Preliminary and Comprehensive Examinations and Dissertation Overview
The preliminary examination is taken after completing the following required courses. For BSN to PhD students: NUR 3285 Philosophical Underpinnings (3 cr), NUR 3286 Theoretical Foundations (3 cr), NUR 3287 Research Design (3 cr.) and NUR 3071 Apprenticeship Practicum (2 cr). For MSN to PhD students: NUR 3285 Philosophical Underpinnings (3 cr), NUR 3286 Theoretical Foundations (3 cr), and NUR 3071 Apprenticeship Practicum (2 cr). For both BSN to PhD and MSN to PhD BIOST 2041 Intro to Statistical Methods 1 OR PSYED 2018 Statistics 1: Descriptive & Inferential Statistics AND BIOST 2042 Intro to Statistical Methods 2 OR PSYED 2019 Statistics 2: Analysis of Variance. By following the establish 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.
The dissertation overview requires the student to formulate a research plan and to justify the selected approach for studying the topic before the student’s dissertation committee.
Dissertation Committee
Prior to the comprehensive examination and the dissertation overview, the student and research advisor propose, subject to approval by the director of the PhD program and the dean, a committee of four or more members, one of whom must be from another school within the University and the majority of whom must be from the School of Nursing. A majority, including the major advisor, must also be full members of the Graduate Faculty of the University.
See Doctoral Committee under Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees of the University bulletin.
Admission to Candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy
Admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree constitutes a promotion of the student to the most advanced stage of graduate study and provides formal approval to devote essentially exclusive attention to the research and the writing of the dissertation. To qualify for admission to candidacy, students must be in full graduate status, have satisfied the requirement of the preliminary examination, have completed formal courses with a minimum grade point average of 3.00, have passed the comprehensive examination, and have received approval of the proposed dissertation research by the dissertation committee. Admission to candidacy is granted by the Dean.
Residency Requirement
Students seeking the PhD degree are required to engage in a minimum of one term of full-time doctoral study (nine credits), which excludes any other employment except as approved. The doctoral student must notify the PhD program director in writing the term that this occurs.
Dissertation and Abstract
The date and title of the dissertation defense must be submitted to the PhD program director one month prior to the final defense. For definitions and detail on what constitutes an acceptable dissertation, please see Dissertation and Abstract under Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees of this bulletin.
Personalized Scientific Inquiry
The University of Pittsburgh values personalization of students’ educational experiences. To that end, the PhD program allows students to develop a personalized approach to choosing additional coursework congruent with knowledge and skill development in their chosen areas of focal research concentration.
Students are encouraged to take Personalized Scientific Inquiry (PSI) courses to develop an understanding of essential knowledge to a focused area of study in nursing.
- Consists of a minimum of 23 credits in the BSN to PhD track, and a minimum of 8 credits in the MSN to PhD track.
- Students are encouraged to take PSI courses outside of the School of Nursing and outside of the nursing discipline.
- It is suggested that one PSI course be an advanced statistics/research methods course.
- No more than one of the PSI courses should be taken as NUR 3060 Independent Study, so as to provide for a richer experience in the presence of other students and other disciplines.
Research Apprenticeship Model
The PhD program includes an apprenticeship model of research training that combines rigorous coursework and an apprenticeship with successful research mentors. This model includes a formalized series of Apprenticeship Practica (minimum of 6 credits under the direction of a research mentor), with recommended experiences and a series of defined deliverables. This experience allows for the opportunity to acquire individualized and tangible research skills within a mentored research application environment which is additive to and precedes the dissertation experience
All mentors are experienced nurse researchers. Apprenticed students acquire tangible skills in research methodology, grantsmanship, professional skills, the responsible conduct of research, and dissemination of research findings through publications and presentations. Students receive an intense and comprehensive research experience resulting in publications and pilot data to support applications for independent research funding and dissertation work.
