About This Program

The Ph.D. degree in Nursing prepares nurse scientists to develop methods to advance health, health care and the nursing profession. Graduates are expected to lead and promote interprofessional innovative scholarly endeavors and to assume leadership roles in the profession.

Contact Information

• Student Services: Teresa Adams | tadams27@kent.edu | 330-672-8761
• Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Active, unrestricted U.S. registered nurse license (international students need to show proof of legal ability to practice as a registered nurse in country of origin)
• Bachelor's or master's degree in nursing or related field, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, from an accredited program¹
• Minimum overall 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Essay (two pages, single-spaced), see guidelines below
• Three letters of reference from health care professionals or academic faculty members who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities (two of the three references from doctoral-prepared individuals are preferred)
• Interview
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT score
  • Minimum 77 MELAB score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 Duolingo English score

¹

A bachelor's degree in a closely related health field may be considered if the applicant has a master's degree in nursing or a D.N.P. degree from an accredited program. A master's degree in a closely related field may be considered if the applicant has a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Guidelines for the Essay

• Applicants should begin their essay with the "why" for pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Nursing and the "how" this degree will help them achieve their research and professional goals.
  • Introduce the population or phenomenon of interest that will be investigated.
• In the body of the essay, applicants should explain why they are interested in this population and/or phenomenon and how their work will impact or advance science in that area.
  • Consider including scientific gaps and significance in that area of research.
  • Elucidate the effect the research will have on the health outcomes of the proposed population or on those who are affected by the phenomenon on interest.
  • Indicate how the work may reflect diversity, equity and inclusion in the area of research.
• In the closing paragraph, applicants should provide one to two key aspects of their research and propose ways to disseminate their scientific discovery.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: March 1
• Spring Semester
  • Priority deadline: November 1
• Summer Term
  • Priority deadline: March 1

Applications submitted by these deadlines will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Major Requirements (min B grade in all courses)
NURS 70710	HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE	2
NURS 70711	SCIENTIFIC WRITING	2
NURS 70712	RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS	2
NURS 70713	ADVANCED STATISTICS I	2
NURS 70714	LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE	3
NURS 70715	THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING	3
NURS 70740	ADVANCED STATISTICS II	3
NURS 70741	ADVANCED STATISTICS III	3
NURS 70742	ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
NURS 70743	ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
NURS 70744	PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT	3
NURS 70753	DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING	3
NURS 70798	RESEARCH IN NURSING (post-baccalaureate take twice)	3-5
Post-Baccalaureate Requirements (all are required for post-baccalaureate students)		0-9
NURS 70716	INNOVATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH
NURS 70718	ROLES AND EVALUATION
NURS 70739	RESEARCH IN HEALTH DISPARITIES
Nursing Science Electives, choose from the following: 1		6-12
BSCI 70195	SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BSCI 80145	MEDICAL GENOMICS
BST 73011	MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
BST 83013	EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
BST 83014	APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA
CI 77001	FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM
COMM 75040	QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION
CULT 89595	SPECIAL TOPICS IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS
EPI 83018	OBSERVATIONAL DESIGNS FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH
EPSY 75524	LEARNING THEORIES
HED 81550	APPLIED THEORY IN HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
HED 84050	HEALTH BEHAVIOR
HPM 72015	EMERGING ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
PSYC 80391	SEMINAR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
RMS 75522	BASICS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWING
RMS 75533	INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS
RMS 78715	SURVEY DESIGN AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
RMS 78735	STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING
RMS 78745	HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING
RMS 85520	MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
RMS 85540	GROUNDED THEORY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
RMS 85550	ETHNOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDY RESEARCH
SBS 73018	THEORIES OF PREVENTION SCIENCE
SBS 73019	EVALUATION RESEARCH METHODS IN PREVENTION SCIENCE
SBS 80030	CODING FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SBS 80040	TRANSCRIBING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INTERVIEWS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SBS 80100	EMERGING ISSUES IN PREVENTION SCIENCE
SBS 83010	QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
SBS 83011	QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
SOC 72219	QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 72221	ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
Culminating Requirement
NURS 80199	DISSERTATION I 2	30
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Baccalaureate Students		90
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Master's Students		73

¹

Elective courses support the student's research interest and are selected with the approval of the student's academic advisor. The courses will supplement the student's program of study in a substantive area of research or specific method of research, including advanced statistical approaches, or assist the student with career goals following graduation.

