Overview
Contribute to the future of nursing and health care by earning a Ph.D. from the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies. Our faculty will guide your experience as you develop a plan of study and begin your research career. The program offers you a chance to explore a subject you're passionate about while contributing to the overall health care industry. Our curriculum is designed to prepare you for a career in academia or health care leadership.
The BSN-Ph.D. option enables select, highly motivated students who have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) to enroll directly into the Ph.D. program after completing 12 credit hours of MSN course work. The post-baccalaureate entry option is for highly-qualified BSN graduates with an unencumbered license as a registered nurse and whose career goals are research-oriented to progress as rapidly as possible toward the doctorate degree in nursing.
Career Prospects
Potential careers for Ph.D. nursing graduates:
- Faculty in colleges or universities
- Researcher
- Hospital administrator
Recent graduates who retained their positions have had opportunities for advanced positions in their current institutions.
Program Structure
Delivery of this program is blended: You will complete most course work online, but on-campus visits are required. Courses are semester-based. Students choose full or part-time plans of study and take two or three courses per semester. Full-time students can finish in five years and part-time students in six years.
Course work includes:
- Responsible conduct of research
- State of the science
- Quantitative methods
- Qualitative methods
- Research design
Accreditation
The University of Missouri-Kansas City is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
Courses
Ph.D. students are required to attend research courses on the UMKC campus in Kansas City each summer for two years. Expect the hands-on, mandatory courses to last several days.
BSN-Ph.D. students: Review the sample plans of study to see the four master's level courses required prior to beginning the Ph.D. course work. Once these courses are successfully completed, students will start the Ph.D. curriculum beginning with N5603 Research Institute I. A minimum grade of "B" must be achieved in all course work. Note: Students who desire advanced clinical practice preparation - examples include nurse practitioner - should apply to the BSN-DNP program rather than applying to the Ph.D. program.
MSN-Ph.D. students: You will be responsible for developing your plan of study and then undertaking the course work to support that research area. The plan of study must include six credits of elective, research-related courses and 12 credits in a collaborative field of study that supports your research interests. You are expected to engage in scholarly activities throughout your courses. Examples could be grant writing, research presentations and manuscript submissions. Our Ph.D. education is predicated on a strong mentoring relationship between the student and faculty throughout the curriculum. Your work at UMKC will be guided by a faculty mentor/advisor and a supervisory committee. The group will approve your individual plan of study and create your comprehensive examination. The group will ultimately help you transition you into dissertation work.
Successful completion of the program requires 61 credit hours of course work for MSN-Ph.D. students and 73 credit hours of course work for BSN-Ph.D. students.
Course planner
The chart below shows the courses offered in this program. Courses are 3 credit hours each, unless stated otherwise. The university reserves the right to change or cancel courses as needed.
BSN-PhD pre-requisite course work |
|
NURSE 5527 Cultural Diversity & Values |
|
NURSE 5528 Healthcare Policy & Advocacy |
|
NURSE 5550 Theoretical Foundations in Nursing |
|
NURSE 5555 Nursing Research |
PhD core course work |
NURSE 5603 Research Institute I
(2 credit hours) |
NURSE 5604 Research Institute II
(2 credit hours) |
|
NURSE 5608 Theory Development I |
|
NURSE 5610 Theory Development in Nursing II |
|
NURSE 5612 Statistics I |
|
NURSE 5622 Statistics II |
|
NURSE 5631 State of the Science |
|
NURSE 5633 Philosophy of Science |
|
NURSE 5662 Psychometrics |
|
NURSE 5664 Social Justice |
|
NURSE 5666 Designing Nursing Research |
|
NURSE 5668 Quantitative Research |
|
NURSE 5670 Qualitative Research Methods |
|
MEDB 5561 Responsible Conduct of Research |
NURSE 5590 Directed Scholarly Activity
(1-2 credit hours) |
NURSE 5699 Dissertation Research
(12 credit hours) |
Collateral course work in research project area
(9 credit hours)
|
Nondegree-Seeking Enrollment
Prior to acceptance into the program, you may enroll in up to 6 credit hours as a nondegree-seeking (in some cases, post-baccalaureate) student. Enrollment does not guarantee acceptance. Learn more about nondegree-seeking university student admissions.
