To receive the doctoral degree from the School of Information, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Successfully complete all course requirements as stipulated by the school
• Complete 36 hours of study in residence in Ann Arbor
• Successfully complete a pre-candidacy research project
• Pass the field preliminary examination
• Complete the school's teaching requirement
• Successfully defend a dissertation proposal before the Dissertation Committee
• Meet the residency and fee requirements of the Horace H. Rackham Graduate School
• Obtain dissertation approval from the Dissertation Committee and the Graduate School, and successfully defend the dissertation before the Dissertation Committee

Length of Study

All doctoral students must be enrolled on a full-time basis. While the amount of time to degree may vary, the program requires a minimum of three years of full-time study. Four to five years is more typical. The maximum time to complete the degree is seven years from first enrollment.