The Ph.D. in Information Systems program from Nova Southeastern University's College of Computing and Engineering empowers students to advance the field through groundbreaking research. 

Our Ph.D. programs are uniquely designed for working professionals, allowing you to advance your education without putting your career on hold. With no residency requirements, you can earn your Ph.D. from anywhere, seamlessly integrating your studies into your busy schedule. This flexible approach empowers you to balance work, life, and doctoral studies, providing a pathway to achieve your academic goals without disruption.

Working with world-renowned faculty, you'll have the opportunity to conduct research on a wide range of topics, including:

  • Information systems design and development Information security and privacy
  • Data analytics and machine learning
  • Human-computer interaction
  • Social and ethical implications of information technology

With our cutting-edge research facilities and resources, you'll develop the skills and knowledge needed to produce and defend original research; solve complex, real-world challenges; and create new technologies that will shape the future of information systems.

With their advanced education and research skills, our Ph.D. graduates are highly sought-after for prestigious positions in industry, government, and academia. Our Ph.D. alumni are working at leading organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google, as well as various government agencies and universities around the world.

Cybersecurity

The National Security Agency (NSA) and its affiliated federal agencies have designated NSU as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Cyber Defense (CD) and Cyber Research (R).

 

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Quick Facts

 Curriculum
Curriculum
NSU’s Ph.D. in Information Systems is a minimum of 51 total credits with the M.S. track or a minimum of 66 total credits with the B.S. track.
Start Dates
Start Dates
All College of Computing and Engineering doctoral degree programs begin in AugustJanuary, and May.
Delivery Options
Delivery Options
The Ph.D. in Information Systems program is offered as a blend of online and Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus courses and activities.
Tuition
Tuition
Visit the Tuition and Fees page for more information.

Learning Outcomes

A graduate with a Ph.D. in Information Systems will have the ability to:

  1. acquire advanced knowledge and deeper understanding of the field of information systems;
  2. communicate professionally and ethically about information systems research issues;
  3. identify, analyze, and synthesize scholarly literature related to the field of information systems; and
  4. generate new knowledge through research/scholarship and disseminate that knowledge to others by demonstrating the necessary technical and intellectual skills to produce a written document that makes an original contribution to the field of information systems.

Admission Requirements

B.S. or M.S. Degree
from a Regionally Accredited Institution
$50
Nonrefundable Application Fee (USD)
3.2
Or Higher GPA

Curriculum

Core Courses (30 credits)

Credits

(ISEC 615
Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 621
Information Systems Project Management
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 623
Ethics in Computing
/Credits: 3)
(MSIT 630
Database Systems
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 653
Telecommunication and Computer Networking
/Credits: 3)
(IMMIS 671
Data Analytics
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 680
Human Computer Interaction
/Credits: 3)
(RESD 700
Research Methods
/Credits: 3)

Electives (6 credits)

Credits

(ISEC 635
Information Security Operations Management
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 636
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 642
Data Warehousing
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 643
Data Mining
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 644
UX Strategy for Social Media
/Credits: 3)
(ISEC 655
Information Security Governance
/Credits: 3)
(ISEC 675
Information Systems Auditing
/Credits: 3)
(CISC 685
Interaction Design
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 692
Data Analytics Project
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 690
Special Topics in Information Systems
/Credits: 3)
(ISEC 695
Information Security Project
/Credits: 3)

Research Courses (12 credits)*

 

(DISS 885
Doctoral Research
/Credits: 4)

Dissertation Courses (24 credits)**

Credits

(DISS 901
Doctoral Dissertation
/Credits: 8)
(DISS 920
Continuing Dissertation
/Credits: 4)
 

Core Courses (15 credits)

Credits

( 
Select One:
/Credits:  )
(RESD 700
Research Methods
/Credits: 3)
( 
 
/Credits:  )
( 
Select One:
/Credits:  )
(ISEC 615
Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
/Credits: 3)
(ISEC 635
Information Systems Operations Management
/Credits: 3)
(ISEC 655
Information Security Governance
/Credits: 3)
(SEC 675
Information System Auditing
/Credits: 3)
( 
 
