phd nursing programs in nc

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Nursing PhD

Ecu advantage.

Are you interested in improving health, solving complex problems, and in working with other disciplines as a scientist?

A doctor of philosophy (PhD) prepares you for a career in research and the scholarship of discovery. The emphasis of the PhD program at East Carolina's College of Nursing is to prepare nurse scholars to advance the science of nursing practice, education, and administration/health policy.

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East Carolina University College of Nursing has been named a Center of Excellence for 2011-2015 by the National League for Nursing (NLN). The College of Nursing is part of the health sciences division, which houses the Brody School of Medicine including basic sciences. We are located next to Vidant Medical Center, a magnet designated hospital serving 29 counties in eastern North Carolina.

We offer many opportunities for interprofessional education, practice, and research. Additionally, the location and mission of the college as well as the expertise of the faculty provide a unique opportunity for the discovery of knowledge related to nursing and health issues in rural underserved areas.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks . Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator/Director: Pamela Reis (252-744-6478; 4165S Health Sciences Building;  [email protected] )

The Nursing, PhD equips nurse researchers and scholars to explore, develop, and move forward the scientific bases of nursing practice. Students are prepared to conduct research in the domains of nursing science. The curriculum is enriched through electives taken in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences; interdisciplinary-professional research; and the integration of technology in program delivery. Dissertation research prepares graduates to contribute discoveries to the body of nursing and health care knowledge with a focus in either bio-behavioral or system science. The location and mission of the College of Nursing as well as the expertise of the faculty provide a unique opportunity for the discovery of knowledge related to nursing and health issues in rural underserved areas. Upon graduation, students are prepared to assume leadership positions as researchers, administrators in public and private health care organizations, policy makers and analysts, and university faculty.

The program has three entry options: BSN to PhD, MSN to PhD, and DNP to PhD. The BSN to PhD option blends the doctoral curriculum within two different MSN concentrations – the nursing education concentration and the health systems leadership concentration. It reduces the number of master's level courses required in the traditional MSN program and facilitates completion of the Nursing, PhD. Within the BSN to PhD entry option there is also an Early Assurance Program for select undergraduate students. The MSN to PhD option is the traditional post master's pathway for achieving a PhD. The DNP to PhD option is an accelerated pathway that allows up to 12 semester hours from a DNP program to partially fulfill requirements of the PhD program. A minimum of 42 additional semester hours of doctoral coursework taken at ECU is required for a total minimum of 54 semester hours for degree completion.

Applicants for admission to the BSN to PhD option must meet general admission requirements for the PhD program. Additional requirements include:

The Nursing, PhD program admits 6-10 students each year. Applications for study to begin in the summer semester will be accepted until February 15 or until seats are filled. Applications are processed as received. Applicants are expected to ensure that the Graduate School and the College of Nursing receive all supporting credentials by the final filing date. BSN to PhD applicants enrolled in the final semester of undergraduate study must provide a transcript as soon as they graduate and no later than August 1 of the year enrollment in the graduate program would begin. Applicants are evaluated in four areas: GPA, references, essay, and interview. Completed applications are considered as they are received. All completed applications received by the final filing date will be given careful consideration. Interviews are conducted as completed applications are received. Each applicant will be notified in writing of the admission decision after the admission process is completed.

Preference is given to those who demonstrate a capacity for creative inquiry, critical thinking, scholarship, and leadership. In the case of equally qualified applicants, preference will be given to individuals who intend to pursue doctoral study on a full-time basis. Students will be assigned an academic advisor at the time of admission. All admitted PhD students are required to begin in the 11-week summer school session of the year of acceptance.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 54 semester hours (s.h.) beyond the master's degree (includes a minimum of 6 s.h. for dissertation) with the exception of BSN to PhD students who are required to complete between 72 and 80 semester hours and DNP to PhD students who are required to complete a minimum of 54 semester hours that may include up to 12 semester hours from a DNP program to partially fulfill requirements of the PhD program. As in other research-focused programs of doctoral study, students in this program may expect to enroll in more than the minimum required credit hours and to be aware that study opportunities that focus on particular areas of study are in addition to the basic program requirements. Additional study is individualized and depends on the student's background and graduate preparation as well as the identified career focus. The program of study includes both full- and part-time options. Since enrollments in doctoral programs tend to be small, students need to closely adhere to the plan of study, as courses are offered once a year. To deviate from the plan of study may mean a delay of one or more semesters before course enrollment is again possible.

• NURS 6080 - Theory for the Practice of Advanced Nursing
• NURS 6081 - Research for the Practice of Advanced Nursing
• NURS 6082 - Influencing Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Policy
• NURS 6083 - Healthcare Finance and Economics
• NURS 6903 - Curriculum Development in Nursing
• NURS 6904 - Educational Concepts, Theories, and Strategies in Nursing
• NURS 6905 - Nursing Education Role Practicum I
• NURS 6908 - Nursing Education Role Practicum II (needed if student has not...)
• NURS 6909 - Evaluation in Nursing Education
• NURS 7004 - Research Ethics for a Complex World
• NURS 8200 - Grant Writing
• NURS 8205 - Nursing Scholarship and Discovery I
• NURS 8206 - Nursing Scholarship and Discovery II
• NURS 8220 - Nursing Philosophy and Knowledge Development
• NURS 8225 - Theory Analysis and Application in Nursing Science
• NURS 8226 - Statistical Methods for Nursing Research I
• NURS 8227 - Statistical Methods for Nursing Research II
• NURS 8235 - Qualitative Methods I
• NURS 8240 - Quantitative Methods
• NURS 8241 - Principles of Measurement
• NURS 8250 - Research Practicum
• NURS 8255 - Directed Research (3 s.h. minimum)
• NURS 8260 - State of Nursing Science
• NURS 8262 - Translational Nursing Science
• NURS 9000 - Dissertation Research (6 s.h. minimum)

NURS 6904 and NURS 6909 fulfill the 6 s.h. elective courses requirement. Students choosing to do a dissertation using qualitative methods will be highly encouraged to take NURS 8236 as one of the elective courses.  It will be counted as a 3 s.h. elective course.

• NURS 6971 - Health Policy, Law, and Ethical Decision Making
• NURS 6973 - Contemporary Issues in Human Relations
• NURS 6974 - Financial Management and Decision-Making in Nursing Leadership
• NURS 6983 - Theoretical and Operational Perspectives for Systems Leadership
• NURS 6988 - Population Health Leadership
• NURS 8255 - Directed Research (6 s.h. minimum)

Students choosing to do a dissertation using qualitative methods will be highly encouraged to take NURS 8236 as one of the elective courses.

Up to 12 s.h. of graduate credits earned at other institutions may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral program. Courses offered for transfer credit will be evaluated individually relative to Graduate School requirements, program requirements, and the student's plan of study. Please refer to the Graduate School Transfer Credits Policy located in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog. If transfer credit is not approved for NURS 8262, 2 electives or NURS 8255, students will be required to take those additional credit hours.

The DNP to PhD option is an accelerated pathway that awards credit for prior work completed in a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program. Up to 12 semester hours from a DNP program can be used to fulfill requirements of the PhD program.  The student's credit for coursework in a DNP program is determined based on a transcript review by the PhD program director. A minimum of 42 semester hours of PhD coursework must be taken at ECU for a minimum total of 54 semester hours for degree completion.

BSN and MSN to PhD students must complete at least five semesters in residence. DNP to PhD students must complete at least three semesters in residence.

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) throughout the program. PhD students are permitted to earn a grade of  "C" in only one course during the entire program. After receiving a "C" in a course in the program, the student will be placed on academic probation and if the student earns a second grade of "C" they will be dismissed from the program. Academic progress will be evaluated at the end of each semester by the academic advisor, who is responsible for notifying the CON associate dean for academic affairs if a student's academic status is in jeopardy.

PhD students apply to take a candidacy examination upon completion of all required nursing courses and prior to beginning the dissertation. This examination must be successfully completed within five years of matriculation.

Students are required to conduct an original research project, which adds to the body of knowledge in nursing, and to communicate the research in a written dissertation, and an oral defense of the dissertation within six years of admission. With endorsement of the dissertation committee and the associate dean for graduate programs, students may request one extension of not more than two semesters, summer semesters included. In exceptional circumstances, students can request up to ten years for completion of the degree; however, this requires consultation with the PhD program director and approval by the dean of the ECU Graduate School. 

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Nursing, ph.d..

The 57 credit PhD in Nursing program is designed to develop nurse scientists and leaders who will create new knowledge through courses in philosophy/theory, research methods, and directed research study with the goal of reducing health disparities. Our inclusive, student-focused environment provides directed mentoring experiences with established researchers who focus on health promotion and health disparities in access to care, treatment, and outcomes for select populations, as well as health systems research. Electives are required for depth and breadth of study, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives with populations of interest.

