BSN / MSN to PhD

Excellence and Innovation in Nursing

Graduate Programs


The mission of the PhD in Nursing program is to prepare nurse scientists who will conduct research in nursing and engage in scholarship that will improve health care and health care delivery systems.

Program Details

  • Admission Criteria

    Applicants seeking admission to the Ph.D. degree program at East Tennessee State University must fulfill all the requirements for admission to both the Graduate School and the College of Nursing. The Graduate School requires that all students submit the following materials:

    The Graduate School requires:

    • Completed ETSU application form with payment of non-refundable application fee
    • Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework
    • Written essay.

    The College of Nursing additionally requires:

    1. BSN or higher degree from a nationally-accredited nursing program.

    2. Cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale.

    3. Unencumbered licensure in the United States as a registered nurse and eligibility for licensure in Tennessee or compact state*

    4. Three (3) letters of recommendation, one (1) from the applicant’s current (or most recent) supervisor, one (1) from a faculty member who worked directly with the applicant during previous graduate study, and one (1) from an individual selected by the applicant.

    5. Completion of an interview with the Admissions Committee.

    6. Completion of a writing sample on a selected topic at the time of interview.

    7. Cover letter expressing the applicant’s personal goals for doctoral study (unless clearly articulated in the written essay requested by the university).

    8. Resume or curriculum vitae, as appropriate.

    9. Completion of a writing sample at the time of application addressing the following topic: Based on your nursing experience, discuss a possible researchable nursing problem, including implications for nursing practice. Essay should be typewritten, double-spaced, and at least 2 pages but not more than 4 pages in length.

    *Or equivalency for international applicants.

    The College of Nursing addtionally requires:

    The completed application form and fee, official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work, essay, documentation of nursing licensure in the United States, letters of recommendation and resume or vita must be submitted to the Graduate School. International students must also forward the additionally required documentation to the School.

    The personal interview will be scheduled by the College of Nursing’s PhD Admissions Committee.   Factors given consideration in the admission decision include: previous grade point average (GPA), clarity of the applicant’s selected problem as stated in the writing sample and during the interview, writing ability, professional work experience and achievements, professional honors and awards, interest in rural and underserved population groups, and quality of references/recommendations. The PhD Admissions Committee may recommend admission of a promising applicant who has not met all the admission standards on a conditional basis. 



    PhD in Nursing Admissions Process

    Once your application is received in the College of Nursing, it will be reviewed by the PhD program’s Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee is comprised of PhD program faculty. The members review each application carefully and thoughtfully. Each applicant who meets the admissions criteria will have an individual interview with a group of three committee members. Following the interview, the Admissions Committee meets to make final decisions. Students may be admitted fully or conditionally. All applicants will be notified of the decision of the committee by the PhD program coordinator.

    Factors considered by the Admissions Committee in the review and selection process:

    • Previous grade point average.

    • Clarity of goals for doctoral study as stated in writing and during the interview.    
    • Writing ability.
    • Professional work experience and achievements including honors and awards.
    • Interest in rural and underserved population groups.
    • Quality of recommendations.
  • Application Details

    Upcoming Deadlines:

    • This program admits for fall only. Target date for applications and all materials to be received by the Graduate School is June 1. 

    To receive full consideration, students must be admitted to East Tennessee State University by the nursing application deadline dates. Since admission to the university can take several weeks, students are encouraged to apply well in advance of the nursing deadlines. Consideration for the nursing major cannot be guaranteed if full admission to the university has not been obtained.

