The School developed the PhD Program to meet the growing need for preparing scientists to enter careers aimed at advancing knowledge for nursing care through theory development and research.
Students engage in an intensive program of courses over a two year period.
The two years culminate with a comprehensive examination that tests the student's capability for launching a supervised research project which results in a dissertation. The conduct of the research project normally involves an additional one to two years of study. Course work in the PhD Program combines lecture courses and seminars with groups of students led by a faculty and independent study courses. All students engage in at least two semesters of directed research involving actual research experience with a faculty mentor prior to the comprehensive examination. The Doctor of Philosophy Program with a major in nursing was introduced with the admission of the first cohort of six students in fall of 1986.