Ph.D. in Nursing

The Doctor of Philosophy prepares nurse researchers with expertise in vulnerable populations. The Ph.D. prepared nurse serves the public by designing and conducting research on relevant clinical, educational, health systems, and/or health policy topics. Following graduation, a nurse with a Ph.D. may pursue a research career in the academic, business, government, or industrial setting. Nurses with a PhD may also serve as educators and/or administrators and develop or consult on health care policy in a variety of settings.

To ensure successful completion of all requirements for graduation, including the dissertation, Ph.D. students are carefully matched with skilled researchers on faculty at MCN who serve as the student's advisor throughout their program of study. Core course content enables the student to achieve the American Association of Colleges of Nursing quality indicators for research-focused doctoral programs.

Students in the Ph.D. Program are required to attend courses on campus. Faculty may use video conferencing and web-enhanced course delivery as an alternative method of instruction, at the faculty's discretion. An intensive orientation is provided to prepare new students with the tools necessary for a quality graduate experience.

Illinois State students complete their degrees on time. ISU's retention rate remains among the highest in the nation at over 84.2 percent, and our high graduation rate (68.1 percent) is well above the national average.

Illinois State remains a first-choice institution. We have a strong enrollment of more than 20,000 students, while maintaining academic quality and small class sizes.

Bloomington-Normal ranks as one of the top 40 college towns in America based on it's quality of life and among the top 10 for arts and entertainment opportunities. We were ranked by College Factual as the 22nd Best College for the Money out of 1,200 schools across the country.