The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in nursing program was designed to prepare nurses for leadership positions in academia; of which there is an enormous national demand. The goal of the program is to prepare nurse scientists and academicians who will contribute to knowledge development, theory generation, and hypothesis testing. Students are educated to communicate and function across disciplines, therefore will also advance multidisciplinary teaching and research. PhD graduates will be nurse scholars who:

• Develop the empirical and theoretical bases of nursing practice within a defined research program
   
• Utilize advanced research methodologies and technology in the pursuit of knowledge
   
• Demonstrate expertise in communication of research findings to the scientific and social policy communities
   
• Provide leadership in the development and application of knowledge to nursing research, practice and education using multidisciplinary perspectives
   
• Relate nursing research to the development and/or implementation of health care policy regionally, nationally and internationally
   
• Integrate knowledge of our multicultural society into nursing research to improve and enhance health care and reduce disparities in health outcomes.

Program Schedule

The Ph.D. requires 57 credits hours beyond the master’s degree in nursing. All doctoral classes are scheduled just two days per week in order to accommodate the working student.

Students may begin in the fall or spring semester, and may proceed as either a full or part-time student. However, students in the Ph.D. program are required to meet the University’s residency policy which includes one year, two consecutive semesters, of full-time study (at least 12 credit hours per semester or 9 credits as a TA). The program must be completed within seven years.  

The SON has been awarded a  HRSA Advanced Nursing Education Grant to begin a Distance Education PhD program in January 2011.  This approach blends traditional on site and distance education options to students in our PhD program.  Please visit the Distance Learning page to learn more.

Research Focus

Students in the PhD Program will identify an area of research interest compatible with faculty expertise in order to begin developing their own Program of Research.  Students are expected to join the appropriate scholarly team(s) of faculty with similar research interests.  The scholarly teams encourage a collaborative and insightful atmosphere of research through group meetings and guest speakers.  Current scholarly team information can be found here. 

Nursing Education

During their studies, students may complete the requirements for an Advanced Certificate in Nursing Education, a program offered by the School of Nursing in collaboration with the Graduate School of Education, with the purpose of preparing educators for academic and healthcare settings.

Financial Support

The University at Buffalo School of Nursing seeks to assist all admitted students with financial support for study.  Please visit the special resource page that indicates types of aid for doctoral students. 

Questions?