400 West Campus Drive, 203.785.2389
https://nursing.yale.edu/academics/phd-program-nursing
M.Phil., Ph.D.

Dean
Azita Emami

Director of Graduate Studies
M. Tish Knobf (203.785.6455, tish.knobf@yale.edu)

Professors Xiaomei Cong, Azita Emami, M. Tish Knobf, LaRon Nelson, Tatiana Sadak, David Vlahov, Xuehong Zhang 

Associate Professors Deena Costa, Soohyun Nam, Monica Ordway, Hermine Poghosyan, Raquel Ramos, Julie Womack

Assistant Professors Bridget Basile-Ibrahim, Shelli Feder, Zhao Ni

Fields of Study

Common areas of inquiry include chronic conditions; self- and family management; symptom science; maternal and child health; sleep and sleep disorders; global health; health equity and health disparities; end-of-life and palliative care; environmental influences on health; and community-based interventions.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

Coursework

Completion of fifteen core courses and four cognates in the student’s area of specialization (including one advanced analysis course) is required. Successful completion of the Dissertation Seminar (NURS 906 in the fall and NURS 907 in the spring) every term until the final dissertation defense is also required. 

Required Core Courses

BIS 505	Biostatistics in Public Health II	1
BIS 633	Population and Public Health Informatics	1
CDE 534	Applied Analytic Methods in Epidemiology	1
or S&DS 563	Multivariate Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences
EPH 505	Biostatistics in Public Health	1
NURS 901	Quantitative Methods for Health Research	1
NURS 902	Qualitative Methods for Health Research	1
NURS 903	Measurement of Biobehavioral Phenomena	1
NURS 904	Mixed Methods Research	1
NURS 905	Intervention Development and Introduction to Implementation Science	1
NURS 908	Synthesis of Knowledge and Skills for Nursing Science	1
NURS 912	Knowledge Development for Nursing Science	1
NURS 913	Chronic Conditions: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Management of Adverse Outcomes	1
NURS 915	Nurse Scientist and Grant Writing	1
NURS 929	Responsible Conduct of Research	1
NURS 985	Achieving Population Health Equity	1

Cognates may be taken in any area related to the student’s dissertation research, including appropriate methodology and statistics courses. Some examples of the disciplines that doctoral students have chosen are public health, psychology, anthropology, divinity, and sociology.

The grading system includes Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail. Students must maintain a High Pass average and achieve a grade of Honors in at least two core courses to remain in good standing. After the first year, no more than one grade of Pass in a core course will be permitted. A grade of Pass or better is required for all cognates.

In addition to all other requirements, students must successfully complete NURS 929, Responsible Conduct of Research, prior to the end of their first year of study. This requirement must be met prior to registering for a second year of study.

The Yale School of Nursing does not offer the option of a combined degree.

Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Fellow Experience

During the first two years of the program, students are Graduate Research Assistants with faculty mentors and participate in the mentor’s ongoing research.

Teaching experience is also considered to be an integral part of graduate education. Therefore, two terms as a Teaching Fellow are required. Teaching Fellows assist with the teaching of master’s-level courses, typically during their third year of doctoral study.

Examinations

Successful completion of three examinations is required.

1. The preliminary examination is taken in June after the first year of coursework has been completed. The preliminary examination is intended to allow the student to demonstrate mastery of doctoral coursework. Passing the preliminary examination is a prerequisite for continuing in the second year of doctoral study.
2. The qualifying examination typically takes place at the end of the second year of study, when required coursework is completed. If the qualifying examination is not completed by the end of the sixth term, the student will be placed on Academic Probation. If not completed by the end of the seventh term, the student will be dismissed from the program. The student prepares a comprehensive dissertation proposal containing a statement of the problem to be studied, conceptual framework, critical review of relevant literature, design, methods, and plan for analysis. The oral qualifying examination typically lasts one to one-and-a-half hours. The student gives a twenty-minute formal presentation of the proposed study and answers questions regarding the research and related topics. Successful completion of the Qualifying Examination is required for candidacy for the doctoral degree.
3. The final oral examination is based on the dissertation. The dissertation is intended to demonstrate that the student is competent in the chosen area of study and has conducted independent research. The final oral examination typically lasts one-and-a-half to two hours. The student gives a twenty-minute formal presentation of the dissertation and answers questions. Successful completion of the final oral examination is required before the Ph.D. can be awarded.

Master’s Degree

M.Phil. This degree will be granted to Ph.D. students who successfully complete two years of coursework, but do not progress to the dissertation stage. To be awarded the M.Phil. degree, students need to complete all core courses, four cognates (may include independent study with faculty), and two years of Graduate Research Assistant experience, and must pass the Preliminary Examination. This degree is normally granted only to students who are withdrawing from the Ph.D. program.

For information on the terminal master’s degree offered by the Yale School of Nursing (Master of Science in Nursing), please visit the school’s website, https://nursing.yale.edu.

Required Nursing Courses

All Ph.D. students are required to take the following courses. For a complete list of Nursing courses, see the School of Nursing bulletin, online at https://bulletin.yale.edu; and Yale Course Search at https://courses.yale.edu.