(April 1, 2022) HOUSTON – Nurses interested in leading meaningful research can become nurse scientists earlier in their careers through a new PhD option offered by Cizik School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). 

The school is accepting applications for its first cohort of students with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees who would like to earn a PhD in nursing without first receiving a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). The application deadline is May 1, 2022, for the Fall 2022 semester. 

“Nursing is a profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities, and most nurses who choose to pursue advanced degrees do so while working in a clinical or community setting,” said PhD Program Director Geri L. Wood, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bette P. Thomas Distinguished Professor in Innovative Health Care Delivery. “This places nurses in a perfect position to identify areas of research that can improve patient and family care. Our new BSN to PhD program will enable nurses to get an earlier start on contributing to the body of scientific evidence, and thus potentially have a greater impact on health care over the course of their careers.” 

“Each student is assigned a faculty advisor when they enter the program – a mentor who will work with them through the program and help them establish their research career,” Wood said. 

Faculty at Cizik School of Nursing are making significant contributions in many areas, including HIV prevention and care, aging in place, stroke prevention and treatment, oncology symptom management, food insecurity, youth experiencing homelessness, clinical care quality improvement, diabetes, informatics, and much more. Before applying, prospective students should explore the research faculty section of the school’s website to identify nurse scientists whose research interests match their own. 

Students entering the PhD program at the BSN level will complete an additional 24 credit hours compared to students who have a master’s degree, but they can ultimately earn a doctorate more quickly and less expensively, Wood explained. BSN-PhD students may choose part-time or full-time options to complete 90 hours of coursework and are encouraged to apply for scholarships.