PhD Program

The central purpose of the PhD program in Nursing is to prepare nurse-scientists as teacher/scholars with an emphasis on knowledge development related to vulnerable populations. Persons who are vulnerable may include such groups as the unborn, impoverished children, chronically ill, frail elders, the dying and the marginalized. The graduate of this program will have the ability to advance nursing and health care through teaching, research, and health care leadership.

The PhD program includes course work in the following categories: Nursing Science, Research and Statistics, Teaching, Cognates, and Dissertation. The program may be completed on a full or part-time basis. Several sources of financial assistance, including scholarships, are available.

Dr. Kerry Kosmoski-Goepfert, PhD, RN

Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs

kerry.kosmoski@marquette.edu

Dr. Margaret J. Bull, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor

Director of PhD Program

margaret.bull@marquette.edu

Kelly M. Hillard

PhD Program Assistant

kelly.hillard@mu.edu

(414) 288-3869

Mission

Through a transformational Catholic, Jesuit education, Marquette University College of Nursing prepares nurse leaders to promote health, healing and social justice for all people through clinical practice and development of nursing knowledge.

Doctoral education in nursing is built upon the Masters level nursing foundation. It is characterized by the acquisition of research skills necessary for the discovery and use of new nursing knowledge and for preparation for teaching roles.

Program Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Develop knowledge for the discipline of nursing that will impact the health of vulnerable people or populations as evidenced by their ability to:
   1. Design and conduct independent research that will impact the health of vulnerable people/populations.
   2. Develop, test and refine theories as a basis for nursing science.
   3. Analyze patterns of health among vulnerable populations.
   4. Synthesize research findings to provide leadership in health care.
2. Apply teaching/learning principles in nursing education at the individual, course, and program level as evidenced by their ability to:
   1. Teach nurses and advanced practitioners to improve the health status of vulnerable people/populations.
   2. Synthesize research findings to provide leadership in nursing education.

Admission Requirements

Other current MU Nursing PhD Program Admission Requirements include:

• A completed application form and fee
• Official transcripts from all current and previous colleges
• A curriculum vita
• Written objectives / career intentions, including research interests
• Sample of scholarly writing

A graduate level research course is a required prerequisite. If it has been five years or more since an applicant has taken a statistics course, a course which includes inferential statistics must either be audited or taken for credit.

Applicants may be denied admission to the PhD program due to space constraints. An applicant must be licensed as a professional nurse. An RN with a Bachelor’s degree in another field, a Direct Entry student, or Master’s student may apply to the PhD program. Programs of study may vary in length and are tailored according to previous coursework.

• Apply Online: https://marquette-grad.gotoextinguisher.com/application/login/
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) information: http://www.gre.org/ttindex.html
• International Student information: http://www.marquette.edu/oie/intl_students.shtml
• Financial Aid: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and http://www.marquette.edu/financialaid/
• Full- and part-time sample curriculum plans may be found below. 

For more information, please contact: Kelly Hillard, PhD Program Assistant, kelly.hillard@marquette.edu

PhD Credit Requirements Depending on Entering Degree

Frequently Asked Questions About PhD Program

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Updated 09/25/09