Ph.D. in Nursing Curriculum
Overview
The 46-credit, post-masters in nursing curriculum is comprised of core and related course requirements in knowledge development in nursing, research methods, and 12 credits of selected cognates. These courses may be taken from within the College of Nursing or from existing course offerings from other schools and colleges within the university with permission of the department chair.
The academic advisor or dissertation committee members must approve selection of cognates and cognate courses must support the topic of the dissertation. Students are carefully advised to identify a research concentration early in the doctoral program that will culminate in a doctoral dissertation focusing on clinical outcomes and evidence-based practice in academic, research, clinical practice, or healthcare administration/policy environments.
Pre-Dissertation Advisement
Students will be assigned to an academic advisor upon admission to the program, based upon the student’s area of interest. Once a dissertation committee is selected the chair of the dissertation committee will assume the responsibility of academic advisement.
Dissertation Committee
Students will select dissertation committee members according to their research interests. The dissertation committee will consist of a chairperson and two additional members. One of the additional members will be from the College of Nursing and the third member will be from outside the College of Nursing. One of the committee members should have expertise in the research methods appropriate to the student’s dissertation and be able to advise the student in the appropriate methodology. All committee members should have expertise in the selected research topic. With special permission of the Director of the Doctoral Program, the third committee member may be a qualified individual from outside the University.
PhD Candidacy Requirements
Students must qualify for candidacy in the doctoral program through participation in a scholarly dialogue that includes the development and presentation of a comprehensive concept paper to a faculty committee. Students may apply for candidacy when they have completed all core and research courses. Students must qualify for candidacy before they may begin the dissertation process.
Once students have passed dissertation proposal review, they must register for the one-credit dissertation advisement each semester that they are not registered for another 3-credit course until they have passed the final oral defense of dissertation.
Course Requirements
I. All doctoral students will take the following core nursing science courses:
Nursing Science Core: 14 credits
Philosophy of Science (3)
Emerging Nursing Theory (3)
Building Nursing Knowledge: Evidence for Practice (3)
Special Topics in Health Care (2)
Biomedical Ethics (3)
II. Students will select from one of the following quantitative or qualitative research course sequences:
Quantitative Research Sequence: 12 credits
Research Design and Methods of Inquiry in Nursing (3)
Statistical Theory and Computer Application I (3)
Statistical Theory and Computer Application II (3)
Survey Research (or other Methods Course) (3)
OR
Qualitative Research Sequence: 12 credits
Research Design and Methods of Inquiry in Nursing (3)
Statistical Theory and Computer Application I (3)
Qualitative Research Design (3)
Qualitative Research Analysis (3)
III. All students will take the following core dissertation courses:
Dissertation Sequence: 8 credits
Doctoral Colloquium (2)
Dissertation Seminar I (3)
Dissertation Seminar II (3)
Dissertation Advisement** 1**
** Students who have finished coursework but not passed proposal review must attend the one credit doctoral colloquium until successful completion of proposal review.
IV. All students will select cognates related to the focus of their dissertation for a total of 12 credits, based on advisement and department approval.
Course Descriptions:
GMHS 7403 Philosophy of Science
Introduces students to a broad range of philosophical and sociological concepts in the development of scientific and health care enterprises. 3 credits
NURS XXXX Emerging Nursing Theory
The focus of this course is the development of scholarly inquiry in nursing. Students engage in a systematic analysis and critical evaluation of current nursing theory. Emphasis is placed on the historical development of nursing theory from its inception to the present. The course highlights the relationship between scientific inquiry and the development of knowledge and the practice of nursing 3 credits.
