PhD Program Overview

The San José State University School of Information offers the Gateway PhD program in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England. Faculty members from the SJSU School of Information serve as associate supervisors of the doctoral student researchers and provide coordination of the Gateway PhD program. The PhD degree in Library and Information Management is granted by Manchester Met, and students in the program are enrolled at and pay tuition and fees to Manchester Met. Students are required to attend monthly cohort meetings via Zoom and an annual weeklong research workshop held in San José, California.  

Duration 

Doctoral students can move through the Gateway PhD program on a part-time basis. The expected duration for completing the part-time PhD program is six years. However, the doctoral program is flexible and can be completed in a minimum of 48 months and a maximum of 84 months. Assessment for the doctoral degree is based on a program of supervised research and investigation, culminating in a thesis. A program timeline is detailed below.

Research Workshop and Meetings 

There is one required in-person research workshop each year, held for one week in San José, California, typically in late July or early August. Students are responsible for their own travel and lodging costs for the annual research workshop. Students are also required to attend monthly virtual meetings and a virtual residency typically held in March each year.

Supervision 

Each doctoral student researcher works with co-supervisors, at least one from the SJSU School of Information and one from Manchester Met. Senior faculty members work closely together to develop an approach that ensures quality research work and appropriate mentoring in the early years of doctoral supervision in this unique international collaboration. 

Timeline and Annual Milestones 

Each doctoral student researcher must achieve the following milestones during the Gateway PhD program. Below is a typical timeline from start to completion of the PhD degree.

The purpose of the annual milestones is to provide support to maximize the likelihood of successful and timely completion. If progress is not satisfactory, support can be put in place in a timely manner to assist the student in getting back on track. 

For further information on the milestones, see the Manchester Met Guidance on Milestones for Postgraduate Research Degrees document: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-11/Guidance-on-Milestones-for-Postgraduate-Research-Degrees_0.pdf 

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