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MIS PhD Admissions

A Rigorous Program with Extraordinary Results

The Management Information Systems (MIS) doctoral program is rigorous with an aim to train and prepare students to be fresh and versatile independent thinkers.

An MIS PhD gives students the ability to perform critical analysis of existing work, and to undertake research studies to advance academic understanding in the MIS field in the course of their PhD studies and in their subsequent career. 

The MIS PhD program starts with a solid foundation in research methodology. Building on this, it offers a unique synthesis of state of the art technologies and approaches from Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Computer-Supported Collaboration, Economics and Management Science. Our outstanding research faculty stands ready to mentor students and guide their entry into the many possible avenues of MIS scholarly pursuits. There is a mix of hands-on and theoretical work through which students learn how to implement, deploy and evaluate business information systems that are of interest to academia and industry alike.

Application Deadlines

Application Deadline: October 1 - January 15

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's Degree
    • For domestic students, from a regionally accredited college or university.
    • For international students, an U.S. comparable bachelor's degree.
    • Copies of official transcripts/academic records (official documents needed only after being admitted into program)
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Copies of GMAT or GRE scores
    • Official GMAT or GRE scores taken within the last five years of intended term of enrollment. No score minimum. 
  • Resume - includes work experience with dates of employment
  • Statement of Purpose - General, focused on your overall academic, professional and/or extracurricular experiences and your long-term career goals.
  • Essay: Why did you decide to pursue a PhD degree in Management Information Systems, and why did you choose the University of Arizona specifically for this degree?
  • Essay: What are your specific research interests?  Describe how your research interests fit with those of a particular faculty member or faculty members in the MIS Department.
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • International Students Only: Copies of English Proficiency Scores 
    • IELTS: Minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area below a 6 on IELTS or IELTS Online
    • TOEFL:
      • For tests taken prior to January 21, 2026: Minimum score of 79 iBT or Home Edition iBT.
      • For tests taken on or after January 21, 2026: Minimum overall score of 4.0 on the TOEFL 1-6 scale.
    • Requirement waived if applicant graduated from a U.S. institution.
    • Test must have been taken within two years of the intended term of enrollment.

Financial Aid and Expenses

The University of Arizona's governing body, the Board of Regents, exclusively controls the costs of attending the University of Arizona and the standard funding levels for graduate assistants. Each year, the Regents evaluate the situation and often make changes but they do not finalize their numbers for each academic year until about two months before the Fall term begins. Keep in mind that no professional/program fees are added to the cost of the MIS doctoral program and that the figures on this site do not factor in some of the financial aid that doctoral students in the MIS program receive. 

Doctoral students in the MIS program receive financial aid through either research or teaching assistantships. These assistantships include:

  • A 10-month stipend (which may vary due to previous education and experience)
  • An out-of-state tuition waiver
  • Student medical insurance coverage

Periodically, the department receives additional funds to be used towards fellowships and scholarships which are made available to doctoral students. These funding opportunities, which vary from year to year, are usually awarded based upon academic performance. 

For more information on fees and expenses associated with the program, please refer to the University of Arizona Bursar's Office.

School Codes

School Codes: When requesting official score reports, please use the following codes: 

  •     GRE: 4832 (The University of Arizona) 
  •    GMAT: Eller College of Management, PhD in Management (MIS)
  •    TOEFL: 4832 (The University of Arizona)

 

Start Your Journey to the Top of Your Field

Small class sizes. A great faculty-to-doctoral-student ratio. Incredible research resources. A stellar track record. And you.

Contact us with any questions, or if you're ready to apply to the Eller Doctoral Program in MIS, apply below. We look forward to making breakthroughs together.

Apply Now