NURS 8XXX Building Nursing Knowledge: Evidence for Practice
The focus of this course is the critical evaluation of evidence derived from contemporary nursing research from a theoretical and methodological perspective. Selected studies that are representative of different methods of inquiry are carefully critiqued. Students are helped to interrelate findings, identify gaps in knowledge, and explore concepts of their own interest. Emphasizes the extent and nature of potential synthesis of knowledge across traditional 3 credits
NURS 8XXX Special Topics in Health Care
Students will work in guided independent study with a selected faculty mentor and will focus knowledge development in a selected area of practice in teaching, administration, or clinical practice. The course focus will be on interacting as a leader in a multidisciplinary environment and the development of personal leadership skills. Students will evaluate contemporary health care and propose solutions to transform practice settings through effective leadership and teamwork. 2 credits
NURS 8XXX Research Design and Methods of Inquiry in Nursing
The principles and methods employed in a variety of qualitative and quantitative research designs used for the development of nursing knowledge are presented and compared. Issues of clinical practice research are discussed. The importance of selecting an appropriate design for an identified research problem is emphasized. 3 credits
NURS XXXX Qualitative Research Design
The focus of this course is the use of qualitative methods to build knowledge. This is the first of two courses in the qualitative research sequence that are required for students who choose to do a qualitative dissertation. In this course the student develops a simple qualitative study (not the dissertation), and collects data. In the second course the student leaves the field and the focus is on rigorous analysis and writing up the results. In this course the students learn by doing. Students conduct interviews, engage in participant observation, develop field notes, and examine their personal beliefs. Students are guided with support from peers to develop codes, categories and themes. Trustworthiness guides the design, data collection, and analysis. Ethical issues related to qualitative research are discussed. 3 credits
NURS 8XXX Qualitative Research Analysis
The focus of this course is the completion of the field study begun in NURS8XXX-Qualitative Research Design. The student leaves the field and continues the work of deeper analysis. Work becomes increasingly focused and complex. Trustworthiness guides the work of analysis. Students are challenged to reflect and understand the influence of personal beliefs on their interpretations. Students have an opportunity to explore a wide range of ways of reporting findings and writing qualitative reports. At the completion of the course the student has the foundational skills required to do the qualitative dissertation. 3 credits
NURS 8XXX Dissertation Seminar I
This course consists of a seminar and discussion for doctoral candidates. Students develop the dissertation research proposal with guidance of faculty and input of fellow students. Emphasis is on the refinement of the problem statement, research question(s)/hypothesis, review of the literature and selection and application of appropriate methods. 3 credits
NURS 8XXX Dissertation Seminar II
This course consists of a seminar and discussion for doctoral candidates who have successfully defended their dissertation proposal and are completing their doctoral dissertation. The focus is dealing with issues related to data collection, data management, and critical analysis of findings and conclusions. Discussion of scholarly writing is included as well as opportunities for a “mock” oral defense of final dissertation. 3 credits
NURS 8XXX Doctoral Colloquium
This course integrates scholarship and policy central to the role of nurse scientist, nurse leader, and nurse educator that influence the future of nursing and health care. An emphasis of the course is on the identification of potential topics for dissertation research. 2 credits
NURS 8XXX Dissertation Advisement
Doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy and completed dissertation seminars I and II must register for dissertation advisement each semester that they are not registered for another 3-credit course until the dissertation is completed and successfully defended. Students are expected to maintain ongoing communication with committee chairperson and committee members about the status of the dissertation. 1 credit
GMPA 7303 Biomedical Ethics
The application of human and professional values, judgments and choices to selective ethical dilemmas that arise in practice. Emphasis will be placed upon various traditional and contemporary approaches to normative ethics within decision making models applicable to resolving professional dilemmas in the delivery of health care. 3 credits.
CPSY 7005 Statistical Theory and Computer Applications I
Students will be taught the interaction between measurement, research design and statistical analysis in sociobehavioral research. Statistical theory will be presented so students gain an insight into modern statistical methods. All students will demonstrate proficiency with current software for data analysis. 3 credits.
CPSY 7006 Statistical Theory and Computer Applications II
Students will learn to use methods of data analysis that apply to experimental and nonexperimetal research. Multiple regression and the general linear model will be presented for both univariate and multivariate data analysis problems. Students will conduct univariate and multivariate data analysis using modern computer software. 3 credits.
ELMP 8890 Survey Research
Systematic introduction to the logic and skills of survey research. Various aspects of survey designs and analysis are studied, to include sampling questionnaire design and construction, scale construction, interviewing techniques and analytical strategies of survey data. 3 credits.