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Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog
Nursing, PhD
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 Return to: Doctoral Programs
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
Chairperson: Dr. Ann-Margaret Navarra,, School of Nursing, Health Sciences, Room 2-246 (631) 638- 0859
PhD Program Director: Dr. Sylvia Wood, School of Nursing, Health Sciences, Room 2-245 (631) 444-3299
Program Assistant: Amy Prokop School of Nursing. Health Sciences, Room 2-236 (631) 444-3549
Department Website
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) represents the highest level of formal education for a career in nursing research and the scholarship of discovery, preparing scholars to express and communicate the knowledge base of the nursing profession. PhD graduates develop the scientific foundation, steward the profession, define its uniqueness, maintain its professional integrity, and educate the next generation of nurses.
A key strength of the program is the School of Nursing’s research partnerships with the five health professions schools of Stony Brook Medicine and biomedical engineering, computational science, biomedical informatics, and basic sciences departments. Areas of nursing science in which potential PhD students may focus on, but are not limited to, symptom science, health promotion and illness prevention, and self-management.
The 54-credit curriculum is designed for master’s-prepared nurses who aspire to research and academic roles within healthcare and educational settings. It will build on the foundation of research and scholarship gained at the master’s level.
The full-time, cohort-based program, offered on-site (one day/week) with web-enhanced technologies, contains three phases: coursework, proposal development, and dissertation.
Coursework and proposal development will take two and one-half years to complete, with an additional minimum of one year for dissertation completion. The PhD candidate will select an area of research congruent with interdisciplinary faculty expertise.
The SBU-intensive research environment provides opportunities for mentorship by faculty within and outside the SON. Our Office of Nursing Research assists faculty and doctoral students in meeting research goals by providing administrative support, grant preparation support and management, statistical consultation, and dissemination of research findings through poster/podium presentation and manuscript preparation.
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Admission Requirements
Application Website -
Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program or its international equivalent. Students with a master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., MPH) and a Bachelor’s in Nursing may also be considered. -
A current unencumbered license to practice as a registered professional nurse. -
One official copy of any transcript from any undergraduate college or university attended, from which a degree was conferred. Applicants must submit one official copy of any transcript relating to any graduate-level work undertaken, regardless of whether or not a degree was earned. Note: Educational systems that cannot be compared to the United States must be evaluated by a U.S. credentials evaluation service before admission can be finalized. -
Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. -
Three letters of recommendation attesting to your academic ability. -
Curriculum vitae including education and employment history, honors and awards, publications, and grantsmanship. Must demonstrate a progressive record of professional development in nursing. -
A personal interview with PhD program faculty. -
An exemplar of scholarly writing (e.g., an individually authored paper from your master’s program work-related project or a professional publication). -
A statement of professional goals and research interests, including reference to Stony Brook University School of Nursing PhD faculty whose current research is aligned with your areas of interest and expertise. -
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International Applicants: Each person planning to study in the United States is required to have the appropriate immigration status. The immigration documents for F-1 and J-1 student status are issued by the Visa and Immigration Services at Stony Brook University based on receipt of required supporting documentation, including evidence of admission, English language proficiency, and proof of financial support for the program of study (see the International Students ). These admission requirements constitute the minimum expectations for applicants. Degree Requirements
Credits Required: 54 credits GPA Requirement: minimum 3.0 GPA for degree completion Curriculum Requirements
The part-time cohort-based program, to be offered on-site (one day/week) with web-enhanced technologies, contains three phases: Coursework,Proposal Development and Dissertation. Coursework and proposal development will take two and one-half years to complete with an addition alone year for dissertation completion. All students will follow an approved program of courses, called the Academic Program Plan, determined to meet his or her needs and to satisfy program requirements. The Academic Program Plan, developed by the student in consultation with the faculty advisor, should provide sufficient depth and breadth for the chosen area of research, including specific content areas, methodological and analytic approaches. Any changes to the plan must be approved by the faculty advisor and submitted to the Director of the PhD in Nursing Program for final review. The following includes minimum curriculum requirements: Statistics/Research Design
Philosophy/Theory/Foundations
Dissertation Research
Following completion of all core courses and Qualifying Exam students will register for a minimum of 2 semesters (spring and fall semesters) of 3 credits each. Additional enrollment of (1-6) credits per semester is required until dissertation is completed and successfully defended Electives
Students will select two cognate courses (6 credits) to support the dissertation. They individually and collectively enhance the depth of understanding of the student’s chosen area of research. Cognate courses are taken after the first year of coursework when a student’s chosen research area has become more clearly defined. Cognates are typically in specific content areas (i.e., self-management, biomarkers, biomedical informatics) or in specific methodological or analytical approaches (i.e., research design methodologies or data analytical methods). These courses must be at the graduate level and taught by doctorally prepared faculty either from the School of Nursing or the University community at large. Students should consult with their faculty advisor regarding possible content and methodological areas that will support the chosen area of research. Qualifying Examination
