Applying to the program.

Below, you'll find the essential information you need to prepare a strong application to our graduate program, including qualifications, expectations, and application steps.

Join experts at the leading edge of information science.

Areas in which we are looking for students include (but are not limited to) HCI/interface design, applied machine learning, social media, CSCW, digital humanities, algorithmic mechanism design, ubiquitous computing and mobile computing, social and information networks, critical and interpretive analysis of information systems, behavioral science approaches to information systems, organizational and institutional analysis, big data applications and analysis, markets, technology policy, and information science approaches to societal challenges.

How to Apply

For Fall 2026, the Information Science Ph.D. application deadline is December 1, 2025. We do not accept spring applications. All application materials are due by December 1, 2025, which include the items below: 

  • Online CollegeNET Application
  • All Transcripts from current and previous institutions.
  • Three letters of recommendation, which must be received by December 1, 2025.
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • International applicants will need an official TOEFL or IELTS score.
  • There is a $105 non-refundable application fee that must be submitted electronically with your application. The fee may be waived in cases of financial hardship or for qualified participants of certain special programs. For information about methods of payment or requesting a fee waiver, visit the Graduate School's Website.
  • You must complete the online application through the Graduate School. Please do not mail any application materials; paper materials will not be accepted.

Browse Admission FAQS

The online Ph.D. application is available through the Graduate School starting September 1. The Information Science Ph.D. application deadline is December 1 for consideration for the Fall term. We do not consider applications for the Spring term.

No application materials will be accepted, and no submitted applications will be updated after the deadline.

Students should expect to hear, via email, of the decision on their application no later than mid-February. 

Your application should include completed and scanned transcripts of all previous college and university work, including any work done at Cornell. If you are submitting unofficial transcripts, the Graduate School will require that you submit official transcripts should you be accepted into the program. In this case, please make sure your transcript has your name, birthdate, and the name of the attended university. We do not accept paper copies of transcripts.

Applicants should scan their transcripts and upload the documents into the online application system themselves as part of the submission process. For students who are subsequently admitted and accept the offer of admission, an official paper transcript will be required prior to matriculation. Students will be reminded of this requirement on the “response to offer of admission” form.

International Credentials
All transcripts or academic records must be official documents provided in the original language. If that language is not English, they must be accompanied by certified translations into English. If not issued by the college or university as original documents, they should be notarized, full-sized photocopies. They should include grades received in each subject each year, and the number of weeks and hours per week that each subject was studied. Courses must be described in detail. The general subject name (e.g., “mathematics”) is not sufficient. The particular subject (e.g., “differential equations,” “algebraic topology”) must be identified.

If you are admitted into the program and you accept our offer of admission, the Graduate School will require an official transcript. They will contact you directly about this requirement.

Grade Point Averages
If your school uses a GPA scale other than 0–4.0, just leave this field blank when submitting your application. If you feel you must, you may enter 0. We will review your transcript and will rate your performance on the grades you received, not the number you enter into this field.

Your application must include three letters of recommendation. The letters should be from professors or supervisors who are familiar with your academic or professional work and who can testify to your potential in Information Science. Once you have entered your recommenders information into your online application, a notification will be sent to your recommenders within 48 hours. These letters are a very important part of your application, and you should ensure that they are submitted into the electronic application system by the appropriate deadline. We will not accept paper copies of letters of recommendation.

A successful academic statement of purpose will address the following topics:

  • Questions and Issues you're interested in exploring as a PhD student and why they matter to you;
  • How your research interests relate to the work of Faculty at Cornell;
  • Your ultimate goal in pursuing a PhD.  

The personal statement will ask you to describe within 1,000 words how your background and experiences influenced your decision and ability to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, you’ll be asked to provide insights into your potential to contribute to Cornell University’s core value to provide a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. Within your statement, you may also include relevant information on any of the following:

  • How your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient especially when navigating challenging circumstances.
  • How you engage with others and have facilitated and/or participated in productive teams.
  • How you have come to understand the barriers faced by others whose experiences and backgrounds may differ from your own.
  • If relevant, how your professional interests focus on issues related to diversity, inclusion, access, inequality, and/or equity.
  • Details on your service and/or leadership in efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, access, and equity especially for those from backgrounds historically underrepresented and/or marginalized.
  • Additional context on any significant barriers you have navigated to make graduate education accessible to you.
  • Contextual details on any perceived gaps or weaknesses in your academic record.
  • Within the personal statement, you may also provide details of lessons learned from any of your lived experiences including but not limited to:
    • being a first-generation college student or graduate (no parent/guardian completed a baccalaureate degree)
      racial, ethnic, and/or cultural background(s)
    • managing a disability or chronic health condition
    • experiencing housing, food, economic, and/or other forms of significant insecurity
    • being a solo parent
    • gender identity and/or sexual orientation
    • having served in the military
    • holding DACA, refugee, TPS, or asylee status
       

Additional materials such as resume, writing samples, and portfolio are not required but may be submitted if you feel this will enhance your application. 