²

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for NURS 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter NURS 80299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.

Candidacy Examination

At the conclusion of coursework, students sit for the candidacy examination. The examination provides the basis for evaluation of the student’s readiness for completing the dissertation. Students must successfully pass candidacy and a proposal defense before beginning dissertation work.

Progression Requirements

• Students who do not earn a minimum B grade in a course must repeat it and cannot take other courses that require that course as a prerequisite until the course is successfully retaken. Students who do not earn a minimum B grade in the second attempt may be dismissed from the Ph.D. degree.

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum B grade required in all courses to earn the Ph.D. degree.
• Passage of the candidacy examination
• Submission and successful defense of a dissertation

Students with a D.N.P. degree may receive permission to have coursework waived if supported by the appropriate and recent coursework; however, maximum 12 credit hours may transfer to the Ph.D.. The waiver of each specific course will be determined by the relevant academic department. These students may graduate with less than 72 credit hours but no fewer than 60 total credit hours.

Roadmaps

Post-Baccalaureate Track

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall Semester		Credits
NURS 70710	HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE	2
NURS 70711	SCIENTIFIC WRITING	2
NURS 70712	RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS	2
NURS 70713	ADVANCED STATISTICS I	2
	Credit Hours	8
Spring Semester
NURS 70715	THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING	3
NURS 70740	ADVANCED STATISTICS II	3
NURS 70742	ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
NURS 70798	RESEARCH IN NURSING	2
	Credit Hours	12
Summer Term
NURS 70714	LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE	3
NURS 70716	INNOVATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH	3
	Credit Hours	6
Second Year
Fall Semester
NURS 70741	ADVANCED STATISTICS III	3
NURS 70798	RESEARCH IN NURSING	3
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	9
Spring Semester
NURS 70718	ROLES AND EVALUATION	3
NURS 70739	RESEARCH IN HEALTH DISPARITIES	3
NURS 70753	DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING	3
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	12
Summer Term
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	3
Third Year
Fall Semester
NURS 70743	ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	7
Spring Semester
NURS 70744	PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT	3
	Credit Hours	3
Summer Term
Candidacy Examination
	Credit Hours	0
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
NURS 80199	DISSERTATION I	15
	Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
NURS 80199	DISSERTATION I	15
	Credit Hours	15
	Minimum Total Credit Hours:	90

Post-Master's Track

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall Semester		Credits
NURS 70710	HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE	2
NURS 70711	SCIENTIFIC WRITING	2
NURS 70712	RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS	2
NURS 70713	ADVANCED STATISTICS I	2
	Credit Hours	8
Spring Semester
NURS 70715	THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING	3
NURS 70740	ADVANCED STATISTICS II	3
NURS 70742	ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
	Credit Hours	10
Summer Term
NURS 70714	LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE	3
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	6
Second Year
Fall Semester
NURS 70741	ADVANCED STATISTICS III	3
NURS 70743	ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES	4
NURS 70798	RESEARCH IN NURSING	3
	Credit Hours	10
Spring Semester
NURS 70744	PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT	3
NURS 70753	DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING	3
Nursing Science Elective		3
	Credit Hours	9
Summer Term
Candidacy Examination
	Credit Hours	0
Third Year
Fall Semester
NURS 80199	DISSERTATION I	15
	Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
NURS 80199	DISSERTATION I	15
	Credit Hours	15
	Minimum Total Credit Hours:	73

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Generate new knowledge that contributes to the advancement of health, healthcare and nursing science.
2. Disseminate advances in scientific knowledge.
3. Use collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to advance nursing science.
4. Assume leadership roles in healthcare and education as researchers, educators and advanced clinicians.
5. Serve as stewards of the diversity within the body of knowledge for the discipline of nursing.