Why Consider a Ph.D. in Business Information Technology (BIT)?

1. The Ph.D. in BIT is one of the few US- 3. Several innovative and interdisciplinary government certified STEM-based emphases can be chosen as fields of Ph.D. degrees that is housed in a study, including but not limited to: leading business school, greatly • Operations Management, Supply increasing its academic and industry Chain, Management Science market value. • Information Systems, Information Technology, and Design Science • Business Analytics, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence • Security, Privacy, and Trust

4. World class faculty, who have attended the top Ph.D. programs, including:

• Carnegie Mellon University

• Purdue University 2. Generous financial support! Full tuition • University of Arizona waivers and full financial funding for • University of Cambridge four to five years. • University of Florida • First two summers students are • University of Georgia given additional summer funding • University of North Carolina for full-time research. • University of Virginia • In subsequent summers additional • University of Washington summer funding for research is • University of Wisconsin awarded on a competitive basis and • Virginia Tech additional compensation for voluntary teaching is available. Top faculty from top programs • Generous funding for multiple facilitate top training and advisement. conference visits and presentations. • We only require you to teach one to two courses before graduating; instead, we invest in your research training and do not burden you with the heavier teaching most other programs require.

5. BIT faculty focus on ground-breaking 8. BIT faculty have received many research and have published in all of the international recognitions, including elite journals in their fields such as: but not limited to:

• Information Systems Research (ISR) • In 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Dr. • Journal of Management IS (JMIS) Lowry ranked 1st or 2nd in the world • Journal of Operations Mgt (JOM) in research productivity in top • Management Science (MS) information systems journals. • MIS Quarterly (MISQ) • In 2017, Dr. Matheson received the • Production & Operations Mgt Michael P. Malone International (POM) Leadership Award in recognition of his global activities. • In 2017, Dr. Wang received the INFORMS Information Systems Society Design Science Award. • In 2018, Dr. Lowry won the Operational Research Society’s Stafford Beer Medal for the best paper published in the European Journal of Information Systems. • In 2019, Dr. Adjerid received the MIS Quarterly best paper award. 6. BIT faculty are members and leaders • Dr. Rees and Dr. Taylor received involved in all the major affiliated the Stanley T. Hardy Award, a academic organizations, including their national award for the greatest conferences and journals: contribution to the field of • Association for Computing production and operations Machinery (ACM) management. • Association for Information • BIT has more past presidents and Systems (AIS) fellows of the Decision Sciences • Institute for Electronics and Institute than any other university Electrical Engineers (IEEE) in the world (e.g., Dr. Ragsdale, Dr. • Institute for Operations Research Rakes, Dr. Taylor, and several other and the Management Sciences faculty). (INFORMS) • The Decision Sciences Institute (DSI)

7. We attract top Ph.D. students from a diversity of backgrounds and experience, providing an outstanding Ph.D. cohort. A better cohort provides more engagement in seminars, more social support, and better training.

9. Multiple Ph.D.-student seminars taught 12. For students interested in analytics and within the department on topics, such big data, the Department of Statistics as the following: offers a joint master’s degree in Data Analysis and Applied Statistics (DAAS), • Information systems and allowing our BIT Ph.D. students to information technology obtain a second graduate degree while • Operations and supply-chain strengthening their analytics abilities. management • Advanced business analytics 13. The Pamplin College of Business is in • Design science and text mining the final process of fund-raising a new • Theory building for behavioral, four-building $250M campus, called organizational, and technical the Global Business and Analytics research Campus. Three of the four buildings are • Econometrics applications of IS, already funded; and two will break OM, and business analytics ground in 2020. The first academic 10. A large number of college-level Ph.D. building to be built will be 100% methodology courses that are provided dedicated to business analytics and year-round and allows for three data science, giving great resource different methodological tracks in support to BIT students and faculty. additional to the department’s multiple BIT Ph.D. seminars:

1. Behavioral or organizational research methods (5 courses) 2. Quantitative and econometric research methods (5 courses) 3. Data and decision science research methods (5 courses) 14. We have highly successful in attracting

11. With appropriate qualifications, one undergraduate BIT majors, who can can enroll in a large number of elective specialize in Decision Support Systems courses in several master’s and Ph.D. / IT or Operations & Supply Chain programs in reference disciplines, Management: We have over 1,400 full- including, but not limited to: time BIT undergraduate students, • Accounting and IS which places the BIT department in a • Computer Science strong position in terms of resources, • Economics faculty slots, strategy, and influence.

