Department of Computer Information Systems and Center for Digital Innovation
Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University (GSU)
Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A
# Motivation
My name is Yu-Kai Lin. I am a faculty member at GSU. I decided to post this
message because despite having remarkable MIS PhD programs at GSU, I rarely
see Taiwanese applicants. I believe this is simply due to lack of awareness
of our programs. As such, I would like to encourage you to consider our PhD
programs, especially if you are interested in AI, data science/analytics, or
digital innovation.
# PhD Programs
We have two PhD programs related to MIS. They are offered by the Department
of Computer Information System and the Center for Digital Innovation,
respectively. PhD students in both programs are supported with tuition
waiver and a market-competitive stipend through the first four years of the
program. Support after the fourth year will depend upon the student's
progress.
We normally accept 2 to 3 students each year. We will begin accepting
applications for fall 2025 on September 15, 2024. For fullest consideration,
the application and all required materials should be submitted by January 8,
2025.
Details of these two programs are available in the following links:
* CIS PhD:
https://robinson.gsu.edu/program/information-systems-phd/
* Digital Innovation PhD:
https://robinson.gsu.edu/program/digital-innovation-phd/
If you are interested in learning more about the Department and the Center,
please visit:
Department website:
https://robinson.gsu.edu/academic-departments/computer-information-systems/
Center website:
https://www.cdin.net/
# Tips for Applying for IS/Business PhD
I have been involved in reviewing PhD applications and conducting interviews
with applicants. Here are three tips I can share with you in terms of the
things admission committees normally would consider.
1. Have satisfactory test scores. International students are expected to meet
the TOEFL requirements. Successful applicants also tend to be at 80+
percentile in their GMAT/GRE scores. You do not need an excellent score, but
the score needs to be good enough.
2. Show your potential of becoming a great scholar. You do this by describing
research questions that are important, insightful, and contemporary in your
SOP. It is possible that you may end up pursuing research topics that are
different from what you mentioned in SOP. That is perfectly fine. But the way
you describe your research interests in SOP can give us a good idea how you
think about problems.
3. Demonstrate strong writing and communication skills in your application
and interview. Be precise and concise.
These tips may seem basic and intuitive, but it is not uncommon for admission
committees to identify issues on these aspects when evaluating an
application/applicant.
In closing, I hope that you would consider our programs if you are interested
in pursuing a PhD in MIS. I should note that in our setting, students are
admitted by the program, not by individual faculty member. This means that
your application will be evaluated by a committee, rather than unilaterally
decided by one professor. If you have questions that you are not able to find
an answer on our websites, please feel free to contact me via my email:
[email protected]