Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dual Program

Curriculum

Total Credits: Minimum of 121 Credits

Preliminary and Comprehensive Examinations

The preliminary examination is taken after completing the following required courses.  

• NUR 3285 - PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF NURSING RESEARCH  
• NUR 3286 - THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR RESEARCH  
• NUR 3287 - RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODS  
• and Statistics Courses
  • NUR 3112 - APPLIED PARAMETRIC AND NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTICS FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES 1  
  • NUR 3113 - APPLIED PARAMETRIC AND NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTICS FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2  

By following the established curriculum plan, all full-time students should sit for their Preliminary Examination in their third term of study. The examination is designed to assess the student’s breadth of knowledge of the discipline of nursing and potential ability to apply research methods independently. Remediation work may be required if deficiencies are identified that may impede the student’s success in program completion. See School of Nursing Policy 230.

The comprehensive examination assesses the student’s mastery of the general field of doctoral study, acquisition of depth and breadth of knowledge in a focused area of study, and the ability to use the research methods of the discipline. The comprehensive examination is taken after completion of all required course work and concurrent with the dissertation overview. See School of Nursing Policy 235.