/Credits:  )
( 
Select One:
/Credits:  )
(MSIT 630
Database Systems
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 671
Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 642
Data Warehousing
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 643
Data Mining
/Credits: 3)
( 
 
/Credits:  )
( 
Select One:
/Credits:  )
(MMIS 680
Human Computer Interaction
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 636
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 644
UX Strategy for Social Media
/Credits: 3)
(CISC 685
Interaction Design
/Credits: 3)
( 
 
/Credits:  )
( 
Select one elective from the courses below that is not counted as part of the core or that has not been completed in the last five years:
/Credits:  )
(MMIS 680
Human Computer Interaction
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 636
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
/Credits: 3)
(MMIS 644
UX Strategy for Social Media
/Credits: 3)
(CISC 685
Interaction Design
/Credits: 3)

Research Courses (12 credits)*

Credits

(DISS 885
Doctoral Research
/Credits: 4)

Dissertation Courses (24 credits)**

Credits

(DISS 901
Doctoral Dissertation
/Credits: 8)
(DISS 920
Continuing Dissertation
/Credits: 4)
 

Students must maintain a minimum of 3.2 GPA in core courses for the Ph.D. program and a B or higher in each core course.

Students must successfully complete the core course requirement before taking doctoral research courses.

Each student must defend their research topic concept paper by the end of the second doctoral research course.

  • The research topic concept review is conducted by a faculty committee prior to the official idea paper and dissertation committee formation.
  • If the research concept is not successfully defended by the end of the third doctoral research course, the student will be dismissed.

Upon successful completion of the course and research topic defense requirements, the student is admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

Students must successfully pass the qualifier stage, secure an advisor and dissertation committee, and have an approved Idea Paper before pursuing dissertation course registration.

After achieving sufficient depth in a field of study, students prepare a proposal for the Ph.D. dissertation.

Upon approval of the written proposal, students must present the proposed work orally to the dissertation committee.

The student registers for one year (three terms) of dissertation, at eight credits per term.

Students who have not completed the dissertation after one year of dissertation registrations must register for Continuing Dissertation, three terms per year, until they have satisfied the dissertation requirement.

Students not on approved leave must register for each term following the one in which they enter candidacy.

 

The dissertation defense consists of a presentation given by the candidate on the topic focus of the dissertation. This includes questions from the dissertation committee and others in attendance. The defense is chaired by the Ph.D. advisor.

The Ph.D. maximum time frame to complete the dissertation is ten years from the date of entering the program.

Program Sheet (PDF)

*Each student will be required to complete at least three ISEC 885 doctoral research courses. These courses will be taken at the end of the student’s coursework. These faculty supported directed study courses will enable the student to identify a viable research topic and conduct preliminary research that will lead to formal candidacy.

**Students must complete 24 credits of ISEC 901 dissertation courses. Students who do not complete the dissertation within 24 credits will register for ISEC 920 Continuing Dissertation (four credits) until the dissertation is complete.

For a full list of all course descriptions, visit coursewizard.nova.edu.

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T.J. Moore

DevOps Engineer 2
NSU B.S. in Computer Science Graduate

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Priscila Reyes

NSU B.S. in Computer Science Graduate

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Catalina Bolaños Sippli

IT Consultant
NSU M.S. in Management Information Systems Graduate

 
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Ben Sirof

NSU M.S. in Information Technology Graduate

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Diaa Fathalla

NSU Ph.D. in Computer Science Graduate

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Rita Barrios

Adjunct Professor, Cybersecurity & Information Systems
NSU Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management Graduate

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The College of Computing and Engineering graduate enrollment office is located on the fourth floor in the Carl DeSantis Building on NSU's Fort Lauderdale-Davie campus in Davie, Florida. Click here for a map.

Phone: (844) 847-5815 or Toll-Free: 800-986-2247 x22031
Email: computing@nova.edu

Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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