Ph.D. in Nursing Handbook

The PhD in Nursing program at Oakland University is designed to prepare nurse scientists to be responsive to the changing needs of society. The program allows for students with diverse educational backgrounds to construct a beginning program of research in a particular program concentration related to health care quality or health outcomes with a global perspective.

At the end of the PhD program:

1. Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of the research process that contributes to the discipline of nursing, with specific focus on the program concentrations of healthcare quality and health outcomes with a global perspective.
2. Graduates will demonstrate expertise in the research process by contributing basic and applied knowledge to guide health care delivery.
3. Graduates will obtain positions in academia and/or as nurse leaders in key health care areas in the state of Michigan, nationally, and globally.

Financial support for admitted students is available via Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) positions.

The GRA position provides eligible students with tuition support, a stipend, benefits, and the opportunity to gain research experience by working with faculty research mentors.

Graduate School requirements for GRA position:

• Students must have regular admission status to a specific graduate degree program.
• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Students must maintain full-time enrollment status at Oakland University during the semester(s) for which they are appointed.
• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and show satisfactory progress toward completing degree requirements.
• Students may not hold other employment positions during the term of appointment, either at Oakland University or elsewhere, without prior written permission from their faculty adviser and Graduate Education.
• Students have an opportunity to apply twice a year (Winter & Fall semesters) through Handshake

School of Nursing GRA position requires graduate assistants to:

• Meet full-time or part-time student status requirements;
• Maintain good academic standing in the PhD program;
• Participate in research activities approximately 20 hours per week during the fall and winter semesters throughout the PhD  program; and
• Achieve satisfactory appraisals from their faculty research mentor fall and winter semesters.

External Scholarships/Fellowships/Grants Application Process

Students that are applying for any type of external funding (i.e., scholarships, fellowships, grants, etc.) must first discuss their intent with their mentor/chair. Once a decision to apply is agreed upon by the mentor/chair and student, the student must notify the PhD Program Director. Further directions will be given to the student from the PhD Program Director. Students should not apply for funding on their own. In the event students are awarded funds, they must coordinate with SON business services for appropriate compliance and documentation. Any delays from the student in supplying requested information can cause significant delays. The process can take up to 1 to 2 months, during this time, students should not pay for items out of pocket as they may not be reimbursed. The PhD Program Director will facilitate the connection with SON business services.

Curriculum

The PhD curriculum is designed to prepare nurse scientists through general coursework, mentoring and guidance from faculty who are experienced researchers committed to scientific inquiry, the assimilation of scientific processes, and analytics. The PhD curriculum expounds upon content acquired at the BSN, MSN and the DNP levels and emphasizes theory development and research expertise. Students may be admitted post-BSN, post-MSN or post-DNP. Total PhD course requirements for a post-BSN student is 80 credits of approved course work, for a post-MSN student it is 60 credits of approved course work, and for a post-DNP student it is 48 credits of approved course work. 

The research concentration areas for the PhD curriculum are health care quality and health outcomes in global populations. The flexibility of the online format of the proposed program will increase options and facilitate the development of distant nursing scholars. The online delivery creates maximum flexibility for distance learners as well as those students who are local. To foster a sense of community, students will be matched with faculty mentors early in the program. This will cultivate opportunities to facilitate the mentoring relationship throughout the program. 

Additionally, every student admitted to the PhD program will be required to participate in person (highly recommended) or remotely each year for PhD Immersion Week. 

The primary purpose of this event is to engender a sense of community for all doctoral students. This week will commence with students meeting their faculty mentor and develop a communication strategy to facilitate their relationship (Zoom or other  modalities for distance students). In addition, there will be an orientation to the PhD program for first year students and presentation opportunities for students further along in the program (including Dissertation Defense). All students will attend in the same week so there will be ample opportunity for students to support and network with each other. PhD Immersion Week may also include intensive time for hybrid courses. 

The PhD in nursing degree will be awarded upon successful completion of 1) the student’s approved POS, 2) the comprehensive  examination and an oral examination, and 3) completion and defense of dissertation research. 

The curriculum is composed of the following content areas: Philosophy of Science/Theory, Research Sequence, Professionalism,  Nursing Science Topical Seminars, and a Cognate Minor. Philosophy of Science/Theory focuses on advanced theory and philosophical  foundations of theory development. The research sequence includes statistics, advanced research methods and mentored research experiences. Professionalism focuses on policy, leadership and grant writing. The seminars will focus on Health Care Quality and Health Care Outcomes. The cognate minor will draw on the curricular and research resources of other academic units outside of the School of Nursing or external institutions. 

