Program Overview

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DNP-PhD Program

The DNP-PhD program is designed to provide advanced education in nursing practice and research. The program is offered by the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.

Program Overview

The DNP-PhD program is a dual-degree program that combines the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing. The program is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses with the knowledge, skills, and expertise to provide high-quality patient care and to conduct research that advances the field of nursing.

Program Requirements

The program requires a total of 66 credit hours, which includes:

• 9 credit hours of cognate courses
• 3 credit hours of elective courses
• 12 credit hours of dissertation

Full-Time Degree Plan

The full-time degree plan is designed to be completed in three years. The plan includes:

• First Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7501, NURS 7530, NURS 7555 (9 credit hours)
  • Spring: NURS 7540, Cognate I, NURS 7505 (10 credit hours)
  • Summer: NURS 7506, NURS 7542, NURS 7554 (8 credit hours)
• Second Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7541, NURS 7543, Cognate II (9 credit hours)
  • Spring: Research Methods Elective, Cognate III, NURS 7550, NURS 7550B (9 credit hours)
  • Summer: Elective, NURS 7554 (4 credit hours)
• Third Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7552, NURS 7552B, NURS 7600 (9 credit hours)
  • Spring: NURS 7554, NURS 7600, NURS 7590 (8 credit hours)

Part-Time Degree Plan

The part-time degree plan is designed to be completed in four years. The plan includes:

• First Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7530, NURS 7501 (6 credit hours)
  • Spring: Elective, NURS 7505 (7 credit hours)
  • Summer: NURS 7506 (4 credit hours)
• Second Year:
  • Fall: Research Methods Elective, NURS 7555 (6 credit hours)
  • Spring: NURS 7540, Cognate I (6 credit hours)
  • Summer: NURS 7542, NURS 7554 (4 credit hours)
• Third Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7541, NURS 7543 (6 credit hours)
  • Spring: Cognate II, NURS 7550, NURS 7550B, NURS 7590 (7 credit hours)
  • Summer: NURS 7554 (1 credit hour)
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: NURS 7552, NURS 7552B, Cognate III (6 credit hours)
  • Spring: NURS 7600, NURS 7554 (7 credit hours)
  • Summer: NURS 7600 (6 credit hours)

Research Areas

The DNP-PhD program offers a variety of research areas, including:

• Advanced Research Designs and Methods
• Analysis of the Context of Health Care
• Applied Measurement Theory for Biomedical and Health Science Research
• Conceptual Basis of Scientific Inquiry
• Empirical Basis of Scientific Inquiry
• Research Practicum
• Research Proposal Development

Cognates

The program requires three cognate courses, which are taken outside of the Cizik School of Nursing. The cognates are designed to reflect the focus of the dissertation research and must be approved by the Dissertation Chairperson/Student Advisor before enrollment.

Electives

The program requires one elective course, which is taken at the graduate level. The elective course is designed to provide additional knowledge and skills in a specific area of interest.

Dissertation

The dissertation is a required component of the program, which involves original research that contributes to the field of nursing. The dissertation must be completed under the guidance of a Dissertation Chairperson and must meet the requirements of the Cizik School of Nursing and UTHealth Houston.