The overarching goal of the SON PhD program is to prepare nurse scientists to conduct independent original research to advance nursing science. Successful completion of the Qualifying Examination demonstrates the necessary competencies needed to progress toward independent work in dissertation development and achieve the program outcomes. Students will be eligible to take the Qualifying Examination after completing the first year of the PhD program. The scholarly product of the Qualifying Examination is the PhD student’s independent preparation of a manuscript of publishable quality for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and a separate oral defense of the manuscript. Acceptable scholarly products include an integrative review or concept analysis. The grading for the Qualifying Examination will be Pass/Not Pass (Pass with revisions/Pass without revisions/Not Pass) Students will be assigned two faculty readers. Each reader will assign a grade of “pass” or “not pass” for the manuscript and the oral portion of the exam. Students must pass both written and oral components. If there is a disagreement in grade, a third faculty will be assigned, and the two similar grades will be the official grade. If a student does not pass the Qualifying Examination, the student will have an opportunity for a second attempt at revision of the manuscript over four weeks, which must be completed before the beginning of the next semester. The evaluation of the second attempt is the same as the first. To remain in the program, students must pass the second attempt. Advancement to Candidacy
The advancement to candidacy is achieved by satisfactory completion of all required coursework and successful completion of the Qualifying Examination to progress to the dissertation phase. Dissertation Proposal Defense
The purpose of the Dissertation Proposal Defense is to demonstrate an understanding of knowledge in the concentration area that supports the student’s dissertation research. Students may not progress to the proposal defense until all required coursework is complete. Written permission from the program director will be required for students who previously obtained permission to progress on an alternate academic pathway. The proposal defense contains a written and oral component, both of which require a passing grade to proceed with the dissertation research study. Preparation of the proposal defense occurs under the guidance of the Dissertation Proposal Examining Committee, facilitated by the Dissertation Advisor. Dissertation
The three requirements for the Ph.D. are assessed in the final defense of a dissertation. - The dissertation should demonstrate significant original work.
- The final dissertation should be presented with clarity of thought and excellence of exposition that make it suitable for publication as a book or a series of papers in learned journals.
- The dissertation should demonstrate a breadth and depth of the candidate’s knowledge beyond the confines of his or her own research and is also critically assessed in the defense and at various examinations during the student’s studies.
Successful oral defense of the dissertation to the candidate’s dissertation committee and the University community at large is required. The dissertation committee will include the candidate’s dissertation advisor, at least two faculty members from the program and may include one or more members from outside the University or program. Teaching Requirement
All doctoral students in the PhD in Nursing Program at Stony Brook University must complete at least one semester of practicum in teaching under supervision. Students in the PhD in Nursing Program will register for NUR 698 Seminar Series: Academic Role and Teaching Practicum to enhance their expertise in the role of an academician. The practicum will be individualized according to the student’s prior experiences in the academic role. The practicum will provide students with expertise in course development, teaching pedagogies and strategies for curriculum delivery, test construction and evaluation methodologies for didactic and clinical learning, approaches to teaching diverse learners and difficult student situations, and professional role development among others. Research Practicum Requirement
All doctoral students in the PhD in Nursing Program at Stony Brook University must complete at least one semester of practicum in research under supervision. Students in the PhD in Nursing Program will register for NUR 697 Seminar series: Investigator Role and Research Practicum to enhance their expertise in the role of an investigator. The practicum will be individualized according to the student’s prior experiences in the investigator role. The practicum will provide students with expertise in selected aspects of the research process, including development of the conceptual/theoretical foundation of the study, study implementation (e.g. start-up activities, consent, intervention, fidelity management), data collection, data management, data analysis, participate in preparation of grant proposal and dissemination of findings. Each student, with the help of their faculty advisor, will identify the semester during which they will complete the research practicum, develop individualized student learning outcomes based on prior experiences in the investigator role and identify a faculty preceptor. The faculty advisor,faculty preceptor and student will develop the structure of the practicum and plan activities to accomplish the student learning outcomes. Residence Requirement
At least two consecutive semesters of full-time study at Stony Brook University in the program granting the degree (or three consecutive semesters of a minimum of six credits for part-time students) are required. Program Time Limit
The time limit for a doctoral degree, including coursework, examinations, practicums, and dissertation is seven (7) years from date of matriculation in the PhD in Nursing Program. In exceptional cases where the program cannot be completed within these periods, students may petition for an extension of the time limit. The Request for Waiver of Graduate Time Limit form can be found by selecting the forms link from the Graduate School Web site. These petitions require the approval of the student’s faculty advisor and Director of the PhD in Nursing Program.Requests for a time limit extension must be filed before the limit is exceeded and must contain a significant justification. The final decision rests with the Dean of the Graduate School, who may impose additional requirements. |
Return to: Doctoral Programs
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