Program Distinctions

• Graduates of the program include recognized nurse scientists, deans, health system and policy experts, faculty members at leading universities, and national leaders, such as Dr. Ernest Grant, president of the American Nurses Association.
• The program can be completed with three years of full-time study; part-time options are available.
• Consistently recognized by the National League for Nursing as a Center for Excellence in Nursing Education since 2005. 
• The School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The Student Experience

• Students will have access to experienced research faculty who are dedicated to student success.
• Individualized mentoring by supportive faculty is available.
• Opportunities are available for research and teaching assistantships.
• There is a designated PhD student study space/lounge in the new Nursing and Instructional Building.
• Options are available to pursue courses to prepare for nurse education roles, including the post-graduate certificate in nursing education.
• There is a diverse student body, including international students.
• There are numerous nursing and graduate student organizations on campus, including Sigma Theta Tau International (Gamma Zeta Chapter), the Graduate Student Association, as well as an international student organization.    

After Graduation

• Successful candidates assume research and leadership roles in promoting optimal health for ethnic minorities, women, children, and older adults.
• Nurse Scientist
• Health System Leader
• Faculty Member/Academic Administrator
• Regulatory and Policy Position
• Clinical Scholar
• President/Director/Leader of National Organizations

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or validated credentials by CGFNS for international applicants. Residents of North Carolina must hold unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse.
• Plans of study are available for students with a bachelor’s degree.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit a 300-word statement of research goals in the doctoral program related to promotion of optimal health for ethnic minorities, women, children, or older adults.
• Selected applicants must participate in an interview with graduate Nursing faculty to help you determine if our PhD program is right for you.
• Application deadline is April 1.

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Program details.

Degree Type: Doctoral

College/School: School of Nursing

Program Type: Majors & Concentrations

Class Type: Online

Learn More About UNCG School of Nursing

Similar Degree Offerings

• Nursing, D.N.P. Post-Baccalaureate Adult/Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration
• Nursing, D.N.P. Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Anesthesia Concentration
• Nursing, D.N.P. Post-Master's Nursing Concentration

Dr. Susan Letvak UNCG School of Nursing 336-256-1024 [email protected]

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School of Nursing (GRAD)

At the graduate level, the School of Nursing offers the master of science in nursing (M.S.N.), the doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.), and the doctor of philosophy in nursing (Ph.D.). 

Master of Science in Nursing

The master of science in nursing (M.S.N.) program prepares nurses for advanced practice nursing focused on direct patient care or as advanced specialists in health care leadership and administration.

Length of Program

The program of study varies from 33 to 46 credits of academic coursework, including clinical practice, a professional portfolio as a substitute for the oral comprehensive examination, and a master's paper (or in some cases, a thesis). Advanced practice students (i.e., nurse practitioner students) may purse the M.S.N. degree on a full-time basis, while students seeking preparation in health care leadership and administration may pursue the M.S.N. degree on a full-time or part-time basis.

Master's Program Curriculum

The curriculum includes professional, research,  clinical core courses and advanced nursing practice courses. The professional (NURS 746, NURS 790I) and research (NURS 740, NURS 992 or NURS 993) courses are required of all students. The clinical core courses and advanced nursing practice courses focus on the student's selected area of specialization and role preparation.

The program options offered reflect a combination of current practice trends as well as available faculty resources. Each student is admitted to a specific advanced nursing practice population or specialty area and assigned a faculty advisor appropriate to the student's educational and career goals. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations appropriate to their advanced area of preparation.

The M.S.N. program prepares nurses as (1) advanced practice registered nurses (i.e., nurse practitioners) focused on direct patient care or (2) as specialists in health care leadership and administration. The current advanced practice nursing population foci include adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner-primary care, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. The Heath Care Leadership and Administration option is offered online and incorporates both with synchronous and asynchronous online learning. The nurse practitioner options are delivered in hybrid format, with a mix of face-to-face and online courses.

The M.S.N. program also includes advanced practice courses in adult oncology. Master's students may elect to take these offerings as electives or declare an oncology focus in addition to their primary population or specialty area of interest. A graduate certificate in nursing education (additional nine credits) is available for students who desire to develop these skills in teaching and learning along with their advanced nursing preparation.

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

The Ph.D. program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is grounded in our commitment to enhancing the health of individuals, families, and communities; increasing the effectiveness of health care systems; and furthering the translation of research into practice. Graduates of the program are prepared to advance the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of nursing science, engage in interdisciplinary inquiry, and disseminate knowledge. The Ph.D. curriculum reflects the goals of the National Institutes of Health to foster discovery and increase the knowledge base for improving the health of all populations and to reduce health disparities. The program emphasizes the integration of the biological and behavioral sciences; the development and testing of evidence-based, theoretically grounded interventions; and the improvement of health care quality and outcomes. Faculty research addresses three areas of emphasis: enhancing health in vulnerable populations, managing chronic health problems, and strengthening health care systems. Students work closely with internationally renowned faculty from nursing and other disciplines to develop the skills and expertise needed to launch their program of research and pursue a successful career in academic and health care settings.

Length of Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program of study is a minimum of 55 credits of academic coursework including a qualifying examination and a dissertation. Students may pursue the Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis only.

Ph.D. Program Curriculum

The Ph.D. curriculum in the School of Nursing includes the following components: coursework, a written qualifying exam, mentored research experience and the dissertation. The program of study for students incorporates both required and elective courses distributed as follows: core knowledge and competencies (21 credits), core research methods (16 credits), and elective courses in the student's substantive area or courses that support the development of methods or additional research practica (12 credits). Six of the elective credits must support the dissertation research from outside the discipline of nursing or be interdisciplinary. A minimum of 6 dissertation credits also are required.

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) program prepares nurses for the highest level of advanced practice nursing focused on direct patient care (i.e., nurse practitioner) or as leaders  in health care systems. Graduates receive preparation in such key areas as evidence-based practice, organization and systems leadership, finance, health policy, information technology, population health, quality improvement, patient safety, and translational research with the goal of improving patient and population health outcomes.

The program credits range from 60–73 credit hours for those with baccalaureate preparation and 36 credits hours for those with M.S.N. preparation. The program includes academic coursework, clinical practice, a qualifying examination, and a practice-focused scholarly project. Students with baccalaureate preparation may pursue the D.N.P. degree on a full-time basis, while students with M.S.N. preparation may pursue the D.N.P. degree on a full-time or part-time basis.

D.N.P. Program Curriculum

The B.S.N. to  D.N.P. program of study builds upon baccalaureate education and expands current M.S.N. education to prepare nurses for the highest level of professional nursing practice. Each student is admitted to a specific advanced practice or specialty area and assigned a faculty advisor appropriate to the student's educational and career goals. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations appropriate to their advanced area of preparation.

The following nurse practitioner population foci are available in the  B.S.N. to D.N.P pathway: adult-gerontology primary care, family, pediatric primary care, and psychiatric-mental health. The Health Care Leadership and Administration option prepares nurses as leaders in health care systems.

The M.S.N. to D.N.P pathway is for nurses who have completed the M.S.N. degree and are certified or eligible for certification as an advanced practice registered nurse (nurse practitioner) or a health systems leader. The M.S.N. to D.N.P. curriculum builds on the M.S.N. degree to achieve the highest level of nursing practice. This pathway is offered in online format that incorporates both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

A graduate certificate in nursing education (additional nine credits) is available for D.N.P students who desire to develop these skills in teaching and learning along with their advanced nursing preparation.

Following the faculty member's name is a section number that students should use when registering for independent studies, reading, research, and thesis and dissertation courses with that particular professor.

Tenured/Tenure Track

Distinguished professors.

Jada Brooks (141) Ashley Leak Bryant (143) Cheryl Giscombe (31) Cheryl B. Jones (112) Saif Khairat (155) Shawn Kneipp (134) Jennifer Leeman (133) Sheila Santacroce (51) Suzanne  Thoyre  (45) Mark Toles (142)

Ashley Leak Bryant (143) Cheryl Giscombe (31) Cheryl B. Jones (112) Saif Khairat (155) Shawn Kneipp (134) Jennifer Leeman (133) Mary Lynn (84) Sheila Santacroce  (51) Brent Small Suzanne Thoyre  (45) Marcia Van Riper (120) Margaret C. Wilmoth  (167) SeonAe  Yeo (108)

Associate Professors

Jada Brooks  (141) Leslie Davis  (23) Eric Hodges (16) Cathi Propper Mark Toles (142) Natalia Rodriguez Villegas  (26) Jessica Williams (168) Jessica Zegre-Hemsey (144)

Assistant Professors

Lorinda Coombs  (30) Rachel Hirschey  (11) Matthew LeBlanc Lisa Mansfield Rebecca Salomon Karen Sheffield-Abdullah  (002) Grace Wu  (12) Rose Xavier  (19)

Research Associate Professors

Jamie Crandell Todd Schwartz

Fixed Term Track

Rumay Alexander  (020) Jennifer D'Auria  (085) Carol Durham  (111) Louise Fleming  (013) Theresa Raphael-Grimm  (121) Shielda Rodgers  (021) Victoria Soltis-Jarrett  (126) Meg Zomorodi  (070)

Jennifer Alderman  (145) Maureen Baker  (007) Margaret Carman  (003) Suja Davis (014) Jean Davison  (114) Julie Jacobson- Vann  (131) Ashley Kellish  (005) Maureen Kelly  (040) Rebecca Kitzmiller (150) Rhonda Lanning  (146) Carrie Palmer  (049) Audra Rankin  (024) JoAn Stanek  (158) Elizabeth Stone Megan Williams  (022) Lisa  Woodley  (164)

