 hrs) |
INFO 6950 Doctoral Dissertation | |
Multidisciplinary Requirement
An objective of the IS PhD Program is to integrate a variety of approaches to solving information problems and contributing to the theory base. Therefore, a substantial number of credit hours should be taken in each of two or more academic units. As a general rule this means no more than 18 hours of graduate credit in any one unit. This general rule may be waived under compelling circumstances, with the approval of the major advisor and the Program Coordinator.
Residency Requirement
Every doctoral student must complete the residence requirement at UNT: a minimum of 18 credit hours of coursework taken within the first three long semesters of studies (fall, spring, and the following fall) with a minimum of 6 credit hours of courses per long semester.
Prerequisite Requirements: Subject Tool and Research Tool
New students with no background in the subject area of organization of knowledge will be referred to introductory Master's-level INFO 5200 Information Organization course that would not count toward the 48 hours to complete the Subject Tool prerequisite requirement. New students with no previous graduate-level coursework in research methods will be referred to introductory Master's-level INFO 5080 Research Methods and Analysis course that would not count toward the 48 hours to complete the Research Tool prerequisite requirement. Prerequisite courses should be completed in the first two long semesters of enrollment in the IS PhD Program. Enrollment begins when the first course that is counted toward the degree plan is taken. As an alternative to taking these courses, a student can take online proficiency exams in the respective areas that are administered by the IS PhD Program Office. If the student successfully passes the proficiency exam in a given area, the leveling coursework requirement in this area is waived.
Other Preparation Requirements
The new student advisor or the major advisor may note areas in which the student has no appropriate background and suggest a means of rectifying the situation. For example, a student with little background in computers intent on pursuing an area of study requiring more than mere application of packaged programs might be required to enroll in one or more computer courses that would not count toward the 48 required credit hours.