Nursing Doctoral Programs

The number of jobs in nursing is increasing substantially. In fact, a mix up by colleges is happening in order to address the shortage in nursing. They aim to train enough faculty members to educate students who will be entering the field. Advanced degrees such as nursing doctoral programs are needed in order to develop the skills and knowledge of faculty members. Some of these degrees can be completed online through distance education.

Being admitted to most distance nursing doctoral programs requires a master's degree in nursing. Each and every school has their own minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement and other qualifications for admission. For instance, the Rutgers University requires a GPA of 3.2 and above on all master's degree in nursing. Applicants may also take Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and complete an interview with the faculty. Rutgers University prefers applicants that have certification in their area of specialization.

In order to be admitted in nursing doctoral programs online, applicants are required to meet a number of prerequisite courses before beginning their doctoral studies. Doctoral applicants are required to have a strong background in nursing research. They must also complete at least one formal course in that specific area and other areas like pharmacology, pathology-physiology, advanced health assessment, and statistics.

The typical nursing doctoral programs online require applicants more than 70 hours of advanced nursing practice. The number of credits depends on the degree the candidate wants to get. Some programs admit bachelor's degree graduates. However, applicants still need to complete additional courses that a master's degree student does not need to complete.

Many times, the course work is a combination of clinical hours and online course work. Clinical practice is often completed in a local health care facility. Some residency requirements are also included in some curriculums. However these are usually kept to a minimum in order to minimize the convenience of distance education.

Labels: advanced nursing degree, Doctorate, nursing doctoral degree, Online Nursing Degree