Information & Decision Sciences

The PhD program in the department of Information and Decision Sciences is among the top-ranked programs in the country. The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota is widely recognized as a pioneer in the study of management information systems.

Field-Leading Research

The faculty bring diverse expertise to the department and publish their research in numerous field-leading journals. The department is also the home of the highly respected journal, MIS Quarterly. Faculty expertise spans various topics, including:

  • Recommendation systems
  • Peer influence in social networks
  • Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
  • Online community design
  • Organizational Impact of IT
  • IT strategy and governance
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning
  • The dark side of the Internet
  • Smart data pricing
  • Online auction mechanisms
  • Cloud computing
  • Gamification
  • Human-robot interaction

About the Program

Students here build on storied academic traditions. The University of Minnesota was the first school in the United States to establish a doctoral program in management information systems and continues to be one of the top five programs in the world.

Management Information Systems Research Center

PhD students enjoy strong support from department faculty and regular interaction with distinguished speakers from around the world. Guest lecturers present at weekly seminars and other events hosted by the department and its related research center, the Management Information Systems Research Center.

Outcomes

Graduate Placement Success

Graduates of the PhD program in information and decision sciences have continued their teaching and research careers at Boston University, Indiana University, Penn State University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and other respected institutions.  

 

Alumni Perspectives

Headshot of Yash Babar

Yash Babar

“The Carlson School has been an epicenter of academic research activity in management information systems for decades. Not only does it boast of distinguished scholars as its faculty but it has also shaped the careers of hundreds of IS scholars who now hold prestigious leadership positions in universities across the world. You get access to these people and their wonderful minds through an IDSc PhD here. The program offers excellent infrastructural support and access, diversity in the student pool, teaching resources and opportunities, and an affordable, cultured, safe, and friendly city to live in. Perhaps the greatest virtue of the IDSc program is a feeling of scholarly camaraderie across the faculty and PhD students, encouraging the free questioning of ideas and frequent intellectual debates.”

Assistant Professor in Operations and Information Management
Wisconsin School of Business
John and Anne Oros Term Professor

More about Yash Babar

headshot of Zachary Sheffler

Zachary Sheffler

“The PhD in Information and Decision Sciences gave me the tools and connections that I needed to develop as a researcher, while also affording me the freedom to define my own research agenda and interests. The diversity of expertise in the department gives students a variety of perspectives from which they can approach problems. This, combined with the high level of rigor, offers PhD students excellent preparation for jobs in academia.”

Assistant Professor in Operations & Information Management
Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

More about Zachary Sheffler

Our Community

A Community of Scholars 
The Information and Decision Sciences department also offers a highly successful Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, an MIS undergraduate program ranked as one of the top-three programs in the United States, and various MBA courses. PhD students are exposed to these curricula via teaching opportunities that will help jump-start their own career in business education.


Collaboration with Industry
The Twin Cities area is home to a dynamic business community that includes 17 Fortune 500 company headquarters as well as start-ups and entrepreneurs. The Carlson School is closely connected with the local industry, providing many opportunities for research collaboration with industry partners.


In a Vibrant, Modern Metro
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer lakes, parks, bike trails, great dining, professional sports, world-class theaters and museums, and many other amenities. The Twin Cities are routinely ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States. The University's lively urban campus overlooks the Mississippi River, with convenient rail connections to both downtown districts and the airport.