PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
in Nursing

The PhD program is designed to prepare nurse scholars to advance the art, science, and practice of the discipline. PhD preparation in nursing promotes knowledge development for reflective, theory-based, and research-guided nursing practice.

Our PhD program equips nurses to conduct knowledge development and scholarly inquiry and to be actively engaged in many roles including:

• Researcher
• Educator
• Clinician-scholar
• Administrator
• Health care policy analyst.

*The PhD program was initiated in 1978. Among the more than 200 graduates are many deans, directors and faculty in nursing education, externally funded nurse scientists, and leaders in nursing in the US and world wide.

**The PhD program is fully distance accessible! The competency-based curriculum is taught with a combination of online and intensive formats. Courses begin online, students attend a one to two week intensive in Denver then courses are completed online. Students will travel to Denver once each semester (fall, spring, summer) while completing coursework and two to three times during dissertation research.

Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their outstanding mentoring and expertise in research and scholarship. As a student, your research will fall into one of our focus area’s based on faculty research; Human experience of Health, Illness, Healing and Dying or Environmental Context and Cost and Quality Outcomes.

Nurse educators are needed across the U.S.  PhD Study will equip you with the substantive expertise, research competence, opportunities for coursework in nursing education, and other skills that make our students preferred for nurse educator roles by BS and higher degree programs.

For more information on the PhD program please call 303-724-8503 or attend an Information Session.

Admission Requirements

Two tracks of study will help you find your future here: 

At UCD there are 2 major pathways to the PhD.  For applicants with a BS in Nursing, the MS/PhD pathway offers a 30 credit MS degree (or an Advanced Practice Specialty) leading into PhD course work and research.  Both degrees are awarded.  For applicants with a MS degree, 2-3 years of post master’s doctoral course work leads to the PhD dissertation and PhD degree.

Applicants may enter the PhD program with either a Bachelor's in Nursing or Master's in Nursing.  All applicants must meet the requirements below.

1. GRE total score of 1004 is required with minimum 450 on verbal and quantitative tests and 4.0 on writing beginning with tests completed fall 2002. For tests before fall 2002, an overall score of 1500 (verbal, analytic and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Examination with a minimum of 450 on each exam preferred.  GRE scores must be within 10 years of application date.  Test scores over 10 years old will not be accepted. 
2. A portfolio that provides evidence of independent scholarly work focused within the domain of nursing (for example, journal articles, scholarly papers, MS Thesis if applicable). (Please contact the College of Nursing Graduate Program Office at 303-724-8503 with questions about this portfolio.)
3. A resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
4. An in-person or telephone interview for applicants meeting the above requirements.
5. Four written recommendations (2 academic; 2 discretionary).
6. Completion of the University of Colorado Graduate Admission Application and $65 application fee.
7. Completion of 3 essay questions.
8. Two copies of official transcripts from each college/university attended. 
   (Official transcripts are those mailed directly from the Registrar of the issuing institution to the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs and Diversity - address below.)
   
   University of Colorado Denver, College of Nursing, C288-6
   Education 2 North, Room 3255
   13120 East 19th Avenue
   P.O. Box 6511
   Aurora, CO 80045 

Additional requirements for applicants with a Master's in Nursing:

1. Completion of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in nursing from NLN accredited institutions.   Applicants with a Nursing Doctorate (ND) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are also encouraged to apply for admission.
2. A 3.0 undergraduate and/or a 3.5 graduate grade point average.
3. Completion of a graduate level inferential (intermediate) statistics course with a minimum grade of B (3.0) must be completed by the end of the first semester of study; earlier completion preferred.
4. Completion of master’s level nursing theory course with a minimum grade of B (3.0).

Additional requirements for applicants with a Bachelor's  in Nursing:

1. Completion of Bachelor’s degree in nursing from NLN accredited institution.  
2. A 3.0 undergraduate grade point average.
3. Completion of undergraduate research course and introduction to statistics with grades of C or better.

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Admission Procedures
The following materials are required for a complete application file. Applicants will be notified by mail when application has been received and will be notified later by email if additional information is needed. Applications are reviewed after all materials have been received. When the application is complete, an interview with two faculty members will be scheduled either in-person at the College of Nursing or by telephone. To avoid delay in notification, please contact us with any changes in name, email, address or phone number. It is your responsibility to check that all required components of your application have been received.

