Qualifying Portfolio 

The qualifying portfolio will consist of the following items plus an oral exam. A student’s faculty advisor/mentor[1] will be responsible for guiding the student through the process and approving the portfolio items.[2]

·        One refereed paper published in the proceedings of a conference sponsored by one of the following groups: AIS, ACM, IEEE, IFIP, IRMA, and Academy of Management.

·        One refereed journal article that has been published, accepted for publication, or revised and resubmitted (with promise of acceptance given revisions). The journal should be recognized as a standard one for Information Science researchers and must have an acceptance rate of no more than 50%. A comprehensive list of IS journals is available from The Index of Information Systems Journals. A list of some IS journals that have provided recent acceptance rates is provided below.

o       The paper and article can be co-authored, but the student must be the lead author. Lead authorship must be documented by signed letters from co-authors (if students), or by statement of a faculty member.

o       At least one of the article or paper must be directly related to or derived from the student’s dissertation.

o       Papers or articles published prior to commencement of study at CGU will not be counted.

o       The student must obtain a letter from a journal Editor-in-Chief regarding the outlet’s actual acceptance rate.

·        One grant proposal experience.  The student may prepare a proposal for a small grant opportunity such as the Haynes or CGU Dissertation Awards, or may assist a faculty member in doing research for a grant proposal that is eventually submitted to an agency or foundation.

·        Post-secondary teaching. This item requires either a course on post-secondary teaching or a positive evaluation of teaching experience.

o       Students with limited or no teaching experience at the post-secondary level must fulfill this requirement by being named a PFF Fellow or by completing the summer PFF class (or equivalent).

§         Students taking the PFF course for credit can use this as one of their MSIS or cognate minor electives.

o       Students who have taught at least ten courses at the post-secondary level will submit an instruction portfolio[3] to be evaluated by a member of the CGU Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFF) who will file a written report regarding the student’s teaching ability. A positive report will constitute completion of this portfolio item. A negative report will require the student to follow the requirement of students with limited or no teaching experience.

·        One of the following: reviews of at least three conference and/or journal articles, or a consulting or work project report.

The oral exam (not open to the public) will be taken when all of the above items have been completed. It will cover the 1) intellectual developments inherent in the portfolio items, and 2) focal interests in terms of dissertation and future research.

§         The oral exam will be offered during a designated exam period each semester. The faculty will choose the designated exam periods for the following academic year in June of the current academic year.

§         The oral exam committee will be made up of at least three members; two must be IS faculty members. Other CGU faculty members, Claremont Colleges plenary faculty members, and adjunct faculty members can serve on the oral exam committee.

§         Students will schedule the oral exam through the Program Administrator.

o       Students must complete all IS course work before scheduling the oral exam.

o       Students must pass the qualifying oral examination before the dissertation is defended.