PhD: Doctor of Philosophy

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For more than three decades, the University of Maryland School of Nursing's PhD program has prepared scholars and researchers to tackle the greatest challenges facing health care.

As a PhD student at UMSON, you'll:

  • conduct important research that not only builds a foundation for your career, but also contributes to the advancement of nursing science
  • study under accomplished faculty members from UMSON's organized research centers while taking full advantage of our state-of-the-art health sciences campus.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is the state's public health, law, and human services university devoted to excellence in professional education, research, patient care, and public service.

How the Program Works:

  • Half or your coursework is delivered in a seminar format with some online modules.
  • The other half includes electives, practicum experiences, and dissertation research.
  • Electives are available in varied formats across University System of Maryland schools.
  • Full-time and part-time options are available.

Overview

You're an ideal candidate for the PhD program if you are a bachelor's- or master's-prepared nurse or other health-related professional who wants a research career focused on some of the most important disciplines, topics, and trends, including:

  • Aging Populations
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Health Systems Outcomes
  • Implementation Science
  • Women's Health and Birth Outcomes
  • Occupational Health
  • Pain and Symptom Science
  • Palliative and End-of-Life Care

The UMSON PhD program was initiated in 1979 as the 16th doctoral nursing program in the nation. Every student is carefully chosen and matched to the faculty member who can offer the greatest opportunity to succeed in developing his or her research program. As a graduate, you will join a thriving group of alumni—many of whom hold key leadership positions in academia, research, and administration across the country. 

What You'll Do

After graduating from the PhD program, you'll be prepared to:

  • Design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate research findings to expand knowledge in nursing and related disciplines
  • Initiate, facilitate, and participate in interdisciplinary research with nurses and scholars from related disciplines
  • Assume leadership roles in academic and health care settings

PhD Entry Option Details

UMSON offers three PhD entry options:

For Plans of Study, see information under Course You'll Take on this webpage.

Post-BSN to PhD (without a master’s)

If you have a bachelor's degree, this option allows you to enroll in our PhD program without earning a master's degree. The option is part of a national effort to promote nurses to attain a PhD earlier in their career.

  • After completion of core graduate courses and electives, you'll take the post-master's PhD courses and complete a minimum of 78 credits and dissertation requirements.
  • No Master of Science degree is awarded.

Post-BSN to PhD with a Master's

If you are a current UMSON master's student in the MSN: Community/Public Health, MSN: Health Services Leadership and Management, or MSN: Nursing Informatics specialties or Clinical Nurse Leader option, this entry option allows you to complete graduate courses and earn a Master of Science degree while beginning PhD classes.

  • Complete both programs in four to five years of full-time study, taking fewer classes than if you pursued a master's degree and PhD degree separately.
  • Credits from your master's coursework may substitute for elective credits in the PhD program.
    All elective courses must be at the 600 level or higher and be approved by your advisor and the associate dean for the PhD Program. 
  • To be considered for admission into the Post-Master’s to PhD program immediately following successful completion of a UMSON master’s specialty, you must apply to the PhD program at the end of the first year of full-time master's study. 
  • You'll follow the plan of study for Post-Master’s to PhD entry students and complete the same coursework and dissertation requirements. 

Post-Master's to PhD

If you are a master’s-prepared student, in this entry option you complete PhD core courses that build upon your existing clinical and research foundation.

  • You will choose a research area based on your interests and career goals.
  • It may be possible to transfer credits from your master’s coursework to substitute elective credits in the PhD program.
  • All elective courses must be approved by your advisor and the associate dean for the PhD program.

 

Courses You'll Take

For financial aid purposes, there are credit minimums for full-time status that may differ from the plans of study. See details.

In this Section:

Post-BSN to PhD (without a master's) 4-Year Plan of Study

This plan requires students to take the 18 graduate credits outlined below before beginning their PhD coursework (See: Post Master's 3-Year Plan of Study and Post-Master's 4+ Year Plan of Study).

Semester and Course Number/Title Credits 
Fall  
NRSG 790: Methods for Research and Evidence-based Practice 3
NRSG 782: Health Systems & Health Policy: Leadership and Quality Improvement 3
NRSG xxx: Elective 3
Total: 9
Spring  
NRSG 795: Biostatistics for Evidence-based Practice 3
NRSG 780: Population Health and Promotion 3
NRSG xxx: Elective 3
Total: 9
Note that you may choose to begin your PhD coursework in the summer.
TOTAL 18