  CHECKLIST FOR PHD PROGRAM

• University of Colorado Graduate Admission Application  
      https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=UCHSC-G
  
  
• $65 non-refundable processing fee payable to the University of Colorado Denver. You can pay the processing fee by credit card when you apply online or by check. If paying by check, mail the check to:

  University of Colorado Denver
  AMC Graduate School/Mail Stop C296
  Academic Office 1, L15-2609
  12631 E 17th Avenue
  PO Box 6511
  Aurora, CO   80045

• PhD Program Supplementary Form – Supplement to Application 
  
  
• Portfolio and resume or CV
   
• Essay responses
   
• Recommendation forms [Four are required: two academic, two discretionary (select 2 people who know you professionally)]
  
  
• TWO (2) official transcripts from EACH college or university attended. Official transcripts are those sent directly from the Registrar of the issuing institution to the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs and Diversity
  
  
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE-www.gre.org) scores. Official scores should be sent to the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs and Diversity (School Code 4877, Department Code 0610). Official copies of GRE test scores are no longer available after 5 years of test date. Applicant copies of GRE test scores taken between 5 to 10 years prior to application will be accepted. GRE test scores must be dated within 10 years of date of application.  Test scores over 10 years old will not be accepted.  The LSAT, GMAT or MCAT test scores are not accepted.
  
  
• If either the graduate level nursing theory course or inferential statistics is not reflected on a transcript, include a course description, course outline or other supporting evidence that this requirement has been satisfied.  The inferential statistics course NURS6493 is offered each Fall semester online.  For further information view the CON Professional Development and Extended Studies.

International Applicants

International students with credentials from institutions outside the United States are encouraged to apply six months to a year before the start of proposed graduate studies at the College of Nursing. Only those students who have completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent at a university in their own country or a bachelor's or master's degree in the United States are considered for admission.  Official copies of all transcripts in English and in the original language are required.  An outside professional evaluation of all higher education credentials is required prior to admission.  This evaluation must include an analysis of courses, grades, and grade point average, and U.S. degree equivalency.  Evaluations will be accepted from any reputable professional company.  For additional information, consult the "Information for Prospective Graduate Students from Other Countries " brochure.  Students should also consult the International Scholars and Students Office and specific academic program websites for any additional information or requirements.

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Additional Program Info
The College of Nursing offers a PhD program in nursing designed to prepare nurse scholars who advance the art, science, and practice of the discipline. Doctoral preparation in nursing develops abilities to engage in all dimensions of professional and scholarly life, including the conduct of scholarly inquiry, leadership in health care delivery systems, and public policy formation. Emphasis is placed upon the use of a broad range of methods of inquiry appropriate for describing nursing phenomena, developing nursing theory, and evaluating the outcomes of nursing interventions and health care delivery models. Students in the PhD program select one of two practice-inquiry focus areas for special emphasis, congruent with their research goals and faculty expertise: the Human Experience of Health, Illness, Healing, Dying and Environmental Contexts and Outcomes.

Practice-Inquiry Foci

Human Experience of Health, Illness, Healing, Dying: The lived experiences of health, illness, healing, and dying. Includes the study of and practice application of knowledge regarding health belief systems and practice, and health promotion; illness phenomena such as illness behavior, pain, isolation, uncertainty functional impairment; stress-coping, including psychological stress dynamics, intrapersonal and interpersonal coping resources; psycho-neuro immunology; healing dynamics and therapeutics; and death and dying. Includes development and testing of perceptions and subjective meanings of experiences surrounding health and healing to inform and enhance nursing care.

Environmental Contexts and Outcomes: Environmental Contexts and Outcomes: The delivery of nursing care that reflects current expectations and standards of the professional discipline with attention to judicious use of resources. This focus includes the study of the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing interventions and health care processes with individuals, families, communities, and systems. The measurement of and research regarding patient and systems outcomes is considered in depth. The influence of sociocultural-political-economic-physical environments on health and health care systems is considered. Includes the generation and practice application of knowledge regarding the environmental context of professional nursing and its individual patient populations, families and communities to inform and enhance nursing care.

PhD Curriculum Model
At CU there are 2 major pathways to the PhD.  For applicants with a BS in Nursing, the MS/PhD pathway offers a 30 credit MS degree (or an Advanced Practice Specialty) leading into PhD course work and research.  Both degrees are awarded.  For applicants with a MS degree , 2-3 years of post masters doctoral course work leads to the PhD dissertation and PhD degree.

