Doctor of Philosophy - Nursing

Plan Description

Individuals who complete the Nursing PhD Program will be prepared to advance nursing science and practice through rigorous research, evidence-based education, and dynamic leadership. 

Graduates will demonstrate the following program outcomes:

• Provide leadership in the advancement of nursing as a scientific and practice discipline through the conduct of culturally competent scholarship and identification of implications for policy, the discipline, and the profession.
• Conduct and communicate original research that generates new knowledge.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate innovative approaches to solving nursing problems.

Course Offerings:

Doctoral courses offered by the School of Nursing are web-based. However, students are required to attend an on-campus orientation prior to the first semester of enrollment. These meeting times and dates are set in advance to allow students adequate time to make appropriate plans. Students may also be required to be on campus for their comprehensive exams, proposal defense, and final dissertation defense.

Programs of Study:

There are three options in the current Nursing PhD Program:

• Nursing Education subplan (Post-Master’s)
• Post-MSN Fast Track Degree subplan
• Post-D.N.P. to Ph.D. subplan

The UNLV School of Nursing (SON) - Nursing PhD Curriculum Framework outlines the shared required core courses in the Nursing PhD Program.

View Program Disclaimers.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

Admission into the nursing doctoral program is contingent upon the qualifications of the applicant and the availability of open positions. Students are admitted once a year in the fall. Applicants must have submitted all required materials by the deadline posted on the School of Nursing website.

A one-time, non-refundable deposit of $500 is required as a seat holding fee. This deposit will be credited towards tuition costs once admissions acceptance has been completed. This applies to any and all applicants to the program regardless of subplan.

All applicants must provide the following:

1. Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 (out of 4.0) earned in an accredited nursing program. Those holding degrees from non-U.S.-based schools should contact the Program Director for additional information.
2. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s capacity for academic excellence, potential contributions to professional scholarship, and commitment to completion of a PhD in nursing. Preferably, at least one should be a letter from a doctorally-prepared faculty member or research scientist in nursing.
3. Written statement of career and academic goals including identification of research interest, and responses to application essay questions. Applicants should also indicate with which UNLV School of Nursing Faculty member(s) they hope to work during the PhD and indicate how their interests align with the faculty.
4. Current curriculum vitae or detailed professional resumé.
5. All applicants must participate in 1-2 interviews with members of the PhD Admissions committee and other School of Nursing Faculty by either video conference or telephone.

Post-D.N.P. to Ph.D. subplan applicants must also submit:
Evidence of an earned Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the National League for Nursing (NLN) Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is required. In addition to required UNLV courses, students must have 17 units from an accredited DNP program.

Nursing Education or Post-MSN Fast Track Degree subplan applicants must also submit:
Earned master’s degrees in nursing (MSN) require programs accredited by CCNE, NLN CNEA, or ACEN; persons educated outside the United States need to demonstrate proof of equivalent education and advanced degrees.

Persons holding a bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in a health-related discipline from an accredited institution are eligible for admission but will need to successfully complete graduate level courses in health and public policy and nursing theory.

Post-MSN Fast Track Degree subplan applicants must also submit:
Upon approval of all the previous requirements, applicants who completed NURS 709, 710, 724, and 733 or equivalent course work during either their masters’ or postmasters’ education are eligible to apply for the Post-MSN Fast Track Degree subplan.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Nursing Education (Post-Master’s)

Subplan 2: Post-MSN Fast Track Degree

Subplan 3: Post-D.N.P. to Ph.D. 

Subplan 1 Requirements: Nursing Education (Post-Master’s)

Total Credits Required: 57

View Subplan Disclaimers

Subplan 2 Requirements: Post-MSN Fast Track Degree

Total Credits Required: 45

View Subplan Disclaimers

Subplan 3 Requirements: Post-D.N.P. to Ph.D.

Total Credits Required: 40

View Subplan Disclaimers

Degree Requirements

Complete the minimum credits required.

A grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained in all courses required for the degree; no grade less than B is acceptable for curricular completion of the program.

Upon admission, each student will be assigned to an academic advisor based on research focus and needs.  This advisor will be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, and will assist the student in developing their overall program of study. Coursework may include courses taught in other disciplines but must relate to the student’s area of research.

In consultation with the advisor, the student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three departmental members. In addition, a fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.

Upon completion of all required course work other than dissertation, each student must take a written and/or oral Comprehensive Examination that will assess readiness to begin the Dissertation. Specifically, the examination will evaluate a student’s written and/or oral articulation of a possible dissertation research focus or problem. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, the student achieves candidacy and may register for Dissertation credits and begin dissertation proposal development followed by independent dissertation study.

Students who do not successfully complete the exam will be placed on academic probation.

Failure to successfully complete the exam or meet the requirements of academic probation will result in separation.

Upon successfully completing the comprehensive examination, the student submits a Dissertation prospectus to their committee for approval. After approval, the student submits a “Prospectus Approval Form” to the Graduate College. The student’s advisor and dissertation committee are responsible for the student’s progression through the Dissertation.

Upon completion of the Dissertation, the student must pass a final oral examination which involves the successful defense of the dissertation study. All dissertation committee members must be present for this examination and may question the student following presentation of the study. The defense will be scheduled and conducted in accordance with the Graduate College’s policies for dissertation completion.

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.

After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here. 

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.

Plan Disclaimers

Please note that none of the subplans result in licensure and/or certification.