Components of the Ph.D. Curriculum

Cognate Minor

Cognate courses will be chosen under the guidance of the faculty mentor. The student will be encouraged to identify a cognate area of study that supports their research interest. Because of the nature of a PhD, students will have great latitude in the variety of cognate areas from which to choose. Cognates are courses taken in other schools/colleges, departments or institutes within the University. Access to these courses must be obtained by contacting the individual faculty or departments. In certain circumstances, these may be taken outside of the university or within the school of nursing for certain specialties. These courses must discernibly contribute to the student’s research goals. The Program Director will facilitate appropriate contact with faculty in the cognate area as needed. The cognate selection must be approved by both the faculty mentor and the Program Director and updated on the student’s POS. This verification process establishes that the cognate coursework has been approved for use at the doctoral level, and that the student's participation in the courses has approval from the SON.  

Mentoring

Mentoring involves an ongoing process of learning, dialogue and query. A faculty directory of research interest is available on the SON website that identifies faculty research interest areas and current research programs. Prior to admission, applicants provide a written statement that identifies objectives, goals, and research interests. Every effort is made to match the student with faculty research mentors whose research interests are similar to those of the student. Early on in the program the student will have the opportunity to meet faculty who have expertise in the student’s area of interest (Immersion Week). The Faculty/PhD Student Mentor Partnership Agreement will be signed by the student, the mentoring faculty, and the PhD Program Director (Appendices A & B). Research mentoring will be fostered through collaborative research relationships. It will be part of the PhD Program Director’s responsibility to monitor and support the mentoring relationship between students and faculty. Should a student desire to change faculty research mentors, the PhD Program Director should be notified in writing, with an explanation and justification for the requested change. 

Human Subject Requirement

Any scholarly project with human subjects or animals as subjects requires IRB approval. Oakland University requires completion of CITI training which fulfills the human/animal subjects training which applies the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice as set forth in the Belmont Report and the regulations codified by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 45 CFR 46 and the FDA as applicable in its review of research. Following project approval, submission to the Oakland University Institutional Review Board (IRB), and other relevant IRBs (as deemed necessary), is required for studies involving human subjects. IRB approval must be obtained prior to the initiation of the project. 

NRS 9696:  Dissertation Proposal Synthesis

An interactive collaborative experience between the student and the dissertation chair is required of students entering with BSN or MSN preparation and available for students entering with DNP preparation. The purpose of this experience is to provide students with an opportunity to work directly with the dissertation chair to finalize the dissertation plan to demonstrate alignment between the research question, literature review, theoretical framework, study design, measures used, analysis plan, and interpretation of results. This experience will also provide students with the opportunity to integrate studies completed during graduate school in nursing science and other disciplines (cognates) into a proposed research area as they prepare for the Comprehensive Exam. Students must complete a minimum of two credit hours of NRS 9696: Dissertation Proposal Synthesis. 

Dissertation Guidelines

The required culminating research project is the dissertation. Students must enroll for a minimum number of NRS 9999 credits that is determined by the level of program entry. Enrollment for NRS 9999 may occur following the completion of course work and a successful comprehensive examination; with permission from the dissertation chairperson/committee. Students must be enrolled for NRS 9999 credits in the semester that they defend. 

Dissertation Committee

After successfully completing the first year of core coursework, the PhD student will identify a dissertation chair. The dissertation chair must be a PhD prepared, tenured or tenure-track SON faculty member. In consultation with the dissertation chair, the student will select dissertation committee members. The entire dissertation committee must consist of three or more members, of which, at least two must be full-time tenured or tenure-track SON faculty. When it is deemed appropriate, and approved by the student’s dissertation chair, a nursing expert and/or a scientist external to the SON will be added to the committee. The nurse expert or scientist, by the nature of their position, experience, and education, is qualified to serve as a voting member of the committee. The student must submit a statement of qualification for such an appointment and a curriculum vitae documenting applicable expertise related to the dissertation to the dissertation chair. When the dissertation committee members have been approved by the dissertation chair, the chair will submit the signed Registration of Doctoral Advisory Committee Form to the SON PhD Program Office which will submit the form to the Graduate School (See Appendix B).  

