D.N.P. - Ph.D. Bridge
Website: https://twu.edu/nursing/graduate-programs/dnp-to-phd-bridge/
The D.N.P. to Ph.D. Bridge program is for the nurse who has completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and desires to attain the skills and competencies required to integrate nursing knowledge with that of other health care disciplines in order to create, conduct, and evaluate nursing research. The D.N.P. to Ph.D. Bridge Program is designed to integrate the practice doctorate curriculum with that of the research doctorate. D.N.P. to Ph.D. Bridge Program graduates engage in activities focused on advancing nursing knowledge through the conduct of research, the integration of the practice and the research paradigms, and leadership in academic, practice, research, policy, and community based arenas.
The program is offered from the Denton and Houston campuses in an online format that requires 3 or 4 synchronous online meetings and an annual two-day, in-person colloquium on either the Denton or Houston campus during the fall semester.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Be a master educator who contributes to the formal and informal education of future nurses through discovery, application, and integration.
- Function as a nursing leader with the ability to integrate scholarship, research, teaching, mentoring, and service to advance the profession.
- Be a proficient mentor with in-depth knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the professional nurse within the context of the health care system.
- Be an interdisciplinary communicator and collaborator for the effective delivery of health care and/or participation in scientific research teams.
- Be an innovator and trend-setter with an appreciation of the history, philosophy, diversity, and evolving nature of the nursing profession to identify interprofessional solutions that transform health care and health systems in a global society.
- Function as a professional nurse with the philosophical, ethical, and theoretical foundations to guide the generation of policy and standards for nursing and healthcare practice.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
The total number of semester credit hours (SCH) for degree completion is 42, which includes 12 SCH of Research Tools.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| NURS 6023 | Philosophy of Nursing Science | 3 |
| NURS 6053 | Exploring Scholarship | 3 |
| NURS 6503 | Exploring Scientific Literature | 3 |
| NURS 6513 | Measurement and Instrumentation in Nursing Research | 3 |
| NURS 6523 | Qualitative Nursing Research | 3 |
| NURS 6533 | Theory for Nursing Research and Practice | 3 |
| NURS 6543 | Quantitative Nursing Research | 3 |
| NURS 6573 | Nursing Research Proposal Development | 3 |
| NURS 6583 | Nursing Research Feasibility Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 6613 | Introduction to Clinical Investigation in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 6623 | Systematic Inquiry in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 6983 | Dissertation | 3 |
| NURS 6993 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Elective (related to student's area of research) | 3 | |
| Total SCHs | 42 | |
Research Tools
Required by the Graduate School, Research Tools are courses designed to enhance the student's knowledge, skills, abilities, and access to instruments that facilitate the research process. Required research and tools include: One Research Tool required of all Ph.D. Nursing Science students is the completion of six SCH of graduate-level statistics. The second Research Tool requires completion of NURS 6503 and NURS 6513 courses.
Elective Courses
One three-semester credit elective course is required to supplement student learning in areas of research topic, methods, or professional issues. The elective courses may be taken in departments other than the College of Nursing.
Dissertation Courses
A minimum of 6 SCH of dissertation is required to complete the program. The first 3 SCH course focuses on the development and oral defense of the research proposal. The student enrolls in a second 3 SCH course to conduct the dissertation study, analyze results, and present findings. Both courses may be repeated, but only three SCH count toward the degree for each of the courses.
Policy for Assigning Ph.D. Dissertation Course Grades
To receive semester credit hours for Ph.D. dissertation courses, the student registers sequentially in NURS 6983 and NURS 6993 upon which load, tuition, and fees are determined. Students are required to enroll in a minimum of six dissertation SCH to earn the degree of Ph.D. in Nursing Science for which the grade of CR (credit) appears on the transcript. The grade of CR is not used in the calculation of the grade point average (GPA).
During semesters in which the student is engaged in dissertation research but does not complete the requirements for the course (NURS 6983 - research proposal officially filed in the Graduate School; NURS 6993 - successfully defended dissertation filed in the appropriate format in the Graduate School), a non-credit course grade of PR (in Progress) is assigned.
Non-credit options for dissertation include
- PR (in progress) - No semester credit hours nor effect on GPA. Consistent or adequate progress made toward dissertation course objective in the current semester
- LP (lack of adequate progress) - No semester credit hours nor effect on GPA. Minimal progress made toward the dissertation course objective in the current semester. Examples include but are not limited to the following: failure to meet predetermined goals or timeline, submission of products that lack substance or completeness, inability to critically and/or correctly analyze and synthesize literature or data.
- NP (no progress) - No semester credit hours nor effect on GPA. No progress made toward the dissertation course objective in the current semester. Examples include but are not limited to the following: extreme lack of communication between the student and the dissertation chair, no evidence of data collection or other components of the research process, failure to submit written materials as requested by the dissertation chair.
Any Ph.D. student in the College of Nursing receiving two consecutive semester grades of LP (lack of adequate progress) and/or NP (no progress) or three cumulative semester grades of LP/NP across the dissertation courses (both NURS 6983 and NURS 6993) will be dismissed from the program.
Any student receiving the grade of NP or LP will be required to meet with a College of Nursing advisory committee to establish a progression plan.
Only enrolled graduate students may consult with faculty, access library resources or use technology, writing, statistical, or other services.
Special Requirements
Grade of B or higher is required in all Ph.D. coursework. A student who has earned a grade of less than B (C, D, or F) in two Ph.D. courses at the graduate level or who has earned a grade of less than B (C, D, or F) twice in the same graduate-level course will be removed from the nursing program. For the purpose of removal from the nursing program, a grade of less than B is counted as a grade of less than ‘B’ even if the course has been successfully repeated.
Qualifying Exam
Ph.D. Portfolio Components and required supporting documentation satisfy the requirements for the Ph.D. qualifying examination. The Scholarly Portfolio documents the student's accomplishments in meeting the program objectives of the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science. Components of the portfolio demonstrate academic and professional growth and development in an organized, coherent format to facilitate evaluation by the student's academic advisory committee.
Students advance to Ph.D. candidacy, and subsequent enrollment in dissertation courses, following successful presentation of the completed portfolio qualifying exam.
Final Examination
An oral examination over the completed dissertation.
