Become a Nurse Scientist
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Nursing is a research degree designed to prepare nurse scholars to advance the art, science and practice of the discipline. The competency-based curriculum is taught with a combination of online and intensive formats. Courses are completed online, and in addition, students will attend a one or two week intensive experience in Denver. Students will travel to Denver once each semester (fall, spring and summer) while completing coursework and two to three times during their dissertation research.
We offer three research foci to students pursuing the PhD in Nursing:
Career Possibilities
The College of Nursing’s online PhD program equips nurses to conduct research and to engage in knowledge development and scholarly inquiry across a variety of roles and settings including:
PhD Pathways
The College of Nursing has three major pathways to the PhD. Applicants may enter the PhD program with either a bachelor's in nursing or master's in nursing.
Curriculum
The PhD program includes 42 credits of coursework and 18 credits of dissertation. All students must take the core courses in addition to selecting a focus in health care systems, caring science or biobehavioral science.
Expected PhD Program Outcomes
How to survive and thrive in life and nursing - lessons learned while earning a PhD.