Admission Requirements Applicants must hold a graduate degree in their area of specialization. Students may be asked to complete departmental prerequisites which are not part of their undergraduate program. Application Deadlines Applications should be received by November 1 for the spring semester and by March 1 for the fall semester. Doctoral students are required to take a total of 72 credits in graduate course work related to a defined area of specialization, plus six credits of dissertation research after being elevated to candidacy. Depending on the area of emphasis, students may be required to demonstrate knowledge of a second language.
All students take a preliminary examination covering the student's primary academic areas.
Doctoral candidates must complete, and orally defend, a dissertation based on the students' original research. At Temple, nursing education strongly reflects the values and goals of the discipline of nursing and the broad mission of Temple University. Graduate nursing education prepares the professional nurse to function as an expert in a specialized area of nursing or as a provider of primary care to clients. Such education fosters the development of independent, as well as collaborative, problem solving in providing care in a variety of settings. The advanced practice roles stress the importance of academic excellence, critical thinking, and the use of scientific knowledge in decision making.