PhD Admissions

PhD Degree Program

A research-intensive program to pursue answers to important problems in information.

General Admissions Procedures

Application Deadline

Fall admission deadline is December 1st. ALL materials below must be received by the deadline. Spring admission is not available. Submit as early as possible — you can add missing elements (e.g., transcripts) later as they become available.

Admission to the iSchool's PhD Program requires (1) submission of a completed graduate application to The University of Texas at Austin, meeting minimum requirements set by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and (2) admission to the PhD program in Information Studies.

Complete the “Graduate Application”

Submit the online application to the Office of Graduate Admissions at The University of Texas at Austin. All applicants must satisfy the minimum requirements set by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Applications open August 1st.
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Submit Required Application Materials
Required by the Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA)
- Graduate application and application fee
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent institution (a master's degree is not required to apply)
- 3.0+ GPA in upper-division/graduate coursework
- One official transcript per institution attended
- TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (international students only)
Required by the Information Studies PhD program
- Statement of Purpose (Step 4)
- Resume or CV
- Three letters of recommendation: you will be asked to provide contact info in the application, and OGA will email your recommenders directly to request a letter. Strong letters will be able to discuss the applicant's academic and research abilities.
Access Your MyStatus Portal

Within a few business days of submitting, you'll get a UT EID and MyStatus login. Use MyStatus to upload supporting documents, track your status, confirm your file is complete, and view your decision.
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Statement of Purpose

Your Statement of Purpose should address each of the following:
- Research Interests: your specific research interests, the questions and problems you want to pursue, and a description of one potential research project.
- Background & Experience: your preparation to undertake research in your area — previous research experience, existing skills, relevant background.
- Faculty Research: why UT Austin's iSchool specifically — identify at least three iSchool faculty members whose research aligns with your interests (see Current Doctoral Faculty on this page).
- Career Objective(s): your long-term goals after receiving your PhD.
Statements of Purpose should be limited to 2,000 words and uploaded as a PDF (other formats can read awkwardly to the committee).

Before You Submit

Graduate Application completed
English proficiency scores submitted (if required)
Official transcripts submitted
Contact information for three recommenders provided
Resume/CV uploaded in MyStatus
Statement of Purpose uploaded in MyStatus
MyStatus reviewed for missing items

GRE Scores: The Department of Information does not require GRE scores as part of the application for the MSIS, dual degree, and PhD programs. Submission is optional for applicants who would like to give the Admissions Committee additional information. If submitting, scores must be sent from ETS to OGA using UT Austin's code (6882).

Doctoral Student Funding

The iSchool has a strong tradition of financially supporting our doctoral students through Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships. All PhD applicants are automatically considered for iSchool doctoral funding packages. Our support packages include tuition, health insurance, and a stipend.