• Industrial and Systems Engineering 15. We also just launched an • Management undergraduate degree in • Marketing “Cybersecurity Management and • Mathematics Analytics (BIT-Cyber)”, which is bound • Psychology to increase our enrollments and • Statistics resources.

Other Reasons to Consider Virginia Tech

16. VT is a STEM-oriented, very 21. For these reasons, technology, science, comprehensive R1-university with and data science/analytics permeate nearly 35,000 students. VT unlike most universities in the world. Our graduates likewise have unusually 17. VT is the third leading provider of high employment rates and salaries. engineering students in the US, with twelve different, large engineering departments. VT also has a comprehensive Medical school, Veterinary school, College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Architecture, Pamplin College of Business, College of Science, College of Natural Resources and Environment, and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. 22. VT has one of the largest (2,600 acres) and most beautiful university campuses 18. VT belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Aviation in the US. Its stunning neo-gothic Partnership (MAAP) and has FAA- architecture made of trademarked designated test sites for unmanned “Hokie Stone” is offset by the rolling, aircraft systems (UAS)s, collaborating green mountains and clean air of with Google’s innovation lab, Wing, to Southwest Virginia. launch air delivery services in Christiansburg, Virginia.

19. VT’s Hume Center for National Security and Technology collaborates with federal agencies and industry and has current research initiatives in machine learning and artificial intelligence, assured and secure communications, space and undersea missions, and 5G security.

20. VT and the Virginia Department of 23. VT has a research portfolio of over Transportation (VDOT) formed the $531M a year, and an annual operating Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, budget of $1.66 billion. where they test autonomous vehicles

on smart roads and develop solutions to In Fall 2019 VT announced a $1.6B today’s transportation challenges. Capital Campaign to fund several

innovative initiatives.

24. Aside from its 2,600 acre Blacksburg campus, VT operates seven campus facilities in the Washington DC area, including several groups involved with grant-based research.

25. VT is in the process of funding and building a new $1B+ Innovation Campus by the new HQ2 for Amazon outside of Washington DC. This campus will focus only on master’s and Ph.D. programs related to CS, Technology, Analytics, and Security. 29. Blacksburg’s clean air, water, mountains, and abundant forests are complemented with four seasons but with mild summers and winters because of the temperate mountain location.

30. VT has over 2,000 different campus clubs to join through Gobbler Connect.

31. Access 24/7 to the Graduate Life Center and everyday access to grad 26. VT is building an Innovation and school leaders and peers Creativity District that will serve interdisciplinary needs related to innovation and entrepreneurship.

32. VT is a Division I athletics program and a member of the prestigious ACC

whose leading academic schools 27. VT is consistently ranked in the top-10 include Notre Dame, Duke, Boston universities for on-campus food and College, North Carolina, Wake Forest, dining, fitness, and quality of life. U. of Virginia, U. of Pittsburg, Syracuse,

Clemson, Louisville, Georgia Tech, 28. Blacksburg is consistently ranked as Florida State, and North Carolina State. one of the top-10 college towns, and its

downtown is integrated with the VT

campus.

34. VT has rich history and strong cultural

33. VT is one of only two R1 universities in traditions that unite the campus. “Ut the US that also operates as a US Senior Prosim” is VT’s school motto, and it Military College, offering the same means “that I may serve.” standards and programs of the US Federal service academies (West Point, Service to others is embedded in our Naval Academy, Air Force Academy). ethos.

Choose STEM and Business Choose a Ph.D. in Business Information Technology Choose Virginia Tech

---

In summary, a Ph.D. will take 4–5 years of hard work, so make sure you choose a world-class STEM-oriented Business Ph.D. program that can fully support and develop you. While you are at it, why not also enjoy the experience, exercise, breath clean air, spend time in nature, avoid commuting and traffic, embrace the environment and sustainability, serve others, and have a social life?

----

For more information or to apply to the program, please visit the following:

https://bit.vt.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-program.html

If you have further questions or need help with your application, please contact:

Dr. Paul Benjamin Lowry, BIT Ph.D. Program Director

[email protected]