Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

Departmental Email: gradvise@indiana.edu

Departmental URL:  https://informatics.indiana.edu

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Informatics and the Ph.D. Minor in Informatics are offered through the University Graduate School.

In addition, the Informatics Department offers the Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction and the Master of Science in Informatics (including a track in Animal-Computer Interaction). For other MS degree programs within the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, please see specific Department entries.

All graduate programs offered by the Informatics Department fall under STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classification.

Ph.D. in Informatics 

The Ph.D. in Informatics provides a balance among technological, scientific, and social dimensions involved in the development, study, and application of information technology. A student must successfully complete ninety (90) credit hours of graduate-level course work. The specific track requirements are listed below.

Tracks of Study 

Tracks of study approved within the Informatics Department are Animal Informatics, Bioinformatics, Complex Networks and Systems, Computing, Culture, and Society, Health Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Intelligent Interactive Systems, Security Informatics, and Virtual Heritage.

Admission Requirements 

All applicants must have a minimum of a four-year bachelor’s degree. To apply to the Informatics Department, applicants need to complete and submit an online application. Along with the online application, the following supporting materials are required: statement of purpose, resume/CV, three (3) letters of recommendation, transcripts and degree certificates, IELTS or TOEFL scores (required for international students, must be taken within two years of application), and a portfolio (required for all HCI applicants). GRE scores are not required, but students will have the option to include them in their application. For an application to be reviewed, it must be complete.

The admissions committee takes a holistic approach and reviews applications in their entirety. There are no cut-offs for GRE/TOEFL/IELTS test scores or GPA, as the admission committee prefers to use the full information available in the application.

For specific track requirements, please contact admit2iu@indiana.edu.

Doctor of Philosophy in Informatics

Ninety (90) credit hours are required to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Informatics. The curriculum includes: core courses, seminars, research rotations, methodology and theory courses, electives in related disciplines, minor courses, and dissertation research courses. We encourage students to also pursue internships and related activities.

There are eighteen (18) required credits, which include I501 and I502, six (6) credits of seminar work (I609 and/or I709), and six (6) credits of research rotation (I790). The student must take an additional twelve (12) credits of theory and methodology courses applicable to the student’s specialty area. These courses can be taken inside or outside the school. The student must also take an additional thirty (30) credits in elective coursework. The required Ph.D. minor and transfer credits are included in this category. The remaining thirty (30) credits will be taken in dissertation credits.

It is possible to transfer up to thirty (30) credit hours of graduate work completed at Indiana University or a graduate program at another university. All transfer credit is subject to approval by the student’s advisor and the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies.

Ph.D. in Informatics Requirements Plus Track-Specific Requirements

Informatics Core Requirements (6 cr.): A student must take INFO-I 501 Introduction to Informatics (3 cr.) and INFO-I 502 Human-Centered Research (3 cr.).

Informatics Seminar Requirement (6 cr.): A student must take INFO-I 609 Seminar I in Informatics (3 cr.) and/or INFO-I 709 Seminar II in Informatics (3 cr.).

Informatics Research Rotation Requirement (6 cr.): A student must complete two (2) INFO-I 790 Informatics Research Rotation (3 cr.). A third rotation will not count for course credit.

Bioinformatics Track Requirements (6 cr.): A student in the Bioinformatics track must take INFO-I 519 Introduction to Bioinformatics (3 cr.) and INFO-I 529 Machine Learning in Bioinformatics (3 cr.).

Complex Networks and Systems Track Requirements (6 cr.): A student in the Complex Networks and Systems track must take INFO-I 601 – Introduction to Complex Networks and Systems (3 cr.) and INFO-I 606 – Network Science (3 cr.).

Health Informatics Track Requirements (6 cr.): A student in the Health Informatics track must take INFO-I 527 Mobile and Pervasive Design (3 cr.) and INFO-I 530 Field Deployments (3 cr.).

Security Track Requirements (6 cr.): A student must take INFO-I 520 Security for Networked Systems (3 cr.) and INFO-I 533 Systems and Protocol Security and Information Assurance (3 cr.).

