Program Overview

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PhD in Nursing Program

The PhD in Nursing program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee integrates science, theory, and research to educate the next generation of nurse scientists and leaders. The program aims to advance nursing knowledge and translate research into practice that promotes the health and care of patients.

Program Type and Format

• The program is offered on-campus, both full-time and part-time.
• The courses are structured so that the required doctoral nursing courses are offered only one day per week.

Program Details

The PhD in Nursing program is designed to prepare students for successful careers as academic or clinical scientists, educators, and for other opportunities in the rapidly evolving nursing professions. The program's focus areas include:

• Advancing nursing knowledge
• Translating research into practice
• Promoting the health and care of patients

Full-Time On-Campus PhD 3-year plan

Year 1

• Foundations of Inquiry for Health (NURS 801, 3 credits)
• Multivariate Statistics (NURS 808, 3 credits)
• Issues in Scholarship (NURS 890, 3 credits)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Science of Nursing (NURS 802, 3 credits)
• Qualitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 882, 3 credits)
• Quantitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 883, 3 credits)
• Measurement in Health Research (NURS 881, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 3 credits)
• First Year Exam, Summer

Year 2

• Choose one advanced methods course:
  • Advanced Quantitative (NURS 885, 3 credits)
  • Advanced Qualitative (NURS 886, 3 credits)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 2 credits)
• Health Policy (NURS 803, 3 credits)
• Analysis of Nursing Phenomena (NURS 820, 3 credits)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Integrative Studies (NURS 809, 3 credits)

Year 3

• Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) (NURS 997, 1 credit)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)

Full-time On-Campus PhD 4-year plan

Year 1

• Foundations of Inquiry for Health (NURS 801, 3 credits)
• Multivariate Statistics (NURS 808, 3 credits)
• Issues in Scholarship (NURS 890, 3 credits)
• Science of Nursing (NURS 802, 3 credits)
• Qualitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 882, 3 credits)
• Quantitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 883, 3 credits)
• Measurement in Health Research (NURS 881, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)
• First Year Exam

Year 2

• Choose one advanced methods course:
  • Advanced Quantitative (NURS 885, 3 credits)
  • Advanced Qualitative (NURS 886, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Health Policy (NURS 803, 3 credits)
• Analysis of Nursing Phenomena (NURS 820, 3 credits)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Integrative Studies (NURS 809, 1 credit)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)

Year 3

• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 2 credits)
• Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) (NURS 897, 1 credit)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)

Year 4

• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)

Part-time On-Campus PhD 5-year plan

Year 1

• Foundations of Inquiry for Health (NURS 801, 3 credits)
• Science of Nursing (NURS 802, 3 credits)
• Multivariate Statistics (NURS 808, 3 credits)
• Quantitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 883, 3 credits)

Year 2

• Issues in Scholarship (NURS 890, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Qualitative Methods in Health Research (NURS 882, 3 credits)
• Measurement in Health Research (NURS 881, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)
• First Year Exam (Summer)

Year 3

• Choose one advanced methods course:
  • Advanced Quantitative (NURS 885, 3 credits)
  • Advanced Qualitative (NURS 886, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)
• Specialty Elective (3 credits)
• Health Policy (NURS 803, 3 credits)
• Analysis of Nursing Phenomena (NURS 820, 3 credits)
• Integrative Studies (NURS 809, 3 credits)
• Research Practicum (NURS 899, 1 credit)

Year 4

• Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) (NURS 897, 1 credit)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)

Year 5

• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)
• Dissertator (NURS 997, 3 credits)

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor's degree or master's degree in nursing or a health-related field from a professionally accredited program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 (4.0 scale) for all previous graduate coursework.
• Completion of a graduate-level statistics course (within the last five years) with a grade of B or higher.

Approved Graduate Statistics Courses

• UW-Milwaukee: Biostatistics (Online/On-Campus) (NURS 720)
• UW-Stevens Point: Basic Statistical Methods for Social Science (On-Campus) (SOC 590)
• UW-Stevens Point: Basic Statistical Methods in Education (Online) (EDUC 705)
• Penn State World campus: Applied Statistics (STATS 500)
• UMass Online: Introduction to Probability and Applied Statistics (EEOS 601)
• University of Phoenix: Applied Business Research and Statistics (QNT 561)
• University of Phoenix: Statistics For The Behavior Sciences (PSYC 625)
• UCLA Extension: Advanced Statistics and Quantitative Methods (STATS 402.1)

Application Process

All applicants must apply through the Graduate School's application system and upload the following:

• A nonrefundable application fee
• Unofficial transcripts from each academic institution attended where at least nine or more credits were attempted or completed
• Current curriculum vitae
• References from three different people who know about the applicant's academic experience and potential for graduate study in nursing
• A written statement from the applicant that includes previous professional experience, professional career goals, research interests, motivation for PhD study, and educational objectives for the program
• Two examples of original work that demonstrate the applicant's academic potential
• A conversation with a faculty member is required as part of the application process

PhD Program Research Areas

The faculty members and their areas of interest are:

• Alexa Anderson, PhD, MA: Behavioral pharmacology, substance use disorders, health-related behaviors, perinatal populations, IPV, veterans-military
• Jennifer Doering, PhD, RN, FAAN: Perinatal mental health, perinatal sleep and fatigue, mothering, motherhood ideology, and feminism, high education nursing administration, leadership and career development
• Julie L. Ellis, PhD, RN: Gerontological nursing, health disparities, vulnerable populations, self-management of chronic disease
• Jovan Gwon, PhD, RN, FIAAN: Tobacco cessation, young adults in rural areas, rural health, social determinants of health
• Barbara Haase, PhD, MSN, RN, APRN, CPNP-PC, IBCLC: Lactation, breastfeeding
• Jeana M. Holt, PhD, DNP, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, APNP: Human-centered design in healthcare and graduate healthcare education, nurse-led innovation and entrepreneurship, art and technology-based Autism interventions
• Peninnah Kako, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, APNP: HIV/AIDS and women, health needs evaluation, international research (sub-Saharan Africa), vulnerable populations, rural and urban comparative research, multicultural research
• Jennifer Kibicho, PhD, DTM, CPA (K): Health Economics, economic analyses of health care costs, prescription drug cost drivers, cost containment policies, and the cost of providing care to persons living with HIV/AIDS
• Kim Litwack, PhD, RN, FAAN, APNP: Peri-anesthesia Care, Primary Care, Nurse Practitioners, Pain management, Educational Research, Program Evaluation
• Michele Polfuss, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, FAAN: Childhood overweight and obesity and co-related morbidities, overweight and obesity in individuals with a developmental disability, accurate assessment of body composition in a clinical setting
• Julia Snethen, PhD, RN, FAAN: Childhood obesity, chronic conditions in children and adolescents, parents/siblings of children with chronic conditions, family-focused care, creative teaching strategies, maternal-child health care/postpartum, international nursing
• Murad Taani, PhD, MPH, RN: Older adult health and illness care, physical activity, sarcopenia, self-management, community health nursing
• AkkeNeel Talsma, PhD, RN, FAAN: Health Services Research, mixed methods, participatory research, maternal health and infant outcomes, innovation, clinical registries, big data, quality and safety
• Lynne M. Woehrle, PhD: Systems change, community-based research and evaluation, peacebuilding and community health, community economic development, food, work, gender, racism, health equity, violence prevention

Priority Application Deadline

• February 1 (Fall start)