Susana Barroso  (027) Kandyce Brennan Amanda Brinson  (86) Michael Bury Susan Catchings  (025) Beth Cosgrove Cathy Crawford  (032) Stephanie Fisher Grace Hubbard  (062) Sharon Jackson Ann Marie Jones  (017) Stephanie Machalicky  (028) Rachel McInerney  (018) Leigh Mullen Katherine Peppers  (173) Leslie Sharpe (159) Brandy Reardon Nancy Thompson Tracy Vernon-Platt  (147)

Instructors

Marlena Brokob Marco Castro LaTonia Chalmers Bethany Davis Ryan Lewis Krystal Pendergraft-Horne Megan Ross Erin Stanley Cara Winstead

Nurse Specialists

Laura Livingston Patrick McMurray Lonna Patel Samantha Sheets Mapel Scotty Switzer

Faculty Emeriti

Ruth Anderson Linda Beeber Beth Black Barbara Bunker Margaret E. Campbell Linda Cronenwett Jo Ann Dalton Molly C. Dougherty Margery Duffey Catherine I. Fogel Cynthia M. Freund Sandra G. Funk Barbara  Germino Edward Halloran Joanne Harrell Donna Havens Carol C. Hogue Margaret F. Hudson George Knafl Kathleen Knafl Betty H. Landsberger Patricia Lawrence Vickie Lester Barbara Mark Deborah Mayer Laura McQueen Margaret Miles Nancy  Milio Helen M. Murphy Betty Nance-Floyed Virginia Neelon Sonda Oppewal Julie Page Mary Palmer Nilda Peragallo Montano Susan Pierce Barbara C.  Rynerson Margarete  Sandelowski Mary Schuler Anne Skelly Lixin Song Ingrid Swenson Eleanor Taggart Anita Tesh Debbie Travers

Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses

This course focuses on systems thinking and complexity, development of leadership roles and skills, and interprofessional communication and teamwork. All Carolina Core tenets are examined; however, leadership, quality and safety, and informatics are central foci. Majors Only.

In this course, all Carolina Core tenets are explored; however, there is a focus on population health and global health as essential components of nursing. Students will examine global health challenges as well as policy strategies of promoting health for all. Majors Only.

The third in a series of four on campus clinical courses with application of advanced clinical nursing skills and comprehensive health assessment to specialized populations. This course emphasizes application of leadership, pediatric and community health concepts. The clinical environment is simulated to provide the application of nursing principles and skills. Majors Only.

Fourth in a series of four on-campus clinical courses with application of advanced clinical nursing skills to specialized populations with a focus on transition to practice. The clinical environment is simulated to provide the application of nursing principles and skills.

Centers on management of adults experiencing complex health problems and focuses on application of evidence based practice and skill acquisition needed to care for acutely ill patients through transitions in an illness experience. Clinical experience in acute care settings provide application for clinical reasoning, clinical care, and knowledge integration. Majors Only.

This seminar allows students to explore how social determinants of health affect the health of populations.

Using selected theories of human psychosocial development, psychopathology, and psychotherapy, this course requires students to advance their use of therapeutic communication skills, examine the range and complexities of human emotional suffering, and apply methods of effective intervention. Majors Only.

The course emphasizes development of caring and critical thinking skills in providing evidence-based nursing care focused on reproductive health and care of childbearing families. Majors Only.

This course emphasizes development of caring and critical thinking skills in providing evidence-based, family centered, culturally responsive nursing care to infants, children, and adolescents throughout the care continuum. Majors Only.

Students apply evidence-based public health concepts to community practice to improve health and reduce disparities across the life span, emphasizing interventions using partnership strategies at individual, family, organizational, and policy levels. Majors only.

Majors only. The focus of this course is the development of knowledge and experience related to research or service learning and its application to the practice of nursing and health care.

This course will assist students in preparation for the NCLEX-RN examination through a strategic and systematic individualized plan of study that utilizes testing programs and other relevant resources.

This hybrid course, offered in collaboration with UNC Hospitals, focuses on collaborative management of critically ill adult patients. Students will gain advanced skills and demonstrate critical thinking to apply evidence based practice to care for critically ill patients across the continuum of care.

This course focuses on the cancer experience of individuals and families across the lifespan (pediatric to older adults). The cancer control continuum framework will guide content focused discussions on prevention and risk reduction, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care.

This course, offered in collaboration with UNC Hospitals, focuses on the collaborative care of pediatric patients in the emergency department and in critical care units (NICU, PICU). Students will be introduced to advanced assessments and interventions utilized in these environments. Students will also discuss interdisciplinary challenges specific to pediatric emergency and critical care and investigate evidence-based solutions to some of these challenges. Majors only.

This course provides service-learning opportunities to apply nursing practice within the context of interprofessional care for vulnerable populations by participating with Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) activities.

This course provides experiential educational opportunities to apply nursing practice through volunteer participation in select communities. Majors only.

Majors only. This interprofessional course focuses on understanding roles, teamwork, and communication to improve patient safety within the health care environment. National standards and initiatives will be the foundation of the course. Pass/Fail only.

A faculty-led experiential learning opportunity focusing on development and knowledge related to research, health care systems, or service learning and its application to nursing and health care. Majors only or permission of the instructor.

This course is intended for students who know no Spanish or so little that they feel the need to start over. Students with more than two semesters of college Spanish are not eligible. The course covers the curriculum of first-semester Spanish taught within a health context, with a focus on speaking.

Application required. An interprofessional, service-learning approach to studying maternity care. Students will receive professional doula training and volunteer as birth doulas within the Volunteer Doula Service Program at North Carolina Women's Hospital.

This intermediate course is the equivalent of the third semester of college Spanish. Students will hone their listening and speaking skills in class primarily through role-playing activities and class discussion. Activities center on an original film set in a health clinic in rural North Carolina.

Required preparation, third semester Spanish or equivalent. This advanced course reviews the grammar of the third and fourth semester of college Spanish. Students hone their listening and speaking skills through role-playing activities and class discussion. Activities center on an original film set in a Latino-run health clinic.

This course provides experiential educational opportunities to apply nursing practice through volunteer participation in select communities associated with UNC Health. Admission to the undergraduate nursing program required.

This course provides experiential service opportunities for career exploration with select communities and populations associated with UNC Health. Students will be assigned to a role within the health system and will complete service hours within their assigned role. Class sessions will include topics related to healthcare and will develop skills in reflection, communication, and teamwork for career development. Does not count as an elective in the BIOL major or minor. Permission of instructor.

This course is designed to introduce students to rationale, research, and practices of mindfulness and self-compassion. Upon course completion, students will exhibit knowledge and skills related to mindfulness/contemplative practice/training, research evidence on mindfulness for enhancing provider self-care, patient/client engagement, and wellness (e.g., reducing stress, burnout, and fatigue; increasing resilience). Majors only; permission of the instructor for non-majors.

This course uses a case-based approach to assist students to identify and critically examine challenging issues in health care, develop presentation skills as well as critical thinking from an interprofessional perspective. Students will work in interprofessional teams on a global complex case. Using this approach, students will attain the knowledge necessary to analyze and present results for a comprehensive case at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Open to undergraduate students with permission from instructor.

Introduction to scientific inquiry, evidence-based practice, and nursing/healthcare innovations. Emphasis on: theory; ethics; problem identification; question development; design selection; data analysis and interpretation; statistical applications; and appraisal of research reports. Admission to an undergraduate BSN program and eligible to take required undergraduate nursing research course; the Hillman Scholars program; or PhD in Nursing Program required.

Cultivates students' development as nurse scientists, scholars, and leaders to improve health care quality, safety, and delivery, and to influence policies that promote health and strengthen health systems outcomes. Admission to the Hillman Scholars Program in Nursing Innovation is required.

Pilot test for new courses in the nursing program.

Students from a variety of health sciences-related disciplines gain an understanding of issues in working with dying and bereaved individuals of all ages and their families.

Permission of the program director. Majors only. Preparation of a two-semester honors project under the direction of department advisors.

Students will incorporate previously learned leadership concepts, clinical skills, therapeutic communication, and critical thinking to deliver quality nursing care, using evidence based practice, in varied settings with faculty and RN guidance. Preparing for the NCLEX-RN examination and strategies for successful transition from student nurse to registered nurse will be explored. Majors only.

Graduate-level Courses

Focuses on the principles and practice of scientific writing, with emphasis on research proposals, theses, research reports, dissertations, and articles for publication.

This course explores developmental changes in morphological processes and normal and pathologic physiology in humans from conception through adolescence. Physiological differences between infants and children and adults are emphasized.

This course explores the physiologic functions in humans throughout the lifespan. The broad-based content integrates pathophysiological concepts with emphasis on advanced practice nursing. Must be enrolled in School of Nursing Graduate Program.

This course will examine the principles of pharmacotherapeutic decision-making in advanced nursing practice, with application to the clinical management of common health problems specific to all age groups, encompassing a life span approach. Nursing majors only.

The course will examine the principles of pharmacotherapeutic decision making in advanced nursing practice, with application to the clinical management of common health problems specific to pediatrics.

