<< Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions Programs
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What does it cost?

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

How long will it take?

The MS.N.-Ph.D. is 60 credit hours and can be completed in a minimum of three years and the B.S.N.-Ph.D. is 72 credit hours and can be completed in a minimum of four years.

Where will I take classes?
Online

All required coursework to earn a degree can be completed online.

Students attend required on-campus sessions two days in the fall and spring semesters.

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

The fall early application deadline is February 1 and the late application deadline is April 1.

Nursing, Ph.D.

Talk to an enrollment coach
LaToya & Moisés
Enrollment Coach
404-413-4393
online@gsu.edu

Talk to a faculty member
Blake McGee, Ph.D., MPH, RN
Assistant Professor and Director, Ph.D. in Nursing
404-413-1180
bmcgee3@gsu.edu

As you work toward your Ph.D. in nursing, you will be setting yourself apart as a nurse scholar and a leader in research, practice and education. You also are becoming part of the solution for the national shortage of nurse researchers and educators.

A doctorate designed for today’s busy healthcare professionals at all career stages:

  • The program is designed for master’s and bachelor’s prepared nurses. We also invite D.N.P.-prepared nurses to apply to the Ph.D. program. (For D.N.P.-prepared nurses, course credit may be given for previous coursework.)
  • The Ph.D. program is available for full-time and part-time study and with coursework primarily online.
  • Students attend a few required on-campus sessions: just two days in the fall and spring semesters.
  • The web-based classes are a combination of real-time (synchronous or live) and on-demand (asynchronous) classes.

Our graduates enjoy successful careers and can be found in roles such as:

  • Research, clinical and administrative faculty positions in nursing schools nationwide
  • Leadership and executive positions in corporate hospital systems and healthcare organizations

Is a Ph.D. or D.N.P. degree right for me? 

VIEW CATALOG INFORMATION

Program Highlights

 

 

Faculty Research

The Ph.D. program at Georgia State offers an area of concentration that centers on health promotion, protection and restoration, with a focus on vulnerable populations. Our faculty are engaged in a variety of research areas most of which center on improving the quality of care and outcomes of individuals across the lifespan. Areas of expertise include health disparities, urban health, cardiovascular health, intervention research, child, adolescent and young adult health, gerontology and health of older adults.
Faculty research includes:

  • Promoting physical and psychological well-being in grandparents raising grandchildren
  • Managing the care of children who require medical technology and supporting family caregivers of children with developmental disabilities
  • Improving the care of individuals with and at risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes
  • Understanding the impact of policy choices on health outcomes and disparities
Program Details

Admission requirements in addition to GRE* scores, GPA, RN licensure, transcripts and TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable):

  • two-page position statement on a health issue
  • goal statement
  • three references letters from individuals (for example, supervisors, former instructors, professional mentors) who can speak to the applicant’s research ability and interest
  • resume/curriculum vitae
  • interview with faculty

*GRE scores are not required for students with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from an accredited program and for students with a Master’s degree in Nursing or related field (e.g. MPH, MBA) who have a program GPA of at least 3.4.

Application Checklist

International Applicants
Additional requirements may apply if you are an international applicant.

Learn more about the requirements for international applicants.

The program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours beyond the master’s degree in nursing and 72 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree in nursing. The credit hours consist of 36 hours of required coursework, 12 hours for an area of concentration (electives) and 12 hours for dissertation proposal and implementation. The 12 additional credit hours for the B.S.N.-Ph.D. program are required courses to enhance student’s research skills.

Plan of Study (Ph.D.)

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to:

  • Plan and implement research that is socially relevant in the 21st century;
  • Link theory and research to the promotion of health in vulnerable populations;
  • Analyze the relationships among biobehavioral interactions and health promotion, protection, and restoration;
  • Examine issues of social determinants of health in conducting health-related research; and
  • Explore, develop, and apply diverse modes of inquiry to nursing and related disciplines.

Plans of Study

Description

Careers

Our Ph.D. graduates are leaders in nursing science, education, hospital administration and public health. Examples of positions held by our graduates include clinical faculty, federally funded research faculty and administrative faculty at colleges and universities in Georgia and beyond, vice president of a large healthcare delivery system and public health professionals at the CDC.

Contacts

Online Programs

LaToya and Moisés
Enrollment Coaches
online@gsu.edu
404-413-4393

VISIT GEORGIA STATE ONLINE

Admissions and Curriculum Inquiries

Ph.D. Program Director
Blake McGee, Ph.D., MPH, RN
Assistant Professor and Director, Ph.D. in Nursing
404-413-1180
bmcgee3@gsu.edu

Manager, Graduate Admissions, Retention, & Progression
Denisa Reed
dmreed@gsu.edu
404-413-1000

140 Decatur Street SE
Atlanta, GA 30303

The information shared here provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For official details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.