Online PhD Program in Nursing at Duquesne University

Online PhD Program in Nursing at Duquesne University

In 1994, a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in nursing program of part-time, evening course work was initiated for students with work or family commitments that prohibited full-time study. In 1997, coinciding with an expanding international role, the School of Nursing decided to make the program available to nurses throughout the United States and abroad. With the encouragement of the Duquesne University provost and president, the School of Nursing began a distance learning experiment, admitting a class of doctoral students with the guarantee that all their required courses could be completed online. The project was so successful that the School of Nursing continued to offer the program online.

Students in an online PhD program take identical courses - with the same faculty, syllabi, expectations and examinations - as traditional, on site students. Online PhD Program courses are asynchronous, meaning that students can complete their work anytime and anywhere via the Internet. Instructors offer consultation by email and telephone. Mandatory fieldwork can be conducted near the student's home. Though all required courses are offered online, students may register for traditional courses as cognates to support their dissertations if they choose. However, most students prefer to register for independent study courses in order to complete required cognates.

OnlinePhd program students are required to be on campus for one week each spring (usually the second or third week of May) during the completion of their required coursework, a period that varies from 2-4 years. During that week, students meet with faculty advisors, attend lectures by visiting professors, participate in seminars for required courses, complete examinations, and participate in program evaluation.

The online PhD program dissertation is a summation of original research, conducted solely by the candidate on a topic of significance to the development of nursing science. Upon successful defense of a dissertation proposal, a student begins conducting dissertation research. A committee comprising of School of Nursing faculty, as well as external members, directs and evaluates the research and writing of each candidate's dissertation.

PhD online students can obtain a post-master's certificate prior to, or while, pursuing a doctor of philosophy degree in nursing, and up to 12 credits from the post-master's certificate program can be used as cognates in the PhD program if appropriate. For example, while obtaining a post-master's certificate in transcultural/international nursing, a student can pursue a PhD in nursing (the student's PhD dissertation would focus on an area related to transcultural nursing). However, the application process for post-master's certificates and the PhD program are separate, and admission to one program is not a guarantee of admission to the other.

About Duquesne University

Duquesne's hilltop campus is located on 48 acres overlooking downtown Pittsburgh. Known as the "Bluff," the campus was once a residential neighborhood of row houses and cobblestone streets. Now a thriving academic setting, our Bluff remains a close-knit community.

Quiet and secure, Duquesne’s campus of green lawns and tree-lined walkways features a variety academic buildings and recreation facilities. All are within easy walking distance and just steps away from the entertainment and learning opportunities of Pittsburgh.