Virtual Heritage Track Requirements (9 cr.): A student must take INFO-I 587 Introduction to Virtual Heritage (3 cr.), INFO-I 588 Advanced Topics in Virtual Heritage (3 cr.), and INFO-I 698 Research in Informatics: Virtual Heritage Laboratories (3 cr.).

Theory and Methodology Requirement (12 cr.): These courses must be appropriate for a Ph.D. in Informatics (12 credits).

Minor (6-15cr.): All Informatics doctoral students are required to complete either a minor within the School or an approved minor outside of the School. Internal and external minors should be appropriate to the student’s research as determined by the student’s advisory committee. All minors must be approved by the University Graduate School, the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies, and the student’s advisor.  If a student is pursuing a double major/dual degree, there is no minor requirement.

Electives (12-30 cr.): A student must have all electives approved by the student’s advisor and the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies prior to enrolling in the course.

Thesis Reading and Research (a minimum of 21 cr. and a maximum of 30 cr.): A student must complete 21-30 credits of INFO-I 890.

Grades 

The minimum overall GPA of a grade of B (3.0) for all Ph.D. Informatics courses is required. A student whose semester GPA falls below a grade of B (3.0) will be put on probation. The student must raise their semester and cumulative grade point average of B (3.0) or higher by the end of the following semester. Failure to do so may result in academic dismissal from the program. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below a grade of B (3.0) for two consecutive semesters (excluding summer) may result in academic dismissal from the program.

Qualifying Examination

Each track in Ph.D. in Informatics may have specific requirements that must be followed by the student in that track. Check with the track director for the specific qualifying examination requirements.

The student who does not successfully pass the examination can retake the exam a second time. The qualifying examination can only be taken twice. The student must pass the qualifying examination before passing on to candidacy until the degree is conferred.

After passing the qualifying examination, the student must remain continuously enrolled beginning the next semester after passing the qualifying exam (excluding the summer sessions).

Candidacy expires seven (7) years from the date that the student passed the qualifying exam. For double majors, candidacy expires eight (8) years from the date that the student passed the qualifying exam.

Dissertation Proposal

The proposed research for the dissertation must be presented and approved by the student’s research committee.

Final Examination

Oral defense of the dissertation must be approved by the student’s research committee and presented at a public colloquium in the school.

Annual Review 

Each academic year, the faculty will evaluate each student’s academic progress in the Informatics program during the Graduate Evaluation Day (GED). The student will be evaluated in three areas: Milestones to Complete, Noteworthy Accomplishments, and Evaluation Summary. In preparation for the GED, all students are required to submit an Annual Report for the previous academic year. The faculty will review each student’s Annual Report and submit feedback of the student’s academic progress.

Doctor of Philosophy in Informatics – Double Major

To pursue a double major, there must be a substantive relationship between the two major fields, particularly with respect to the topic of the student’s dissertation. Since the Ph.D. in Informatics program is very interdisciplinary spanning many disciplines, it gives students the ability to pursue a double major if so desired. Each department and their respective Deans must approve the double major.

Once a student has the approval of each department and their respective Deans, the student must submit the Application to Change from a Single to a Double Major for the Ph.D. Degree form, (3) both majors must fulfill all degree requirements. In some instances, it may be possible to count the same work toward requirements in both departments, and (4) the student must pass two sets of qualifying examinations.

The student’s advisors from both majors determine the exact course of study and examinations. The entire advisory committee negotiates, with the approval of the respective deans, in any area of substantial overlap in the two programs of study and in the examinations.

Ninety (90) credits are required to earn a Doctor of Philosophy with a double major. While judicious program planning may permit completion of some double majors within the ninety (90) credits, another student may accrue additional hours due to the programs of study required for each major. Double majors have one additional year, for a total of eight years, before they are required to take the qualifying examinations. Double majors are not required to complete a minor.

