Nursing, PhD

The PhD in Nursing program builds on the master’s degree and requires a minimum of 78 credit hours. Students may transfer in a maximum of 30 credits from graduate courses taken at other institutions or taken at Mason in non-degree status if they specifically contribute towards the student’s achievement of the Nursing PhD program outcomes (final determination of transferred credits to be made by the PhD program director).  

Each student is initially assigned an Academic Advisor and later a Dissertation Chair to mentor and support the student towards achieving their academic, research, and professional goals. Other PhD faculty in and outside the School of Nursing will also serve as mentors to the student in other aspects of the program.   

Both full-time and part-time enrollment options are available. A minimum enrollment of 9 credits full-time and 6 credits for part-time is required per semester prior to registering for dissertation. Full-time students take an average of 4 years to complete the program; however, length of time to graduation is dependent on a variety of factors, such as credits waived and dissertation research. Explore example programs of study here. More information about the courses offered is available in the  University’s Catalog.   

Applicants must meet the admission standards and application requirements specified by Mason’s Graduate Admissions and must apply using the online Application for Graduate Admission. In addition, Nursing PhD applicants must also meet the following requirements: 

• Have a master's degree in nursing from an accredited program equivalent to at least 30 credits OR a master's degree in a related health field with a baccalaureate degree in nursing. 

• Received a 3.00 GPA or higher on a 4.00 scale in their master’s program. 

• Hold a valid, current nursing license in a U.S. state or territory; waivers for international applicants will be determined by the PhD program director. 

• Completed a recent graduate-level course in statistics with a final grade of 3.00 or higher. This requirement must be completed prior to program matriculation and be approved by the PhD program director. One option is to complete Courses 1-3 of the Coursera course Statistical Analysis with R for Public Health Specialization. Select the paid option for this course to obtain the certificate to verify completion.  

For application deadlines and detailed application requirements, refer to the College of Public Health's Admissions website. The application process is competitive, and admissions are considered for the fall semester only. 

Once an admission application is complete, it is reviewed by members of the PhD Program Committee. Based on the qualifications of the applicant and the program’s capacity, an interview with two or more faculty on the Committee may be scheduled. The interview may be conducted face-to-face or remotely. Upon immediate conclusion of the interview, the applicant is asked to provide a timed writing sample to verify their ability to do graduate-level writing.  

Request More Information 

Interested in learning more about earning a PhD in nursing? Schedule a one-on-one appointment with Dr. Kyeung Mi Oh at 703-993-4550 or koh5@gmu.edu to discuss how a PhD in nursing can advance your career.