PhD in Nursing PHD
The PhD in Nursing program integrates science, theory, and research to educate the next generation of nurse scientists and leaders. Our students strive to advance nursing knowledge and translate research into practice that promotes the health and care of patients.
The program is offered on-campus both full-time and part-time. The courses are structured so that the required doctoral nursing courses are offered only one day per week.
Program Type
Program Format
The Potential of a PhD in Nursing from UWM
As the largest School of Nursing in the state, UW-Milwaukee partners with over 160 agencies to prepare nurse scientists, researchers and educators. Go beyond the bedside and make an impact on the world around you with a PhD in nursing from UWM.
What students accomplish in the school’s traditional PhD program depends on their focus area, personal interests, and long-term research and career preferences. The student’s major professor helps to define student success early so they can plan and conduct cutting-edge research.
Research and mentorship experiences prepare doctoral students for successful careers as academic or clinical scientists, as educators, and for other opportunities in the rapidly evolving nursing professions.
Scholarships & Funding
We understand that financial support is important to every student. A variety of options are available to help students finance their education at UWM, including over $500,000 in nursing scholarships & funding awarded annually, as well as loans, grants, student employment, fellowships, military education benefits and more. UWM offers generous aid options for students seeking to be nurse educators or nurse faculty.
Full-Time On-Campus PhD – 3-year plan
Year 1
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Inquiry for Health | NURS 801 | 3 |
| Multivariate Statistics | NURS 808 | 3 |
| Issues in Scholarship | NURS 890 | 3 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Science of Nursing | NURS 802 | 3 |
| Qualitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 882 | 3 |
| Quantitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 883 | 3 |
| Measurement in Health Research | NURS 881 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 3 |
| First Year Exam, Summer |
Year 2
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one advanced methods course: Advanced Quantitative Advanced Qualitative | NURS 885 NURS 886 | 3 3 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 2 |
| Health Policy | NURS 803 | 3 |
| Analysis of Nursing Phenomena | NURS 820 | 3 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Integrative Studies | NURS 809 | 3 |
Year 3
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) | NURS 997 NURS 897 | 1 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
Full-time On-Campus PhD – 4-year plan
Year 1
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Inquiry for Health | NURS 801 | 3 |
| Multivariate Statistics | NURS 808 | 3 |
| Issues in Scholarship | NURS 890 | 3 |
| Science of Nursing | NURS 802 | 3 |
| Qualitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 882 | 3 |
| Quantitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 883 | 3 |
| Measurement in Health Research | NURS 881 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
| First Year Exam |
Year 2
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one advanced methods course: Advanced Quantitative Advanced Qualitative | NURS 885 NURS 886 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Health Policy | NURS 803 | 3 |
| Analysis of Nursing Phenomena | NURS 820 | 3 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Integrative Studies | NURS 809 | 1 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 |
Year 3
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 2 |
| Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) | NURS 897 | 1 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
Year 4
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
Part-time On-Campus PhD – 5-year plan
Year 1
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Inquiry for Health | NURS 801 | 3 |
| Science of Nursing | NURS 802 | 3 |
| Multivariate Statistics | NURS 808 | 3 |
| Quantitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 883 | 3 |
Year 2
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Issues in Scholarship | NURS 890 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Qualitative Methods in Health Research | NURS 882 | 3 |
| Measurement in Health Research | NURS 881 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
| First Year Exam (Summer) |
Year 3
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one advanced methods course: Advanced Quantitative Advanced Qualitative | NURS 885 NURS 886 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
| Specialty Elective | 3 | |
| Health Policy | NURS 803 | 3 |
| Analysis of Nursing Phenomena | NURS 820 | 3 |
| Integrative Studies | NURS 809 | 3 |
| Research Practicum | NURS 899 | 1 |
Year 4
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Independent Study (Comprehensive Exam) | NURS 897 | 1 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
Year 5
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
| Dissertator | NURS 997 | 3 |
All applicants must apply through the Graduate School’s application system and upload the following:
- a nonrefundable application fee;
- unofficial transcripts from each academic institution attended where at least nine or more credits were attempted or completed. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts after an admission offer is accepted;
- current curriculum vitae;
- references from three different people who know about your academic experience and your potential for graduate study in nursing.
- a written statement from the applicant that includes previous professional experience, professional career goals, research interests, motivation for PhD study and educational objectives for the program.
- Two examples of original work that demonstrate the applicant’s academic potential.
- A conversation with a faculty member is required as part of the application process. A telephone conversation or video meeting (e.g. Zoom, Skype) may be used when travel is prohibitive.
Prerequisites
Applicants to the PhD in Nursing at UWM must have:
- a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in nursing or health related field from a professionally accredited program with a cumulative grade point average of at 3.2 (4.0 scale) for all previous graduate coursework;
- completion of a graduate-level statistics course (within the last five years) with a grade of B or higher.
UWM College of Nursing Approved Graduate Statistics Courses:
| University/College | Course | Course Number |
|---|---|---|
| UW-Milwaukee | Biostatistics (Online/On-Campus) | NURS 720 |
| UW-Stevens Point | Basic Statistical Methods for Social Science (On-Campus) | SOC 590 |
| UW-Stevens Point | Basic Statistical Methods in Education (Online) | EDUC 705 |
| Penn State World campus | Applied Statistics | STATS 500 |
| UMass Online | Introduction to Probability and Applied Statistics | EEOS 601 |
| University of Phoenix | Applied Business Research and Statistics | QNT 561 |
| University of Phoenix | Statistics For The Behavior Sciences | PSYC 625 |
| UCLA Extension | Advanced Statistics and Quantitative Methods | STATS 402.1 |
Program Advising
Priority Application Deadline
February 1
(Fall start)
Upcoming Information Sessions
Register for Information Sessions