Nursing Science, DNS

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The degree Doctor of Nursing Science is a professional degree.2 It is conferred for work of distinction in which the student displays the ability to make an original contribution of scholarship in nursing. The distinctive feature of this curriculum is its emphasis on nursing research with select patient/client groups within and across nursing specialties. Graduates achieve this goal through evaluating forces influencing health, synthesizing knowledge of health needs and problems of select patient/client groups, testing knowledge and applying findings to nursing practice, education, and policy.

Purpose

The purpose of the doctoral curriculum is to educate qualified persons to make dynamic contributions to the discipline of nursing through research and other scholarly activities.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the requirements for the doctoral degree, graduates can:

Evaluate forces in society to anticipate changing health needs, provide direction for nursing practice and influence health policy.
Conduct research to generate, validate, and extend nursing knowledge.
Design and test nursing strategies to improve the health status of selected patient/client groups.

Admissions Criteria

A baccalaureate and a master’s degree in nursing from a college or university approved by a recognized national accrediting body.*
A grade point average of 3.5 on a 4 point scale for all post-baccalaureate degree study completed at a college or university.
Satisfactory official scaled score of 400 or greater on the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) of 500 Verbal, 500 Quantitative, and 3.5 Analytical.
A minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants who have English as a second language or are not graduates of programs in the United States.
One example of a published or unpublished scholarly paper written by the applicant and submitted with the application.
Three letters of reference as specified on the application form.
A current unencumbered license to practice nursing in the state of Louisiana.
A minimum of one year of post-graduate clinical nursing experience; some specializations may require more years of experience
A personal interview with a director of the Doctoral Program

* Students who have a baccalaureate in nursing equivalency will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Admissions, Progression and Graduation Committee for eligibility to enter the DNS program. Students who have a Master’s Degree in another field may be accommodated for admission into the DNS program on an individual basis as prescribed by their Faculty Advisor.

Residency or Foreign Language Requirements

There are no foreign language requirements for the doctoral program of study.

Selection of Major Professor

Students who have successfully completed the prescribed 12 hours of doctoral study are eligible to select their major professor. The major professor is selected before undertaking support courses.

Academic Progression in DNS Program

Registration for any course must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor or major professor. Eligibility to progress in the doctoral program is dependent on satisfactory performance in all courses. This refers to:

Passing all courses with a “B” or higher
Maintaining an overall GPA of 3.0
Receiving an “S” (Satisfactory) each semester while registered in NURS 8000 - Dissertation

Students cannot register for any doctoral nursing course more than twice except:

Students may be permitted to continue in the program; however, repeating a course or registering more than once for a course may disrupt the original plan of study and require revision of the student’s plan of study. The original 8 year time limit for successful completion of all doctoral work remains in force, regardless of purposive or inadvertent changes in the student’s plan of study. Students’ time limit date to complete the program is determined at the student’s first semester of coursework.