Ph.D. in Nursing

The Ph.D. program prepares nurse scientists to provide leadership in nursing education, practice, and research. Individualized curricula prepare nursing graduates to assume positions as faculty, researchers, and leaders in educational, community, governmental, or institutional settings.

Incoming full-time Ph.D. students may be eligible for a University assistantship. Assistantships cover tuition and pay a monthly stipend. In return, the recipient assists an assigned faculty member in various aspects of the faculty role for up to 20 hours per week. All nursing science courses begin with a one- to two-day pre-semester intensive, which meets at the University Park campus in the fall and the Hershey Medical Center campus in the spring. The intensive consists of introducing the classes, a meeting of the Doctoral Student Organization, and other workshops or seminars.

Since its creation in 1964 as a department under the College of Health and Physical Education and later the College of Human Development (now Health and Human Development), Penn State’s Nursing program has evolved into a nationally respected program. In 2008, Nursing became a free-standing academic program under the College of Health and Human Development umbrella. In 2013, Penn State’s Board of Trustees approved the School of Nursing to become Penn State’s newest fully independent College, a position that provided greater visibility and elevated its status concerning peer nursing programs at other universities.

Today, the college provides students with a wide array of nursing programs across 12 Penn State Commonwealth Campuses. The college offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs to more than 2,000 students annually. The college also offers certification and training online, which allows the college to extend its offerings to students throughout Pennsylvania and improve the health and well-being of all citizens within the Commonwealth.