PhD Admission Requirements

Step 1: What you will need to apply

• A nonrefundable $60 application fee.
• Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended. Electronic submission is preferred. Official transcripts may be sent directly from your post-secondary institutions to student-admissions@uth.tmc.edu. Transcripts will not be accepted if emailed from the student. Transcripts submitted on paper must be printed within six months of receipt and sealed in an envelope from the issuing institution.
• Three letters of academic/professional reference. At least two of these letters should be solicited from individuals with doctoral degrees who can address the applicant’s ability to conduct independent research and potential for doctoral study. The applicant letter of reference form should be provided your references.
• A 500-word typed statement identifying a specific area of research interest. Identify research and professional goals, including reasons for pursuing doctoral study. Identify how doctoral study will assist you in attaining your goals. Please review the list of PhD faculty and identify a potential faculty advisor in your area of interest. Personal statements should be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office at student-admissions@uth.tmc.edu.
• A professional curriculum vitae or résumé.
• If you have previous college coursework from another country, you must have coursework evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).

Minimum admission requirements

• For those applying to the BSN to PhD program, applicants must have a baccalaureate degree in nursing earned from a CCNE accredited program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• For those applying to the post-master's PhD program, applicants must have a master’s degree, preferably in nursing, from a CCNE accredited school with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• All applicants must have an unencumbered registered nursing license to practice in Texas. Evidence of national certification in a nursing specialty is desired, but not required for admission.
• International applicants must submit an official TOEFL scores. TOEFL scores can be no more than two years old. A minimum score of 550 is required on the paper exam, a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based exam, or a minimum score of 86 on the internet-based exam.

Step 2: Apply!

• Check the application deadline for the PhD program.
• Complete the online application for admission and submit the nonrefundable $60.00 application fee.
• Submit all required application materials to:

Office of the Registrar

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
PO Box 20036
Houston, Texas 77225-0036

Once an application is received, you will be assigned a seven-digit application ID and granted access to applyUTH, where you can track the status of your application materials. If you have questions about whether transcripts or documents have been received, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 713-500-3361.

Step 3: Admission decisions 

Qualified applicants will be interviewed by faculty members to assess whether the program aligns with applicant’s educational needs and career goals. The match of the applicant’s interest and goals with a faculty members’ areas of research is also assessed.

Cizik School of Nursing’s admission policy describes multiple factors taken into consideration in the admissions process. These admission factors are not assigned a specific weight or point value. Cizik School of Nursing considers the totality of each application and considers each of these factors.

Notification:

Once a decision is made, ApplyUTH is updated with the application status. If you are admitted, you will receive an email and a letter in the mail. If you are denied, you will receive a letter in the mail.

Please see the applications deadline page for approximate notification dates.

Step 4: Pre-enrollment requirements for accepted students

If admitted, enrollment is contingent upon successful completion of pre-enrollment requirements including but not limited to immunization screening; immigration status clearance; documentation of Texas nursing license; documentation of American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA-BLS) certification; and clearance of the mandatory criminal background check and drug screening. You may choose to take the AHA-BLS through Cizik School of Nursing’s Simulation and Clinical Performance Laboratory.

Get all the details in our New Student Guide.

Essential Skills in Nursing

Nurses must be able to demonstrate cognitive skills in critical thinking and logical/analytical thinking. Nurses must also have psychomotor skills, including fine motor dexterity, physical strength, coordination, and proper body mechanics. Observational skills are also required, such as the ability to hear within the normal decibel range, the ability to read English in regular to extra-fine print, and the ability to palpate/auscultate. Students must be able to demonstrate these skills, with or without reasonable accommodation. See HOOP 101, Disability Accommodation.