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Introduction to the Ph.D. in Nursing Science Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing Science prepares students for careers as clinical nurse scientists and faculty. Admission into the program is only offered once a year, and students begin the program in the fall term. Admission can occur at the Post-BSN or Post-MSN levels. The Ph.D. program is rooted in foundations of theory and research, with the expectation of students to become clinical nurse scientists and disseminators of knowledge in the field of nursing.

Ph.D. Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Program, the following factors are required:

• Bachelors in Nursing and/or Masters in Nursing from a nationally accredited school of nursing (NLNAC, CCNE, ACEN)
• Grade point average of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher on the student's last 60 hours of credit
• Three Professional References (Submit via EMBARK Application)
• Current resume or curriculum vita
• Interview and admission essay

Application Process

• Online application submitted via Embark (No-fees for Embark).
• Submit official transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended, even if no degree awarded. International transcripts must be evaluated by an accredited foreign credential service.
• International students must meet the TOEFL/IELTS requirements of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Requirements Upon Admission

• Licensure as a Registered Nurse in Texas or Compact State is not required for application. After admission, a valid nursing license is required in a U.S. state, preferably in Texas for engaging in clinical research or other activities involving patient care.
• Students are required to submit current required immunizations, proof of current health insurance coverage, and clear criminal background check.

Application Deadline

Complete applications received by April 1 will be reviewed for fall admission. Applications received after April 1st will be reviewed on a space-available basis or for the following year.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements and Graduation

Admission can occur at the Post-BSN or Post-MSN levels. Full-time and part-time study options are available. Students complete a minimum of 81 semester credit hours (which includes previous graduate course work) in three to six years, along with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to be eligible to graduate.

Ph.D. Nursing Science Plan of Study

The plan of study for both Post-BSN to Ph.D. and Post-MSN to Ph.D. tracks is outlined in detail, including the courses to be taken each semester.

Post-BSN to Ph.D. Full-Time

• First Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURS 7325, NURS 6315, NURS 7316
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7310, NURS 7324, NURS 7322
  • Summer Semester: NURS 6380, NURS 7302
• Second Year:
  • Fall Semester: TSCI 5070, NURE 7315, Cognate 1 of 3
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7315, Cognate 2 of 3
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7380, NURS 7381
• Third Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURS 7317, NURS 6071, Cognate 3 of 3
  • Spring Semester: NURS 6318, NURS 7318
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7377, NURS 7115
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURE 7090
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7099
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7099
• Fifth Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURS 7099
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7099

Post-MSN to Ph.D. Full-Time

• First Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURS 7316, NURS 7325, NURE 7315
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7310, NURS 7315, Cognate 1 of 3
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7380, NURS 7381
• Second Year:
  • Fall Semester: TSCI 5070, NURS 7317, NURS 6071, Cognate 2 of 3
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7322, NURS 7318, Cognate 3 of 3
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7377, NURS 6318, NURS 7115
• Third Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURE 7090
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7099
  • Summer Semester: NURS 7099
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall Semester: NURS 7099
  • Spring Semester: NURS 7099

Ph.D. Program Outcomes

At the completion of the doctoral program, the student will:

1. Advance the discipline of nursing through the generation of new knowledge and theory.
2. Demonstrate excellence as a clinical researcher in the health sciences in a focal area of nursing.
3. Synthesize theories from natural and/or behavioral sciences for application to a specific area of nursing.
4. Advance evidence-based clinical practice.
5. Assume nurse scientist roles within academic health centers and other interdisciplinary health sciences and educational institutions.
6. Evaluate the value and knowledge components of philosophical and ethical dimensions of issues confronting healthcare and nursing.

Ph.D. Program Policies

General Information

Information about academic progression, policies, or procedures, as well as curriculum information, may be obtained from the Ph.D. Program Coordinator and the School of Nursing Office for Academic Affairs.

Current Licensure as a Registered Nurse

Each graduate nursing student is required to obtain current licensure in good standing as a registered nurse in Texas, or a Compact State with multistate privileges, prior to engaging in clinical research- or practice-related activities within the graduate program.

Advisement

Each student enrolled in the graduate program is assigned an advisor by the Ph.D. Program Director.

Dissertation

The Graduate School Instructions for Preparation and Submission of Thesis, Dissertations, and Dissertation Abstracts and forms for advisor approval are available from the GSBS website.

Teaching Assistants

Opportunities are available for graduate nursing students enrolled part-time to work as teaching assistants in the School of Nursing.

Transfer of Credit

Credit for coursework taken at another institution may be transferred if the student submits a Course Waiver/Substitution Request Form available in the Office of the University Registrar.

Waiver of Courses

With the approval of the COGS, graduate credit hours from other universities may be accepted in lieu of required courses.

Honors

A graduate nursing student whose grade point average is 4.0 is awarded her/his degree with High Honors.

Grades and Grade Point Average

The standing of students in their work is expressed by five grades: A (above average graduate work), B (average graduate work), C (below average graduate work), D (failing graduate work), and F (failing graduate work).

