Nursing, PhD

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Curriculum
Comprehensive Examinations
Submission Of A Manuscript

Degree Requirements

The student must complete at least 48 credits of approved doctoral course work beyond the master’s degree in nursing. The student must also successfully pass the comprehensive examination, submit a manuscript for publication, and defend a dissertation for graduation. Only doctoral courses will be accepted for doctoral credit. Please note that the program director must approve a waiver of any requirement for the degree in writing.

Curriculum

The course of study consists of three related units designed to prepare competent, scholarly nurse educators, scientists, and leaders in nursing education. Throughout the doctoral program, students are challenged to explore the historical, social, philosophical, ethical, and organizational implications of emergent issues that affect nursing education.

Unit I

Unit I emphasizes nursing science. It includes philosophy, epistemology, theoretical thinking, and knowledge synthesis, as well as nursing theory and nursing science development.

NURS 702 - Nursing Science I: Epistemology 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 813 - Nursing Science II: Synthesis in Nursing 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 814 - Nursing Science III: Theory Development in Nursing 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)

Unit II

Unit II is related to general and nursing education. It consists of specialized courses in contemporary nursing education, curriculum development, teaching concepts, and evaluation methods. Students work closely with faculty in teaching/learning situations through seminars and projects.

NURS 705 - Psychology of Learning 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 706 - Philosophy of Education 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 720 - Curriculum Theory in Nursing 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 750 - Assessment, Measurement & Evaluation 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 820 - Current Issues in Higher Education Organizations 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 822 - Leadership in Nursing Education 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 853 - Evidence-Based Teaching Practice 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)

Unit III

Unit III addresses research methods. It includes qualitative and quantitative design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation while fostering disciplined inquiry as students develop and implement a dissertation proposal that will contribute to the scientific basis of nursing education or practice.

NURS 815 - Qualitative Research I 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 825 - Advanced Research Design 3 Credit(s)
NURS 826 - Quantitative Analysis I 3 Credit(s)
NURS 827 - Quantitative Analysis II 3 Credit(s)
NURS 900 - Dissertation Seminar I 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 901 - Dissertation Seminar II 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)
NURS 950 - Dissertation Advisement 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s) *

Total Credits: 48

(plus NURS 950 )

*Dissertation Advisement (NURS 950 ) must be taken each fall, spring, and summer until the dissertation is completed.

Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive examinations will be taken subsequent to the successful completion of all course work. After passing the comprehensive examinations, the student is accepted as a doctoral candidate and proceeds into NURS 901 Dissertation Seminar II.

Submission of a Manuscript

Prior to program completion, all PhD students are required to submit a manuscript for publication to a peer-reviewed journal. The manuscript may be the product of a course or course requirement. The student must be the first author on the manuscript. A copy of the manuscript, documentation of submission, and cover letter is to be submitted to the program director for the student’s file.