Examines the principles of psychopharmacology and neurobiology for safe and effective psychotherapeutic management of individuals with psychiatric and mental health problems across the lifespan.

This course provides concepts in evidence-based psychopharmacological management of individuals across the lifespan for advanced nursing practice. Topics include neurobiological concepts, psychiatric diagnosis and treatments, rational decision-making, and the initiation, monitoring, and discontinuation of psychotropic medications in the treatment of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders in a variety of settings. Students will explore recent advances in neurobiology, genomics, and psychopharmacology. Nursing majors only.

This course is designed to prepare the advanced practice nurse to comprehensively assess pediatric clients using a diagnostic reasoning process.

This course examines the process of diagnostic reasoning as a framework to synthesize comprehensive assessment of patients throughout the lifespan.

This course introduces students to the role of the advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurse. Models for assessment, intervention, and evaluation are explored and tested clinically.

Required preparation, graduate nursing program admission or instructor permission. This foundational course provides an overview of computer and information science concepts as applied to health care.

This course provides the essential concepts and strategies for research and quality improvement, and the impact of these methodologies on patient populations and care systems.

This course examines the role of nursing in health care leadership and policy. Students will gain competencies in the application of micro and meso level leadership tools. Students will apply these skills to the health policy development and advocacy as a means of impacting the health of populations at the local, state, and national and/or international level. Nursing majors only.

This course is an advanced, comprehensive assessment of an individual's health across their developmental lifespan that examines the interactions of developmental, biopsychosocial, and socio-cultural contexts of health.

This course examines the process of diagnostic reasoning as a framework to synthesize comprehensive assessment and disease prevention using lifespan concepts. Nursing majors only.

Graduate standing and successful completion of an undergraduate statistics course required. This course explores approaches to research problems in advanced practice nursing. Theories, methods, designs, measurement, ethical conduct, and skills in critical appraisal are emphasized.

Graduate standing required. This course provides an introduction to probability, statistical concepts, and analytical techniques useful in health care research and for interpreting the literature.

For Nursing students admitted to the Graduate School. Focuses on approaches for critical reading of research reports to evaluate the evidence base for practice.

Focuses on the translation of research evidence to support improved models of care delivery.

This course examines the current issues involved in managing diabetes mellitus in persons over their life span. Contributions of the multidisciplinary team are an important theme throughout this course.

This multidisciplinary course offers students the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of human genetics and explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of recent advances in genetics.

Graduate students only. Focuses on advanced concepts for nursing management of older adults and their families with an emphasis on interdisciplinary care.

This course for MSN, DNP, and PhD students provides an understanding of management of adults across the cancer continuum (prevention, early detection, treatment, and beyond [survivorship, palliative care, end-of-life care]) for advanced practice providers regardless of practice setting.

Focuses on the pharmacologic management of drugs used for therapeutic management and supportive care in adult oncology.

Admission to Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program or permission of the instructor required. This course focuses on an evidence-based approach for the advanced practice nurse, incorporating pathophysiology; prevention/detection; medical treatment; nursing management; and socioeconomic, ethical, and legal issues related to adult cancer care.

This interprofessional education course focuses on preparing healthcare professionals with the foundational skills needed to work in teams to effectively collaborate and coordinate care in population health. Admission to the School of Nursing graduate program or graduate students in any of the Health Affairs Schools with permission of instructor required.

This course will focus on advanced assessment, diagnosis and management of adolescents and adults seen in primary care settings.

Provides the opportunity for an in-depth examination of management strategies with selected health problems in adults. Also examines issues inherent in the management of women and elderly populations.

This course focuses on care of adults with complex health problems. Students will develop skills to assist with the successful transition into the role of an AGPCNP into health care systems.

Examines current advanced practice nursing roles issues, within the context of contemporary healthcare delivery, legal, and sociopolitical systems.

A clinical practicum in an ambulatory care setting that provides experience in the delivery of healthcare from age 13 through end-of-life, to individuals and their families.

Focuses on the evidence-based management of common acute, episodic, and chronic health problems in adult cancer patients for the oncology nurse practitioner.

Focuses on evidence-based nursing and medical management issues relevant to the care of patients and their families across the cancer continuum and practice settings.

This clinical capstone course prepares Adult Gerontology primary care nurse practitioner students to synthesize and apply concepts and knowledge critical for professional primary care advanced practice nursing with individuals, families and communities. Students' independent practice skills are refined in precepted clinical experiences.

This course focuses on the clinical management of older adults and their families emphasizing interdisciplinary care. Content includes physiologic, pathological, psychosocial and functional changes associated with aging; including social gerontological issues. Nursing majors only.

Uses a life span approach to examine principles of primary care management of childbearing couples and sexual reproductive health in women and men. Application is in community-based settings. Nursing majors only.

This course introduces fundamental concepts and models of population-oriented nursing practice and the central issues affecting that practice. Focuses on health disparities and underserved populations.

This course will focus on developmentally appropriate advanced assessment, diagnosis and family-centered management of infants, children and adolescents seen in primary care settings.

This capstone course emphasizes the comprehensive, whole-person approach to the clinical management of primary health care needs across the lifespan in the context of the individual, the family and/or the community.

Students will begin to explore the professional role of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. The program begins with a developmentally focused examination of how to assess and manage common challenges in complex patient care, including the older adult and those with chronic conditions.

Focusing on unique aspects of prescribing in the acute care setting, this course will help the AG-ACNP student to understand specific knowledge related to prescribing for more complex and unstable patients, and establish a systematic approach to prescriptive stewardship.

This course will focus on content and clinical applications for more complex and critical conditions managed within the scope of Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner practice.

This final clinical course is intended to promote increasing independence in clinical decision making, risk stratification, and overall management of adult-gerontological patients with complex illness or injury in the acute care setting.

This final seminar course is designed to support the nurse practitioner in the transition from primary to acute care clinician. Students will explore the professional role of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner as a pivotal member of interdisciplinary teams. Unique aspects of this transition will be examined, including collaborative relationships, the credentialing process, billing and coding, ethical challenges, and professional advocacy.

Admission to Nursing graduate program. Focuses on epidemiologic approaches for studying the impact of social, economic, and cultural inequalities on health and illness patterns at population and clinical levels.

The women's health care advanced practicum focuses on the synthesis and clinical management of primary health care and specialty health care problems of women.

This course concentrates on clinical management of pediatric primary care patients and their families with a continuing focus on advanced diagnostic reasoning.

The course focuses on advanced clinical management of pediatric primary care patients, emphasizing concepts of family-centered health care in selected child and adolescent health problems. Students function in an advanced practice role working with children, adolescents, and their families in primary care, or outpatient pediatric specialty settings.

This course prepares the advanced practice nurse to design, implement, and evaluate a coordinated system of interventions that aim to promote optimal health and development for infants, children and adolescents with complex conditions. Students will develop skills to assist with the successful transition into the role of a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner into health care systems.

Supervised practicum in an advanced practice role in a selected health care setting that provides primary care to infants, children, or adolescents.

This course is the capstone practicum for pediatric nurse practitioner students. It emphasizes the comprehensive clinical management of primary health care needs of children in the context of the family.

This course is the first of four in the sequence of intervention and case management courses. It builds on the skills of psychiatric mental health diagnostic formulation and provides a foundation for management of common behavioral health problems, psychiatric illness, and substance use disorders across the lifespan within a biopsychosocial framework.

Utilizing epidemiology, psychoeducation, case management, and health policy, students examine the scope of mental health problems and services for underserved populations.

This course is third of a four course sequence that focuses delivery of care across the lifespan by the PMHNP in the context of relationships and larger systems. The influence of families, peers, groups, communities and society on client mental health and psychiatric illness will be examined.

This course is the second of four in the sequence of intervention and case management courses for the PMHNP. It focuses on management of common psychiatric illnesses in childhood using a biopsychosocial framework.

This capstone course builds on and synthesizes knowledge gained in the previous semesters. Psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions are integrated in the identification and management of complex psychiatric/mental health issues for diverse clients across the lifespan.

This is the final advanced clinical course for students to apply knowledge and skills in selected domains of the advanced practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Supervision, peer evaluation, seminar, and independent readings will enhance the experience.

The course focuses on the concepts relevant to health care informatics, the use of computerized information systems, and the use of computer applications to support clinical and administrative decision-making.

This course examines health care and nursing practice organizations, and the influence of the external and internal environment on these organizations. Roles and functions of nurses at different levels and in different types of health care settings are explored.

This course explores the knowledge and skills required for effective human resource management with emphasis on behaviors that promote and sustain an interprofessional health care practice environment. Nursing majors only. Admission to the Graduate School or permission of instructor required.

This course focuses on fundamental financial management concepts in health services organizations. Emphasis is placed on the financial environment and application of financial and managerial accounting and budgeting principles and methods to prepare nurse leaders and entrepreneurs for decision-making in simple to complex health services organizations. Nursing majors only.

Explores theories and methods for improving the quality, safety, and outcomes of care at patient and organizational levels, emphasizing the quality and patient safety movement, improvement science, and evidence based practice. Nursing majors only.

