PhD Student Handbook – Welcome!
Welcome to the UW Information School!
We are delighted that you are now a member of our community of dedicated and outstanding faculty and students. We share your interests in the information field and will work with you to shape your future. The path to a doctoral degree is transformative, and we trust that you will embrace its challenges and flourish. Our hope is that you become the future leaders of our rapidly changing field.
The Information School enjoys excellent facilities, outstanding technology, a community of talented people, and the enthusiastic support of the University administration. Furthermore, we are a central part of the University of Washington — one of the world’s great research and higher education institutions.
This PhD Student Handbook will serve as your initial guide as you embark on the next phase of your intellectual journey. In it, you will find most of the information that you will need to get started. Please do not hesitate to consult with faculty or staff if you have questions or concerns. We are committed to offering you the best possible learning environment and doctoral experience. We encourage you to get to know us, to ask questions, and to get involved with the iSchool community.
We wish you the best as you embark on your journey!
Harry Bruce, Dean and Professor
Allyson Carlyle, Chair, PhD Program
The focus of the PhD curriculum is to introduce you to research, help you form a research question and facilitate the process of you writing your dissertation. Since each student has a unique research question, the curriculum for the PhD program tends to be very individual in nature. There are, however, degree requirements determined by the UW Graduate School and the iSchool that you need to meet in order to complete your degree. The links below outline these requirements
Doctoral Degree Progress
Since each PhD student’s degree path is individual determined with the guidance of their faculty, there isn’t one degree outline that works for all students. However, there is a general timeline that PhD students should follow to keep themselves on track to completing their degree in a timely fashion.
Doctoral Degree Progress Timeline
Advisor/Advisory Committee
With the input of the student and faculty members a preliminary faculty advisor is assigned to each student when they enter the PhD program. The preliminary advisor guides the student with practical matters regarding life and work as a doctoral student, understanding the structure of the PhD program and relevant policies and also supports the student in identifying an advisory committee. During the student’s 2nd quarter the advisor and student identify an advisory committee that will work with the student until a Supervisory Committee is established. Additional information about Advisor/Advisory Committee can be found at the following links:
Annual Review
PhD students participate in an annual review process until they have successfully passed their general exam. For more information on the annual reviews, check the following links:
PhD Candidacy
To achieve PhD Candidacy, students must establish a
Supervisory Committee and successfully complete their
General Exam. Once students approach sixty credits, they should begin preparing for their general exam.
Dissertation
Once a student achieves candidacy, his/her focus is on the dissertation process. The iSchool has two phases to the dissertation process.
- Phase one is the dissertation proposal defense which is an iSchool requirement assessing if your proposed dissertation research is viable.
- Phase two is the dissertation defense, also known as the final exam. This process is outlined by the UW Graduate School.
PhD Student Guide (complete list of links and forms)
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