What is the nursing PhD program?
The PhD focuses on the discovery of new knowledge in the advancement of nursing practice. This 3-5 year program allows learners to think about the science behind clinical practice in new ways, learning to use research tools and methods to answer important questions about health and healthcare.

What is the difference between a Doctor of Nursing Practice and PhD in Nursing Science?

  • The DNP degree is focused on preparing highly educated clinical leaders who can apply evidence-based research in clinical settings.
  • The PhD degree prepares learners to identify gaps in nursing knowledge, design/implement research studies to address these gaps, and discover new knowledge that can advance the science of care delivery.

What do PhD students do post-graduation?
A nurse with a research PhD can lead healthcare organizations, teach in academic and/or clinical contexts, conduct research in academic or community-based environments, become a nurse researcher in academic settings, work as a researcher on clinical trials, and more.

Is the GRE required?

No, the GRE is not required.

I received my previous degree from a school outside the United States. What do I need to include in my application?

All graduate programs at the School of Nursing require professional transcript evaluations by an independent educational evaluating service from any member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. Students should upload a copy of evaluations and translations in their application.

Applicants should note that foreign transcript evaluation services may take several weeks to process and should plan accordingly.  The report uploaded to the application must include a degree-equivalent evaluation and course-by-course equivalent evaluation for any prerequisites.

The School of Nursing and the University of California do not endorse or have a formal partnership with any specific transcript evaluation agencies. However, some applicants have used the following services:

World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box  5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: 212-966-6311
http://www.wes.org/

International Education Research Foundation
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: 310-258-9451
http://www.ierf.org/

Can I practice as a RN in California if I’m from out of state or an international student?

If you’d like to work as a registered nurse in California but have a license out of state or an international license, you’ll need to work with the California BRN to submit the required information in order to work in California. Please note, international students may run into issues with requirements if your country’s requirements differ from the California BRN requirements.  We are unable to assist with the licensing procedure, so please make sure to visit the BRN website prior to applying if you are interested in working as a RN during your program. Please visit the BRN website for more information: https://www.rn.ca.gov/careers/howto.shtml