Program Overview

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Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, PhD

The Doctor of Philosophy program in nursing and healthcare innovation provides an enriching academic environment that strongly fosters scholarship, critical thinking, and interprofessional collaboration. This research-focused interdisciplinary doctoral degree is designed for individuals who wish to pursue and engage in careers as leaders in health science, health education, and policy, and health innovation.

Program Description

The program prepares scholars with the research skills they need to generate, apply, and disseminate scientific knowledge while demonstrating the leadership skills necessary for influencing health processes, outcomes, policy, and innovation.

At a Glance

• College/school: Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation
• Location: Downtown Phoenix
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

Concurrent Program Options

Students can choose to create their own concurrent degree combination to match their interests by working with their academic advisor during or after their first semester of study. Some concurrent combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum; students should speak with their academic advisor for more details.

• This degree is also offered as a concurrent program with the following:
  • Advanced Nursing Practice (Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner), DNP

Degree Requirements

• 84 credit hours
• A written comprehensive exam
• An oral comprehensive exam
• A prospectus
• A dissertation
• Required Core (3 credit hours)
  • NUR 602 State of the Science in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation (3)
• Electives or Research (39 credit hours)
• Other Requirements (30 credit hours)
  • NUR 601 Scientific Role Development I: Engaging and Committing (1)
  • NUR 603 Social and Contextual Issues in Nursing and Healthcare (3) or NUR 610 Genomics and Population Health (3)
  • NUR 604 Philosophy of Science Perspectives in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation (3)
  • NUR 605 Theory Analysis (3)
  • NUR 606 Scientific Role Development II: Validating and Demonstrating (1)
  • NUR 607 Scientific Role Development III: Bridging (1)
  • NUR 608 Qualitative Research Design and Methods (3)
  • NUR 609 Quantitative Research Design and Methods (3)
  • NUR 617 Foundational Concepts in Science and Statistics (3) or DNP 679 Biostatistics: Principles of Statistical Inference (3)
  • NUR 618 Advancing Research-Based Health Policy Through Leadership and Innovation Science (3) or DNP 711 Healthcare Policy and Innovation (3)
  • NUR 671 Teaching in Academic and Practice Settings (3)
  • NUR 680 Topic: Research Practicum in Nursing and Health Innovation (3)
• Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)
  • NUR 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, the 30 hours of coursework are made up of electives and research. From those elective and research hours, 12 credit hours are required in a substantive area of specialization and may be taken in any semester, based on availability and student interest. A total of 24 credit hours of coursework with a research focus are required, including 12 hours of dissertation credit.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements:
  • All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
• Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing or a related field from a regionally accredited institution.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
• All applicants must submit:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Current resume
  • Goal statement essay
  • Writing sample
  • Proof of English proficiency

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Career Opportunities

Graduates are prepared to assume key positions in research, education, and administration, with the goal of optimizing quality of life and health across diverse populations and settings.

• Career examples include:
  • Academic faculty (e.g., professor)
  • Health care executive
  • Health educator
  • Health-focused scientist

Research Areas

Students may choose from the following five substantive areas of study:

• Aging
• Education
• Health care innovation leadership
• Healthy families
• World health

The program may incorporate courses from other disciplines to further refine substantive areas of study.