Program Overview

Nursing PhD

Overview

The Nursing PhD program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis is designed to prepare students for careers as nurse scientists and scholars. The program focuses on the development of expertise in core knowledge and methods of the discipline, as well as selected areas of theory and research.

Admission Criteria

• A completed University of Missouri-St. Louis Nursing CAS application
• Completion of the College of Nursing supplemental application
• Graduation from a nationally accredited baccalaureate or master's nursing program with a 3.0 minimum GPA (4.0 scale)
• International applicants must meet minimum requirements on tests of written and spoken English (79 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS, 53 PTE-A, or 105-110 Duolingo is desired)

Degree Requirements

There are 66 credits required to complete the degree. BSN to PhD students complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate-level course work, 6 credit hours of electives, and an additional 12 credit hours of dissertation. MSN to PhD students complete a minimum of 45 post-MSN credit hours and an additional 12 credit hours of dissertation, plus 9 credit hours are earned from Master’s level work.

Course Requirements

Nursing Science, Theory, and Discipline of Nursing

• NURSE 6424: Social Determinants of Health for Underserved Populations (3 credits)
• NURSE 7200: State of the Science in Nursing Research and Practice (3 credits)
• NURSE 7403: Development of the Nurse Scientist (3 credits)
• NURSE 7481: Development of Nursing Science and Theory (3 credits)
• NURSE 7491: Advanced Nursing Theory Development and Validation (3 credits) Total Hours: 15

Nursing Research Methods

• NURSE 7211: Biostatistics I (3 credits)
• NURSE 7488: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methodologies and Methods (3 credits)
• NURSE 7212: Biostatistics II (3 credits)
• NURSE 7490: Advanced Nursing Research Designs and Methods (3 credits)
• NURSE 7955: Research Topics in Nursing and Health: Psychometrics (3 credits)
• NURSE 7486: Research Residency (3 credits) All PhD students (BSN to PhD and MSN to PhD) are required to take 3 credit hours of research residency with a faculty member. Total Hours: 18

Advanced Research Methods Course

Select one of the following:

• NURSE 7495: Mixed Methods Research in Health Care (3 credits)
• NURSE 7497: Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Health Interventions (3 credits)
• NURSE 7213: Biostatistics III - Structural Equation Modeling (3 credits)
• NURSE 7496: Seminar in Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)
• NURSE 7957: Research Topics in Nursing and Health: Hierarchical Linear Modeling (3 credits) Total Hours: 3

Cognates

All PhD students (BSN to PhD and MSN to PhD) are required to take a minimum of 9 credit hours of cognates in the related area of research.

Dissertation

• NURSE 7499: Dissertation Research (12 credits)

Additional Required Course for BSN to PhD Students

• NURSE 6130: Research, Interventions and Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
• Electives: 6 credits Total Hours: 9

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Become a steward of the discipline dedicated to the integrity of its work in the generation, critique, transformation, transmission, and use of its knowledge.
• Develop expertise in core knowledge and methods of the discipline and selected areas of theory and research to establish a program of research and scholarship about patient-related outcomes.
• Develop philosophical literacy and epistemic diversity, in addition to exploring the breadth of the discipline and depth of a particular area of related science.
• Acquire competencies to expand socially meaningful science that supports the discipline and practice of nursing.
• Articulate the clinical and policy implications of their research contributions by translating nursing research into practice and policy to improve health and healthcare systems.
• Provide leadership to effect change in healthcare practice, policy, and education issues by collaboration and partnerships in a data-rich world.
• Improve the healthcare outcomes for individuals, families, communities, and systems regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Articulate up-to-date data content regarding determinants of health, health equity concepts and theories, structural inequities in health, promotion of cultural safety, and social justice (cultural humility, structural inequities in health including gender bias, and health disparities).