    Click here to apply for ETSU admission

  • Contact Us

    Dr. Jean HemphillDr. Jean Hemphill
    Program Director

    Contact:

    423-439-4603 / hemphilj@etsu.edu
    Nicks Hall, Room 2-206


     
     
     
     
    College of Nursing
    Office of Student Services


    423-439-4578 / nursing@etsu.edu 
    Nicks Hall Room 2-230

    ETSU Office of Admissions


    423-439-4221 / gradadmissions@etsu.edu 
    Burgin-Dossett Hall Room 309


  • Curriculum

    Part-Time Program of Study

    Full-Time Program of Study

    Sample Course Sequence


    Fall Semester I

    • Philosophy of Nursing Science
    • Interprofessional Approaches to Bioethical Issues
    • Statistical Methods for Nursing Research I


    Spring Semester II

    • Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research
    • Concept Development in Nursing Science
    • Statistical Methods for Nursing Research II


    Summer Semester III

    • Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis in Nursing Research
    • Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science
    • Measurement in Nursing Science


    Fall Semester IV

    • Grant Writing in Nursing Research
    • Quantitative Methods in Nursing Research
    • Health Policy Leadership

    Spring Semester V

    • Advanced Quantitative Design and Data Analysis in Nursing Research
    • Cognate I
    • Cognate II

    Summer Semester VI

    • Dissertation Seminar
    • Cognate III
    • Readings and Research

    Fall Semester VII

    • Doctoral Dissertation (hours vary per semester)
  • Outcomes

    PhD Program Outcomes 

     

    The PhD of Nursing degree program is designed to produce leaders in nursing and healthcare education and research. Specific objective for the program are to provide students with the knowledge, skills and values to: 

    1. Develop specialized in-depth knowledge in a substantive area.

    2. Generate and test theories to create new knowledge and refine existing knowledge for the discipline;

    3. Collaborate within the discipline and in transdisciplinary relationships in research, education, service, and practice;

    4. Disseminate scholarship to lay and professional audiences regionally, nationally, and globally; and

    5. Assume leadership roles as scholars and mentors within and across the health spectrum.

Apply Now!    

 

  • Scholarships/Fellowships

    National

    American Association of Colleges of Nursing

    Scholarship and loan opportunities for Graduate and Post-Graduate nursing students. Eligibility requirements vary. Please visit https://www.aacnnursing.org/Students for more information.

    Nurses Educational Funds (NEF)

    Nurses Education Funds, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization which seeks and distributes funds to baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses who are in need of scholarship assistance for graduate study. Eligibility requirements vary. Please visit  www.n-e-f.org for more information.

     College of Nursing

     

    Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) Grants

    These grants increase the number of qualified nurse faculty by creating a student loan program within individual schools of nursing and supporting individual students. Recipients must agree to teach at a school of nursing in exchange for cancellation of up to 85% of their educational loans, plus interest, over a four-year period. Applications for our NFLP funds can be obtained from Dr. Lisa Haddad, College of Nursing Graduate Programs. 

    Graduate Assistantship

    Full-time PhD students can apply through the Graduate School for a 10 or 20 hour a week position assisting a faculty member with research, teaching or other projects. Positions are available each year in the College of Nursing and other departments on campus. Some assistantships require regular presence on campus; others, depending upon the duties, may be possible to accomplish from a distance. In addition to a modest salary and the waiver of out-of-state tuition (when applicable), full maintenance fee is waived for a 20 hour position, and half maintenance fee is waived for a 10 hour position.

    Link to SGS site: https://www.etsu.edu/gradschool/funding/gats.php 

    Tuition Scholarship

    Full-time PhD students can apply through the Graduate School for a Tuition Scholarship which requires a time commitment of eight hours each week. Similar to an Assistantship, the student assists a faculty member with research or other projects. Tuition Scholarships are available in the College of Nursing and other departments on campus. There is no salary provided, but full maintenance fee and out-of-state tuition (when applicable) is waived.

    College of Nursing Scholarships

    Various scholarships offered by the College of Nursing to graduate nursing students. Eligibility requirements vary. For specific information, please visit https://www.etsu.edu/nursing/scholarships.php .

      Graduate School

    PhD students can apply for specific scholarships and awards through the Graduate School. For a complete listing, please visit https://www.etsu.edu/gradschool/funding/paying.php

     

 

2025.04.10.01 v. 162 | Associate Dean of Graduate Programs