Information Systems, PhD Programme

Study programme code INFSYS-DR

ECTS credits 180

Admission requirements

The main requirements for admittance to the PhD programme in Information Systems are similar to those for related PhD programs in Norway and Scandinavia.

General requirement: Applicants who have at least a master´s degree or equivalent in a relevant area of study will be considered for admission. In addition, there is a requirement for at least one and a half years of study in subjects related to information systems.

Compensatory course work: Applicants with a master´s degree or equivalent, but who do not have sufficient knowledge in information systems, will be requested to take additional courses at the master´s level before being formally accepted into the Programme. A PhD Programme Committee will decide on an individual basis which/how many additional courses at the master´s level will be required.

Grade requirement: Average of B (or equivalent) or better.

See also Supplementary regulations for the PhD degree in Information Systems at University of Agder, § 2.1 Applicants´ formal qualifications.

General description and profile of the programme

The PhD programme in information systems consists of four components: core courses, methods courses, specialisation courses, and a dissertation. The coursework aims to provide the students with a) a thorough grounding in literature in information systems, b) a solid methodological foundation, and c) an opportunity for in-depth focus in areas relevant to information systems in which a student has specific interest. In addition to the courses offered by UiA, students will be allowed to take, subject to approval, doctoral courses offered by other national and international academic institutions. For example, the Department of Information Systems has an agreement with Aalborg University on mutual exchange of PhD courses.

The programme consists of four components:

Core courses (15 ECTS)

• IS-600 Theoretical foundations of IS (7,5 ECTS)
• IS-601 IT and organization (7,5 ECTS)

Methods courses (20 ECTS)

• ME- 606 Research methods in Information Systems (7,5 ECTS)
• ME-608 Theory of science (5 ECTS)
• ME-607 Dissertation seminar (2,5 ECTS)
• Method elective(s) (5 ECTS)

Specialisation courses (10 ECTS)

Dissertation (135 ECTS)

In total, the coursework consists of 45 ECTS. The coursework will normally be completed through the first 3-4 semesters of the PhD programme. The dissertation project will be initiated in parallel with the coursework, guided by an appointed supervisor. The dissertation seminar will also support the students in developing their dissertation work, and will give the opportunity to present and discuss this with other PhD students and faculty.

Year 1:
1st semester: coursework and appointment of supervisor(s)
2nd semester : coursework and beginning of dissertation work

Year 2:
1st semester: coursework and dissertation work
2nd semester: coursework and dissertation work

Year 3:
1st semester: dissertation work
2nd semester: completion of dissertation and dissertation defence

In the following, each of the course modules of the programme are presented further.
Core courses. The core courses are intended to give the students a thorough grounding in the knowledge base of the information systems area. The course titled "Theoretical Foundations of Information Systems" will provide the students with an understanding of core concepts and theories prevailing in information systems research. The second core course, titled "IT and organization", will focus on the mutual relationship between information systems and organizational structure and behaviour as a basis for conducting research on related issues.

Methods courses. The purpose of the methods courses is to provide students with a solid methodological foundation. A minimum of 20 ECTS are required in the methods area. The Theory of science course will be given in collaboration with other PhD programmes at UiA. The course on Research Methods in Informations Systems will provide the students with an overview of main methodological approaches applied in information systems research. In addition, the students will be required to take one or more elective courses focusing on advanced topics related to quantitative or qualitative methods, depending on the methodological approach used in the dissertation. These method electives will be provided both internally in collaboration with other PhD programs at UiA, and by partner institutions such as Aalborg University.

Specialisation courses. The specialisation courses go into depth in specific topics currently on the research agenda in the information systems area. These courses are intended to give the PhD student sufficient knowledge within a subfield of information systems and to start producing research in this field. Examples of specialisation courses (all 2,5 ECTS) that can be given by the Department of Information Systems include:

Research issues on eGovernment

Research issues on Enterprise Systems

Research issues on Global Information Systems

Research issues on ICT in Development.

In addition, the students will be encouraged to take specialisation courses offered by other universities in Norway and abroad. As part of this category of coursework, participation in research seminars and conferences may also give course credits, subject to approval by the PhD Programme Committee. It will also be possible to arrange readings courses tailor-made for individual students in specialised areas of interest and competence, where the completion of such courses will require writing a paper. The content of such courses is subject to approval by the PhD Programme Committee.

Specific arrangements for recognition of prior learning (formal, non-formal and informal) Arrangements for the recognition of prior learning are described in the information on the institution under "General arrangements for the recognition of prior learning (formal, informal and non-formal)".

Examination regulations and grading For a description of the examination regulations, see the Examination Regulations of the University of Agder.

For information about the Norwegian grading system, see ECTS credits and grades. Specific information on grading for each course is found in the individual course descriptions.

Graduation requirements The Examination Regulations of the University of Agder regulate the graduation requirements for each programme of study.

Learning outcomes

The ability to integrate knowledge, handle complexity and exercise judgement is a desired learning outcome both at the master´s level and at the doctoral level. At the doctoral level, however, in addition to providing knowledge at the forefront of the research field, the objective is to facilitate the discovery and development of new knowledge. Students are challenged to raise questions and define research issues, and they are trained in the systematic application of research methods to expand the knowledge frontiers, and to communicate and publish their research results. They should also be better prepared for the exercise of responsibility in new and unforeseen situations where scholarship and ethical judgement at a high level are required.

In the proposed PhD programme doctoral students will learn from reading assignments and lectures, class discussions and term papers. More importantly, they will learn from the dialogue and environmental stimuli of working together in a community of students and researchers while developing their own research agenda. Upon successful completion of the proposed PhD programme in Information Systems, candidates should be able to:

• Select, integrate and apply a broad range of skills and techniques, tools and practices useful in the study of organisational and societal aspects of information systems development and application.
• Develop further skills and practices useful for their particular type of investigation.
• Describe the process of conducting research for practice, and how research meets the needs of IS practitioners and general managers concerned with IT management.

Teaching methods The courses will be run as seminars including reading assignments, class discussion and presentation of term papers.

Assessment methods The assessment is based on term papers graded as pass or fail, where pass is equivalent to a grade B or better.

Qualification awarded PhD in Information Systems

Contact person Professor Bjørn Erik Munkvold