This course will prepare students for teaching in diverse healthcare and educational settings. Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills for teaching in nursing and healthcare to promote ethical, safe, and quality care. Must be a professional nurse enrolled in a graduate program at UNC-CH.

This course will examine curriculum development and evaluation in healthcare education for academic and clinical settings. Emphasis is placed on current contextual influences that facilitate curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation in diverse healthcare educational settings. Must be a professional nurse enrolled in a graduate program at UNC-CH.

This course explores complex health care systems' distinctive structures, processes, and outcomes and how internal and external environmental factors influence health care and nursing practice. Nursing majors only.

This course is designed to examine evidence-based strategies within health care systems, related to the management of resources, information systems, policies, and delivery of quality, relationship-centered care. Nursing majors only and permission from instructor required.

This course combines user-centered design theories, the science of systems analysis and design, and usability in health care, supported by real-world exercises in a simulated environment.

This course focuses on advanced assessment for identifying evidence-based interventions across a variety of healthcare settings. Emphasis is on the application of tools to implement changes related to care delivery and coordination at the client, unit, and organizational levels.

Advanced clinical nurse leadership course emphasizing collaboration with key stakeholders to implement evidence-based interventions and improve care delivery in clinical systems.

Prepares students for clinical teaching in diverse nursing education settings. Emphasis will be placed on the development of evidence-based clinical teaching skills designed to facilitate student learning and evaluation as well as safe, ethical, relationship-centered clinical practice of students. Must be a professional nurse enrolled in a graduate program at UNC-CH.

Special topics with an authority in the field.

Students engage in individualized, precepted clinical experiences and guided scholarly reflection. Students must be Hillman Scholars; licensed as an RN in NC and enrolled full-time in the PhD program. The first of two courses designed to enhance scholars' understanding of nursing practice and care delivery within clinical micro systems.

Second sequential course for doctoral students designed to extend scholars' understanding of nursing practice and develop identity as a nurse scientist. Scholars engage in individualized, precepted clinical experiences and guided scholarly reflection.

Introduces scientific reasoning, methods and ethical principles guiding scientific inquiry. Includes an introductory review of the literature and formulation of a researchable problem and purpose statement within a focused area of nursing inquiry.

Foundational knowledge and methods needed to construct and articulate the Specific Aims, Significance, and Innovation of a research project using the National Institutes of Health guidelines for a grant application.

Knowledge and application of foundational scientific theory, design, methods and analysis to the creation of a research proposal within the National Institutes of Health proposal model. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

Introduces the ontological and epistemological basis of nursing science and the application of syndemic thinking as a lens for conducting nursing science.

Examines the biological, physiological, psychological, and behavioral determinants of health and their interactions. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

Examines social determinants of health at multiple levels, and their interactions, and characteristics that differentiate structural from non-structural social determinants. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

Evaluates the interplay among biological, physiological, psychological, behavioral, and social determinants, whether the relationships are consistent with a syndemics framework, and the potential for novel relationships across determinants in these areas to advance nursing science. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

Students develop competence in analyzing and applying philosophical and theoretical orientations in the conduct and critique of scientific and scholarly work. Majors only.

Student develops competence in identifying, organizing and critiquing the evidence in a focused area.

Student continues to develop the knowledge synthesis with a focus on synthesizing the evidence and writing the review for publication. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

Examines interrelated changes in nursing, ethical and legal expectations, and the organization of health care and health policy. Ways that nurse leaders in health care organizations adapt to and challenge public policies throughout the policymaking process and consequences for organizations and for health, practice, research, and education are explored.

An in-depth examination of quantitative and qualitative descriptive and associational research, including design, sampling, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Enrollment in the SON PhD Program.

An in-depth examination of qualitative and quantitative explanatory and predictive research, including design, sampling, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of results.

Focuses on the use of advanced regression techniques to analyze various types of response variables with multiple predictors, interaction terms, or longitudinal data. Permission of Instructor.

This course provides a foundation philosophy of science, examines the elements and utility of theory, and explores key theories of practice, including theories from nursing and other disciplines. Admission to Nursing graduate program required.

This course is an analysis of the theoretical principles of translating, disseminating, and implementing evidence into healthcare practice. Students will evaluate major theoretical and conceptual models in the fields of translational science, dissemination and implementation, organizational change, and quality improvement. Nursing majors only.

This foundational course is focused on identification of a practice problem and systematically searching, appraising, and synthesizing a body of evidence to support practice change. Nursing Majors Only.

This course focuses on evidence-based implementation and evaluation strategies for development of methodologies for planning, implementing and evaluating a sustainable practice change project that emphasizes quality and safety principles. Nursing Majors Only.

This course will introduce and prepare students for biostatistical computing of quantitative data using mainly SAS statistical software. It builds on the knowledge obtained in NURS 916 : Design Measurement and Analysis: Descriptive & Associational Research by reinforcing the material and focusing on application within the SAS framework. Course prepares students for future SAS programming and analysis needs in NURS 917 : Design Measurement and Analysis: Explanatory and Predictive Research and NURS 918 : Intermediate Statistics: Regression Analysis.

Serves as a laboratory hub to guide students in developing the cognitive and psychomotor skills needed to perform qualitative and quantitative data collection and management, conduct ethical research with human participants, and interpret findings. Other professional development topics will be discussed including research career pathways, scientific publication, and grant opportunities.

Examines the major theoretical paradigms, perspectives, and issues in organization theory, particularly as applied to organizations providing health care services.

This course will apply ecological and developmental perspectives to research with children at risk for conditions threatening life/quality of life and resilience under risk. Emphasis is on critically evaluating conceptual models, designs, and methods, and responsible conduct of research aiming to understand, prevent, or manage risk.

Explores theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues related to research in families and health across the life span. Content includes family research related to health promotion, risk reduction, vulnerability, and health risk, and the family in the context of acute and chronic illness. Cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic issues are included.

Examines literature on quality of care -- effectiveness, safety, efficiency, equity, timeliness, and patient-centeredness. Critically evaluates conceptual frameworks, research designs, sources of data, analytic approaches, and implications for health care policy.

This course provides students with a foundation in professional communication of scholarly and clinical work through a variety of strategies. Nursing majors only.

This course provides a foundation for the application of core leadership principles to lead organizational change within complex and dynamic healthcare systems. Students will gain competencies in the application of macro-level leadership tools (e.g., organizational assessment, systems thinking, strategic planning, workforce management, and organizational policy development and analysis) to address service delivery challenges and drive organizational change, with a particular focus on quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. Nursing majors only.

This course prepares health care leaders to effectively select, implement and utilize health information systems for effective delivery of health care services and promote quality, safety and patient engagement.

This course examines the intersection of health policy development, advocacy and nursing as a means of impacting the health of populations at the local, state, national and/or international level. Emerging issues in health policy will be explored with an emphasis placed on transformational leadership principles as a means of influencing change. Nursing majors only.

This course allows the learner to examine personal values, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as they relate to successful leadership practices and behaviors in complex health care organizations. Nursing majors only.

This course builds upon foundational leadership knowledge to incorporate executive practices essential to successfully leading larger health care delivery systems and health professions organizations into the future. Nursing majors only.

Course and project hours focused on identifying an evidence-based clinical practice question and resources necessary to support the DNP Project.

Course and project hours focused on methodologies for planning and implementing the DNP Project.

Course and project hours focused on issues related to the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination findings of the DNP Project.

This course analyzes the complexities that contribute to the health of populations in a local to global context. This course will prepare leaders to integrate evidence-based approaches that impact the health of populations, building upon skills and knowledge developed throughout the program. Nursing majors only.

Knowledge, theories, and skills necessary for transition into an academic teaching role in university schools of nursing. Particular emphasis on the teaching-learning process as used in higher education.

Admission to the PhD program in nursing and successful completion of qualifying examination. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Application of educational theory and methods in teaching activities with mentor. Provides opportunities to analyze course design, implement objectives, evaluate student competencies, and practice in teaching methods.

Required preparation, NURS 912 or graduate level theory course. In-depth exploration of selected programmatic research in nursing and related fields on prevention and management of chronic conditions in order to generate and evaluate treatment theory and intervention protocol.

Examines methodological, ethical, and practical issues in the design and implementation of theory-based intervention studies.

Proseminars are offered for one, two, or three credits. Topics differ each semester.

In this course, students apply principles and practices of writing to the preparation of manuscripts for publication.

This course is designed to enhance the student's knowledge of relevant issues researchers face when planning, designing, and implementing research with an older adult population.

Explores the application of implementation science and other relevant theory, focusing on the role of the executive nurse in integrating innovations into complex systems.

This course examines economic and finance principles in health care from various perspectives including small to large healthcare organizations. Students will gain an understanding of the perspective of economics in the allocation of resources in the healthcare sector. Nursing majors only.

Explore components of and rationale for a pre-/post-doctoral training plan and its relevance for planning a research intensive career. Students will write a personalized training plan following grant criteria.

This course focuses on the application of statistical concepts to the analysis of health care data and includes evaluation and presentation of the results.

Required preparation, doctoral level qualitative methods course or NURS 977. Emphasizes the work of analysis and interpretation. Students apply relevant qualitative techniques to their own data.

