Overview
The College of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island offers a Ph.D. program in nursing. Its purpose is to prepare outstanding and compassionate nurse researchers and scholars to advance knowledge through the conduct of research and the development and testing of theory to influence health and nursing practice. The program cultivates inquiry and stimulates collaborative relationships with professional colleagues both in nursing and other disciplines. Although part-time study is possible, students are encouraged to study on a full-time basis in order to fully engage in the Ph.D. program.
Outcomes
- Knowledge and Inquiry – Expand the scientific knowledge base within and beyond the discipline through generation and dissemination of relevant theoretical knowledge and independent and/or collaborative research.
- Nursing Practice – Produce knowledge that has relevance for nursing and health care.
- Professionalism – Develop knowledge while upholding ethical and social responsibility.
- Communication and Collaboration – Disseminate knowledge generated from individual and/or team science.
- Societal and Global Influences – Provide leadership in generating and disseminating nursing knowledge to guide research and/or policy related to societal and global health and health care.
- Leadership – Assume leadership in conducting and disseminating high impact, translational and innovative research and scholarship that addresses health and health care challenges.
Financial Aid
A variety of traineeships, graduate assistantships and loans are available to help finance Ph.D. education. Qualified full-time Ph.D. students who obtain a graduate assistantship/teaching assistantship from the university will receive full-time tuition, health benefits and a stipend for two years.
Sculco Scholars Program
Outstanding full-time Ph.D. applicants are encouraged to apply for supplemental funding as a Sculco Graduate Nursing Research Scholar (GNRS). Each GNRS receives additional funding of approximately $48,000 over 3 years, in tandem with the assistantship (above), GNRS awards provide summer funding and research training and enhancement funds to advance nursing research and scholarship. GNRS awards are made possible by a generous donation from URI CON alumna, Dr. Cynthia Sculco, and her husband, Dr. Thomas Sculco.
Barcott-Kim Nursing Fellowship
The Barcott-Kim Fellowships are named for nursing scholars Drs. Donna Schwartz-Barcott and Hesook Suzie Kim. The fellowships, in tandem with a part-time Teaching Assistantship (10 hours/week) during the academic year, covers full-time tuition, health benefits, and a stipend over the 3-years of full-time Ph.D. study. Prominent faculty scholars draw highly qualified students who collaborate on research germane to the nursing discipline. The Barcott-Kim Fellowships are made possible through the generosity of a group of anonymous donors.
Dr. Schwartz-Barcott has more than 20 years of experience in guiding graduate students, assisting them in building programs of study and mentoring faculty member in teaching and scholarly activities. She taught nursing graduate students at URI for more than 40 years. Schwartz-Barcott also collaborated internationally with researchers in such countries as Finland, Sweden, Norway and Korea.
Professor Emerita Kim was a College of Nursing professor from 1973 until her retirement in 2004, and dean of the College from 1983 to 1988. She also was a professor at University of Oslo in Norway from 1992 to 2003. She is also known for the textbook, Nursing Theories: Conceptual and Philosophical Foundations. Her latest book is The Essence of Nursing Practice.
Areas of Research Focus
CON faculty are engaged in a variety of funded research projects and research-related activities. Areas of research focus include:
- Health equity and disparities
- Health promotion
- Infants and families
- Adolescent and emerging adult health and risk behaviors
- Eating disorders
- Telehealth
- Aging
- Palliative care and end-of-life care
- Implementation science
- Violence prevention and screening
Admission
Application Requirements
Application deadline is January 15 for fall start. The following are required to complete the online application to the URI Graduate School:
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. PLEASE NOTE: If you attended URI as an undergraduate or graduate student, you will still need to upload your Unofficial copies can be uploaded into the online application and, upon admission, official copies will be required prior to course registration. If any courses were transferred as credit toward your baccalaureate degree, please be sure to upload those transcripts as well.
- Three letters of recommendation (academic and professional) attesting to the applicant’s capability for doctoral study, one of which must be by a Ph.D.-prepared.
- Curriculum vita or resume.
- 1-2 page goal statement which includes your reasons for pursuing a Ph.D. degree in nursing, your research focus and planned progression through the program (i.e., part-time or full-time study). Applicants should identify potential faculty mentors.
- Submission of a scholarly paper or writing sample is required (term paper, thesis or similar accepted).
- GRE scores (preferred but not required for 2021).
- The TOEFL is required for all international applicants for whom English is not the primary language. A TOEFL score > 100 is preferred.
Admission Requirements
Admission decisions will be based on a comprehensive review of applicant qualifications presented as a total package. Preference will be given to applicants who plan to study on a full-time basis. The following criteria will be used as the guidelines for admission decisions:
- Baccalaureate degree from AACN or NLN-accredited program in nursing or its equivalent with a minimum P.A. > 3.0
- Master’s degree in nursing or its equivalent; G.P.A. >3 is desirable.
- Scholarly paper, term paper, master’s thesis or similar to demonstrate advanced writing skills.
- Completion of an undergraduate course in statistics that includes inferential statistics.
Curriculum
The Ph.D. degree requires a total of ≥ 49 credits beyond the M.S. degree. The Ph.D. program consists of a minimum of 34 credits of course work, including core and elective courses and 15 credits of dissertation research. The core courses in theory and research methods provide the basic knowledge and skills necessary for generating new knowledge in nursing. In addition, a minimum of six credits in advanced statistics and 9 credits of cognates / electives are required. Students are provided with opportunities for hands-on research training experiences and are encouraged to publish and write grant proposals while enrolled in the program. The Ph.D. program culminates with written and oral comprehensive exams and the completion of dissertation research. Students have seven years to complete all degree requirements. Most students can complete the program in three to four years of full-time study.
Program Requirements
Core Courses in Nursing Theory & Philosophy (9 credits)
- NUR 600 Philosophical Foundations of Health Care Research (3 crs)
- NUR 601 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science (3 crs)
- NUR 661 Integrative Review (3 crs)
Core Courses in Research Methods (10 credits)
- NUR 649 Responsible Conduct of Research (1 cr)
- NUR 650 Research Roles and Methods in Nursing (3 crs)
- NUR 651 Advanced Methods in Nursing Research I (Qualitative Methods) (3 crs)
- NUR 652 Advanced Methods in Nursing Research II (Quantitative Methods) (3 crs)
Advanced Statistics (6 credits)
Cognates & Electives (9 credits)
Dissertation Research (15 credits)