Post-Master's 3-Year Plan of Study

Semester and Course Number/Title Credits
Fall (PhD Year 1)  
NURS 840: Philosophy of Science and Development of Theory 3
NURS 850: Experimental Nursing Research Designs
P or C: NURS 840, NURS 851		 3
NURS 851: Analysis for Experimental Nursing Research Designs
P or C: NURS 840, NURS 850		 3
NURS 802: Research and Scholarship Seminar 1
Total: 10
Spring (PhD Year 1)  
NURS 841: Theory and Conceptualization in Nursing Science
P: NURS 840		 3
NURS 814: Design and Analysis for Non-Experimental Nursing Research
P: NURS 850 and NURS 851		 3 
NURS 815: Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research
P: NURS 840		 3 
NURS 819: Research Rotation** 2 
 Total: 11
Summer (PhD Year 1)  
NURS 818: Research Practicum***
P: Completion of 2 credits of NURS 819		 2
 Total: 2
Fall (PhD Year 2)    
NURS 811: Measurement of Nursing Phenomena
P: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 850, NURS 851, NURS 814, NURS 815 and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 816 or permission of the instructor		 3
NURS 816: Multivariable Modeling Approaches in Health Sciences Research
P: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 850, NURS 851, NURS 814, NURS 815 and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 811 or permission of the instructor		 4
NURS xxx: Elective 3
Total: 10
Spring (PhD Year 2)  
NURS 818: Research Practicum*** 4
NURS xxx: Elective 3
NURS 821: Grant Proposal Writing*
P: NURS 840, NURS 850, NURS 851; OR with permission of the instructor		 2
Total: 9
Summer (PhD Year 2)  
NURS xxx: Elective 3
 Total: 3
Fall (PhD Year 3)  
NURS xxx: Elective 3
Dissertation Credits 6
Total: 9
Spring (PhD Year 3)  
Dissertation Credits 6
Total: 6
TOTAL 60

*Grant Writing Seminar: Offered only in spring.

**Research Rotation: A total of 2 research rotation credits are required for all students – 1 credit equals 3 hours/week or 45 hours over the semester.

***Research Practicum: A total of 6 credits of NURS 818 are required – these are intended to focus on the student’s research area where time is spent preparing for comprehensive exams, learning new techniques, conducting preliminary analyses, etc. As with NURS 819, for 1 credit students are expected to devote 45 hours over the semester.

P - Prerequisite
C - Concurrent

Post-Master's 4+ Year Plan of Study

Semester and Course Number/TitleCredits
Fall (PhD Year 1)  
NURS 840: Philosophy of Science and Development of Theory 3
NURS 802: Research and Scholarship Seminar 1
Total: 4
Spring (PhD Year 1)  
NURS 841: Theory and Conceptualization in Nursing Science
P: NURS 840		 3
NURS 819: Research Rotation** 2
Total: 5
Summer (PhD Year 1)  
NURS xxx: Elective 3
Total: 3
Fall (PhD Year 2)    
NURS 850: Experimental Nursing Research Designs
P or C: NURS 840, NURS 851		 3
NURS 851: Analysis for Experimental Nursing Research Designs
P or C: NURS 840, NURS 850		 3
Total: 6
Spring (PhD Year 2)  
NURS 814: Design and Analysis for Non-Experimental Nursing Research
P: NURS 850 and NURS 851		 3
NURS 815: Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research
P: NURS 840		 3
Total: 6
Summer (PhD Year 2)  
NURS 818: Research Practicum*** 3
Total: 3
Fall (PhD Year 3)  
NURS 811: Measurement of Nursing Phenomena
P: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 850, NURS 851, NURS 814, NURS 815 and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 816 or permission of the instructor		 3
NURS 816: Multivariable Modeling Approaches in Health Sciences Research
P: NURS 840 or NDNP 804, NURS 841, NURS 850, NURS 851, NURS 814, NURS 815 and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 811 or permission of the instructor		 4
Total: 7 
Spring (PhD Year 3)  
NURS 821: Grant Proposal Writing*
P: NURS 840, NURS 850, NURS 851; OR with permission of the instructor		 2
NURS 818: Research Practicum*** 1
NURS xxx: Elective 3
Total: 6
Summer (PhD Year 3)  
NURS 818: Research Practicum***
P: Completion of 2 credits of NURS 819		 2
Total: 2
Fall (PhD Year 4)  
NURS xxx: Elective 3
NURS 899: Dissertation 3
Total: 6
Spring (PhD Year 4)  
NURS xxx: Elective 3
NURS 899: Dissertation 3
Total: 6
Summer (PhD Year 4)  
NURS 899: Dissertation 6
Total: 6
Year 5 and Following  
Remaining dissertation credits to total a minimum of 12 if not taken above  
TOTAL 60

*Grant Proposal Writing: Offered only in spring.

**Research Rotation: A total of 2 research rotation credits are required for all students – 1 credit equals 3 hours/week or 45 hours over the semester.

