Nursing (Ph.D.)
The College of Nursing offers a 42 credit, plus dissertation advisement credits, post master’s in nursing program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.) degree. The Ph.D. in nursing curriculum is composed of core and related course requirements in knowledge development in nursing science, research methods, and dissertation advisement. These courses may be taken from within the College of Nursing or from designated course offerings from other schools and colleges within the University with permission of the program director. Students will identify a research concentration, which will culminate in a doctoral dissertation focusing on theory development and testing in academic, research, clinical practice or healthcare administration. The primary goal of the Ph.D. in nursing program is to prepare nurse scholars for a lifetime of intellectual inquiry, creative scholarship and research.
Criteria for Admission
The following are required for admission to the Ph.D. in Nursing Program:
- Graduate of an N.L.N.A.C., A.C.E.N. or C.C.N.E. accredited master’s program in nursing with a minimum of 3.0 GPA;
- Résumé or curriculum vitae;
- Statement of career goals and research interests;
- Two letters of recommendation from nurse professionals;
- Writing sample;
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary colleges and schools attended, both undergraduate and graduate;
- Documentation of professional nursing licensure within the United States;
- TOEFL scores (minimum scores of 22 in reading, 22 in listening, 26 in speaking, and 24 in writing are required) and WES reports for all nurses educated outside the United States and/or educated in a language other than English; and
- Application fee of $75.00.
Selected candidates will be invited for a personal interview.
Pre-Dissertation Advisement
Students will be assigned to an academic adviser upon admission to the program, based upon the student’s area of interest. Once a dissertation committee is selected, the chair of the dissertation committee will assume the responsibility of academic advisement.
The academic adviser or dissertation committee members must approve selection of cognates. The cognate courses support the topic of the dissertation and/or research methods. Students are carefully advised to identify a research concentration early in the doctoral program to facilitate appropriate course choices.
Ph.D. Candidacy Requirements
Students must qualify for candidacy in the Ph.D. program through participation in a scholarly dialogue that includes the development and presentation of a comprehensive concept paper to a faculty committee. Students must pass candidacy before beginning the dissertation sequence.
Eligibility for Candidacy
- Matriculation: Only Ph.D. students who are fully matriculated are eligible for the Candidacy Examination. Matriculation occurs at the first registered semester.
- Good academic standing: All doctoral students are required to have a cumulative, doctoral minimum grade point average of 3.0 to qualify for the Candidacy Examination.
- Candidacy Examination application must be filed within one year of completing NURS 8701 Research Design and Methods of Inquiry in Nursing and before taking NURS 9902 Dissertation Seminar I.
- Scheduling of a candidacy oral presentation is determined based on student eligibility and faculty and student schedules.
Continuous Registration for Ph.D. Students
Doctoral students who are engaged in preparation for, or have passed candidacy, but have not completed Dissertation Seminar (NURS 9902 Dissertation Seminar I) must register for the 1 credit Continuing Ph.D. Advisement course (NURS 8002 Continuing Ph.D Advisement) each semester they are not registered for any other 3 credit course.
Doctoral students who have passed candidacy and have completed Dissertation Seminars I or II (NURS 9902 Dissertation Seminar I or NURS 9903 Dissertation Seminar II), with or without having successfully passed dissertation proposal review, must continuously register for a Dissertation Advisement course (NURS 9904 Dissertation Advisement-NURS 9918 Dissertation Advisement, then NURS 9941 Dissertation Advisement plus) during any semester in which they are not registered for any other 3 credit course, until the dissertation is completed and the final oral defense of dissertation is passed and any required revisions have been made to the satisfaction of the chair and committee members if required, post-defense. If the dissertation defense is completed successfully in a given semester, and any required revisions have been completed post-defense in that semester, but the student does not officially graduate until the next semester, then the student must register for THCN 8999 Thesis Cont - Doctorate Thesis Continuation for the semester in which graduation occurs. Students also should refer to the general University Catalogue statements on continuity with regard to leaves of absence and continuation. Failure to register without being granted a leave of absence constitutes resignation.
Dissertation Defense and Graduation Dates
The candidate must submit a dissertation oral defense application and the required number of copies of the completed dissertation document to the Ph.D. program director four weeks prior to a scheduled oral dissertation defense. Ph.D. graduation dates in the College of Nursing will be limited to the Fall or Spring semesters of the academic year and comply with the Seton Hall University submission deadlines and procedure dates for Fall or Spring graduates. (Refer to this graduate catalogue for graduate program academic policies that pertain to application, submissions and doctoral defenses.) For additional information specific to all Ph.D. in Nursing candidacy and dissertation processes, please refer to the Ph.D. in Nursing Community Blackboard Site, where guidelines, documents and forms specific to the Ph.D. program can be accessed.
Time Limit for Ph.D. Degree Students
Candidates for the doctoral degree in nursing are expected to fulfill all requirements for the degree within ten years of matriculation. The time period of an authorized Leave of Absence is not counted toward the degree time limit.
Ph.D. in Nursing Curriculum Plan
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Science Core | ||
| NURS 8001 | Ethics and Healthcare of Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 8102 | Building Nursing Knowledge: Evidence for Practice and Theory | 3 |
| NURS 8104 | Special Topics in Health Care | 3 |
| NURS 8048 | Curriculum Development and Teaching in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 8049 | Measurement and Evaluation in Nursing Education | 3 |
| PHIL 7100 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| Subtotal | 18 | |
| Research Course Sequence | ||
| CPSY 7005 | Stat Theory - Computer App I | 3 |
| CPSY 7006 | Stat Theory - Computer App II | 3 |
| NURS 8701 | Research Design and Methods of Inquiry in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 8702 | Qualitative Research Design | 3 |
| NURS 8703 | Qualitative Research Analysis | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| CPSY 9001 | Univariate Exp Design | 3 |
| Dissertation Sequence | ||
| NURS 9902 | Dissertation Seminar I | 3 |
| NURS 9903 | Dissertation Seminar II | 3 |
| Select one of the following if needed: * | 0-1 | |
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Dissertation Advisement | ||
| Total Hours | 42-43 | |
- *
Students who have finished coursework but have not passed dissertation proposal review must register for one credit for Dissertation Advisement until successful completion, defense of the dissertation, and completion of any required revisions.
Total Program Credits: A minimum of 42 credits, plus continuous dissertation advisement (which does not count toward the 48 required credits). The total number of credits required to graduate is determined by the academic needs of the student.
Apply to Seton Hall
Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Seton Hall has reached new heights in academic excellence, faculty research and student success. Ready to take the next steps on your academic or career path?