State Authorization
States require that the University of Missouri-Kansas City be authorized to deliver university-level distance/online education to their residents. Each state handles this process differently.
Please see our state authorization page for more information.
Not authorized
Students residing in some states are not eligible to enroll in this program. See our state authorization page for a full list of states in which this program is not authorized.
Authorized with stipulations
Students residing in these states may be eligible to enroll in this program, but certain stipulations exist.
How to Apply
Fulfill the admission requirements
- BSN, MSN or RN-MSN from a regionally accredited college or university accredited by a nationally recognized nursing accrediting agency (CCNE or AACN).
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale calculated on the last 60 hours of the BSN degree or a minimum of 3.2 for the MSN.
- Current unencumbered Missouri licensure or unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in the jurisdiction where study is to be conducted.
- The license must remain unencumbered throughout the program.
- GRE results are recommended but not required.
- For BSN-PhD applicants ONLY: The following courses are prerequisite requirements and must be completed with a grade of 3.0 or better. Students are permitted to complete the prerequisite courses once admitted to the program as degree seeking:
- NURSING 5550 or MSN theory equivalent course
- NURSING 5555 or MSN research equivalent course
- NURSING 5527 or MSN cultural diversity equivalent course
- NURSING 5528 or MSN policy, politics and ethics equivalent course
Application Dates
To start classes in summer
Apply by: March 7
(Classes begin in May)
Required documents
- Transcripts from each institution attended. Upload your official transcripts to the UMKC Office of Admissions ONLY. Please DO NOT submit official transcripts via NursingCAS.
- Three evaluation forms are required from:
- Immediate supervisor
- Faculty professor from the last year of your BSN program or if post-masters applicant, faculty professor from MSN program
- Professional reference able to assess your professional characteristics (charge nurse, medical doctor, nurse practitioner, unit director)
- Please note:
- Two of your references MUST have a PhD Degree.
- No reference from co-workers, patients, friends or family members will be accepted.
- Current résumé reflecting all experiences as an RN
- Proof of RN licensure
- Research Goal Statement: The Goal Statement is required and should describe your research focus area identifying the problem and why it is significant (required length: one page maximum)
Complete the online application
The application is a two-step process, applicants must:
1. Submit the online
UMKC Application and submit official transcripts from each institution attended to the UMKC Office of Admissions ONLY. Please DO NOT submit official transcripts via NursingCAS.
2. Submit program application and materials through
NursingCAS to UMKC’s School of Nursing and Health Studies by deadline stated above. Please review the NursingCAS website for the list of programs offered at UMKC’s School of Nursing and Health Studies.
Domestic application fee: $45.00
International application fee: $75.00
Note: If you were ever enrolled at UMKC as a degree-seeking student, you do not need to resubmit the general UMKC application fee.
Application fee waiver questions: Contact the UMKC Office of Admissions with questions via 816-235-8652 or 1-800-775-8652 or admissions@umkc.edu.
Apply to UMKC
Program Contact
Danny Kopitke
Senior Student Recruitment Specialist
Online Programs
Phone:
816-235-5693
Email:
dkopitke@umkc.edu
Tuition and Fees
The tuition estimates do not include any Nursing clinical fees that may apply to the program. Please refer to UMKC Cashiers for further details.
BS to PhD Student
We offer in-state tuition in states we are authorized to deliver this online program.
73
Credit Hours
$880.65
Tuition + Fees per credit hour
$64,287.45
Estimated program cost
These estimates are for illustrative purposes only and are based on academic year 2024-2025 information. They include:
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences graduate tuition rate of per credit hour for 73 hours
- Online course fee of per credit hour for 73 hours
- Simulation lab fee of per credit hour for 73 hours
MS to PhD Student
We offer in-state tuition in states we are authorized to deliver this online program.
61
Credit Hours
$878.38
Tuition + Fees per credit hour
$53,581.35
Estimated program cost
These estimates are for illustrative purposes only and are based on academic year 2024-2025 information. They include:
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences graduate tuition rate of per credit hour for 61 hours
- Online course fee of per credit hour for 60 hours
- Simulation lab fee of per credit hour for 60 hours