Directs students to develop research skills related to the dissertation and to their future research.

This course focuses on the synthesis of knowledge related to advanced practice, practice leadership, and practice inquiry and is composed of a residency related to the DNP project.

School of Nursing

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Dean and Professor

Valerie Howard

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Interim Associate Dean, M.S.N./D.N.P. Division and Programs

Carrie Palmer

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Associate Dean, Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Programs

Cheryl B. Jones

[email protected]

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Duke University School of Nursing

Find your nursing program.

Duke School of Nursing offers diverse nursing academic programs tailored to meet the evolving demands of today’s health care landscape. From undergraduate to doctoral levels, our nursing courses and programs emphasize rigorous training, evidence-based practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.

As a Duke nursing school student, you’ll engage in hands-on clinical experiences, cutting-edge research and outreach initiatives to prepare for a successful and rewarding career.

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Student Stories

From overcoming challenges to achieving academic and professional success, these stories showcase the resilience, dedication, and passion of Duke University School of Nursing students.

Discover the real-life experiences of our students and be inspired by their commitment to shaping the future of healthcare.

At that point in my career, I only had rudimentary medical knowledge; however, witnessing the administration of pain-relieving anesthetic to this wounded soldier was moving. From that impactful day forward, I knew becoming a CRNA was in my future. 

The School of Nursing renowned faculty, emphasis on interprofessional collaboration and immersive clinical partnerships promised an unparalleled learning experience.

Sometimes we choose a profession, but also, sometimes a profession chooses us. I feel like oncology chose me because, 15 years later, I'm still doing it, and I love it just the same.

I have always had a passion for helping others. I wanted to be able to be a glimmer of happiness for a patient and make their day better, even if it meant putting a smile on their face for just a minute.

Research is an essential component in many of our nursing programs. Our Center for Nursing Research provides resources that nursing school faculty, students and Duke University Health System practicing nurses and researchers need to advance nursing and interdisciplinary science, including:

Multilevel Nurse-Led Models of Care: Empowering nurses to lead in comprehensive patient care.

Historically Marginalized and Underserved Populations: Amplifying voices and improving care for the overlooked.

Data Science and Digital Health: Harnessing data to revolutionize health care delivery.

Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health: Leveling the playing field for health access and outcomes.

Biobehavioral and Omics: Unlocking the intersection of genes, behavior and health.

Health Ecosystems: Urban, Rural, Global Health, Climate Change: Adapting health care for diverse environments and a changing planet.

Global & Community Connections

Duke University School of Nursing prepares global citizens and empowers students, clinicians, scholars and partners to promote health equity in our local community and worldwide.

In addition to the work of nursing school alumni, faculty and students here at home, students have access to global clinical/cultural immersion experiences that expand their worldviews and deepen their knowledge of community health and wellness issues.

Impact Across the Globe

Student Experiences

Research and Partnerships

International Visiting Scholars

Improving the Health of Communitiies

Clinical Outreach

Research and Scholarship

Partnerships

Clinical Practice & Partnerships

Unparalleled clinical experiences complement our comprehensive nursing courses.

Through diverse partnerships, our students and faculty actively engage in clinical settings across the lifespan of care.

As part of the Duke University Health Care System , Duke School of Nursing gives students the opportunity to learn from providers at the #1 ranked hospital in North Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Learn More About Clinical Practice & Partnerships

Faculty Spotlight

Duke University School of Nursing is committed to ending health inequities through transformative excellence in education, clinical practice, and nursing science. Learn more about how we’re developing innovative models of care in which nurses are designing health care interventions to meet today’s greatest health challenges.

Health Equity Reimagined

Hanzhang Xu, Ph.D., RN

Some communities have a higher disease burden, and we want them to be more involved in research so we can share what we’ve found to give back.

Michael Cary, PhD, RN, and Elizabeth C. Clipp Term Chair

We are building tools to ensure against discrimination when using these algorithms to deliver patient care at Duke Health.

Karin Reuter-Rice, PhD, CPNP-AC, FCCM, FAAN

As a nurse scientist and clinical expert, I think nurses are in an exceptional position to drive science and practice in the direction of novel diagnostics and treatment approaches that improved health and wellbeing of children with concussions.

Duke University School of Nursing is committed to ending health inequities through transformative excellence in education, clinical practice, and nursing science. 

Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, Ph.D., MPH, RN, FAAN

It is one example of how the research we are leading at the School of Nursing on social determinants of health is leading to policy change that will have a large impact on population health and health equity.

Join our nursing community today

Experience the Duke difference. As a top nursing school in the nation, we empower students to become successful nurses who lead with purpose and passion.

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The Master of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers nurses a program that prepares them for advanced practice roles in today’s complex health care systems.

As part of a cutting-edge, research-intensive university with top-ranked schools of nursing, medicine, public health, pharmacy, dentistry and social work located within steps of each other and adjacent to the renowned UNC Hospitals, the School of Nursing provides a diverse, energetic and collegial environment for participating in world-class interprofessional education, scientific inquiry and practice opportunities.

Carolina’s highly sought-after faculty prepare the MSN student to provide and manage care for patients — individually and in groups — with emphases on understanding the clinical progression of patients, care transitions and processes, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement and patient safety.

There are two options for nurses to obtain their MSN at Carolina, which you can learn more about below:

MSN Degree Options

MSN Nurse Practitioner Options

MSN Health Care Leadership & Administration

Related programs.

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Interim Associate Dean for MSN and DNP Programs

Carrie Palmer, DNP, RN, ANP-BC

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Top 10 Best PhD Programs in North Carolina

North Carolina is the state with the 9th largest population in the US and has a knowledge-based economy that largely centers around banking, technology, and pharmaceuticals. Charlotte, NC is the second largest-banking hub of the country and the state currently has the 17th-largest economy , but is number seven for fiscal stability .

North Carolina was also named as the 13th best state for college education by the US News & World Report . The state is home to two of the country’s most prestigious institutions, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The two schools are known for their rivalry, especially in basketball, with other North Carolina universities also well-known for sports, as well as excellence in higher education.

Table of Contents

Top PhD Programs in North Carolina

Duke university, fuqua school of business.

PhD in Business Administration

The Fuqua School of Business is part of the Duke Graduate School, which has around 2,500 doctorate students. The school has a research-based approach and aims to develop future leaders with exceptional analytical skills. This NC PhD program is offered in collaboration with other schools, including UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

• Courses include: Decision sciences, management & organizations, and operations management & strategy.
• Duration: 5 years
• Tuition: Full funding
• Financial: Fellowships, scholarships, federal work-study, and loans
• Delivery: On-campus
• Acceptance rate: 7.7%
• Location: Durham, North Carolina

The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, School of Nursing

DNP Healthcare Leadership & Administration

The School of Nursing at UNC-Chapel Hill is well-regarded  in the field of nursing and healthcare leadership, with particular expertise in elder care, mental/behavioral health, global health, as well as maternal, child, and family care. Their DNP in Healthcare Leadership & Administration is one of the best online  doctoral programs in North Carolina, offering a high degree of flexibility by combining synchronous and asynchronous learning approaches. Though the default program has a BSN to DNP track for students with an undergraduate degree, there is also an MSN to DNP track for nursing professionals who have a graduate qualification such as an APRN, MHA, MPH, or MBA.

• Courses include: Evidence-based practice and research, public policy and advocacy in health care, and pathophysiology for advanced nursing practice.
• Credits: 66-75
• Duration: 3 years
• Tuition: Refer tuition page
• Financial aid: Scholarships, student employment, and loans
• Delivery: Online
• Acceptance rate: 25%
• Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Wake Forest University, School of Medicine

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)

The highly-collaborative Department of Biochemistry at Wake Forest University works hand-in-hand with a range of centers for research, including the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Center for Molecular Communication and Signaling, and the Center for Human Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research. This is one of the few PhD programs in NC boasting faculty with expertise in cancer research, including in areas such as nucleic acid metabolism and signal transduction in cancer and inflammation.

• Courses include: Advanced biochemistry, epigenetics, and genomics.
• Duration: 4.7 years
• Financial aid: Scholarships and loans
• Acceptance rate: 32%
• Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

East Carolina University, College of Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing PhD

East Carolina University ranks high  in terms of ‘educate to career’, a measure of the economic value of its education. In short, this means that the school’s degrees equip you to build a successful career by providing you with valuable skills and making you more attractive to potential employers, encompassing high-quality education, affordability, and employability. While most doctoral programs in NC have a fixed number of credits and courses, this PhD in Nursing program allows interested students to pick up extra credits to study subjects outside of the basic course requirements.

• Courses include: Theory for the practice of advanced nursing, translational nursing sciences, and statistical methods for nursing research.
• Credits: 72-84 (54 for MSN to PhD and DNP to PhD tracks)
• Duration: 6 years maximum
• Tuition: $289.55 per credit
• Financial aid: Scholarships, grants, loans, student employment, and military benefits
• Delivery: Distance education, on-campus
• Acceptance rate: 87.9%
• Location: Greenville, North Carolina

North Carolina State University

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Ph.D.

