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The PhD in nursing program is designed for students seeking a traditional research doctorate with the desire to master both the broad discipline of nursing as well as the depth of a specific area of study. The PhD graduate is dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and science of nursing, the stewardship of the profession and educating new nurse researchers.
At the end of the program, the graduate will have the expertise and knowledge to:
- Become a steward of the nursing discipline dedicated to the integrity of its work in the generation, critique, transformation, transmission and use of its knowledge.
- Develop expertise in core knowledge and methods of the discipline and selected areas of theory and research to establish a program of research and scholarship about patient-related outcomes.
- Develop philosophical literacy and epistemic diversity, in addition to exploring the breadth of the discipline and depth of a particular area of related science.
- Acquire competencies to expand socially meaningful science that supports the discipline and practice of nursing.
- Articulate the clinical and policy implications of their research contributions by translating nursing research into practice and policy to improve health and health care systems.
- Provide leadership to effect change in health care practice, policy and education issues by collaboration and partnerships in a data-rich world.
- Improve the health care outcomes for individuals, families, communities and systems regionally, nationally and internationally.
- Articulate up-to-date data content regarding determinants of health, health equity concepts and theories, structural inequities in health, promotion of cultural safety, and social justice (cultural humility, structural inequities in health including gender bias, and health disparities).
Quick facts
Official name
Doctor of philosophy in nursingCampus
Program type
DoctorateAcademic home
College of NursingDelivery mode
Blended, some campus visits requiredAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionBS to PhD credit hours
66BS to PhD estimated cost
$58,674.00MS to PhD credit hours
57MS to PhD estimated cost
$50,673.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Potential careers:
- Directors of research at medical centers
- Researchers and faculty at academic institutions
- Researchers in industry
Program structure
Courses are semester-based. Students must take at least two classes each semester. This program may be completed in three to five years.
Delivery for this program is 95% online. Students attend a two-day on-campus orientation at the program start, then one Reflection Day annually. All other course work is delivered online asynchronously, so students can plan studies around other obligations. Learn more on the UMSL Nursing website.
Course work includes
- Nursing science
- Theory and the discipline of nursing
- Nursing research methods
- Grant writing and publication
- Dissertation
Delivery
Blended, some campus visits requiredCalendar system
SemesterTypical program length
3-5 yearsTypical course load
2-3 classes per semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri-St. Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
Faculty spotlight
Dr. Fish's work addresses bio-behavioral nursing care in chronic illness management in adults, and focuses predominantly on hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac disease. Her well-respected research program led to collaborations in important areas of science in the US and China: examining a new cardiac imaging technique for preserved myocardium, studying a new putative cardiovascular risk factor, testing a new vasoactive factor as a possible mechanism underlying hypertension, and testing a new exercise machine.
Dr. Werner researches biopsychosocial alterations associated with intimate partner violence, post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma-related psychopathology. She also researches the trauma and stress-related etiology of substance use disorder and other risky and addictive behaviors, with particular attention to differential etiology across gender and race. She studies chronic problems in vulnerable women who are survivors of intimate partner violence.
Dr. Bertram examines the role of psychiatric nursing within the child welfare and foster care system, and she builds better support systems for foster youth who utilize psychotropic medications. She serves as an invited panelist for the Missouri Governor’s Office, Academic Roundtable on Foster Care.
Dr. Grigsby works tirelessly in the areas of teen pregnancy prevention, sexual and reproductive health and preventing chronic disease in the African American community. She conducts research using participatory research methods. She also serves as a Dean's Fellow for Community Engagement.