Nursing PhD

Major: Nursing
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 90.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.3801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1141

NOTE: No applications will be accepted for the 2026–2027 academic year. Please check back in summer 2027 for an update. 

About the Program

The College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, a community-engaged, research-based program that prepares emerging nurse scientists to promote health and health equity using a social justice lens. 

The objective of the PhD in Nursing program is to prepare professional nurses as scholars and researchers who will make a substantive contribution to the body of knowledge for the discipline of nursing and thereby improve the health of individuals, families and communities. Doctoral students are expected to plan and launch an independent program of research and seek needed support for the initial phases of the research program.

The PhD in Nursing program represents leadership in the field with interdisciplinary/interprofessional and community collaboration as core values. Innovation is also central to this doctoral program as evidenced in its curriculum plan and research philosophy.

This innovative program offers mentored experience with faculty, in interprofessional classrooms, with options for full-time, part-time, in-person and hybrid study.  

What Students Will Learn

The PhD in Nursing faculty are committed to teaching traditional research methods as well as innovative and emergent research approaches and paradigms. In addition to structured coursework, the program builds upon a research mentorship model, which recognizes that research skills are learned most effectively by working with a faculty mentor who provides opportunities to use appropriate tools to design and execute an original research project within a focused program of study.

Graduates of the PhD in Nursing program possess knowledge and skills in theoretical, methodological, analytical, interprofessional and social justice-oriented approaches to conducting research designed to discover and apply knowledge in nursing science to promote health equity among individuals, families and communities. 

Doctoral faculty research interests and expertise reflect a diversity of educational backgrounds and research experiences. Early in the program, the student selects a research emphasis that needs to complement or match that of a faculty member's research work. The focal areas of faculty research currently include the following: 

• Aging (e.g. nutrition in aging; health of persons with dementia and neurodegenerative conditions; health of older adults with intellectual disability)
• Dementia and caregiver health
• Determinants of health and health equity for vulnerable populations
• Community-engaged and population health
• Health innovation and technology
• Behavioral interventions and implementation science
• Community and population health
• Sexual health (e.g. HIV; STI; teen-pregnancy prevention)
• Bioethics

What Makes this PhD in Nursing Program Unique

The faculty, program, college and University are strongly committed to research that promotes health and health equity and are dedicated to engaging with communities to promote optimum health outcomes. Interprofessional and interdisciplinary curricula are valued, and a robust, active and engaging learning environment is promoted and nurtured. Faculty mentors are dedicated to the learning experiences of students. Students are important participants in the opportunities of Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, a forward-thinking, progressive, effective and collaborative health care educational enterprise.  

Additional Information

Graduate Nursing Division 

Admission Requirements

Criteria for admission include:

• Current United States/International licensure as a registered nurse.
• A Master's Degree in one of the following:
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
  • Master’s degree in a health-related field (If master’s degree is not in Nursing, a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) is required).
• GPA of 3.25.
• GRE scores (optional).
• International applicants, as well as immigrants to the United States and U.S. permanent residents whose native language is not English and who have not received a bachelor's degree or higher in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom must show proficiency in English speaking as well as listening, writing and reading. International applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL minimum score: 100), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS minimum Overall Band Score: 7.0), or the Duolingo Test (Duolingo minimum score: 130) unless they meet the criteria for a waiver
• Letters of recommendation (3): Letters must address your academic ability, professionalism, and practice competence from a person in a position to appraise you: specifically, a professor, employer, or professional colleague. The reference may not be from a friend, family member or workplace/organizational peer or subordinate.
• Personal Statement/Essay that addresses the following items [word-processed; approximately 1000 words in length]:
  • Introduce yourself and describe the personal attributes and experiences that will promote your success in Drexel University’s PhD in Nursing program.
  • Describe why you are interested in the Nursing PhD.
  • Your potential research interest. Identify a potential faculty mentor in the Nursing PhD program with whom you would like to work and offer an explanation as to how your interests fit with the proposed faculty mentor’s research platform/trajectory.
• Professional accomplishments as evidenced by a current submitted vitae or resume.
• Fit with available faculty research interests and expertise.
• Personal interview with a faculty member.

Degree Requirements

The student is required to successfully complete a Candidacy/Qualifying Examination, Dissertation Proposal Defense, and Final Dissertation defense in addition to the Program Requirements noted below. 

*

Students are required to complete Responsible Conduct of Research Training within their first-year of study. This training is provided annually by Drexel Office of Research and Innovation.

**

International students enroll in 9.0 credits of dissertation for no fewer than 3 quarters per academic year until successful dissertation defense. Non-international students have the option to enroll, once all other required courses are completed, for fewer than full-time credits of dissertation (1.0- 4.0) until successful dissertation defense as reflected in the plan of study.

***

NURS 850 is required for all students with the exception of Research Fellows. International students are required to enroll in 3.0 credits of NURS 850 during summer quarter of Year 1 and Year 2. Non-international students who are not participating in research fellowships are required to enroll in NURS 850 for minimum of 3.0 credits in each of Year 1 and Year 2.  

†

International students will require 6.0 credits of independent study planned with the approval of the faculty advisor to provide research apprenticeship experiences during Year 1 and Year 2 summer quarters.

‡

Course selection for the research elective requires advisor approval and includes RSCH 600-RSCH 899.

Sample Plan of Study

Full-Time Plan of Study

Part-Time Plan of Study 

*

The student is required to successfully complete a Candidacy/Qualifying Examination during this term.

**

NURS 850 is required for all students with the exception of Research Fellows. International students are required to enroll in 3.0 credits of NURS 850 during summer quarter of Year 1 and Year 2. Non-international students who are not participating in research fellowships are required to enroll in NURS 850 for minimum of 3.0 credits in each of Year 1 and Year 2.International students will require 6.0 credits of independent study planned with the approval of the faculty advisor to provide research apprenticeship experiences during Year 1 and Year 2 summer quarters.

***

International students enroll in 9.0 credits of dissertation for no fewer than 3 quarters per academic year until successful dissertation defense. Non-international students have the option to enroll, once all other required courses are completed, for fewer than full-time credits of dissertation (1.0- 4.0) until successful dissertation defense as reflected in the plan of study. The actual number of credits required will vary dependent upon student's dissertation and research topic. Consult with dissertation advisor.

Note: A 4.5-credit minimum is required (considered half-time status) for graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. If registration is less than 4.5 credits, aid will not be disbursed to students this term if registered for less than 4.5 credits.

Program Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate effective communication through professional publications, presentations and collaborative efforts such as conferences and leadership activities. 
• Conduct scientifically rigorous research using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods to advance nursing science and/or practice.
• Disseminate research findings to inform science-driven policies, practice models and health recommendations to varied stakeholders.  
• Synthesize knowledge from related disciplines, including the biological and social sciences, and policy sources to inform a purposeful, planned program of research that recognizes and responds to health disparities and promotes health equity.
• Integrate critical thinking skills and philosophical principles of inquiry from ontology, epistemology, axiology, methodology and with nursing knowledge.
• Pursue research and program funding opportunities available through intramural and extramural sources, including federal, private and public fellowships. 
• Conduct research that is informed by and consistent with the Code of Ethics for Nurses, National Institutes of Health Responsible Conduct of Research principles and institutional policies and procedures that guide research, scholarship and science development.
• Evaluate scholarship from an interprofessional, inclusive and equitable approach to nursing and health research that promotes socially just outcomes, respects diversity and diminishes disparities. 

Nursing PhD Faculty