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The curriculum for the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston includes 66 semester hours for MSN-prepared students and 90 hours for BSN-prepared students. The course sequence is designed to prepare nurse scientists to develop, test, and implement innovation in health care delivery and to teach the next generations of nurses in research and practice.

During the sequence of courses, the student participates in development of a research program that includes interdisciplinary interactions. The student works with an interdisciplinary team of faculty mentors who have established research programs. Courses in the nursing sequence are focused on the health care delivery system, theory, and research.

The student also takes one elective and three cognate courses to develop knowledge in a focused area of interest. The theory, research, and practice links provide the basis for the student to develop a dissertation that is focused on preparing a nurse scientist who will improve health and health care.

MSN to PhD (66 hours)

Full-time Plan

  • Semester 1 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7501

    Conceptual Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3

    N7530

    Analysis of the Context of Health Care*

    3

    N7555

    Research Practicum****

    3
  • Semester 2 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7540

    Advanced Research Designs and Methods I*

    3

    XXXX

    Cognate I**

    3

    N7505

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research I

    4
  • Semester 3 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7506

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research II

    4

    N7542

    Advanced Research Designs and Methods II

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 4 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7541

    Application of Measurement Theory to Biomedical and Health Science Research*

    3

    N7543

    Empirical Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3

    XXXX

    Cognate II**

    3
  • Semester 5 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    NXXXX

    Research Methods Elective**

    3

    NXXXX

    Cognate III**

    3

    N7550

    Research Proposal Development*

    2

    N7550B

    Research Proposal B*

    1

    N7590

    Candidacy - Can Enroll Spring or Summer

    1
  • Semester 6 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Elective

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum ***

    1
  • Semester 7 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7552

    Research Planning and Implementation*

    2

    N7552B

    Research Planning and Implementation B*

    1

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6
  • Semester 8 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    Total

    66

Part-time Plan

  • Semester 1 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7530

    Analysis of the Context of Health Care*

    3

    N7501

    Conceptual Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3
  • Semester 2 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXXX

    Elective **

    3

    N7505

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research I*

    4
  • Semester 3 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7506

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research II*

    4
  • Semester 4 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Research Methods Elective

    3

    N7555

    Research Practicum

    3
  • Semester 5 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7540

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods I*

    3

    XXXXX

    Cognate I**

    3
  • Semester 6 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7542

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods II*

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum ***

    1
  • Semester 7 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7541

    Application of Measurement Theory to Biomedical and Health Science Research*

    3

    N7543

    Empirical Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3
  • Semester 8 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXXX

    Cognate II**

    3

    N7550

    Research Proposal Development*

    2

    N7550B

    Research Proposal Development B*

    1
  • Semester 9 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7590

    Candidacy - Spring or Summer of Year 3

    1

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 10 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7552

    Research Planning and Implementation*

    2

    N7552B

    Research Planning and Implementation B*

    1

    XXXXX

    Cognate III**

    3
  • Semester 11 - Spring

    N7600

    Dissertation

    6

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 12 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7600

    Dissertation

    6

    Total

    66

BSN to PhD (90 hours)

Full-time Plan

  • Semester 1 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N6804

    Advanced Pathophysiology for DNP

    3

    N6802

    Health Policy, Politics & Ethics

    3

    N6810W /

    Advanced Physical Exam and Differential Diagnosis for DNP / 

    3

     

    N6810B

    Advanced Physical Exam and Differential Diagnosis Lab for DNP
  • Semester 2 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N6901W

    Advanced Pharmacology for DNP

    3

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3
  • Semester 3 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3
  • Semester 4 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7501

    Conceptual Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3

    N7530

    Analysis of the Context of Healthcare*

    3

    N7555

    Research Practicum****

    3
  • Semester 5 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7540

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods I*

    3

    XXXX

    Cognate I**

    3

    N7505

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research I*

    4
  • Semester 6 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7506

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research II*

    3

    N7542

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods II*

    4

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 7 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7541

    Application of Measurement Theory to Biomedical & Health Science Research*

    3

    N7543

    Empirical Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3

    XXXX

    Cognate II**

    3
  • Semester 8 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    NXXXX

    Research Methods Elective**

    3

    NXXXX

    Cognate III**

    3

    N7550

    Research Proposal Development*

    2

    N7550B

    Research Proposal B*

    1

    N7590

    Candidacy - Can Enroll Spring or Summer

    1
  • Semester 9 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    NXXXX

    Elective**

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 10 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7552

