Nursing (PhD)

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Degree Offered: PhD
Program Leadership:
Sandra Weiss, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor and Interim Director
Admissions Inquiries:
Debbie Acoba, PhD Program Coordinator

Program Description

The goal of the PhD Program in Nursing is to prepare nurse scientists who will generate and transmit knowledge fundamental to the discipline of nursing and to nursing practice. Graduates of the program pursue careers as academic research faculty, clinical researchers, and other positions through which they contribute to knowledge development and research leadership.

Students are not required to align with a particular area of educational preparation in the PhD program; rather they are matched to individual faculty based on their research interests. However, there are areas of specialized knowledge in the school that students may select for research preparation, such as: 1) health equity, 2) symptom science, 3) community and population health, 4) digital health, omics and data science, or 5) aging and the life course. Research training is also supported in the fields of occupational/environmental health and HIV/AIDS.

The Nursing PhD program is offered by the UCSF Graduate Division and taught by faculty members in the UCSF School of Nursing. These faculty are from the School’s four departments but also involve interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues from other schools on the 10 campuses of the University of California as well as national and international colleagues. Thus, PhD students receive scientific mentorship and socialization from nursing and interdisciplinary faculty who have national and international reputations, networks, and contacts. See a list of nursing faculty research areas.

The UCSF School of Nursing takes pride in its graduate programs, which represent a century of pioneering leadership that has produced many of the country’s – and the world’s – renowned nurse scientists and visionary nursing leaders. Among schools of nursing nationwide, the UCSF School of Nursing is one of the top recipients of research funding from the National Institutes of Health and its faculty are widely recognized for their many publications and cited scholarly works.

Faculty

There are over 100 faculty members in the four School of Nursing departments. See a list of Nursing faculty research areas.

The Nursing PhD program is offered by the UCSF Graduate Division. The program is administered by the UCSF School of Nursing and delivered by faculty members in the UCSF School of Nursing.

Admission Requirements

  • Engagement with faculty
  • Prior degree in Nursing with a 3.5 minimum GPA on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all educational institutions
  • Statistics course prerequisite within three years prior to matriculation
  • Research course prerequisite within five years prior to matriculation
  • English proficiency exam: TOEFL or IELTS
  • RN licensure in California or home state of residency
  • RN experience of minimum of one year is preferred
  • Goal statement
  • Four to five letters of recommendation
  • Résumé or curriculum vitae

Find more details on our website.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the PhD program will have achieved the following:

  1. Demonstrate a command of the literature pertinent to a selected field of nursing science;
  2. Formulate research questions that evolve from a theoretical perspective and contribute to nursing science;
  3. Demonstrate breadth of knowledge regarding a variety of research methods and expertise in at least one method;
  4. Address major research issues pertinent to a selected area of inquiry, such as scientific integrity and diversity;
  5. Defend a historical, theoretical, and philosophical perspective for nursing science in general and for a selected field of investigation in particular;
  6. Demonstrate commitment to a program of research as manifested by the selection of an area of inquiry that has potential for continuity and cumulative generation of knowledge;
  7. Demonstrate the ability to write and defend research proposals as preparation for subsequent intramural and extramural support;
  8. Complete an independent and original research investigation in the form of a dissertation;
  9. Show increased appreciation of professional involvement as evidenced by scholarly presentations, community service, and organizational participation.

Additional Information

Program Faculty

  • There are over 100 faculty members in the four School of Nursing departments. See a list of Nursing faculty research areas.

Career Outcomes