Diversity Recruitment Fellowships are available on a competitive basis to nominated domestic doctoral students from all backgrounds applying for Fall admission who are U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Indigenous people of Canada eligible to register as domestic students under the Jay Treaty, or students holding DACA, TPS, refugee, or asylee status who have demonstrated commitment and potential to significantly contribute to Cornell’s core value to provide a Community of Belonging.

If you are interested in being nominated for a Diversity Fellowship, please visit Graduate School Fellowships in Support of Diversity.

Cornell IS PhD Student-Applicant Reading Program (SARP)

This program is an initiative created by the Information Science Graduate Student Association (ISGSA), which is composed of elected IS graduate students. The primary goals of this program are to advance diversity and broaden access to graduate education in Information Science. Open to scholars from all backgrounds, this program has a particular focus on engaging scholars who through their lived experiences have navigated significant barriers in their pursuit of higher education.

To be considered for this opportunity, please use this Google Form to submit your draft(s) of your Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement, and/or CV that you intend to use for your application for the Fall 2026 admission cycle.

 

The SARP program opens September 27 and closes on October 27 for the Fall 2026 admission cycle. 

Feedback will be returned in approximately 2 weeks, and at the latest will be returned by November 17. This program comes at no cost to the applicant and support is   provided by volunteers in the IS Ph.D. program. This program matches prospective applicants’ draft materials with current graduate students in the department who will offer their suggested revisions to improve prospective students' materials. Participation in this program is intended to support scholars in their understanding and preparation for graduate admissions. However, it has no bearing on the admissions process for the Cornell Information Science Ph.D. program. Participants who wish to be considered for admission to the Cornell IS Ph.D. program must submit their complete application through CollegeNet by the Information Science Ph.D. application deadline (December 1, 2025).

For any questions about SARP, please email us at ISGSA [at] cornell.edu (ISGSA[at]cornell[dot]edu) with the subject line [SARP26].

International applicants must demonstrate competency in the English language. You must have your official scores sent by Educational Testing Services to Cornell before December 1. Scores should be sent to Institutional Code 2098, the department code is not required. 

Internet-based Test (iBT) Version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) 
Each section (Writing: 20, Listening: 15, Reading: 20, Speaking: 22) has its own minimum score as noted. Applicant scores must meet the minimums set by the Graduate School. A cumulative score is not the correct measure and is not sufficient for an offer of admission. In some cases, international students who are admitted will be required to take a remedial course in English.

​IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

  • The Ph.D. program requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS Academic exam.
  • When you register for the exam, you may select up to 5 institutions to which you would like to have your scores sent. Cornell University has multiple IELTS accounts so please be sure to select Cornell University Graduate Admissions when registering for your IELTS test date.
  • You may also submit a request to your test center to have additional score reports sent to institutions not originally listed on your test registration form. Scores must be sent electronically (e-delivery) to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions, Caldwell Hall e-download account. E-delivery may also be referred to as an e-TRF by your test center.
  • The IELTS score must be dated within two years of your program’s application deadline.
  • Scores must be delivered electronically through the IELTS E-Delivery service to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions e-download account.
  • Scores must be sent electronically (e-delivery) to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions, Caldwell Hall e-download account. E-delivery may also be referred to as an e-TRF by your test center. We do not accept paper IELTS Academic test report forms.

Exceptions
The English language proficiency requirement may be waived if the applicant meets University exceptions as outlined on the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Requirements page. There is no separate form needed for the waiver. 

Ithaca and New York City

Though we have two campuses, each Ph.D. student's location is determined by the location of their advisor (Chairperson). When applying to the Ph.D. program, applicants may indicate a campus preference, but ultimately the advisor's location determines which campus the Ph.D. student will be based. Further, all applicants will be evaluated by the Field as a whole regardless of their intended location. There is no requirement for students working with Cornell Tech faculty to complete a residency period in Ithaca, or vice-versa. 

Once a student is admitted and if they consider changing their advisor, students should keep in mind that the change could mean a move to either the Ithaca or New York City campus, depending on where the advisor is based. 

