The Nursing Science specialty is offered in conjunction with the PhD program at the College of Nursing, and enrollment is intended exclusively for students who are pursing the PhD as a post-baccalaureate student.
PhD program at the College of Nursing prepares nurse scientists and scholars to be skilled researchers who will advance the nursing science. There are various entry options into the PhD program including a post-baccalaureate option that requires 81 credit hours consistent with University policy; 60 of those hours are PhD credits. Post-baccalaureate students in the PhD program can elect to take additional credits without earning a masters’ degree or they can apply for a master’s specialty entry, including the MS in Nursing Science (MSNS). The MSNS option does not lead to specialty certification as a NP or CNS. Rather, the MSNS was originally developed to be consistent with meeting the AACN Essentials for masters’ education in nursing while at the same time providing a MS option for students whose primary goal is to become a nurse scientist.
Core courses
- Nursing 7403: Innovation Leadership in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- Nursing 7483: Quality Improvement and Informatics (3)
- Nursing 7491: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention across the Life Span (3)
- Nursing 7500: Health Policy and Advocacy (2)
- Nursing 7780: Evidence Based Nursing Scholarship (3)
Other required courses
- Nursing 7404: Healthcare Project Management (3)
- Nursing 7405: Management of Clinical and Preclinical Studies (3)
- Nursing 7781: Responsible Conduct of Research (3)
- Nursing 7782: Research Design and Methods for Clinical and Preclinical Research (3)
- Elective (3)
- Statistics (3)
Self-audit checklist
Use the hyperlinked list to ensure you have taken all of the courses required for your specialty. Your advisor will conduct a final review when you apply to graduate. Students must have completed these courses or have a Nursing Graduate Studies Committee-approved Course Waiver petition on file.
Standard curriculum plan