PhD Foundational Core (9 credits) – (Post-Masters PhD track) 

• NURS 7000 Philosophy of Human Science (3 cr.)
• NURS 7030 The Discipline of Nursing (3 cr.)
• NURS 7020 Methods of Disciplined Inquiry in Nursing (3 cr.)

Advanced Theory & Research Core (18 credits)

• NURS 7846 Research Practicum & Ethics of Inquiry (3 cr.)
• NURS 7120 Theory and Knowledge Development (3 cr.)
• NURS 7300 Qualitative Empirical Research (3 cr.)
• NURS 7310 Quantitative Interpretive Research (3 cr.)
• NURS 7400 Experimental Design and Analysis (3 cr.)
• NURS 7410 Multivariant Design and Analysis (3 cr.)

Practice – Inquiry Focus (6 credits)

    Human Experience of Health, Illness, Healing and Dying

• NURS 7713 Seminar in HEHIH (3 cr.)
• NURS 7714 Selected Topics in HEHIH (3 cr.)

    Environmental Context and Outcomes

• NURS 7653 Quality and Cost Effective Outcomes: Micro-level (3 cr.)
• NURS 7652 Quality and Cost Effective Outcomes: Macro-level (3 cr.)

Electives (9 credits)

• Supportive Nursing and/or non-Nursing Electives (9 cr.)  These courses are selected with the Advisor’s approval to support dissertation research and/or nursing education role.

Dissertation (30 credits)

• NURS 8990 Dissertation (30 cr.)

42 credits PhD coursework + 30 credits dissertation

Total Credits = 72 credits

The College of Nursing offers an accessible PhD program. The program provides an opportunity for nurses living internationally or working in clinical practice to engage in doctoral education through a combination of intensive and online courses. The format of the PhD program facilitates full-time year-round study for all students. Students travel to the campus for three, one or two week intensives near the beginning of each semester.

The PhD Program in Nursing participates in the Nursing Education Xchange (NEXus), a collaborative of several western universities with PhD programs in Nursing and the western institute of Nursing (WIN). NEXus makes cognates and elective courses available to our PhD Students. Information available at http://www.winnexus.org.

All PhD students are admitted through the Graduate School. A description of the PhD program in Nursing, curriculum model and requirements for the degree, required examinations (preliminary and comprehensive exams, and dissertation defense) and other policies of the Graduate School and College of Nursing are available at http://www.uchsc.edu/gs/gs/student_services.htm . The application is available on the web at: http://www.uchsc.edu/gs/gs/admission.htm

Application deadline for the PhD Program in Nursing is DECEMBER 1

MS-PhD, an articulated pathway for pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Nursing for nurses with a BS in Nursing.

This 102-credit curriculum leads students with a BS degree in Nursing through the MS degree in nursing to a PhD degree in Nursing with emphasis on one of two focus areas: Human Experience of Health Illness Healing Dying or Environmental Context and Outcomes. Students are admitted directly into the PhD program; the pathway entails 30 semester credits to complete a MS degree, 42 credits of PhD coursework, and 30 credits dissertation. The degree is designed to prepare nurse scholars who advance the art, science and practice of the discipline. The masters’ portion of the pathway is the completion of a 30 credit Special Studies in Nursing MS option that includes core coursework and additional advanced practice nursing coursework selected by the student and advisor. Nurses pursuing preparation for advanced practice nursing will need to take additional coursework in a selected specialty, including clinical practice, to be eligible for certification in a specific Advanced Practice specialty.   

ND/DNP to PhD pathway for pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Nursing

For current Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) students and Nursing Doctorate (ND) graduates a PhD pathway is offered. An individualized plan of study will be developed for nurses with either an ND or DNP degree. Please contact the Graduate Programs Office for additional information.

PhD Program Outcome Competencies  

The UCD College of Nursing curricular model identifies theory-guided and evidence-based reflective nursing practice as the core competency area across all degree programs. Outcome competencies expected of all College of Nursing graduates encompass both core content and the context within which the discipline of nursing is practiced. By the completion of the nursing program, students will be able to incorporate pertinent knowledge, values and abilities for direct and indirect provider roles to:

1.    Implement ethical, competent nursing practice with individuals, families and communities based on understanding the human experiences of health, illness, healing, and dying.

• Synthesize existing knowledge critically and generate new knowledge regarding experiences of health, illness, healing, and dying and the effect of nursing practice on these human experiences.
• Conduct formal inquiry of the phenomena of human experience and competent nursing practice and relationships between them.