NC State is a public university that was been highly ranked by the US News & World Report for various factors, including being named #7 of the best value schools  and #26 for best engineering schools  in the USA. This is one of the few doctoral programs in NC in the field of aerodynamics or aerospace engineering, and offers specialized research areas covering aerodynamics, space exploration, vibrations & controls, structural mechanics, and thermal sciences.

• Courses include: Fluid dynamics of combustion, advanced solid mechanics, and principles of structural vibration.
• Credits: 72+
• Tuition: $505.28
• Financial aid: Scholarships, grants, student employment, assistantships, and loans
• Acceptance rate: 46.2%
• Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

The University of North Carolina Greensboro

PhD in Psychology

UNC Greensboro is a reputed institution that’s known as one of the best in social mobility  among the public universities in North Carolina. It also offers one of the few multi-track Psychology PhD programs in the state. As part of the program you can choose between four different tracks: clinical psychology , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , and social psychology .

• Courses include: Biological psychology, adult psychopathology, and theory and methods of intellectual assessment.
• Credits: 71
• Tuition: $289.94 per credit
• Financial aid: Fellowships, scholarships, tuition waivers, and loans
• Acceptance rate: 87.5%
• Location: Greensboro, North Carolina

Appalachian State University, Reich College of Education

Educational Leadership (EdD)

Appalachian State University is one of the 17 schools that sit under the University of North Carolina System and is known for its inclusion and diversity. This is one of the few online PhD programs in NC in educational leadership, and offers a choice of five concentrations: educational administration, higher education, interdisciplinary studies, literacy in exceptionalities, and instructional technology leadership.

• Courses include: Educational organizations & technology, writing for the professional educator, and applied quantitative methods in education.
• Credits: 60
• Tuition: $304 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Grants, scholarships, federal work-study, and loans
• Acceptance rate: 79.5%
• Location: Boone, North Carolina

The University of North Carolina Charlotte, Department of Geography & Earth Sciences

PhD in Geography

The University of North Carolina Charlotte’s prestigious Department of Geography and Earth Sciences focuses on the theoretical and applied study of the earth’s physical, natural, and human aspects. A doctorate in geography is one of the least common PhD programs in North Carolina and this program is run by award-winning faculty who are expert in multi-disciplinary research.

• Courses include: Geographic information science, the restructuring city, and landscape assessment.
• Duration: 4 years
• Tuition: $240.94 per credit
• Financial aid: Grants, fellowships, graduate assistantships, and loans
• Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Elon University, School of Health Sciences

Doctor of Physical Therapy

The US News & World Report ranked Elon #6  on its list of the most innovative schools in the country. Elon’s School of Health Sciences follows a highly inclusive approach to education and health services. It has a range on innovative projects such as its Anatomical Gift Program, Health Outreach Program at Elon (HOPE) Clinic, the Open-Door Clinic of Alamance County, as well as global learning opportunities. Their Doctor of Physical Therapy program is built around a unique modular curriculum, with each module consisting of several related courses.

• Courses include: PT profession in healthcare, neurosciences & neuromuscular P-problems, and prosthetics & orthotics.
• Tuition & fees: $42,241 per year
• Financial aid: Scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans
• Acceptance rate: 71.7%
• Location: Elon, North Carolina

Carolina Christian College

Doctor of Ministry

Carolina Christian College is a private, not-for-profit institution that aims to provide education based on biblical principles, and to prepare a diverse student population to serve the ministry and community. The university’s Doctor of Ministry program has a hybrid format that combines online and on-campus education.

• Courses include: Old Testament survey, dynamics of Christian leadership, and communication of Biblical truths.
• Cost: $5,600 per semester
• Financial aid: Scholarships, loans, and veteran benefits
• Delivery: Hybrid
• Acceptance rate: 100%
• Location: Salem, North Carolina

Popular Majors for PhD Programs in NC

North Carolina’s universities offer a range of doctorate programs, so you’re unlikely to struggle to find a school offering your concentration of choice. Having said that, some doctorate majors are in more demand than others.

The most popular majors for PhDs in North Carolina include:

• Business Administration
• Nursing & Healthcare Leadership
• Biological Sciences
• Mechanical Engineering
• Earth Sciences
• Anthropology
• Political Science

Though not all of North Carolina’s universities offer each of these majors, many of its institutions offer doctorates in most if not all of the fields on the list. Some, such as aerodynamics and biochemistry, are only offered by a limited number of institutions. However, the schools that do offer these rare PhDs are typically leaders in their fields with award-winning faculty and a track record of excellence.

Final Thoughts

North Carolina has a number of noteworthy universities, offering valuable opportunities for independent research, eminent mentorship, and excellent networking while earning a doctorate in their field of choice.

If you can’t afford to commit to a full-time, on-campus PhD program in North Carolina, you should consider one of the many online PhD programs offered by the state’s renowned universities. Regardless of whether you are looking for an on-campus or online PhD, North Carolina has a range of excellent programs across various fields.

If you’re still not sure what PhD program is best for you, take a look at these excellent doctorate programs in Florida , or the best 1-year online doctorates , fully-funded PhDs , and cheapest online PhDs .

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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Doctor of Nursing Practice

Doctor of nursing practice

Are you ready to become a leader in our current healthcare system? Do you aim to achieve quality outcomes using the most current evidence available? If you answered, “yes,” the DNP may be right for you. Our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree prepares health systems and organizational nursing leaders (non-APRNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to lead nursing practice, organizations, and systems of care through the translation and application of evidence-based research into practice.

Why Choose the UNC Charlotte School of Nursing

• Practice integration tailored to students’ scholarly interests .
• Personalized mentorship throughout the DNP program with faculty who actively engage in nursing practice, research, and scholarship .
• Access to interprofessional courses, innovative technology, college librarian, editing services, and statistical support .
• Flexible and convenient coursework for the post-master’s DNP .
• Rigorous clinical experiences at Atrium Health’s nationally recognized hospitals for the Nurse Anesthesia DNP .

A DNP degree from UNC Charlotte will prepare nurses to synthesize and integrate current, evidence-based research into nursing practice. Students will use evidence to design programs of care delivery that will improve patient care, safety, and organizational outcomes. As a student, you will engage in coursework focusing on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, systems leadership, and health policy, among other key areas.

BSN to DNP: Nurse Anesthesia Across the Lifespan

We provide students with both the theory and clinical practice required to meet the educational requirements to take the national certifying examination upon graduation The specialty in Nurse Anesthesia Across the Lifespan is offered in partnership with Atrium Health. Clinical experiences are offered at Atrium Health facilities in the Charlotte area.

*Applicants must apply using, both, The UNC Charlotte School of Nursing and Atrium Health Applications.

Application Deadlines

*Selected Applicants will have to undergo an interview process for this program

August Interviews : June 10

November Interviews : september 10

Priority Deadline : APRIL 1

*Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Program Contact

Post-master’s dnp.

Our post-master’s is designed to prepare health systems and organizational nursing leaders (non-APRNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to lead nursing practice, organizations, and systems of care through the translation and application of evidence-based research into practice.

Priority Deadline : July 1

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

Clinical hours are designed to facilitate student learning specific to your primary area of interest and consistent with the DNP Essentials and specialty competencies. These experiences include in-depth work with experts in nursing, as well as other disciplines, and systematically provide meaningful engagement in practice environments for feedback and reflection. Your learning opportunities are designed to enrich knowledge and practical skill foundations in areas that will facilitate achievement of the DNP Scholarly Project.

The Final DNP Project provides an opportunity to integrate new skills into practice and to demonstrate the principles of nursing scholarship and the competencies delineated in the DNP Essentials . The integration of these new or refined skills improves outcomes through organizational and systems leadership, quality improvement processes, and the translation of evidence into practice.

DNP Projects

• Focus on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care.
• Demonstrate implementation in the appropriate arena or area of practice.
• Include a plan for sustainability (e.g. financial, systems or political realities, not only theoretical abstractions).
• Include an evaluation of processes and/or outcomes. DNP Projects should be designed so that processes and/or outcomes will be evaluated to guide practice and policy. Clinical significance is as important in guiding practice as statistical significance is in evaluating research.
• Provide a foundation for future practice scholarship.

DNP Faculty: Experts in Nursing Practice

Our faculty members are experts in nursing practice and actively work in various practice settings. Our faculty are engaged in cutting-edge research with articles appearing in some of the leading research journals in the field, including the American Journal of Nursing, Journal of Professional Nursing, Journal of Nursing Education, Journal of Advanced Nursing, and the Journal of Nurse Practitioners. As part of their service, faculty members participate in professional organizations by leading committee work, acting as journal editors and peer-reviewers, and serving on grant review boards.

Faculty have also been recognized for their teaching, research, and student mentoring as recipients of several prestigious awards including the Teaching Fellows Teaching Excellence Award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Board of Governor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

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School of Nursing

The School of Nursing is one of the top-ranked public schools of nursing in the country, dedicated to advancing health for all.

Developing leaders, advancing health care and improving lives

Active and visionary thinking, the fearless advancement of innovation through creativity, and the pursuit of unrestrained scientific inquiry on behalf of people in need: this is how Carolina nurses change lives, and this is how the UNC School of Nursing shapes a profession.