Progression in the Graduate Program

To continue in the Ph.D. program, a student must:

• Absolve any contingencies related to admission to the program within the time period stated in the letter of admission.
• Maintain satisfactory progress (B average in first nine hours) if conditionally admitted.
• Receive no more than one C in any course.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of B (3.0) for all courses taken while enrolled in the graduate program.

Scholastic Probation

A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation and warned that continuation in the graduate program is in jeopardy.

Dismissal Policy and Procedure

Dismissal is the removal of a student from the School of Nursing Graduate Program. A student who is dismissed from the graduate program may not continue in the graduate nursing program and is not eligible for readmission.

Petition

Students may petition the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) for the consideration of relevant issues influencing program progression and/or completion.

Repetition of a Course

Students cannot retake nursing courses for a grade in which they have already received a passing grade.

The Semester Credit Hour

One semester credit hour is given for each one clock hour of class or one clock hour of seminar for didactic courses.

Dissertation Course Report

The dissertation course may be reported as In Progress (IP) until the work is completed.

Examinations

Examinations must be taken on the date and time scheduled.

Readmission

Individuals who have previously been enrolled in graduate nursing courses should complete an Application for Readmission.

Courses

NURE 7090. Dissertation Proposal Process. 1-9 Credit Hours.

In this course, students develop the background, literature review, and methods appropriate for their dissertation research. Students must successfully complete qualifying examination. Prerequisites: NURS 7115.

NURE 7315. Applications of Research In Nursing. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is the application of the research process. During this mentored practicum, the student actively participates in selected aspects of a research project.

NURS 6071. Supervised Teaching. 1-6 Credit Hours.

Directed teaching in the major area under close supervision of one or more faculty members is required of each doctoral student.

NURS 6315. Informatics & Health Care Technologies. 3 Credit Hours.

This course equips students with advanced clinical leadership skills to appraise and optimize information systems and patient care technology.

NURS 6318. Grantsmanship. 3 Credit Hours.

This course consists of seminar and practicum on the topic of gaining financial support for research and/or demonstration projects in nursing and health care-related areas.

NURS 6380. Epidemiology & Statistical Methods in Population Health. 3 Credit Hours.

In this course, students learn and apply statistical and epidemiological methods to health-related data.

NURS 7099. Dissertation. 1-9 Credit Hours.

Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy for Doctor of Philosophy degree; registration for two terms is required of PhD candidates.

NURS 7115. Directed Research Project (Qualifying Exam). 1 Credit Hour.

This course allows PhD students to demonstrate program expectations with regard to: a) acquiring adequate substantive knowledge base in field of study and b) acquiring essential knowledge for conducting scholarly, scientific research.

NURS 7302. Leadership in Healthcare. 3 Credit Hours.

In this course, students focus on theoretical underpinnings of effective leadership, organizational development, complex adaptive systems, quality, safety, and interprofessional collaboration within healthcare systems.

NURS 7310. Theory Development, Analysis and Evaluation. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides an opportunity to study a system for the development of nursing science through middle-range theory development.

NURS 7315. Quantitative Research Designs and Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to help students develop an understanding of quantitative research methods.

NURS 7316. Statistical Analysis For Nursing Science. 3 Credit Hours.

This is an introductory course in statistics and computing.

NURS 7317. Multivariate Statistics. 3 Credit Hours.

Within this course, students will study multivariate techniques in healthcare research and apply aspects of complex research designs.

NURS 7318. Instrumentation/Measurement. 3 Credit Hours.

This course focuses on specific techniques to measure outcomes in clinical and health services research.

NURS 7322. Healthcare Policy Analysis and Advocacy. 3 Credit Hours.

This course prepares the nurse leader to advance the agenda of the rapidly changing care environment by examination of health policy research and analysis.

NURS 7324. Healthcare Economics And Policy. 3 Credit Hours.

This course prepares the student to lead improvements in healthcare and shape health policy through an understanding of macroeconomic principles in the healthcare market.

NURS 7325. Philosophy of Nursing Science. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to relate philosophy of science, philosophy of nursing science, and one's personal philosophy to the development of nursing knowledge.

NURS 7373. Nursing: Quantitative Research Methods 2. 3 Credit Hours.

This course presents modern and classical psychometrics for nursing science from the perspective of item response theory.

NURS 7374. Quantitative Research Designs and Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to research designs for causal inference.

NURS 7375. Regression Models For Nursing Science. 3 Credit Hours.

This course presents regression analysis at an intermediate level.

NURS 7377. Mixed Methods For Clinical Nurse Scientists. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will cover the use of mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative, to address complex research questions in nursing and healthcare.

NURS 7380. Qualitative Research Designs and Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to qualitative research designs and methods.

NURS 7381. Synthesis and Application of Clinical Research. 3 Credit Hours.

This course integrates the dynamic elements of clinical practice, theory, and research to prepare doctoral students to function effectively in the synthesis and application of clinical research.

NURS 7382. Structural Equation Models For Nursing Science. 3 Credit Hours.

This course presents structural equation modeling (SEM) for nursing science.

NURS 7383. Qualitative Methods 2: Application In Nursing Science. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to conceptualize a research problem from a qualitative perspective.

TSCI 5070. Responsible Conduct of Research. 2 Credit Hours.

This foundational course introduces students to core ethical content necessary for responsible research conduct.