Why Kent State?

  • Flexibility. Our new Hybrid program allows students to attend class virtually, minimizing the amount of time spent on campus. The program can be completed either full-time or part-time. In fact, the majority of our nursing Ph.D. students – including full-time students – continue to work while completing coursework and dissertation research.

Nursing - Ph.D.

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.

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Program Information for Nursing - Ph.D.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

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.

Admissions for Nursing - Ph.D.

Admissions

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 to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET 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 "why" they are pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Nursing and "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 those affected by the phenomenon of 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
    • Application deadline: November 15 (international student) and March 1 (domestic student)

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by these deadlines will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Coursework

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Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (min B grade in all courses)
NURS 70710HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE 2
NURS 70711SCIENTIFIC WRITING 3
NURS 70712RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS 3
NURS 70713ADVANCED STATISTICS I 3
NURS 70714LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE 3
NURS 70715THEORY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING 3
NURS 70740ADVANCED STATISTICS II 3
NURS 70742ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 4
NURS 70743ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 4
NURS 70744DISSERTATION FOUNDATIONS 3
NURS 70753DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING 3
NURS 70798RESEARCH IN NURSING 13-5
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: 26-12
BSCI 70195
SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY
BSCI 80145
MEDICAL GENOMICS
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
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 80199DISSERTATION I 330
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Baccalaureate Students90
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Master's Students73
1

Post-baccalaureate students must complete 5 credit hours of NURS 70798 for the degree. Post-master's students must complete 3 credit hours of NURS 70798 for the degree.

2

Post-baccalaureate students must complete 12 credit hours of electives, and post-master's students must complete 6 credit hours of electives for the degree. 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.

3

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.

Oral 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 on the second attempt may be dismissed from the Ph.D. degree.
  • The courses will be delivered mostly synchronously online. The face-to-face requirement for this hybrid program is met through attending Doctoral Days.
  • Each year, Ph.D. students are required to come to campus for Doctoral Days. The purpose of Doctoral Days is to provide scholarly socialization and scientific role development. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) pathways to excellence in doctoral education include three curricular domains. These domains are addressed throughout the curriculum and in the Doctoral Days.
    • Domain 1: Scientific Development is the ability to articulate nursing science's history, philosophy, knowledge construction and the influence on the discipline and research.
    • Domain 2: Health Equity is knowledge and skill development to lead research and improve practice through ethical, culturally humble and human-centered research.
    • Domain 3: Stewards of the Discipline are professional ethics for conducting original research, proficiency in scientific communication and identifying implications for policy, practice, future research and the discipline.

Doctoral Days occur at the beginning of the fall semester in Years 1 and 2 (first three days of the semester). In Year 3, Doctoral Days occur at the end of the spring semester to coincide with May graduation, on the day before and the day of commencement.

Activities at Doctoral Days in Years 1 and 2 include:

  • Orientation to each class taken that year
  • Human subjects research content
  • Opportunities to engage with faculty and fellow students in the College of Nursing and presentations on trends in nursing science
  • Library resources, milestone expectations and time with student's advisor
  • Special topics speakers

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • 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 fewer than 73 credit hours but no fewer than 60 total credit hours.

Roadmaps

Roadmaps

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Roadmaps

Post-Baccalaureate Track

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterCredits
NURS 70710 HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE 2
NURS 70711 SCIENTIFIC WRITING 3
NURS 70712 RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS 3
NURS 70713 ADVANCED STATISTICS I 3
 Credit Hours11
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 Hours12
Summer Term
NURS 70714 LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE 3
NURS 70716 INNOVATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH 3
Nursing Science Elective 3
 Credit Hours9
Second Year
Fall Semester
NURS 70743 ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 4
NURS 70753 DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING 3
NURS 70798 RESEARCH IN NURSING 3
 Credit Hours10
Spring Semester
NURS 70718 ROLES AND EVALUATION 3
NURS 70739 RESEARCH IN HEALTH DISPARITIES 3
Nursing Science Elective 3
 Credit Hours9
Third Year
Fall Semester
Nursing Science Electives 6
 Credit Hours6
Spring Semester
NURS 70744 DISSERTATION FOUNDATIONS 3
 Credit Hours3
Summer Term
Oral Candidacy  
 Credit Hours0
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
NURS 80199 DISSERTATION I 15
 Credit Hours15
Spring Semester
NURS 80199 DISSERTATION I 15
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:90

Post-Master's Track

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterCredits
NURS 70710 HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING SCIENCE 2
NURS 70711 SCIENTIFIC WRITING 3
NURS 70712 RESEARCH DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS 3
NURS 70713 ADVANCED STATISTICS I 3
 Credit Hours11
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 Hours10
Summer Term
NURS 70714 LEADERSHIP FOR NURSING SCIENCE 3
NURS 70798 RESEARCH IN NURSING 1
Nursing Science Elective 3
 Credit Hours7
Second Year
Fall Semester
NURS 70743 ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 4
NURS 70753 DATA SCIENCE AND NURSING 3
NURS 70798 RESEARCH IN NURSING 2
 Credit Hours9
Spring Semester
NURS 70744 DISSERTATION FOUNDATIONS 3
Nursing Science Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
Summer Term
Candidacy Examination  
 Credit Hours0
Third Year
Fall Semester
NURS 80199 DISSERTATION I 15
 Credit Hours15
Spring Semester
NURS 80199 DISSERTATION I 15
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:73

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • Mostly online
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Nursing - Ph.D.

Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary

17.6%

much faster than the average

72,900

number of jobs

$75,470

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* 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.
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