Doctoral students will find a rigorous nursing science curriculum, a dynamic range of faculty expertise and mulitple opportunities for creative interdisciplinary collaboration at the college across core areas of the doctoral program, knowledge building (nursing theory and research) and nursing practice and patient care.

The required courses prepare students to address significant problems through research that will add to the knowledge base of nursing and serve to inform practice, health policy, and nursing education. The coursework also enables students to develop significant research questions early in the program that may lead to dissertation research and/or external funding.

Cognate Area of Study: The cognate area of study consists of 12 to 15 semester hours. Students, in conjunction with the major advisor, select a cognate area of study to support the focus of the student's dissertation.

Electives: Required for degree completion are 3 semester hours of elective course work in research methods. Electives may include courses recommended or approved by the student's advisory committee.

Dissertation: The College of Nursing requires a minimum of 12 credit hours of dissertation and may elect up to 24 hours. Students may register for dissertation hours the semester following admission to candidacy. After candidacy approval, students must enroll for a minimum of two dissertation hours each semester while working on the dissertation and using university resources.

Admissions Requirements

• MS in Nursing from an accredited nursing program
• Competitive GRE scores in the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing sections
• Current RN licensure
• Demonstrated commitment to doctoral study and scholarly productivity
• Completion of an interview with a graduate faculty member

At completion you will have

• Foundational skills needed to launch your research career in nursing
• Experience to effectively collaborate as a nursing faculty member
• Knowledge to instruct in a nursing specialty at the undergraduate and graduate level

Financial Aid
There are financial resources made available to students, such as graduate teaching assistantships, fee waivers, various federal grants and scholarships.

Semester I
NGR 7124 Advances in Nursing Science (3)
NGR 7816 Research Design and Methods in Nursing (3)
NGR 7841 Statistical Methods in Nursing Research I (3)
Total: (9)

Semester II
NGR 7842 Statistical Methods in Nursing Research II (3)
NGR 7123 Theory Development in Nursing (3)
NGR 7941 Nursing Research Pro Seminar (1)
NGR 7705 Academic Citizenship (1)
or
NGR 6712 Foundations of Nursing Education(3)
(For students selecting education as a focus)
Total: (8-10)

Semester III
NGR 7823 Psychometrics/Measurement for Nursing Research (3)
NGR 7911 Esthetics and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare (3)
Total: (6)

Semester IV
NGR 7815 Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research (3)
NGR 7912 Health Policy Issues in Nursing and Health Care (3)
NGR 7941 Nursing Research Pro Seminar (1)
NGR 7843 Statistical Methods in Nursing Research III (3)
Total: (10)

Semester V
NGR 7941 Nursing Research Pro Seminar (1)
Total: (1)

Additional courses in the cognate (12-15 credits), 1 elective in research methods (3 credits), independent study and dissertation research (12-24 credits) complete the requirements. Two consecutive semesters of full-time study are also required.