IN-PERSON INTENSIVES, FOLLOWED BY ONLINE COURSE COMPLETION: COMBINING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

The best education includes in-person interaction between professors and students, and among students with each other. However, online courses promote educational access and build technology skills. The ideal program prepares students to use both methods, since they themselves will likely be called upon to teach in both venues in their future positions.

Therefore, the PhD program combines educational delivery methods, allowing students to keep their full-time jobs and live in their own communities. All of the courses in the doctoral programs require both in-person and online components. Domestic doctoral students come to the OCU campus for a required three-day intensive prior to the beginning of each fall and spring semester, and once during each summer. International students are required to reside in the Oklahoma City area and participate in the three-day intensive, as well as attend on-campus learning activities related to their coursework. Additional information regarding faculty contact hours can be found here.

The upcoming on-campus intensive schedule is as follows:

May 31–June 2, 2012
Aug. 9–11, 2012
Jan. 3–5, 2013
May 30–June 1, 2013

Persons who cannot meet this requirement need not apply.


CURRICULUM

Students can count as many as 33 credit hours from their master’s degrees toward the 90 credit hours minimum required for the PhD, whether their master’s degrees are in nursing or in a relevant field, subject to approval by the program chair.

PhD-LEVEL COURSES

NURS 7103 Philosophy of Science (3)
NURS 7113 Advanced Health Care Policy (3)
NURS 7123 Advanced Theory Development (3)
NURS 7212 Transcultural Health Care (2)
NURS 7231-3 Grant Writing (1-3)
NURS 7243 Organizational and Leadership Theory (3)
NURS 7303 Advanced Bioethics (3)
NURS 7403 Statistical Analysis I (3)
NURS 7503 Higher Education Issues and Trends (3)
NURS 7543 Evaluation of Educational Effectiveness (3)
NURS 8103 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
NURS 8203 Quantitative Research Methods (3)
NURS 8403 Statistical Analysis II (3)
NURS 8503 Testing and Measurement (3)
NURS 8513 Technology in Instructional Design (3)
NURS 8543 Nursing Education Administration (3)
NURS 9903 Dissertation Seminar (3)
NURS 9913, 9923, 9933, 9941-3 Dissertation (minimum of 9 credit hours)

TYPICAL COMPLETION PLAN

Students may enroll in up to three courses each semester, with the summer semester as a notable exception. Courses will be scheduled as followed (subject to change):

Typical Part-time PhD Completion Plan

Fall
NURS 7103 Philosophy of Science
NURS 7113 Advanced Health Care Policy

Spring
NURS 7123 Advanced Theory Development
NURS 7403 Statistical Analysis I

Summer
NURS 8103 Qualitative Research Methods
NURS 7503 Higher Education Issues and Trends*

Falll
NURS 8403 Statistical Analysis II
NURS 8203 Quantitative Research Methods

Spring
NURS 7243 Organizational and Leadership Theory
NURS 7543 Evaluation of Educational Effectiveness*

Summer
NURS 8503 Testing and Measurement*
NURS 7212 Transcultural Health Care
NURS 7231-3 Grant Writing

Fall
NURS 8513 Technology in Instructional Design*
NURS 8543 Nursing Education Administration*

Spring
NURS 7303 Advanced Bioethics
NURS 9903 Dissertation Seminar

Summer
NURS 9913 Dissertation I

Fall
NURS 9923 Dissertation II

Spring
NURS 9933 Dissertation III

Summer
NURS 9941-3 Dissertation IV (if needed)

*Or courses in a different cognate area