    Research Planning & Implementation*

    2

    N7552B

    Research Planning & Implementation B*

    1

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 11 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    Total

    90

Part-time Plan

  • Semester 1 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N6804W

    Advanced Pathophysiology for DNP

    3

    N6802

    Health Policy, Politics & Ethics

    3
  • Semester 2 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N6810W /

    Advanced Physical Exam and Differential Diagnosis for DNP / 

    3

     

     

    N6810B

    Advanced Physical Exam and Differential Diagnosis Lab for DNP

    N6901W

    Advanced Pharmacology for DNP

    3
  • Semester 3 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3
  • Semester 4 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3
  • Semester 5 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Nursing Concentration

    3

    N7505

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research I*

    4
  • Semester 6 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7506

    Advanced Statistics for Clinical Research II*

    4
  • Semester 7 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7530

    Analysis of the Context of Healthcare*

    3

    N7501

    Conceptual Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3
  • Semester 8 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7540

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods I*

    3

    XXXX

    Cognate I**

    3
  • Semester 9 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7542

    Advanced Research Designs & Methods II*

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 10 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N5741

    Application of Measurement Theory to Biomedical & Health Science Research*

    3

    N7543

    Empirical Basis of Scientific Inquiry*

    3
  • Semester 11 - Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7550

    Research Proposal Development*

    2

    N7550B

    Research Proposal B*

    1

    XXXX

    Research Methods Elective**

    3

    N7590

    Candidacy

    1
  • Semester 12 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7555

    Research Practicum****

    3

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 13 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7552

    Research Planning & Implementation*

    2

    N7552B

    Research Planning & Implementation B*

    1

    XXXX

    Cognate II**

    3
  • Semester 14 -Spring

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    XXXX

    Cognate III**

    3
  • Semester 15 - Summer

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    N7554

    Research Forum***

    1
  • Semester 16 - Fall

    Course #

    Course Title

    Hours

    XXXX

    Elective**

    3

    N7600

    Dissertation

    3 to 6

    Total    

    90

 

Curriculum notes

* Required courses offered only once a year.

** These courses may be selected from offerings at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston or other universities through enrollment agreements.
***N7554 Research Forum. Students will need to complete three (3) one-credit Research Forum courses during the course of the program. Research Forum can be taken any semester but must be taken three different semesters.
**** N7555 Research Practicum- Research Practicum will be offered every semester. The student should plan with their advisor for timing of completion  

1 semester hour of credit is earned for

  • 3 clock hours per week of clinical experience,
  • 1 clock hour per week of lecture, or
  • 2 clock hours per week of seminar.
  • Course numbers ending in “W” denote courses that are web-based or mainly online that may require some on- campus class time.
  • Course numbers ending in “B” denote courses that are clinical and include additional fees.

The elective and cognates taken must be at the graduate level. The cognates chosen should reflect the focus of the dissertation research, should be taken outside the school of nursing, and must be approved by the dissertation chairperson/student advisor.

  • Cognates = 3 Courses= 9 credits
  • Elective =1 Course= 3 credits

Consult individual course descriptions in the academic catalog for details on clinical, lecture, and seminar hours and prerequisite or corequisite requirements.

 

Candidacy Exam

The candidacy examination serves as a basis for determining the student’s readiness for pursuing dissertation research. It is composed of a written paper and an oral examination. The student should demonstrate a command of the theoretical and methodological issues related to the selected topic as a basis for pursuing research in a specific population of interest. The candidacy examination is viewed as a continuing step in the educational process building on previous course work and leading to the dissertation proposal defense and the dissertation. Candidacy exam policy and procedures may be found in PhD Program Policy D7315 (pdf).

 

Dissertation Requirement

An original research dissertation that constitutes a substantial contribution to the body of knowledge in nursing must be completed under the direction of a dissertation committee chairperson who is a member of the Cizik School of Nursing faculty.

Students must complete 12 hours of dissertation prior to graduation. The 12 hours are taken after Candidacy is successfully completed and should be taken in increments of 3 hours but must have at least 3 hours in the last semester (semester of final defense)

Information regarding the dissertation policy and procedures may be found in PhD Program Policy D7400 (pdf). The Dissertation Manual for students admitted before Fall 2021 can be found at found at Dissertation Manual (pre 2021) (pdf). For students admitted Fall 2021 and after, the Dissertation Manual can be found at Dissertation Manual (post 2021) (pdf).

An active list of recent graduate dissertations is available for viewing through the Texas Medical Center library.