Minors Offered by SICE

Ph.D. Minor in Informatics

(9 cr.) (External Minor for non-Informatics students only)

A minor in Informatics requires nine (9) credit hours. The required nine credit hours refer to any three graduate courses suitable for the student’s research, decided by the student’s advisor (in the student’s department) and the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies. Typically, these three graduate courses will include INFO-I 501 Introduction to Informatics (3 cr.) and two other approved Informatics courses available in the Informatics Ph.D. program. For information about the Informatics minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu).

Ph.D. Minor in Animal Informatics

The Animal Informatics PhD Minor requires 3 courses:

• INFO I514 Seminar in Animal-Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• INFO I511 Animal-Computer Interaction Methods (3 cr.)
• One elective from the MS Informatics, Animal Informatics Track elective list (3 cr.). 

Ph.D. Minor in Bioinformatics

(12 cr.) (External and Internal Minor) 

A minor in Bioinformatics requires twelve (12) credit hours. The core curriculum consists of graduate level courses in Informatics. The student may select electives based on personal interests from a broad list of courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, information science, and medical and molecular genetics. The graduate bioinformatics courses in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering assume a minimal knowledge of cell and molecular biology. That level of understanding could be gained with at least six (6) undergraduate credit hours in molecular biology, genetics, or evolution. However, undergraduate credits do not count towards a Ph.D. degree unless specifically listed in the University Graduate Bulletin without the notation “Not for graduate credit.” For information about the Bioinformatics minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu). 

NOTE: Undergraduate credits do not count towards a Ph.D. degree unless specifically listed in the University Graduate School Bulletin as a course that may be taken for graduate credit. Before enrolling in an undergraduate course, please consult the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office. 

Ph.D. Minor in Complex Networks and Systems

(9 cr.) (External and Internal Minor)

A minor in Complex Networks and Systems requires nine (9) credit hours. Both INFO-I 609 and INFO-I 709 are required. The student may choose among the following courses to obtain the degree:

• INFO-I 609 Advanced Seminar I in Informatics: Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 709 Advanced Seminar II in Informatics: Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 585 Biologically inspired Computing (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 586 Artificial Life as an Approach to Artificial Intelligence (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 601 Introduction to Complex Networks and Systems (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 690 Mathematical Methods for Complex Networks and Systems(3 cr.)

In consultation with both the Complex Networks and Systems Core director and the student’s advisor; a student may apply additional classes toward the degree. For information about the Complex Networks and Systems minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu). 

Ph.D. Minor in Computer Science

(9 cr.) (External and Internal Minor)

A minor in Computer Science requires nine (9) credit hours. The student must select a minimum of nine credit hours at the 500 level or above as follows:

• CSCI-A 500-level courses and 400-level courses are excluded (with these exceptions: CSCI-A 595, CSCI-B 401, CSCI-B 403,  CSCI-P 423,  CSCI-P 436,  CSCI-P 438,  CSCI-B 441,  CSCI-P 442, and  CSCI-B 443) are approved for graduate credit toward the Ph.D. minor.
• CSCI-A 593, CSCI-A 594, and any two courses totaling six (6) credit hours or more from the list: CSCI-A 595, CSCI-A 596, plus the computer science courses meeting the requirements of the first option.

For information about the Computer Science minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu). 

Ph.D. Minor in Data Science

(12 cr.) (External and Internal Minor)

A minor in Data Science requires twelve (12) credit hours. The Data Science minor consists of four (4) courses (twelve (12) credit hours) of graduate coursework in data science or related topics. The required twelve (12) credit hours include any four courses suitable for the student’s research, which are selected by the student, the student’s advisor, and the Director of Data Science Academic Programs. For information about the Data Science minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu). 

Ph.D. Minor in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

(12 cr.)

The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) minor requires twelve (12) credit hours. Students must take a three (3) credit hour introductory HCI graduate course either from Informatics or Information Library Science: INFO-I 541 Human-Computer Interaction Design (3 cr.) or ILS-Z 516 Introduction to HCI (3 cr.). Additionally, students must take nine (9) credit hours from at least one department (Informatics, Computer Science, Sociology, etc.) other than the student’s home department (Informatics, Computer Science, Sociology, etc.), including courses that include but are not limited to those listed below. All topical seminar classes must be approved by the student’s HCI advisor and the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies. A minimum of B (3.0) is required in each course that is to count toward the minor. For information about the HCI Minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu).