If a student is interested in spending an entire semester or longer at the opposite campus than where their advisor is located; they must have a faculty person who will be their point of contact in residence at the opposite campus. It is the responsibility of the student and their current advisor to identify the point of contact faculty person. Students are not allowed to change campus location until permission has been given. Students moving from the Ithaca campus to the Tech campus must follow the policy and submit the proper documents to be consider for this move. Please review the following link for more details about moving to the Tech campus from the Ithaca campus: Cornell Tech Technical PhD Student Campus Policy – Cornell Tech Student & Academic Affairs. Students should discuss this move far in advance with their current advisor, and the DGS. Students should not assume permission will be granted. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. The student’s advisor is responsible for funding the student even if the student is temporarily residing at the opposite campus. 

Tuition and Funding

Admission into the doctoral program is based purely on academic merit. 

woman in blue shirts talks with a group of people seated around her

Full Funding and Year-Round Support

All Ph.D. students in Information Science are fully supported during their academic year as long as they remain in good academic standing. Support from Cornell includes tuition, health insurance, and stipend. Support is available in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Summer research funding will be provided through a variety of funding sources for those who will be engaging in full-time academic studies during the summer semester (external fellowships, internships, teaching and/or research assistantships). We encourage students to discuss the summer funding opportunity available to them and application deadlines for outside internships during the Spring semester with their advisor. In order to receive a Cornell assistantship, funded students must be residing within the United States during the academic year and during the summer.  

Overview

Ph.D. students in Information Science have access to a range of funding opportunities that support their academic and research goals. Assignments and deadlines vary by role and campus, so students are encouraged to plan ahead, coordinate with advisors, and explore competitive fellowship options throughout their studies.

Each teaching assistant (TA) is assigned to a course and is tasked with helping the course instructor. The average time commitment is 15 hours per week. TA assignments typically involve grading homework, holding office hours, preparing assignments, or teaching recitations. Students who TA for the semester should make arrangements to arrive back to campus at least one week prior to the start of the semester. If students are expecting to TA for the following semester, they should make sure their summer/winter internships or other commitments end in time to return to campus earlier.

TA assignments for Ithaca-based courses are assigned by the Director of Graduate Studies; and the Graduate Field Assistant at the Ithaca campus. TA assignments for the Tech Campus are assigned by the Student Service Assistant at the Tech Campus.

A graduate research assistant (GRA) is given to a student whose research interests coincide with a sponsored research project. Typically, the work of a GRA is an integral part of the student’s dissertation research. The faculty member in charge (your advisor) of the project grants a GRA. GRAs work 12 hours per week on the grant project but may work an additional 8 hours.

The Graduate School awards several one- and two-year Cornell fellowships to incoming graduate students. Your application for admission automatically serves as the fellowship application. However, your application and all supporting credentials must be received by December 1 in order to be considered for a Cornell Fellowship.

Applicants are also encouraged to apply for external fellowships. Below is a sample listing of fellowships that our IS students may be eligible for. These fellowships are highly prestigious, and they free the student of the responsibilities of an assistantship. Whenever possible, the department helps students in the fellowship application process. In some instances, the department must nominate the applicant. The department will put a call out for nominations for these fellowships throughout the year. Students are also encouraged to look for fellowship opportunities and alert their advisor if they would like to be nominated for one.

Some of the outside fellowships that our students have been awarded include:

  • IBM — This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
  • Facebook — This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
  • Google — This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
  • Microsoft — This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.

To see a list of available fellowships, please visit the External Fellowships page. 

Admissions FAQs

Please make every effort to use the same name that is on your passport for your TOEFL or IELTS exam, as well as your application. Names that do not match delay processing of your application as scores need to be manually found in the reports sent from ETS and matched to your application.

The personal statement should explain your reasons for seeking a PhD in Information Science. What motivates you? What are your long-term goals? What important experiences have shaped your perspective to this point?  As relevant, your essay should include information on your ability to be both persistent and resilient, especially when navigating challenging circumstances. Additionally, provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and innovate productively and positively together. This is not an academic statement of purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. Personal statements should be no more than 1000 words.

We also request the following additional information only from those applicants wishing to be considered for Graduate School diversity fellowships or CIS Deans Excellence/Hopper Dean Fellowship.

For consideration for nomination for a Graduate School Diversity Fellowship or CIS Deans Excellence/Hopper Dean Fellowship, your personal statement should also indicate how one or more of the following identities and/or experiences apply to you:

  • First-generation college student (neither parent/guardian having completed a baccalaureate degree)
  • Member of an ethnic or racial group historically underrepresented in graduate education (Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Native Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latinx)
  • McNair or Mellon Mays Undergraduate Scholar (the Graduate School will verify an applicant’s status as a McNair Scholar or Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow while pursuing a baccalaureate degree at a U.S. institution)
  • Other identities and/or experiences historically underrepresented and/or marginalized within graduate education including by not limited to the following:
    • Those who manage a disability
    • Being of a gender and/or sexual orientation identity historically underrepresented in your field of study
    • Those who identify as a military veteran
    • Holding DACA status
    • Those who identify as refugees
    • Those who have experienced housing and/or food insecurity
    • Single parents
       

We do not accept applications for admission in the spring semester. We only accept applications for consideration for fall admission. Some admitted students have requested a deferral to a later term due to personal issues or visa issues. This is not automatic, you must contact Nicole Roy to discuss your deferral options. If a deferral is approved, students will receive an official deferral letter. Do not assume your offer of admissions will be deferred. We consider these requests on a case-by-case basis.

