Purpose
The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program is designed to meet the educational needs of nurses who are committed to playing a significant role in the creation, clarification, and refinement of nursing knowledge. The program prepares nurse scientists who advance the discipline of nursing through research, theory development, and other academic endeavors. Graduates are expected to provide leadership for the advancement of the discipline in the scientific community and in academic and service institutions. The Ph.D. program is offered in an online and blended format.
A graduate of the Ph.D. program in nursing will be prepared to:
1. evaluate the theoretical, philosophical, and historical concepts of nursing and examine critically the multiple dimensions of contemporary research;
2. design and test theoretical explanations about phenomena of concern to nursing;
3. design, conduct, and evaluate original research;
4. provide leadership in creating and disseminating new knowledge;
5. collaborate effectively with scholars in the scientific and professional communities.
Requirements
The Ph.D. curriculum requires 59 credits beyond the master's degree. Of that total, 26 of these credits are in nursing. The nursing courses include 18 credits of theory development and research, 6 credits of dissertation seminars, and 2 credits of contemporary issues in nursing. In addition, 15 credits are required in the following areas: research methodology, statistics, cognate, and elective courses. Eighteen credits are allocated for dissertation research. A course in data management must be completed prior to or upon initial enrollment in the program. The credits from this course do not count toward the Ph.D. credit requirements. This course may be waived by passing an equivalency test conducted by the College of Nursing. Ph.D. students must also follow all other policies of the Graduate School-Newark.
In addition to the 59 credits of study, students seeking the Ph.D. must:
1. take a qualifying examination for admission to candidacy. This examination is given after a student has completed 26:705:678 Theory Development and Research in Nursing II and the major portion of the course requirements;
2. submit a dissertation proposal;
3. complete a dissertation that is based on original research in a significant aspect of nursing;
4. make an oral defense of the dissertation.
The faculty believes that theory development and theory testing are integral parts of the research process. Therefore, students entering the Ph.D. program are expected to have passed a master's-level course in nursing theory and nursing research and have completed successfully a basic statistics course before they enroll in the nursing sequence. As an initial course or before admission, the student also must complete successfully 26:705:570 Management of Health Data. The credits for this course do not count toward the Ph.D. credit requirements. Students can get a waiver of this course requirement by passing an equivalency test offered by the College of Nursing.
Each student should work with his or her chair to map out the number of credits he or she will take for dissertation research. In the early stages of their dissertation work, students should take no more than 6 credits per semester of dissertation research.
Time Limit
Requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within eight years.
Admission
The requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program are:
1. a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program;
2. a master's degree with a major in nursing from a nationally accredited program;
3. a cumulative graduate grade-point average of at least 3.2 (where A = 4.0);
4. a satisfactory combined score on the GRE (verbal, quantitative, and analytical and/or writing abilities);
5. a personal interview (a telephone interview, when appropriate, may be arranged);
6. submission of the following materials:
a. current registered nurse licensure
b. an essay describing the applicant's goals for doctoral study and career goals relative to nursing research
c. curriculum vitae
d. two scholarly papers of which the applicant is the sole author
e. three letters of reference from professional sources that support the applicant's ability to succeed in the Ph.D. program. Two of these letters must come from nurse academicians.
f. two official transcripts of all previous college work
g. completed application form in duplicate
|
