Doctor of Philosophy program

Students with experience or interest in leading the transformation of health care through nursing education and research are sought for the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Doctor of Philosophy program. Ideal students want to focus on important societal health issues through the work of advancing health and improving the systems that provide health services.

Graduates of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing are prime candidates for formal leadership positions. Graduates exercise leadership through scientific approaches, vision, initiative, cultural inclusiveness, teamwork, and a commitment to assuring health care is highly effective, compassionate and accessible.

The full-time, academic, doctoral program prepares graduates as leaders in health care, health policy and education and research at the university level to:

• conduct transformative research
• educate health professionals and researchers
• effect system change
• influence and implement policy
• advance health from multiple settings

Doctoral students take core courses (NRS 201, 202, 203, 205, 291, an Informatics course and a required series of courses in research methods) plus electives and must complete a dissertation.

• A bachelor’s degree in nursing or a related field
• A minimum undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0
• Three letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose and personal-history statement, research interests and future goals
• The application process may require an interview
• The G.R.E. is not required

Admission is competitive. Online applications are processed through UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies, which coordinates UC Davis graduate degree programs. All applicants must submit a completed Office of Graduate Studies application and meet UC Davis requirements for graduate admissions. Click here for more on the application process.

Required courses for the doctoral program include a combination of core courses and electives. Students work with their advisers to select electives appropriate to their areas of interest.

• Full time enrollment (12 units per quarter) is required
• Required courses for the doctoral-degree program include five graduate-level core courses—Health Status and Care Systems, Implementation Science, Leadership in Health Care, Research Design in Nursing and Health Care and an Informatics course—and the Doctoral Seminar. A series of courses in research methods is also required. Click here for Ph.D. course listing
• Doctoral students are required to pass an oral qualifying examination. The intent of the oral qualifying examination is to determine whether the student is adequately prepared and sufficiently intellectually independent to conduct doctoral-level research. The exam may include both an oral component as well as the student’s proposal for the dissertation research
• A doctoral dissertation is required. Students will enroll in dissertation units as full-time students after the qualifying exam until the dissertation is complete
• Ph.D. students are expected to complete the program in four years

Program goals for the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership are:

1. Develop leadership skills to transform health care.
2. Evaluate and integrate multiple interprofessional/interdisciplinary perspectives to work and communicate as teams.
3. Generate nursing science to improve health and reshape health systems through transformative research.
4. Integrate cultural inclusiveness in research, practice, leadership and community engagement.
5. Create, evaluate, and integrate engaged and interactive approaches to nursing education, research and practice using innovative technology.

Click here for detailed Ph.D. curriculum information.

Click here for a pdf Ph.D. course listing.

Bold = required course | (#) = course units