Overview
The Ph.D. in Nursing is a research-oriented doctorate focusing on health issues of vulnerable women and children. The program will prepare scientists to conduct research that will extend the knowledge base that informs nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing leadership.
Graduates of the Ph.D. nursing program should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
- Synthesize knowledge from
nursing as well as from the biological and behavioral sciences to
investigate health phenomena relevant to the discipline of
nursing.
- Independently conduct and
communicate research that advances the body of scientific nursing
knowledge.
- Integrate advanced
knowledge of nursing and related disciplines to construct, analyze and
test theoretical models that are pertinent to the practice of
nursing.
- Apply knowledge of
philosophical and ethical principles and methods in analyzing
health-related issues and practice dilemmas.
- Provide leadership for
nursing in clinical settings, academic settings and/or political
settings.
- Integrate in-depth
knowledge of theory and research into a substantive field of
study.
- Seek new opportunities for exploring phenomena of concern to nursing and health care.
Admission Requirements
- GRE score of 1000 (verbal
+ quantitative)
- Master’s degree in nursing
from a nationally accredited program and a GPA of 3.2 or
higher
(4 point scale)
- Current Louisiana license
as a registered nurse
- Submission of a 2-3 page
statement of interest in doctoral study describing educational
objectives and identifying a focal area for doctoral study on the health
of vulnerable women or children
- Evidence of original
scholarship or research in nursing as demonstrated by a report,
published or unpublished paper, or a thesis
- Curriculum vitae or
resume
- Letters of recommendation
from three individuals familiar with the applicant’s intellectual
ability, academic potential and professional achievement
- Minimum of two years
experience in the clinical practice of nursing
- Completion of an approved
graduate level statistics course with a grade of B or above, within 3
years prior to application
- Recommendation of the School of Nursing Doctoral Admissions Committee
Admission Process
** Application Submission deadline is April 30 for the Fall Semester **
To be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program in nursing, applicants should submit the following materials to the Graduate School:
- Completed Southern
University Graduate School Application Form.
- Three letter of
recommendation (forms available in the Graduate School Admission
packet).
- Official undergraduate and
graduate transcripts from all colleges and universities
attended.
- GRE score
report.
- A 2-3 page statement of
interest in doctoral study.
- Curriculum
vitae/resume.
- Evidence of original
scholarship or research in nursing.
- Application fee.
**Please be aware that all material submitted become the property of Southern University**.
Financial Aid
A generous financial aid packet consisting of tuition reimbursement, graduate stipends, and research/teaching assistantships is available for full-time students.
Program Requirements
Completion of the Ph.D. Program requires that all students:
- Meet graduation
requirements of the graduate school be met.
- Complete a minimum of
sixty (60) applicable semester credit hours beyond the master’s degree
as prescribed by the programs’ curriculum (including research practicum
and dissertation).
- Complete all course work
with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
- Successfully complete the
doctoral qualifying examination.
- Completes a dissertation.
**Note: Grades below a "B" (3.0) are not acceptable for the Ph.D. degree.
***A student in the Ph.D. program will have eight (8) calendar years from the date of initial registration to complete all coursework and successfully defend their dissertation.
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of 60 hours of course credit beyond the Master’s degree and is divided into five (5) major areas:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Admission to Candidacy
A written, doctoral qualifying examination will be conducted following completion of the required courses. Successful performance on the examination will allow the student to apply for Admission to Candidacy.
Course Descriptions
NURS 700 : History and Philosophy of Nursing Science: Overview and critical analysis of the historical and contemporary views of knowledge development and of science. The development of nursing as a discipline is examined from a historical perspective.
NURS 702 Theory Construction in Nursing: Foundation for generating nursing theory for professional practice focusing on the relationship between theory construction and research. Emphasis is on generation, testing, and formulation of a theory for professional practice and analysis of existing health and nursing theories. Strategies for analysis and derivation of concepts, statements and theories are practiced. Meta theories and grand theories are examined and critiqued.
