PhD Coursework

The PhD program has three components nursing science, research methods, and a cognate minor. In addition, students are required to complete the PhD Candidacy Examination and a dissertation. The nursing science component is required of all students and comprises the foundation for the development and testing of theory about the health of human systems. Nursing courses pertain to the philosophies of nursing science, theory development and synthesis of theories from nursing, social, behavioral, and biological sciences communication, and ethics.

The nursing science major includes credit hours in nursing science and scientific communication, research methods, and research residency and dissertation. A minimum of 9 credit hours of statistics is required. The cognate minor (minimum of 6 credit hours) is taken in a discipline that is congruent with the student’s research area. Finally, doctoral students are expected to attend various colloquia and special research presentations held in the College and University.

A list of required coursework is below. To review the course descriptions, credit hour requirements, and prerequisites for any of the courses, please consult the Course Catalogue. You can search for the classes using the course numbers listed.

Nursing science coursework

  • Nursing 7781: Responsible Conduct of Research
    Concepts and policies for the responsible conduct of research (RCOR), Institutional Review Boards and dissemination of findings.
    Prereq: Grad standing.
  • Nursing 8400: Leadership for Nurse Scientists
    Examine current professional issues facing the nurse scientist in academia, practice, and research.
    Prereq: Enrolled in PhD in Nursing program.
  • Nursing 8440: Philosophy of Science and Development of Nursing Knowledge
    Examines historical, philosophical, and theoretical basis for nursing science.
    Prereq: Enrollment in PhD program in Nursing.
  • Nursing 8441: Health Determinants Models for Nursing Science
    Integrates scientific approaches used to investigate, understand and improve health status within the context of Nursing Science.
    Prereq: 8440, or permission of instructor.
  • Nursing 8460: Integrative Reviews in Nursing
    Foundation for conducting a systematic integrative review of nursing and health related research and dissemination of scientific writing.
    Prereq: 8783.
  • Nursing 8462: Grant Writing for Nursing Research
    Introduction to the principles and fundamentals of writing and critiquing research grant proposals in nursing science.
    Prereq: 8440, 8460, and 8783.
  • Nursing 8783: Quantitative Design for Nursing Research
    Quantitative designs relevant to research in nursing and health. Emphasis is placed on experimental and quasi-experimental designs in nursing and health-related research.
    Prereq: Enrollment in PhD in Nursing program.
  • Nursing 8784: Qualitative Design for Nursing Research
    Survey of qualitative and mixed methods approaches relevant to nursing and health. Emphasis is placed on observational research designs in nursing and health research.
    Prereq: Enrolled in PhD in Nursing program.
  • Nursing 8785: Measurement for Nursing and Health Research
    Measurement theories and principles relevant to nursing science. Emphasis is on psychobiobehavioral measurement in nursing and health-related research.
    Prereq: 8440 and 8783.
  • Nursing 8786: Advanced Design for Nursing Research
    Theoretically-derived approaches to advanced quantitative designs relevant to nursing and health. Emphasis is on multi-level, complex designs appropriate to individual and population health research.
    Prereq: 8783, 8784, and 8785.
  • Nursing 8980: Research Residency
    Doctoral research training through participation in on-going research of graduate faculty.
    Prereq: 8440, 8441, 8460, 8783, and 8784. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs or 4 completions. This course is progress graded (S/U).

    • Minimum of 3 credits are required
    • Course can be taken for 1-10 credits
  • Nursing 8891.01: Genetics and Genomics for Nursing Science
    Examine emerging topics in genomics in the improvement of human health and quality of life in individuals, families, and communities from a nursing science perspective.
    Prereq: 8400, 8441, and 8783.
  • Nursing 8891.02: Secondary Analysis of Complex Survey Data for Nursing and Health Research
    Develop and conduct secondary analysis of complex survey data from a nursing science perspective. Emphasis on design, data management, and selection and use of different analytic tools commonly used in nursing science.
    Prereq: Course in multiple regression.
  • Nursing 8999: Dissertation
    Dissertation research involving the generation of new knowledge that will contribute to nursing science.
    Prereq: Completion of all required courses and candidacy examination. Repeatable to a maximum of 40 cr hrs or 4 completions. This course is graded S/U.

    • Course can be taken for 1-10 credits
    • The dissertation must be completed within five years of completion of the PhD Candidacy Examination. Students must be continuously enrolled (Autumn and Spring semesters) during the dissertation for a minimum of 3 credit hours per semester. A minimum of 6 credit hours of Nursing 8999 are required over a minimum of two semesters of study. Students must be enrolled in dissertation hours in the semester of graduation.

Advanced statistics coursework

  • Minimum of 9 credit hours must be completed
  • Examples of courses that may be taken include Public Health: Biostatistics (PUBHBIO 6210 & 6211) and Psychology (PSYCH 6810 & 6811).
  • Other potential courses to consider are listed in the statistics and cognate class list.

Elective coursework

  • Required for students admitted prior to 2017, a minimum 9 credits of electives are required
  • A variety of courses can be taken as electives.
  • Nursing 8110: Scholarly Writing for Nurse Scientists
    3 credits
    Scholarly manuscript writing for refereed publications for nursing and research scientist audiences. Emphasis on writing style and process, with secondary emphasis on journal selection, author guidelines, peer review, and managing revisions.
    Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Ph.D. in Nursing program or permission of instructor
  • Nursing 8193: Individual Studies
    Course can be taken for 1-5 credits
    Students will gain skills and knowledge within a focused area of study within the area of expertise of a nursing faculty mentor. The course will expose students to novel scholarly activities and provide individualized learning opportunities.
    Prereq: Enrollment in Nursing program and permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs or 4 completions. This course is graded S/U.
  • Nursing 8194: Group Studies in Nursing
    Course can be taken for 0.5-5 credits
    Group studies of special problems in nursing.
    Prereq: Grad standing or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs or 4 completions.

Other required coursework

  • Cognate minor
    • A minimum of 6 credit hours must be completed
    • The purpose of the cognate is for the student to develop further depth in a scientific area. For example, students have completed cognates in sociology, psychology, women’s studies, genetics, and public health.
    • Potential courses to consider are listed in the statistics and cognate class list.

T32 Coursework

  • Nursing 8891.03: Critical and Sensitive Periods for Health Development
    3 credits
    Focus on the effects of social, psychological, biological, and behavioral factors that influence health status (health determinants) as they occur across the lifespan with a particular focus on critical and sensitive periods of health development. Examination of health outcomes under varying conditions and across populations.
    Prereq: 8441.
  • Nursing 8XXX: Interventions for Health Development
    3 credits