With a proud history of firsts in the state of North Carolina and an exemplary heritage of bests among schools of nursing in the country, Carolina educates and graduates talented students for leadership in practice, research, education and administration.

Program Offerings

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Master of Science in Nursing
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
• School of Nursing Carrington Hall North Carolina 27516

Facts & Figures

• 92 full-time faculty members
• $353K awarded in scholarship funds last year
• No. 2 (tied) public school of nursing in the US
• $15.9 million in NIH and HSRA grants this year
• 97% of Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates were employed within 3 months of graduation last year

Around Campus

Carolina Across 100 begins focus on housing

The initiative will work with communities across the state to improve affordable housing access and availability.

Goings, Harris receive faculty, staff awards

Trenette Clark Goings of the School of Social Work and Shauna Harris of the Carolina Women’s Center will be honored at the University Day celebration Oct. 11.

How Carolina is complying with UNC System’s DEI policy

Support for faculty, staff and student success and well-being will continue across the University.

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Doctor of Nursing Practice Program - Online

100% online, built for working professionals, summer 2024 start date.

Our post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a practice-focused doctoral program designed for advanced practice nurses, community health nurses, and nursing administrators seeking to advance their careers as experts in translating research into practice.

The DNP Program prepares graduates who will practice nursing at the highest level of their specialty and will be employed in various patient care settings including primary care settings, hospitals, public health agencies, home health, and community-based settings.

Virtual Open House

Wednesday, november 6: 5-6:30pm.

Join us at one of our upcoming virtual  Graduate School Open House events on Zoom! You'll have the opportunity to learn more about Western Carolina University,  understand the Graduate School application process, and meet key program representatives.

Register Today

Thank you for your interest in Western Carolina University’s fully online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Our post-Master’s DNP degree is a practice-focused doctoral program designed for advanced practice nurses, community health nurses, and nursing administrators seeking to advance their careers as experts in translating research into practice.

The DNP Program prepares graduates who will practice nursing at the highest level of their specialty and will be employed in various patient care settings including primary care settings, hospitals, public health agencies, home health, and community-based settings. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal practice degree in Nursing, and builds upon the student's current knowledge of clinical practice. The DNP program educates nurses prepared in advanced practice nursing roles (NP, CRNA, CNL, CNM, and CNS) or health systems/organizational leadership in clinical inquiry, scholarship, policy, and innovation in health care. The DNP doctorate prepares graduates to analyze systems of care and provide transformational leadership to improve patient safety, quality of care, and implement evidence-based, culturally-competent, and inclusive-care practices.

Why choose our DNP program?

• Convenient 34 credit hour program of study
• Flexible, fully online program
• Access to dedicated expert DNP faculty with experience in advanced clinical practice, scholarship, and research
• Continuous and personal academic advisement and support
• Hands-on and individualized practice integration experiences
• Full-time program option over a minimum of 4 semesters
• Part-time program option over a minimum of 7 semesters
• Participation with interprofessional courses
• Academic writing and health science librarian support

If you are interested in becoming an innovative nursing leader at the highest level of preparation in nursing practice within our evolving and complex health care system our program may be the right choice for you.

• Analyze and integrate evidence from nursing science with evidence from other relevant scientific disciplines to form a scientific foundation for advanced practice in nursing
• Apply clinical scholarship, scientific evidence, and analytical methods to improve health care outcomes 
• Develop and evaluate systems to enhance safety and quality of health care
• Advocate and participate in collaborative interdisciplinary efforts to improve health outcomes at the practice/organization, community, state, and national levels. 
• Engage in culturally-competent and ethically-sound advanced nursing practice 
• Demonstrate leadership in the improvement of patient outcomes and transformation of health care delivery  
• Directly manage the complex problems of clients/populations and systems to facilitate access and navigation of the health care system to improve health outcomes

The DNP requires 34 credit hours of coursework and completion of a total of 1,000 clinical practice hours (includes 500 from MSN program).  

DNP Curriculum .

Students will complete a DNP Scholarly Project during their clinical residency courses. The DNP Scholarly Project brings together the practice and scholarship aspects of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. It is designed to address complex practice issues that affect groups of patients, health care organizations, or health care systems while utilizing informatics, technology, and in-depth knowledge of the clinical and behavioral sciences. The clinical scholarship required in the DNP Scholarly Project reflects mastery and competency in the student's area of expertise. The DNP Scholarly Project begins in the second semester of study and continues throughout the program, culminating in a scholarly defense and manuscript. The DNP Scholarly Project requires students to demonstrate expert practice, the use of evidence-based practice, translational research, and use of skills necessary to lead interdisciplinary teams to improve patient/client outcomes and health status individually, organizationally, or within a community.

Students may choose to complete the required 500 clinical practicum hours in a private practice, clinic, inpatient unit, hospital system, or other institution or community. These hours will be a component of the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of outcomes of the DNP Scholarly Project.

The Final DNP Project provides an opportunity to integrate new skills into practice and to demonstrate the principles of nursing scholarship and the competencies delineated in the  DNP Essentials . The integration of these new or refined skills improves outcomes through organizational and systems leadership, quality improvement processes, and the translation of evidence into practice.

DNP Projects:

• Focus on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care.
• Demonstrate implementation in the appropriate arena or area of practice.
• Include a plan for sustainability (e.g. financial, systems or political realities, not only theoretical abstractions).
• Include an evaluation of processes and/or outcomes. DNP Projects should be designed so that processes and/or outcomes will be evaluated to guide practice and policy. Clinical significance is as important in guiding practice as statistical significance is in evaluating research.
• Provide a foundation for future practice scholarship

The next start date for the Post-MSN DNP is officially Summer 2023.

Applications will be accepted through April 1 st to start in Summer of 2023. Admission requirements include:

• Earned an MSN or applicable graduate degree in an advanced nursing practice specialty from a nationally accredited program
• Applicants with a master's degree in Nursing Education are welcome to apply
• Overall GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in the MSN program
• Current RN licensure in the U.S. at the time of application with eligibility for NC licensure
• For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNS), evidence of current national certification and fulfillment of state requirements for practice in their state of licensure
• An essay that addresses advanced practice expertise, career goals, how earning the DNP degree will foster achievement of these goals, and plans for a DNP project
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Three professional recommendations (should address the practice capabilities of the candidate)
• For international students, submission of TOEFL scores with a minimum score of 557 for the paper test and 220 for the computer test
• Evidence of 500 supervised/precepted clinical hours or documentation of one of the approved national certifications listed below
• Additional evidence for consideration may be uploaded to the online application (e.g. publications, posters, evidence-based practice projects)

Applicants must submit a complete, notarized Clinical Hours Documentation form  with the Graduate School application or provide documentation of completed clinical hours with university letter head from program director. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNS) must provide documentation that they have received one of the approved national certifications listed below. Students with less than 500 hours should request a meeting with the DNP Program Director to develop a clinical plan. Acceptable national certifications include:

• AACN or AANP National certification as a Nurse Practitioner in specialty
• NBCRNA as a Nurse Anesthetist
• AONE Certification in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
• ANCC Nurse Executive-Advanced
• ANCC Clinical Nurse Specialist in specialty
• CNC as a Clinical Nurse Leader

The DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Following CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (2018) and the  Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006), the program admits students with an area of practice specialization within the discipline, not the process of teaching.  Therefore, candidates with a Master's degree in Nursing Education are not eligible for the DNP program unless they are pursuing a specialized nursing practice role as part of their DNP education.

Visit the  Graduate School website  to create an online graduate program application.

For tuition and fees, see the current University Tuition and Fees

DNP Student Handbook

Current copies of the Scholarly Project Guidelines and Clinical Expert Handbook can be found on the School of Nursing Student Resources  website.

Program Director: Angie Trombley, DNP, APRN, PMHNP/BC Assistant Professor

28 Schenck Parkway, Suite 303 Asheville, NC 28803 Phone: 828.654.6510 Email: [email protected]

Area of Expertise:  Child and Adolescent Mental Health  

Areas of Research Interest:  Adolescent Substance Abuse Screening in Primary Care, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Health Care Disparities

Dr. Trombley is a native of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. She began nursing studies at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England. Immigrating to the United States, she continued her studies and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Excelsior College in New York State where she earned her Associated Degree in nursing becoming a Registered Nurse. She went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Excelsior College earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 2008. She then earned a Master’s of Science in Nursing from University of Missouri in 2011. She became Board Certified as an Adult Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in 2011. From there, Angie continued nursing studies at University of Missouri, attaining a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2013. She has subsequently Board Certified by the American Nursing Credentialing Center as a Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, allowing her to care for psychiatric populations across the lifespan.

Dr. Trombley has extensive teaching experience and has served as adjunct professor at the University of South Alabama in the Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program. She has also served as a full time clinical assistant professor for the Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program, at East Carolina University. She has proudly served in the United States Air Force as a Reserve Officer, attaining the rank of Captain as a commissioned officer in our military. While in service she was the mental health program officer in charge and coordinator. Dr. Trombley serves as the Vice Chair of the North Carolina Nurses' Association Psychiatric Council. She is a Member of American Psychiatric Nursing Association, The American Nurses Association, The International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, and the National League for Nursing. Angie is married with four children, and lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Outside of academia and clinical practice, her interests include hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family.

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