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About This Program
The Ph.D. degree in Nursing prepares nurse scientists to develop methods to advance health, health care and the nursing profession. Graduates are expected to lead and promote interprofessional innovative scholarly endeavors and to assume leadership roles in the profession.
Contact Information
- Teresa Adams | [email protected] |
330-672-8761
- Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- 17.6% much faster than the average
- 72,900 number of jobs
- $75,470 potential earnings
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.
Admission Requirements
- Active, unrestricted U.S. registered nurse license (international students need to show proof of legal ability to practice as a registered nurse in country of origin)
- Bachelor's or master's degree in nursing or related field, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, from an accredited program1
- Minimum overall 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
- Official transcript(s)
- Résumé or curriculum vitae
- Essay (two pages, single-spaced), see guidelines below
- Three letters of reference from health care professionals or academic faculty members who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities (two of the three references from doctoral-prepared individuals are preferred)
- Interview
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
- Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
- Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
- Minimum 58 PTE score
- Minimum 110 DET score
- 1
A bachelor's degree in a closely related health field may be considered if the applicant has a master's degree in nursing or a D.N.P. degree from an accredited program. A master's degree in a closely related field may be considered if the applicant has a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program.
- 2
International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.
Guidelines for the Essay
- Applicants should begin their essay with the "why" for pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Nursing and the "how" this degree will help them achieve their research and professional goals.
- Introduce the population or phenomenon of interest that will be investigated.
- In the body of the essay, applicants should explain why they are interested in this population and/or phenomenon and how their work will impact or advance science in that area.
- Consider including scientific gaps and significance in that area of research.
- Elucidate the effect the research will have on the health outcomes of the proposed population or on those who are affected by the phenomenon on interest.
- Indicate how the work may reflect diversity, equity and inclusion in the area of research.
- In the closing paragraph, applicants should provide one to two key aspects of their research and propose ways to disseminate their scientific discovery.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester
- Priority deadline: March 1
- Spring Semester
- Priority deadline: November 1
- Summer Term
- Priority deadline: March 1
Applications submitted by these deadlines will receive the strongest consideration for admission.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements (min B grade in all courses) | ||
NURS 70710 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE | 2 |
NURS 70711 | SCIENTIFIC WRITING | 2 |
NURS 70712 | RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS | 2 |
NURS 70713 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 2 |
NURS 70714 | LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE | 3 |
NURS 70715 | THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING | 3 |
NURS 70740 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 3 |
NURS 70741 | ADVANCED STATISTICS III | 3 |
NURS 70742 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
NURS 70743 | ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
NURS 70744 | PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
NURS 70753 | DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING | 3 |
NURS 70798 | RESEARCH IN NURSING (post-baccalaureate take twice) | 3-5 |
Post-Baccalaureate Requirements (all are required for post-baccalaureate students) | 0-9 | |
INNOVATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH | ||
ROLES AND EVALUATION | ||
RESEARCH IN HEALTH DISPARITIES | ||
Nursing Science Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 6-12 | |
SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY | ||
MEDICAL GENOMICS | ||
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | ||
APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA | ||
FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM | ||
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION | ||
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS | ||
OBSERVATIONAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH | ||
LEARNING THEORIES | ||
APPLIED THEORY IN HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE | ||
HEALTH BEHAVIOR | ||
EMERGING ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | ||
SEMINAR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
BASICS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWING | ||
INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS | ||
SURVEY DESIGN AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION | ||
STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING | ||
HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING | ||
MIXED METHODS RESEARCH | ||
GROUNDED THEORY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH | ||
ETHNOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDY RESEARCH | ||
THEORIES OF PREVENTION SCIENCE | ||
EVALUATION RESEARCH METHODS IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | ||
CODING FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | ||
TRANSCRIBING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INTERVIEWS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | ||
EMERGING ISSUES IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | ||
QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | ||
QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS | ||
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY | ||
ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY | ||
Culminating Requirement | ||
NURS 80199 | DISSERTATION I 2 | 30 |
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Baccalaureate Students | 90 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Master's Students | 73 |
- 1
Elective courses support the student's research interest and are selected with the approval of the student's academic advisor. The courses will supplement the student's program of study in a substantive area of research or specific method of research, including advanced statistical approaches, or assist the student with career goals following graduation.
