Online Nursing Ph.D. Requirements

Admission Requirements

The applicant must meet the School of Graduate Studies’ current minimum general admission requirements as published in the graduate catalog.  Approved admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) degree program requires the following of all students:

1. Completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program or equivalent nursing preparation.
2. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.00 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.00 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (Based on A=4.00).
3. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above in graduate course work.
4. Completion of a graduate level univariate statistics course.
5. A one to two page paper stating the applicant's research interests and professional goals.
6. Evidence of current, unencumbered licensure to practice as a registered nurse.
7. Three professional letters of recommendation.
8. Current resume or curriculum vitae
9. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies' English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.
10. An interview (via web, phone, or in person) will be required for applicants meeting the admission requirements
11. Successful passage of criminal background check and drug screen will be required upon offer of admission
12. Satisfaction of current health and immunization policy of the Department of Nursing will be required upon offer of admission

Note: Applicants with earned master’s degrees from accredited schools may qualify for up to 30 hours of credit toward the doctoral degree. Credit will be awarded only for courses in which a grade of B or better has been achieved.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Nursing Department. The PhD nursing courses are offered online with synchronous and asynchronous delivery.

Students must complete a minimum of 90 semester credits of post-baccalaureate work, including an original dissertation. Required Courses:

Ph.D. students will be required to develop and submit a nationally competitive grant to support their doctoral research.

Ph.D. students are required to submit an article for publication to a refereed journal and to present dissertation work to a regional or national audience.

Ph.D. students are required to participate in scholarly seminars on research, research ethics and writing for publication.

Comprehensive Examination: Students must successfully complete a written and oral comprehensive examination prior to advancement to candidacy and approval of the dissertation proposal. The student’s Program of Study Form, Dissertation Committee Form, and all course work (excluding dissertation credits) must be completed before applying to the School of Graduate Studies to take the Comprehensive Examination.

Final Examination/Dissertation Defense: A final examination/dissertation defense will be scheduled and administered according to the rules of the graduate school.

All doctoral nursing courses taken at the University of North Dakota College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines must be completed with a grade of “B” or better. An individual course may not be taken more than twice.

Various nursing courses are offered by semester - not all courses are offered every semester.

Residency

There is no residency requirement; however, students are required to attend one “Intensive Experience” per year. The Intensive Experience (3-5 days) will gather students and faculty on the UND campus or at a regional nursing research conference for purposes of scholarship, networking, and education.

Transfer Credits

Students with an earned master’s degree from an accredited school may qualify to use up to 30 credits from their master’s degree in their program of study. In addition, if a student in this category has taken post-master’s coursework at another accredited school, and if a course is deemed equivalent to one of the required courses in the PhD program, these students may also transfer in up to a maximum of 24 credits of equivalent courses. However, these transferred post-master’s courses cannot be more than seven years old by the time of graduation. Such courses will be evaluated by the Nursing Department to determine equivalency.

Students with an earned Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from an accredited school, but no master’s degree, may use up to 30 credits from their DNP degree in their program of study.

Students with an earned master’s degree AND a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from accredited schools may use a total of up to 30 credits from these degrees, combined.  In addition, for students in this category, if a DNP course is deemed equivalent to one of the required courses in the PhD program, these students may also use up to a maximum of 24 credits of equivalent courses. Such courses will be evaluated by the Nursing Department to determine equivalency.

Credits will be awarded only for courses in which a grade of B or better was achieved.