The Information Science Department looks for all applicants to be able to meet the following minimum language criteria:

For the IBT TOEFL, you must meet the following minimum required scores as determined by the Cornell Graduate School in each of the following sections in order to be considered for admission to our field:

  • 15 - Listening
  • 20 - Writing
  • 20 - Reading
  • 22 - Speaking

If you are not able to meet or exceed the minimum scores in each of the four sections of the IBT TOEFL, you will not be considered eligible for admission to Cornell University. No exceptions will be made.

IELTS: The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS. Please visit the Contact Graduate Admissions page for information about how to send your scores.

Please note the following regarding eligibility for a TOEFL or IELTS waiver:

  • The English language proficiency requirement may be waived if the applicant meets at least one of these criteria:
    is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, or a citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada (except Quebec). Applicants who are citizens of India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. are not exempt from the requirement.
  • at the time you enroll at Cornell, you will have studied in full-time status for at least two academic years within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or with English language instruction in Canada or South Africa. Even if English was the language of instruction at your school, if you did not study in one of these countries you are not exempt from the requirement. You must submit a transcript that shows you attended college in one of the approved locations, and that your academic program was at least two years in length.
     

Your scores will be submitted directly to Cornell University, not to the Information Science Department. The Institutional Code is 2098 for Cornell, there is no department code required.
 

The Information Science Department will receive all of your scores, however we look at scores as a group, not individual scores from separate tests. 

TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for up to two (2) years from the original test date. In order to ensure your scores are both valid and up to date, contact ETS directly.

The Information Science department does not require or accept the GRE Test. 

Information Science offers a Ph.D. degree and a Masters of Professional Studies (MPS) degree. Each degree program has different requirements and a different admissions process. You may apply for one or the other, you may not apply to both degree programs simultaneously. We will not consider rejected Ph.D. applications for our MPS degree nor will we consider rejected MPS applications for the Ph.D. degree. The MPS degree is a professional course based degree only. 

It is not necessary to discuss your application with our faculty members before you apply, although it is not harmful to do so. Our admissions committee is made up of a number of Information Science faculty members and our current Ph.D. students. It is extremely helpful when reviewing applications to know if you have been in contact with one or more of our faculty member(s) and have like research interests. You will find a complete listing of our faculty here. Please be sure to include these faculty names in your online application.

Admissions decisions in the Department of Information Science are made by a committee. The committee admits students to a first year advisor and to the department. The advisor guarantees funding along with the department for five (5) years contingent on satisfactory progress being made throughout your Ph.D. career. Because our program spans the Ithaca and NYC Tech Campus, students may start their career in either place depending on where their advisor is located. Students are expected to reside on the same campus as their advisor. 

  • Applications received on or before December 1.
  • Applications are checked for completeness between December 2 through December 6.
  • Committee begins their first round review
  • End of December, committee begins second round of reviews.
  • Mid to late January, possible online interviews
  • First week of February, final committee and field review
  • Mid February, admission decisions are sent out via email.
  • First part of March, visitation days for those offered admission.
  • April 15 deadline to accept offer from Cornell Information Science

NOTE: The dates above are approximate and may not reflect the actual application timeline.
 

The committee evaluates the entire application holistically. Every item that is required is examined carefully. A weakness in one area (say, GPA) can be compensated by demonstrated strength in another (say, real implementation experience, or research publications, or recommendation letters). 

No one can tell any prospective student's chances of admission from just a resume, however we do offer Cornell IS Student Reading Program. This program aims to assist under represented students in computing fields as they apply to Cornell's IS Ph.D. program. A graduate student volunteer may supply one round of meaning feedback on their resume, statement of purpose, and personal statement. Please see more details about this services on Academic Planning.

Admission to the Information Science Ph.D. program is highly competitive, and we rarely have a bad or unqualified applicant. Instead, our department will only admit students if there is a faculty member available and willing to advise a particular applicant. Some highly qualified applicants may be rejected because they do not match the research interests or domain expertise needs of faculty that happen to be seeking students this application cycle.

The Director of Graduate Studies, Sue Fussell can be contacted at sfussell [at] cornell.edu.