***Research Practicum: A total of 6 credits of NURS 818 are required – these are intended to focus on the student’s research area where time is spent preparing for comprehensive exams, learning new techniques, conducting preliminary analyses, etc. As with NURS 819, for 1 credit students are expected to devote 45 hours over the semester.

P - Prerequisite
C - Concurrent

 

Scholarship Opportunities

Your nursing education is an important investment. Financial aid and scholarships can help make your goals a reality.

UMSON offers multiple opportunities to help you afford your graduate education.

Type of AidAward
Federal Financial Aid various award amounts
Merit Scholarships $1,500-$3,000 per semester
(You are automatically considered for a merit scholarship upon submitting a completed application for enrollment in an UMSON academic program.)
Donor-Funded Scholarships $500-2,000 per semester
(offered during the fall and spring semesters)
Conway Scholarship full scholarship: tuition and fees
(for those who will have completed 12 credit hours of graduate study by the start of the semester for which the Conway Scholarship is awarded and who have at least half of their credit hours remaining)
Maryland Higher Education Commission Nurse Support II Program

funding available through three programs:

  • Hal and Jo Cohen Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarships
  • New Nursing Faculty Fellowships
  • Nursing Educator Doctoral Grants (NEDG) for Practice and Dissertation Research
Graduate Assistantships stipend, tuition remission, in-state status, and paid student health insurance

Learn More About Financial Aid and Scholarships

All students receiving funds through the University must:

  • be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) in a degree-seeking program
  • complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by UMB's award priority deadline
    • FAFSA Submission period: Oct. 1 (of the previous year) through Feb. 28
    • FAFSA School code: 002104

The UMB Office of Student Financial Assistance & Education is available to guide prospective and current students through the FAFSA application process and the financial aid award package.

Contact Us:

UMSON Scholarships and Grants Office
410-706-0489 | nrsscholarships@umaryland.edu

UMB Student Financial Assistance and Education Office
410-706-7347 | aidtalk@umaryland.edu

 

PhD Admission Information

In this section:

Deadline:

  • fall enrollment: Nov. 1

Your application and all supplemental materials must be received by this date.

Qualifications:

Applicants should possess a bachelor's or master's degree with a major in nursing or a related health field from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution.

Application Materials and Instructions: 

All applicants must satisfy the general requirements of the University of Maryland Graduate School and submit the following materials:

Material/Qualifications Submission Guidelines
Online Application and non-refundable $75 application fee Start your application now.

Official Transcript(s) in English or native language transcript or mark sheets (if applicable) from your undergraduate and graduate schools listing subjects studied or marks received and rank in class or division. Transcripts should delineate a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all previous course work (baccalaureate, master's, and any subsequent coursework).

Returning students are required to submit UMSON transcripts via the Office of the Registrar.

 Send by mail to:
Graduate School
University of Maryland, Baltimore
620 West Lexington Street, 5th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required only for applicants with a GPA lower than 3.25 on a 4.0 scale or 4.01 on a 5.0 scale in your most recently earned degree. If the GRE is required you must have taken the test within five years of application date.

 Use code 5848 for the Graduate School.
Three letters of recommendation providing evidence of personal and professional qualifications from three doctoral-prepared professionals familiar with the applicant's ability, work experience, contributions to nursing, and potential for success in the PhD program. Use this online form.
Curriculum vitae Submit via email to:
NRSDoctoral@umaryland.edu
Please put "CV: [Last Name], [First Name]" in the subject line.
Essay describing your academic goals and research interests. It is important that your research interests match with our faculty expertise. Please review our faculty research interests and mention a faculty member who may be appropriate.
 Submit via email to:
NRSDoctoral@umaryland.edu
If you're a registered nurse:
Verification of active, unrestricted licensure for the practice of nursing in at least one state in the U.S. or in a foreign country.		 Submit via email to:
NRSDoctoral@umaryland.edu
If your native language or home language is not English:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam scores; the minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 550 for paper-based tests, 80 for the internet-based tests. IELTS test takers must score no less than Band 7 (total).		 Use code 5848 for the Graduate School.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact NRSDoctoral@umaryland.edu to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Recent Dissertation Topics

Recent dissertation topics are listed below. Prospective students may also be interested in exploring the areas of expertise of our nursing experts or reading about some of our nurse researchers.