Comprehensive Qualifying Examination

Process for the Qualifying Examination

Students will distribute their dissertation proposal to their Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee will then have two  calendar weeks to review the proposal to determine if the student’s research proposal is ready for the qualifying exam process. The qualifying exam is scheduled according to each student’s individual plan of study. The Qualifying Examination consists of a written component and an oral component. The student must successfully pass both components to obtain PhD candidacy. The Dissertation Chair then will submit the Results of  Doctoral Comprehensive Examination Form to the SON PhD Program Office which will submit the form to the Graduate School (See Appendix B)

Written Component

1. The written component consists of questions to assess the student's knowledge, understanding, and readiness to complete their research dissertation project. This is an examination, therefore, there will be no feedback or assistance from faculty, other students, and other outside sources during this two-week period. Students are expected to keep questions confidential and not share them with others outside of the exam.  
2. The Dissertation Chair will solicit the exam questions from the committee and distribute the questions to the student. After receipt of the questions, the student will have two calendar weeks to write a response to the exam questions. The current edition of the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) will be required with a 30-page maximum. 
3. The Dissertation Committee will have two calendar weeks upon receipt of the student’s written component to evaluate the  student’s responses and determine the outcome (pass/fail). 

Oral Component

1. Upon successful completion of the written component, the oral component will be scheduled within two calendar weeks. The oral examination would comprise approximately an hour discussion between the committee and the student regarding the dissertation research study. 
2. After the discussion, the Dissertation Committee will meet independent of the student and evaluate the student’s responses and determine the outcome (pass/fail).  
3. If the student successfully passes both the written and oral component. 
4. In the case of a failed outcome, the student may retake the Qualifying Examination one time. 

Comprehensive Exam Outcome Definitions 

The Comprehensive Exam is pass or fail. Pass means that the committee approves that the written component and oral component has met the following criteria: 

• Is of sufficient depth and knowledge of the challenging issues in nursing and health care related to their area of research&
• Demonstrates a thorough synthesis of the literature and the integration of concepts  

After successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam and prior to the Dissertation Proposal Defense, the student can register for  dissertation credit (NRS 9999) with approval of the Dissertation Chair. 

In the case of a failure:  

1. The Comprehensive Exam may be retaken one time. 
2. The Dissertation committee along with the student will decide on a plan to assist the student to acquire the necessary  components they will need in order to successfully meet the Exam criteria. 
3. The student must complete the retake within one calendar year.  
4. The results of the retake are final and if the student fails the retake it will result in dismissal from the PhD Program.

Dissertation Proposal Defense

After successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam Process, the dissertation proposal defense will be scheduled. This will be a public event and needs to be posted on the SON website. The student will present their dissertation proposal within a 20-minute time frame, and field questions from the audience. After which, the student will meet with the Dissertation Committee for a specific discussion about the experience. The Dissertation Chair will submit an Approval of the Dissertation Proposal Form to the SON PhD Program Office which will submit the form to the Graduate School (See Appendix B).

Dissertation Defense 

The members of the committee must approve the dissertation before the candidate’s final oral defense. Acceptance of the dissertation by the Graduate School requires favorable recommendations by the Dissertation Committee. This will be a public event and posted two weeks prior on the SON website. The student will present their dissertation within a 30-minute time frame, and field questions from the audience for an additional 30 minutes. After which, the student will meet with the Dissertation Committee for a specific discussion about the experience. Then, after the committee meets briefly, without the candidate, to determine the outcome of the final dissertation defense, the Chair will convey the committee decision to the candidate. All dissertations must conform to the university standards Guide for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertation. The dissertation defense will be publicized by the Oakland University Graduate School on the website PhD Milestones: Doctoral Dissertation Defense Announcement Form (See Appendix B).

Dissertation Formats

Traditional Chapter-style format 

1. Title Page 
2. An Abstract 
3. Table of Contents 
4. Chapters 1-2
   1. Introduction
   2. Problem Statement
   3. Background
   4. Literature Review
   5. Hypothesis/Research Question
   6. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework for the Study
   7. Significance 
5. Methods Chapter
   1. Design
   2. Sampling
   3. Intervention (if applicable)
   4. Measures 
   5. Data collection procedures
   6. Analyses measures and methods 
6. Results Chapter 
7. Discussion, discussion of strengths and weaknesses of the work related to the literature, conclusion, implications and future research chapter 

Manuscript Style Format 

This dissertation format is more than a collection of three manuscript-style papers. If a student chooses this format, then these manuscript-style papers must be interrelated, progress logically, and serve as a report for the completed research project. All components of this format must be integrated into a cohesive unit with a logical progression from one chapter to the next. The manuscript plan for this format must be approved by the dissertation chair.

