About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing requires 48 credits beyond the master’s degree or 69 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree. For full-time students the program normally requires two years of coursework, including courses in population health, health policy, research methods, and statistics. Students enroll in courses offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, collaborating departments at UMass Boston, and other UMass campuses with approval from the Program Director. After completing core courses, students must complete a comprehensive qualifying exam. Successful performance in the comprehensive exam is a prerequisite for entrance into candidacy for the PhD degree. Full-time MS-PhD students may complete the program in 3 years or 4 years as part-time. BS-PhD students may be complete the program in 4 years. There are no part-time options for BS-PhD.