Year Graduate Dissertation Title Faculty Advisor
Spring 2020 Ilya Rozenberg  The Use of Naltrexone Among Young Adults with Opioid Use Disorder Carla Storr, ScD, MPH 
Spring 2020 Hyojin Son Adult Patients' Experience Using Patient Portal: The Impact of Perceived Usability on Portal Use Behavior  Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD, RN, FAAN 
Spring 2020  Mark Walker  The Experiences and Expressions of Compassion Among Critical Care Nurses Debra Scrandis, PhD, FNP-BC, FPMHNP-BC 
Winter 2019 Amal Juma Al Balushi Psychosocial Care Needs of Children
with Cancer and their Families: Perceptions and
Experiences of Omani Oncologists and Nurses		 Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, and Mary “Meg” Johantgen, PhD, RN
Winter 2019 Meredid Soto Caves Caregiver Distress and Burden Across
the Outpatient Peri-Allogenic Bone Marrow
Transplantation Period		 Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Winter 2019 Myeung Hee Han Participation and Effectiveness of a
Worksite Health Promotion Program		 Kelly Doran, PhD ’11, MS ’08, RN
Spring 2019 Hamzah Mohammad Alghzawi Smoking Cessation among People with Severe Mental Illness Carla Storr, ScD, MPH 
Spring 2019 Kristin Lynn Bussell Examining Dietary Patterns and Relationship to Caloric Intake in a Sample of Youth with Antipsychotic Induced Weight Gain Debra A. Scrandis, PhD, FNP-BC, FPMHNP-BC
Spring 2019 Benjamin Canha Humor and Opioid Recovery Debra A. Scrandis, PhD, FNP-BC, FPMHNP-BC
Spring 2019 Crystal Lynn DeVance-Wilson Prescription Medication Adherence among Socioeconomically Diverse Black Men Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Spring 2019 Megan Sarah Doede Neonatal Nurses’ Work in a Single Family Room NICU Alison M. Trinkoff, ScD, MPH, RN, FAAN
Spring 2019 Celeste Seger Substance Use Disorders during Pregnancy: Comprehensive Care and Predictors of Delivery Outcomes Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Winter 2018 Vera Akosua Kuffour-Manu A Comparative Study of Preventive
Healthcare Behaviors Among African Immigrant Women (AIW) and African American Women (AAW): Barriers and Facilitators of Cervical Cancer Prevention		 Yolanda Ogbolu,
PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, CRNP-Neonatal, FAAN
Winter 2018 Paul Anthony Thurman Firearm Injuries in Maryland, 2005-2014 Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Summer 2018 Warda Amur Al Amri Integrated Management of Childhood
Illness’s Asthma Treatment Protocol and its Association with Asthma Control in Young Omani Children		 Yolanda Ogbolu,
PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, CRNP-Neonatal, FAAN
Summer 2018 Alisha Hackney Steps Towards an Intervention: Exploring Correlates and Measurement of Fatigue in Osteoarthritis N. Jennifer Klinedinst,
PhD, MPH, MSN, RN, FAHA
Spring 2018 Rachel Bremen Promoting Admission in Active Labor for Childbirth: Triage Dynamics and Early Labor Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Spring 2018 Lauren Covington Exploration of Toddler Sleep and Maternal Sleep/Mental Health in Low-income Families at Risk for Sleep Disparities Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Spring 2018 Amy Daniels Clinical Simulation in Pre-licensure Nursing Students: Improving Learning Outcomes in Psychologically Safe Learning Environments Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Spring 2018 Ana Duarte The Use of Text Messaging to Improve Adherence and Functioning in Psychiatric Patients Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Spring 2018 Betsy Heetderks Neuroimaging in Headache Patients: The Sensitivity of CT in Missed Stroke Diagnoses Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Spring 2018 Stacey Iobst Factors Influencing the Use of Labor Management Interventions and Their Effect on Cesarean Birth  Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Spring 2018 Marik Moen Social Stability as a Consistent Measure of Social Context in a Low-Income Population  Meg Johantgen, PhD, RN
Spring 2018 Tracy Zvenyach

Diet Quality Among Pregnant Women Associated with Food Supplementation from the Women, Infants and Children Program

 Mary Regan, PhD, RN
I chose [this PhD program] because I wanted a quality education and strong foundation to grow and expand in my career. I was not disappointed – from the excellent curriculum to the dedicated faculty mentors, the program had it all! Laura Petri, PhD ’09
I chose to pursue my PhD in nursing because I am by nature an investigator and I wanted to have the broadest background possible from which to base my clinical practice. I feel that having expertise in research methodology, I am better able to understand published research and determine which treatments are most likely to be helpful to the patients I serve. Marlene Adams, BSN '91, MS '93, PhD '97
UMSON prepares its PhD graduates to be innovative and productive nurse scientists. I learned how to ask sound research questions, work in an interdisciplinary team, write a strong proposal, and source resources. I am excited about my future research trajectory. The UMSON program was flexible, and the faculty was extremely encouraging and always willing to help. Lauren Bentley Covington, PhD '18, MS '12
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