NURS 704 Health Policy : Interrelated areas concerning the nurse’s role in health care policy. Topics include examination of health care policy, policy analysis and the political process. Issues that currently shape health care policy development and future policy, and their implications for nursing and health care, are explored. The nurse’s involvement in influencing health policy formulation, legislation and regulations are discussed.
NURS 710 Advanced Statistics: Principles of bivariate and multivariate regression and correlation are studied. Emphasis is on the application of these techniques in the analysis of nursing and health related data.
NURS 712 Advanced Nursing Research: The relationship of a theoretical perspective and the design of nursing research. Critical analysis, research rigor, qualitative and quantitative methods, Meta-analysis, and other methodologies are presented. Alternative designs are discussed in consideration of underlying assumptions, ethical issues, design sensitivity and threats to validity. Hypotheses relating to current nursing variables are derived and appropriate methodology is applied.
NURS 714 Application of Research Methodologies : Application and critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in the study of health issues in vulnerable persons. Emphasis is on appropriateness of each methodology to various research questions and/or to problem formulation. Sampling frameworks, types of samples, sampling errors and biases for each design will be addressed.
NURS 716 Instrumentation & Measurement in Nursing Research: Critical analysis of principles and theories of measurement. Instrumentation, analysis of existing data, reliability and validity are emphasized. Various approaches to measurement and scaling, techniques of instrument construction, and procedures for the critical evaluation of instruments are stressed.
NURS 720 Research Practicum: Application/implementation of the research process in an ongoing research project. Students will develop methodological or substantive expertise in research while working with a scientist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Emphasis will be placed on the interdisciplinary aspects of health research and teamwork. Dissemination of research findings and grant writing are stressed.
NURS 730 Theories and Concepts of Health Behavior and Health Promotion: Examination of health seeking behaviors and barriers to health care of vulnerable populations. Included are theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the impact of culture, economics and the environment on health. Research on health promotional behaviors of vulnerable individuals, families and communities is incorporated in the development of interventions that promote, maintain or restore health.
NURS 731 Family Nursing: Theory and Research: Examination of family theories and research from nursing and related disciplines. Focus will be directed toward examination of issues that impact vulnerable families.
NURS 732 Issues in Health Care of Vulnerable Women and Children: Focuses on theory, research and interventions for actual or potential health problems in women across the life span and in the children. Students conduct a critical and reflective analysis of existing and emerging scientific knowledge in the field of women’s health focusing on women from vulnerable populations.
NURS 733 Policy and Strategies for Improving the Health of Vulnerable Women and Children: An in-depth analysis of health policy, research and community-based intervention strategies for women and children. Students conduct a critical analysis of health policy and scientific knowledge related to the health of women.
NURS 734 Issues in Health Care for Vulnerable Children: Exploration of research and interventions for child and adolescent health, focusing on children from vulnerable populations. Historical epidemiological, socio/cultural, environmental, economic and physiological factors are addressed. Emphasis is on health promotion and working with families. Seminars are topical with presentations by faculty, investigators, visiting faculty and students.
NURS 735 Policy and Strategies for Improving the Health of Vulnerable Children: Comprehensive exploration of available health care delivery systems for child and adolescent health. Health policy related to child/adolescent health will be evaluated and strategies for community interventions will be analyzed.
NURS 799 Dissertation Research Seminar: Research Application and Advanced Design: Discussion of practical and philosophical problems associated with dissertation research.
NURS 800 Dissertation: The dissertation is an original research study completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Credit is given only after the student's dissertation committee has accepted the dissertation. Guidelines for the dissertation have been developed by Southern University’s Graduate School and will be given to the student.
| Overview | Undergraduate Program | Graduate Programs | Our History | LRC | SNA |
| Faculty / Staff | Nurse Managed Clinics | Office of Research | Library Services | Events | Alumni |
Ladonna Strauss
School of Nursing
P.O. Box 11784
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813
Phone: (225) 771-2663
Fax: (225) 771-3547
ladonnastrauss@suson.subr.edu
Last updated on March, 2003
suggestions and comments to kishorechintalapati@suson.subr.edu