iSchool launches new professional doctorate program

Margaret Costello Spillett
315 443 1069

The School of Information Studies (iSchool) has launched a part-time executive doctoral program for highly qualified middle level managers looking to boost their careers. The Doctorate of Professional Studies in Information Management is a three-year program with fall, spring and summer terms that is offered in a limited residency, distance learning format. The 51-credit-hour program involves 16 courses on methods, research and practice topics (36 credits total), plus 15 credits for thesis work.

“The program’s applied approach complements the research focus of the iSchool’s existing residential Ph.D. in information science and technology,” says Associate Dean for Research and Doctoral Studies Jeffrey Stanton. “The program also fits with Syracuse University’s commitment to life-long learning and meeting the evolving needs of students at various stages of their professional careers.

“We heard from working professionals that there is a real need for an advanced degree that combines doctoral level research, an applied focus, and an understanding of the role of information in the knowledge economy in both the private and public sectors,” he says.

This anecdotal evidence is supported by studies that report the need for a larger, better-trained executive work force in information-related fields. For example, in 2007, the Society for Information Management published a report providing evidence that as early as 2010 there will be a severe shortage in the United States of individuals qualified to fill these senior leadership jobs in business, government and elsewhere. The iSchool professional doctorate program has been designed to alleviate such a shortage.

Developed for mid-career professionals who are already employed, the diverse curriculum will prepare students to advance within their organizations and help their employers keep pace with the rapidly changing information field.

The program received formal approval this spring by SU’s Board of Trustees and the New York State Office of College and University Evaluation, and has begun accepting applications for the Fall 2008 class. A successful candidate will have completed a master’s degree and have at least five years of experience in the information professions. See the program pages on the iSchool’s web site for more details.

The new professional doctorate program joins a growing list of executive education programs in the iSchool, including the Executive M.S. in Information Management and certificates of advanced study. For more information, e-mail ischool@syr.edu or call (315) 443-2911.