PhD Curriculum
PhD Coursework
The Post-Master’s PhD course of study requires 60 credit hours at the post-master’s level. You will complete coursework pertaining to the philosophy of nursing science, theory development and verification, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and synthesis of theories from nursing, social, behavioral, and biological sciences. You will also complete coursework in a cognate minor outside of the College of Nursing to build your interdisciplinary understanding.
- Full-Time Plan of Study
-
Year 1
Autumn
- Philosophy of Science and Development (3 credits)
- Quantitative Design (3 credits)
- Integrative Reviews (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Spring
- Health Determinants (3 credits)
- Qualitative Design (3 credits)
- Grant Writing (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Summer
- Emerging Topics (3 credits)
Year 2
Autumn
- Measurement for Nursing and Health Research (3 credits)
- Nursing Research (3 credits)
- Advanced Statistics (3 credits)
- Cognate (3 credits)
Spring
- Advanced Design (3 credits)
- Leadership (3 credits)
- Cognate 2 (3 credits)
- Responsible Conduct of Research (3 credits)
Summer
- Emerging Topics (3 credits)
- Candidacy Examination
Year 3
Autumn
- Dissertation (3 credits)
Spring
- Dissertation (3 credits)
- Part-Time Plan of Study
-
Year 1
Autumn
- Philosophy of Science and Development (3 credits)
- Quantitative Design (3 credits)
Spring
- Health Determinants (3 credits)
- Qualitative Design (3 credits)
Summer
- Emerging Topics (3 credits)
Year 2
Autumn
- Integrative Reviews (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Spring
- Grant Writing (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Summer
- Emerging Topics (3 credits)
Year 3
Autumn
- Measurement for Nursing and Health Research (3 credits)
- Advanced Statistics (3 credits)
- Cognate (3 credits)
Spring
- Advanced Design (3 credits)
- Responsible Conduct of Research (3 credits)
- Nursing Research (3 credits)
Year 4
Autumn
- Cognate 2 (3 credits)
Spring
- Leadership (3 credits)
Year 5
Autumn
- Dissertation (3 credits)
Spring
- Dissertation (3 credits)
The Post-BSN PhD course of study requires 81 credit hours at the post-baccalaureate level. In addition to the 60 credits required for the PhD, you will complete additional graduate coursework necessary to meet this university requirement or a minimum of 17 additional graduate credits. If you have elected to earn a master’s degree while also pursuing your PhD, you will be required to earn all credits associated with the selected master’s program.
Candidacy exam
As a student in the PhD program, you will be required by The Ohio State University to pass a written and oral examination prior to undertaking original research for your dissertation. The candidacy examination is a test of your comprehension of the field and allied areas of study, your capacity to undertake independent research and your ability to think and express ideas clearly. You will be eligible for candidacy after you have completed all required PhD coursework and received the approval of your candidacy examination committee. Both the written and oral exam must be satisfactorily completed to move on to the dissertation phase of the program.
Dissertation
Once candidacy has been achieved, you will enter the dissertation phase of the program. The dissertation is a scholarly contribution to nursing science and involves the generation of new knowledge. The dissertation allows you to demonstrate your ability to function as an independent scholar and command a high level of knowledge. Dissertations involve a final written document and oral examination. Both must be successfully defended at the discretion of your dissertation committee in order to graduate from the program.