- 2
Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for NURS 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter NURS 80299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.
Candidacy Examination
At the conclusion of coursework, students sit for the candidacy examination. The examination provides the basis for evaluation of the student’s readiness for completing the dissertation. Students must successfully pass candidacy and a proposal defense before beginning dissertation work.
Progression Requirements
- Students who do not earn a minimum B grade in a course must repeat it and cannot take other courses that require that course as a prerequisite until the course is successfully retaken. Students who do not earn a minimum B grade in the second attempt may be dismissed from the Ph.D. degree.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
---|---|
- | 3.000 |
- Minimum B grade required in all courses to earn the Ph.D. degree.
- Passage of the candidacy examination
- Submission and successful defense of a dissertation
Students with a D.N.P. degree may receive permission to have coursework waived if supported by the appropriate and recent coursework; however, maximum 12 credit hours may transfer to the Ph.D.. The waiver of each specific course will be determined by the relevant academic department. These students may graduate with less than 72 credit hours but no fewer than 60 total credit hours.
Roadmaps
Post-Baccalaureate Track
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall Semester | Credits | |
NURS 70710 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE | 2 |
NURS 70711 | SCIENTIFIC WRITING | 2 |
NURS 70712 | RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS | 2 |
NURS 70713 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 2 |
Credit Hours | 8 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 70715 | THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING | 3 |
NURS 70740 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 3 |
NURS 70742 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
NURS 70798 | RESEARCH IN NURSING | 2 |
Credit Hours | 12 | |
Summer Term | ||
NURS 70714 | LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE | 3 |
NURS 70716 | INNOVATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH | 3 |
Credit Hours | 6 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
NURS 70741 | ADVANCED STATISTICS III | 3 |
NURS 70798 | RESEARCH IN NURSING | 3 |
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 9 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 70718 | ROLES AND EVALUATION | 3 |
NURS 70739 | RESEARCH IN HEALTH DISPARITIES | 3 |
NURS 70753 | DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING | 3 |
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 12 | |
Summer Term | ||
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 3 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
NURS 70743 | ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 7 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 70744 | PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
Credit Hours | 3 | |
Summer Term | ||
Candidacy Examination | ||
Credit Hours | 0 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
NURS 80199 | DISSERTATION I | 15 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 80199 | DISSERTATION I | 15 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 90 |
Post-Master's Track
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall Semester | Credits | |
NURS 70710 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE | 2 |
NURS 70711 | SCIENTIFIC WRITING | 2 |
NURS 70712 | RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS | 2 |
NURS 70713 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 2 |
Credit Hours | 8 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 70715 | THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING | 3 |
NURS 70740 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 3 |
NURS 70742 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
Credit Hours | 10 | |
Summer Term | ||
NURS 70714 | LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE | 3 |
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 6 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
NURS 70741 | ADVANCED STATISTICS III | 3 |
NURS 70743 | ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES | 4 |
NURS 70798 | RESEARCH IN NURSING | 3 |
Credit Hours | 10 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 70744 | PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
NURS 70753 | DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING | 3 |
Nursing Science Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 9 | |
Summer Term | ||
Candidacy Examination | ||
Credit Hours | 0 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
NURS 80199 | DISSERTATION I | 15 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring Semester | ||
NURS 80199 | DISSERTATION I | 15 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 73 |
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Generate new knowledge that contributes to the advancement of health, healthcare and nursing science.
- Disseminate advances in scientific knowledge.
- Use collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to advance nursing science.
- Assume leadership roles in healthcare and education as researchers, educators and advanced clinicians.
- Serve as stewards of the diversity within the body of knowledge for the discipline of nursing.