• EDUC-P 544 Applied Cognition and Learning Strategies (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 528 Participatory Design (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 541 Human-Computer Interaction Design (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 542 Foundations of HCI (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 543 Interaction Design Methods (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 544 Experience Design (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 561 Visual Thinking Meaning and Form (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 604 Human-Computer Interaction Design Theory (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 609 Advanced Seminar I in Informatics: Human Computer Interaction (3 cr
• INFO-I 709 Advanced Seminar II in Informatics: Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• ILS-Z 515 Information Architecture (3 cr.)
• ILS-Z 516 Human-Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• ILS-Z 561 User Interface Design for Information Systems (3 cr.)
• ILS-Z 661 Concepts and Contemporary Issues in Human-Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• ILS-Z 662 Interface Design for Collaborative Information Spaces (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 578 Cognitive Ergonomics (3 cr.)
• MSCH-T 571 Applied Cognitive and Emotional and Psychology Theory (3 cr.) 

Ph.D. Minor in Information Science

(12 cr.) (External and Internal Minor)

The outside minor in Information Science consists of four courses (twelve (12) credit hours) of graduate coursework in the Department of Information & Library Science.

Coursework for the minor is identified in consultation with the ILS faculty member who serves as the outside member on the student's advisory committee. A qualifying examination is generally not required for the minor in Information Science. For information about the Information Science minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu). 

Ph.D. Minor in Security Informatics

(9 cr.) (External and Internal Minor) 

A minor in Security Informatics requires nine (9) credit hours, selected from the following courses:

• INFO-I 520 Security for Networked Systems (3 cr)
• INFO-I 521 Malware Epidemic: Threat and Defense (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 525 Organizational Informatics and Economics of Security(3 cr.)
• INFO-I 533 Systems and Protocol Security and Information Assurance (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 536 Foundational Mathematics of Cybersecurity(3 cr.)
• INFO-I 537 Legal and Social Informatics of Security(3 cr.)

For information about the Security Informatics minor, contact the Luddy SICE Graduate Studies Office (gradvise@indiana.edu).

Ph.D. Minor in Social Informatics

(12 cr.) (External and Internal Minor)

Social Informatics (SI) refers to the interdisciplinary study of the design, uses, and consequences of information and communications technologies (ICT) that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. Social Informatics research examines the roles of technologies in social and organizational change and the social shaping of ICT. SI research and SI courses are organized within diverse fields, including information systems, telecommunications, journalism, information science, and political science. One key goal of the field is to shape ICTs and policies relevant to them in order to enhance human communication and lead to more acceptable technological developments at organizational and social levels.

For more information about requirements for the Social Informatics minor, contact the Director of the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics (rkcsi.luddy.indiana.edu/ph-d-minor).

Ph.D. Individualized Minor

(12 cr. or more in two or more programs) (External and Internal Minor administered by the University Graduate School)

In addition to the minors that the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering offers, the University Graduate School offers an individualized minor which requires a minimum of twelve (12) credits. The University Graduate School must approve an individualized minor prior to enrolling in any courses that are to fulfill the individualized minor requirements.

The student must complete the Request for Individualized Minor form at One.IU.edu prior to taking any courses. Then the University Graduate School must approve the individualized minor, the requirements (i.e. minimum accepted grades), and the examination procedure (if any). The name of the individualized minor cannot be a name of a minor that already exists.

NOTE: Upon approval of the Individualized Minor form, the student is eligible to take the approved courses. If a student wants to “substitute” a course with a non-approved course, the student will need to submit a substitution request prior to taking the course. Therefore, in the “Coursework used to satisfy the minor” section of the Request for Individualized Minor form, the student should include additional possible courses to fulfill the individualized minor requirement.

The student needs to provide a rationale for taking the courses indicated. The courses should form a package leading to a goal relevant to the student’s research.

The student must have the individualized minor approved by their advisor, the student’s track director, the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies, and the University Graduate School prior to taking these classes.