The following includes the components of the manuscript style format:

1. An Abstract
2. Chapter 1: Introduction
   1. A clear, succinct, literature-supported introduction that links all papers together and provides an overview of the work to be presented.
   2. This introductory chapter presents the overall problem addressed in the research along with the purpose of each individual paper and is supported by a conceptual model or a theoretical framework.
3. Chapters 2-4: Three manuscripts
   1. One of the three manuscripts must be data-based and include a report on the completed research. The other two can include a critical review of the literature, a concept analysis, model development or methodology.
   2. The student can submit a published manuscript related to their research area as long as it was published in a peer-reviewed journal after the student matriculated into the program.
4. Chapter 5: The final chapter: synthesizes all of the manuscripts
   1. Overview of the major research findings
   2. Discussion of the significance
   3. Discussion of strengths and weaknesses of the work
   4. Future research implications
5. Additional References - those not included in manuscripts

The candidate is responsible for obtaining a signed waiver from the copyright owner when previously published copyrighted material is presented in a dissertation. The candidate needs to submit the signed waiver to the dissertation chair and, if necessary, the Graduate School. When co-authored papers are included in a dissertation, the candidate must be the first author of the paper. In addition, the candidate is required to make a clear statement about who contributed to such work and to what extent in a preface to the dissertation.

Dissertation Writing Resources

The Oakland University Writing Center offers graduate student specific assistance and resources to help students in writing their dissertation. Please visit the OU Writing Center website for additional information or to make an appointment.

Criteria for Evaluation of the Dissertation Defense 

The oral defense is an exam/test. 

The following will be used to evaluate the Defense as “unsatisfactory” or “satisfactory”: 

1. Quality of work 
2. Scholarly Presentation 
3. Quality of Oral dissemination 
4. Ability to scholarly defend the dissertation project by responding to questions posed by the committee and other attendees 

Process for Changing Dissertation Chairperson 

If the Dissertation Chair wants to be released from the Dissertation project: 

1. The Dissertation Chair must first make an appointment and meet with the student to discuss the relationship. If the issue(s) are unresolved after meeting with the student, then the Dissertation Chair needs to meet with the PhD Program Director to discuss why continuing to work with the student is no longer feasible and provide feedback on the progress made by the student thus far. If the PhD Program Director is vacant, then the Dissertation Chair needs to meet with an appropriate SON administrator. 
2. An agreement to separate from a student must be made with the PhD Program Director or appropriate SON administrator and Dissertation Chair, and documentation of the separation will be placed in the student’s academic file. 
3. The outgoing Dissertation Chair must write a detailed account of the progress that has been made on the project up to the date of the Dissertation Chair’s resignation. This document must be submitted to the student and the newly appointed Dissertation Chair, and a paper copy placed in the student’s academic file. 
4. Once the decision to separate has been approved, it is the student’s responsibility to find a new Dissertation Chair for their  Dissertation project. The new Dissertation Chair must have the required academic credentials/faculty rank as described above and must be approved by the PhD Program Director. Documentation regarding who will be the new Dissertation Chair will be placed in the student’s academic file. 
5. The new Dissertation Chair will send correspondence to the PhD Program Director giving the exact date they will assume the  duties of Dissertation Chair.

If the Student wants to change the Committee Chairperson of their dissertation Project: 

1. The student must meet with the Dissertation Chair to discuss the reasons why they are requesting to change their Dissertation Chair. 
2. If the Dissertation Chair and student are unable to come to an agreement and the PhD student still wants to change their  Dissertation Chair, then the student must next meet with the PhD Program Director. If there is no PhD Program Director, then the student must meet with an appropriate SON administrator to discuss the situation. 
3. If the PhD Program Director concludes that the differences cannot be resolved, an agreement will be made between the PhD Program Director, Dissertation Chair, and the student that the process for selecting a new Committee Chairperson may begin.  Documentation of the separation will be placed in the student’s academic file. 
4. The student is responsible for finding a new Committee Chairperson who must have the required academic credential/faculty rank as described above. 
5. The student may keep their current committee member(s), however a new signed Registration of Doctoral Advisory Committee Form signed by the new chair must be submitted to the SON PhD Program Office which will submit the appropriate form to the Graduate School (See Appendix B).. 
6. The student is responsible for informing the new Committee Chairperson of the work that they have done to date on the dissertation project.