About PhD Program,
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science program is designed to prepare nurse scientists with expertise in clinical-translational research methods to advance the scholarly discipline and contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of nursing.
As the most trusted profession and primary caregivers in the healthcare setting, nurses bring a uniquely personal perspective to research. Nurses understand that optimal patient health requires a whole-person approach, recognizing the interdependencies of the various and sometimes deeply personal aspects of a patient’s life. Our PhD program emphasizes combining translational science methods with traditional research models to comprehensively address the health and healthcare needs of local, national, and global communities.
The PhD program is high-touch, offering students immediate immersion in research with opportunities to work as Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants from day one. Each student is paired with a mentor in their area of research interest, fostering close collaboration throughout the program. This mentorship helps students develop expertise in their chosen fields and evolve into scholars. Students will be educated by nurse scientists conducting cutting-edge research.
In addition to coursework, the program enriches students’ education through research seminars, where they will engage with leading scientists—both within and outside of nursing—who are conducting novel and high-impact research.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
- A BS or MS degree in nursing
– degree standards must be equivalent to that of the University of California - An active RN license
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher and a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
- An undergraduate or graduate statistics course that will cover or did cover descriptive and inferential statistics.
- This statistics course must have been completed within 5 years of starting the program with a grade of B or higher. Courses must be taken for a letter grade – credit/no credit and pass/not pass courses will not be considered.
- If it has been longer than 5 years, this course can be taken online or in-person at a community college, a university/college, or university extension.
- If you are on the cusp of the 5 year deadline, we strongly encourage you to retake statistics during the summer before starting the program.
- Applicants are required to upload a signed copy of the Statistics Acknowledgement formin the UC Irvine Graduate Application.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Federal Financial Aid is available only to domestic (i.e., U.S. Citizen and Permanent Resident) graduate students. Financial Aid includes loans and Federal Work-Study awards. To be considered for Financial Aid, students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the deadline. Because demonstrated financial need is an eligibility requirement for some fellowships, domestic students who do not intend to apply for Financial Aid are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA.
Application Requirement,
A complete application includes and adheres to the following:
- A personal history statement (guidelines)
- A statement of purpose (guidelines)
- *New for the Fall 2024 Application* – We no longer require any letters of recommendation for the PhD application.
- Note: the UCI Graduate Application will allow applicants to submit letters, but our program will not review or consider any submitted letters in admissions decisions.
- Two samples of scholarly work
– samples can be any combination of publications, thesis (or portion thereof),and/or major research papers - A Curriculum Vitae
– include details about educational background, professional work, previous research, volunteer work, and other relevant information - A signed Statistics Admissions Requirement Acknowledgement form (guidelines)
Application Notes
- An interview may be required for final selection of PhD students.
- Additional information is available from UCI Graduate Division
International Applicants
- International applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
- For more helpful information on applying to UCI as an international student, see the UCI Graduate Division International Admissions
- Please note:All graduate programs at the School of Nursing require international degrees and transcripts undergo professional transcript evaluations by an independent educational evaluating service from any member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. Students should upload a copy of evaluations and translations in their application.
- Applicants should note that foreign transcript evaluation services may take several weeks to process and should plan accordingly. The report uploaded to the application must include a degree-equivalent evaluation and course-by-course equivalent evaluation for any prerequisites.
- The School of Nursing and the University of California do not endorse or have a formal partnership with any specific transcript evaluation agencies.
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee is $135 for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, and $155 for all international applicants. The application fee is non-refundable.