2.    Use technology and information systems to promote health, facilitate appropriate and ethical decision-making, support collaboration, and foster communication.

• Interpret salient information from multiple sources (including scientific literature, clinical data, and large databases) to support collaborative decisions.
• Critique and build the guidelines for ethical use of information.
• Provide leadership in the design and use of technology and information systems.
• Develop knowledge in the ethical implications of and the human response to technology.

3.    Promote health of local to global communities and safe environments through community responsive models of health.

• Synthesize existing knowledge of environmental influences on individuals and communities to inform practice and policy making.
• Conduct systematic inquiry to provide knowledge for practice and social policy related to communities and environments.

4.    Manage care ethically with individuals, families, and populations to achieve quality, cost-effective outcomes.

• Synthesize existing knowledge and available data about the delivery of quality, cost-effective and ethical health care.
• Conduct systematic inquiry of care management to achieve quality, cost-effective and ethical outcomes of health care.
• Provide leadership in the design and evaluation of care delivery systems.

5.    Advocate for social justice initiatives that enhance access, quality, and socio-cultural acceptability of health care for all.

• Critique and develop social policy to promote an accessible, equitable, acceptable, and culturally competent health care system.
• Shape the policy for specific populations based on theoretical and philosophical perspectives and systematic analysis of data.

6.    Provide leadership in the delivery and management of health care for diverse populations and environments across the continuum of care.

• Critique and integrate existing systems theories for policy development and application in diverse populations and environments.
• Conduct systematic inquiry into systems phenomena and health care outcomes.

7.    Practice relationship-centered caring based on the human experience of health/illness/healing/dying.

• Synthesize philosophical and theoretical perspectives to build knowledge and guide practice.
• Conduct formal inquiry in human caring and human experiences of health/illness/healing/dying.

8.    Practice nursing reflectively, guided by theory, based on best evidence.

• Contribute to the re-visioning of evidence-based health care.
• Lead efforts to interpret theory and research findings for systematic application in nursing and health care.

9.    Participate in generating and testing knowledge regarding nursing science, nursing practice, and health care delivery.

• Conduct systematic inquiry to build knowledge of nursing, health care, and reflective care practices.
• Use broad range of methodological approaches to generate and test nursing knowledge.
• Critique and refine the ethical conduct of nursing inquiry.

10.    Engage in professional stewardship to improve nursing practice, education, research, and health care delivery.

• Build knowledge for the profession through ongoing program of research.
• Provide leadership in nursing and health care organizations.
• Guide the ongoing development of the profession.

The PhD Program in Nursing is consistent with The Indicators of Quality in Research-Focused Doctoral Programs in Nursing from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

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Entry Options
PhD
Distance Accessibility

We offer the 72 credit PhD degree in Nursing in a format accessible to nurses living internationally or working in clinical practice to engage in doctoral education through a combination of intensive and online courses. Our program facilitates full-time year-round study for all students. Students travel to the Denver campus for three, one to two week intensive session near the beginning of each semester. Students complete the remainder of coursework in an online format. All courses in the PhD program are offered in several formats using a variety of teaching-learning strategies and technologies, including weekly classes over a full semester, intensive one to eight week classes, interactive video courses, and online or Web-based courses. Students engage in full-time, year round study during all three academic semesters, fall, spring, and summer. All PhD students at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) are admitted through the UCD Graduate School. Additional information about admission to the Graduate School is available at http://www.uchsc.edu/gs/gs/admission.htm.

MS-PhD, an articulated pathway for pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Nursing for nurses with a BS in Nursing.

This 102-credit program leads students with a BS degree in Nursing  through the MS degree in nursing to a PhD degree in Nursing with emphasis on one of two focus areas: Human Experience of Health Illness Healing Dying or Environmental Context and Outcomes. Students are admitted directly into the PhD program; the pathway entails 30 semester credits to complete a MS degree, 42 credits of PhD coursework, and 30 credits dissertation. The degree is designed to prepare nurse scholars who advance the art, science and practice of the discipline. The masters’ portion of the pathway is the completion of a 30 credit Special Studies in Nursing MS option that includes core coursework and additional advanced practice nursing coursework selected by the student and advisor. Nurses pursuing preparation for advanced practice nursing will need to take additional coursework in a selected specialty, including clinical practice, to be eligible for certification in a specific Advanced Practice specialty.   

ND/DNP to PhD

For current Nursing Doctorate (ND) or Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) students and alumni, an individualized plan will be developed. Please contact the College of Nursing for additional information.

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