Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Director: Melissa Henry, Ph.D.
Location: Gunter 3080
Telephone: 970-351-2293
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/nursing/
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education prepares nurses who provide professional leadership in nursing education, the scholarship of teaching, practice and research in the discipline. The program has one entry option: Master's to Ph.D.
Admission
Location: Online + Program Orientation in Greeley, CO
Start Term: Fall
General Doctoral Degree Admission Requirements
Admission Deadline
Starts Each Fall Term
The priority deadline for completed applications (including all supplemental materials) is February 1st for the upcoming fall term. Additional applications will be considered on a space available basis. You may contact nursing@unco.edu to see if applications are still being accepted.
Applicants must apply to the program through the Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS). Please submit all required materials by the application deadline to avoid a delay in the evaluation and screening of your application. All official transcripts are submitted to NursingCAS, and do not need to be resubmitted UNC.
The UNC School of Nursing will review applications following the application deadline. Official admission notifications will be sent in the 2-4 weeks that follow.
Admission Requirements Include:
- A bachelor's degree or higher level direct–entry/prelicensure program from an ACEN, CNEA or CCNE accredited institution with a major in nursing.
- A master’s degree in nursing from an ACEN, CNEA or CCNE accredited institution is preferred. Applicants with a master’s or doctorate in a healthcare-related field will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Current, unencumbered RN license (licensure outside of the United States is acceptable).
- Meet Graduate School Requirements for admission.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 at the master’s level.
Application Requirements Include:
- Official transcripts from each college or university where courses were taken including any in progress and including documentation of a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
- Please Note: As all official transcripts are submitted to NursingCAS, they do not need to be resubmitted to the Office of Admissions. Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts.
- Copy of current unencumbered RN license. Licensure outside of the United States is acceptable.
- Two letters of reference from former faculty or colleagues with a doctoral degree. Applicants will be asked to supply contact information for references in the application.
- A statement of career goals.
- One to two years of teaching experience recommended, but not required, prior to program enrollment.
- Sample of written scholarly work, project, or publication in which the applicant was the sole or primary contributor.
- A current CV or resume.
- A personal interview may be required.
Please Note: This program does not require GRE scores.
International Applicants
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 66 credits
Master's to Ph.D. Requirements
Students enter with a master’s in nursing or other health related discipline and complete the doctoral degree with 66 hours. The general plan of study for students who enter the doctoral program is listed below.
Nursing Science Master’s to Ph.D. Core — 15 credits
| NURS 702 | Advanced Concepts of Populations Experiencing Vulnerability and/or Marginalization | 3 |
| NURS 703 | Philosophical Underpinnings of Nursing Science | 3 |
| NURS 707 | Leadership in Health Policy | 3 |
| NURS 711 | Advanced Theory and Knowledge Development in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 716 | Scholarly Inquiry and Writing | 3 |
Nursing Education — 15 credits
| NURS 679 | Technology in Healthcare Education | 3 |
| NURS 710 | Measurement of Nursing Student Outcomes | 3 |
| NURS 741 | Evidence-Based Teaching | 3 |
| NURS 760 | Advanced Nursing Curriculum Design and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PSY 681 | Learning and Instruction | 3 |
Electives — 3 credits (with advisor approval)
Three credits of electives are required and must be approved by their faculty advisor before enrollment. Eligible electives include NURS 780, PSY 500, PSY 644, SRM 660, SRM 687, ET 641, ET 643, ELPS 601, ELPS 604, ELPS 605, ELPS 608, ELPS 665.
| NURS 780 | The Professorial Role in Nursing Education | 3 |
| PSY 500 | Educational Psychology for Teachers | 3 |
| PSY 644 | Motivation in Education | 3 |
| SRM 660 | Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| SRM 687 | Narrative Inquiry | 3 |
| ET 641 | Designing, Playing, and Learning | 3 |
| ET 643 | Innovative Instructional Formats | 3 |
| ELPS 601 | Leadership Development Through Inquiry | 3 |
| ELPS 604 | Understanding People: Professional Development and Educational Leadership | 3 |
| ELPS 608 | Issues in Educational Leadership: Implications for Practice | 3 |
| ELPS 665 | Policy Analysis and Development | 3 |
Research Core — 17 credits
| NURS 720 | Grant Writing for Nursing and Healthcare | 2 |
| NURS 723 | Design, Methods and Analysis in Health Care Research, Part I | 3 |
| NURS 724 | Design, Methods and Analysis in Health Care Research, Part II | 3 |
| NURS 777 | Advanced Qualitative Research Methods in Nursing | 3 |
| SRM 680 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |
| SRM 700 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
Research and Dissertation — 16 credits
Research Tools
Students must demonstrate research skills in areas pertinent to the dissertation research topic. The students’ competence in these skills will be assessed by the students’ dissertation committee members.