The Ph.D. in Nursing Science degree is designed to prepare graduates for a nursing research career in academic, clinical or health system settings. Students in this doctoral program acquire the knowledge and skills to become productive nurse scientists, scholars and educators who will transform the health of patients, families, and communities across the globe.

Learning Outcomes

1. Utilize a biobehavioral scientific approach in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team in advancing knowledge to improve health for diverse populations.
2. Demonstrate, through the comprehensive examination, an understanding of the history, theory, and philosophy of science that serve as a foundation for a substantive research area.
3. Generate and communicate new knowledge to public and professional audiences to advance nursing and health.
4. Demonstrate conceptual, methodological, analytical and dissemination skills to advance nursing science within the context of planning, implementing, and evaluating research aimed at improving health and healthcare.
5. Incorporate, through program deliverables and the dissertation proposal, concepts of diversity and inclusion in research, advocacy, and policy to promote health equity.
6. Use leadership and mentorship skills in research and advocacy to advance the nursing profession.

Admission

The Ph.D. program offers four entry points for students:

• B.S.N. entry - a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from a program that is nationally accredited (Total 75 credit hours);
• M.S.N. entry - a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree and a master’s in nursing degree from nationally accredited programs (Total 57 credit hours);
• non-M.S.N. master’s entry- a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from a nationally accredited program and a master’s degree in another discipline (Total minimum 57 credit hours);
• D.N.P. entry - a Doctor of Nursing practice degree from a nationally accredited program (Total 42 credit hours).

Requirements for earning the Ph.D. degree include:

1. doctoral residency of at least 18 graduate credit hours for three consecutive major semesters.  Enrollment in a summer term is not required to maintain continuity, but credits earned during summer terms (including May session) will count toward the 18 hours required for residency.  The residency requirement may be met only after admission to the PhD program;
2. completion of an approved program of study totaling not less than 42 credits for D.N.P. entry options (at least 30 credits must be earned at the University of South Carolina); not less than 57 credit hours for master’s entry options and not less than 75 credit hours for B.S.N. entry option;
3. completion of the admission-to-candidacy examination at least one full academic year prior to the date on which the degree is to be granted;
4. completion of a foreign language and/or research methods requirement, met through a reading knowledge of a foreign language or competency in statistics/research methods specific to the student’s proposed course of study;
5. completion of a mentored research experience under the supervision of College of Nursing faculty (NURS 898);
6. completion of a comprehensive examination taken after admission to candidacy and completion of all course requirements except those courses in which the student is currently enrolled;
7. completion of an oral defense of a doctoral dissertation.
8. submission of an approved dissertation to the USC Graduate School guided and approved by the student’s Doctoral Dissertation Committee.

Course Requirements

All Ph.D. students will take the following courses:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
NURS 800	Philosophical Foundations and Theoretical Applications in Nursing Science	3
NURS 803	Scientific Knowledge in Nursing	3
NURS 804	The Role of the Nurse Scientist	3
NURS 810	Introductory Methods and Analysis in Nursing Science	3
NURS 811	Advanced Methods and Analysis in Nursing Science	3
NURS 813	Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Nursing Science	3
NURS 855	Measurement in Biobehavioral Research	3
NURS 856	Research Literature Synthesis	3
NURS 870	Grant Proposal Development	3
NURS 898	Research Internship	3
NURS 899	Dissertation Preparation	12
Total Credit Hours		42

DNP entry students must have completed a doctoral level determinants of health course with a grade of B or higher prior to enrolling NURS 803 and graduate level research and statistics courses with a grade of B or higher within the past 10 years prior to enrolling in NURS 810.

Additional Requirements B.S.N Entry Students:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
NURS 717	Application of Basic Statistics for Nursing Practice & Service Management	3
NURS 790	Research Methods for Nursing	3
NURS 818	Social and Structural Determinants of Health	3
Select a minimum of 24 hours of elective courses as required by advisement of Program of Study committee		24
Total Credit Hours		33

B.S.N. entry students need to complete at least 24 credit hours of electives, 9 credit hours should be master’s level courses which may be from one of the existing nursing majors or emphasis areas or in an individualized program of study. Typically, enrollment in the master’s courses occurs before enrollment in the Ph.D. core courses.

Additional M.S.N. and non-M.S.N master’s Entry Students:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
NURS 818	Social and Structural Determinants of Health	3
Select a minimum of 12 hours of elective courses as required by advisement of Program of Study committee		12
Total Credit Hours		15

M.S.N. and non-M.S.N. master’s entry students must have completed a graduate level research and statistics course with a grade of B or higher within the past 10 years prior to enrolling in NURS 810.