Supervisors
Learn about faculty available to supervise this degree.
Please note: additional supervisors may be available. Contact the program for more information.
Program overview
This doctoral program develops nurse scientists who are expert clinical scholars equipped to provide leadership in nursing practice, research and education. The degree is designed to educate professionals for excellence in nursing scholarship through original research. Our thesis-based degree offers opportunities to become research-intensive, gain core disciplinary knowledge and develop expertise within a substantive field. Before applying, candidates are required to seek out members of our award-winning faculty who they believe would be a good “fit” with their research plans. The University of Calgary is committed to helping new doctoral students get funding support through awards, faculty research programs, teaching assistantships, and research scholarships.
Completing this program
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Courses: Topics include philosophy of science in nursing, contemporary issues, e-portfolio development, health policy and advocacy, quantitative and qualitative research and others.
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Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.
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Candidacy: Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.
Outcomes
Healthcare, community health, advanced practice nursing, pediatrics, gerontology, mental health, acute care, ICU, oncology, palliative care, maternal/child health, NICU, pulmonary care, clinical simulation, nursing research, nursing education, critical incident stress, health policy, spiritual care.
A PhD in nursing is usually considered a final degree, but may lead to post-doctoral study.
Virtual Tour
Explore the University of Calgary (UCalgary) from anywhere. Experience all that UCalgary has to offer for your graduate student journey without physically being on campus. Discover the buildings, student services and available programs all from your preferred device.
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Accepting InquiriesParent-Child Relationships, Early Childhood Development, Family Integrated Care, Welcome to Parenthood -
Accepting InquiriesEarly life nutrition, breastfeeding, health systems, Patient Oriented-Research -
Accepting InquiriesHealth Services Research, Cancer Survivorship, Mixed Methods -
Accepting InquiriesHIV Cascade of Care; Vulnerable Populations; Population Health Promotion; Social Determinants of Health -
Accepting InquiriesHealth services research; Women’s health; Multicultural/Cross-cultural health; Population health, health promotion and disease prevention; Mental health; Cardiovascular health; Cancer prevention; Infectious diseases; Mix-methods (qualitative and quantitative) research -
Accepting InquiriesMental Health/Psychiatric Nursing, Gender, Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Narrative Inquiry -
Accepting Inquiriescardiovascular health, ethno-culture, gender, access to care, secondary prevention -
Accepting InquiriesPediatric and adolescent oncology; psychosocial oncology -
Accepting InquiriesVulnerable children, Social support, Parent-infant/child relationships, Maternal mental health, Domestic abuse, Family environmental effects on child development, Genetics and epigenetics -
UnavailableAdolescent/youth health promotion
Admission Requirements
GPA
A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units).
Minimum education
- Normally be a Registered Nurse.
- Have successfully completed graduate level research courses including at least one qualitative research methods course and at least one quantitative research methods course.
Work samples
Samples of written scholarly work.
Documents
- A current resume/curriculum vitae that includes: education, work history, leadership roles, awards, achievements, honors or distinctions, scholarly presentations or publications with links when available, and roles and affiliations with academic or professional organizations.
- Provide a letter of commitment from the identified supervisor indicating willingness to provide supervision throughout the program of studies and supporting the applicant’s study plan. The letter must also include what financial support the supervisor is able to offer.
Reference letters
Three, one of which must be from the Master's degree supervisor.
Test scores
None
English language proficiency
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 97 (Internet-based, with no section less than 20).
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 (minimum of 6.0 in each section).
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 68, or higher (Academic version).
- Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) score of 70 (70 in some sections – up to the program, 60 in all other).
- Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in one or two courses (up to the program), “B+” on all other courses.
- Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency minimum score of 191.
*Please contact your program of interest if you have any questions about ELP requirements
Deadlines
For admission on January 1:
Canadian and permanent resident
- Applications open June 1.
- September 1 application deadline. Document deadline September 15.
International Students
- Applications open June 1.
- September 1 application deadline. Document deadline September 15.
If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about international requirements
Learn more about this program
Related programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs.