Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program

Admission Requirements

To be considered for the PhD program, applicants must have:

Earned a BS and/or MS from an AACN or CCNE accredited institution. Note: Successful completion of the BS in nursing must occur prior to the desired term of admission.
Minimum B average in all undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) coursework (this includes all courses taken to satisfy the degree requirements for a BS in nursing).
Proof of current RN licensor in at least one political jurisdiction or proof of pending licensor; if offered admission, the RN license must be obtained prior to the first term of enrollment in the PhD program.
- Please note: an active State of Michigan RN license is required to complete a clinical Master's within the PhD program, to work as a graduate student instructor, or to work part-time as a registered nurse in the U.S.
Satisfactory verbal, quantitative and analytical scores on the GRE.

Application Details

Deadline to Apply

NOTE: The PhD program admits students to the Fall term only

When To Apply

Application Opens

Application Closes

Fall 2012 (term starting in September 2012)

Post-baccalaureate nursing students that have not completed a masters should anticipate a length of study of 4-5 years (based on full-time enrollment; 9 or more credits/term).

Post-masters students (earning a BSN and an MS in a nursing related curriculum) should anticipate a length of study of 3-4 years (based on full-time enrollment; 9 or more credits/term).

September 16

December 1

Application

The application is on-line: Rackham Graduate School application

Application Required Supporting Material

Academic Statement
Provide a comprehensive statement, not to exceed 1500 words, that delineates your rationale for pursuing the doctoral program. These essays are most effective when they specify the applicant's:

Professional goals for the future as a doctoral prepared nurse.
Appraisal of research interests as they pertain to one of the four areas of concentration with the University of Michigan PhD program.

Personal Statement
Provide a comprehensive answer, not to exceed 1500 words, to the following question within the Rackham application under the section 'Personal Statement':

What resources do you plan to use to help support your doctoral studies financially and academically?

Guidelines for the Personal Statement:

The personal statement should provide evidence that you have researched the PhD program through the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
The personal statement should identify the knowledge you have of the doctoral curriculum and the high standards of the program.
The personal statement should include your plan to cover the tuition and costs for the PhD program using possible external funding options (Note: tuition support through the University of Michigan is not guaranteed).

Recommendations

The University of Michigan requires three recommendations. At least two of the three required recommendations must be from individuals who have a doctorate in nursing (PhD or DNP).

The recommendation form is part of the Rackham Graduate School application. The School of Nursing prefers all applicants to the PhD program to utilize the on-line recommendation form through the Rackham Application process. Please do not request recommenders to send the completed recommendation form via fax or mail, we are unable to guarantee receipt of recommendation forms not sent through the on-line application.

Recommendation form instructions:

On the recommender page of the Rackham application, provide the current required information for three qualified recommenders (based on the criteria above).
Once you have submitted the completed on-line application, the recommenders you listed will receive an email from the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School. The email will provide the recommender with detailed instructions on how to access the on-line recommendation form (a link is provided directly to the form within the email).
Once the recommender has completed the form and included a supporting letter (the supporting letter is not required,however it is highly recommended), the form will be uploaded to your on-line application file.
Recommendations must be completed and submitted no later than December 1.

Official Post-Secondary Transcripts

The University of Michigan School of Nursing requires official transcripts from the institution where you earned or will earn your Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (and master's, if applicable).

Official transcripts from the institution where you received or will receive your Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (and Master’s, if applicable) must be sent to Rackham Graduate School. It is important you review the Rackham website page for detailed instructions on submitting transcripts prior to beginning the submission process. Do not send official transcripts to the School of Nursing.
If you took supplemental courses at an institution from which you did not receive your BSN or MSN, you must send unofficial transcripts for all supplemental courses to the School of Nursing:

University of Michigan School of Nursing

ATTN: PhD Admissions; Supplemental Transcripts

400 North Ingalls, Suite 1160

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Resume or Curricula Vitae

Your current resume or C.V. should be uploaded as a MS Word document within the on-line Rackham Graduate application.

Two Solely Authored Scholarly Papers

Examples: Master’s thesis, published article, research paper, or poster presentation review. Mail the writing samples to:

University of Michigan School of Nursing

ATTN: PhD Admissions; Scholarly Paper Submission

400 North Ingalls, Suite 1160

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Standardized

Test

Requirement

Graduate Record Exam

The GRE is required for all PhD applicants.

The Admissions Committee accepts the following as an official GRE score:

Official score report sent directly to University of Michigan from ETS (GRE code: R1839)
Original score reports sent to the applicant and submitted as part of their application
Scores listed on official transcripts by a college or university
Memo, secured by the applicant, presented on another school's letterhead stating that a GRE score report was submitted directly to that college or university by ETS on a specified date, that the original score report is being maintained by that college or university, and that a photocopy of the original score report is attached; this correspondence must be signed by an official at the school (e.g. program director, registrar, Dean)
If scores are not within acceptable ranges, applicants may need to repeat the GRE.

International Applicant Additional Requirements

Transcripts and Evaluations

All prospective international applicants need to review the requirements for academic credentials from non-U.S. institutions and submit the required documents listed to Rackham Graduate School as instructed.

English Proficiency

International students must submit official English proficiency exam scores to the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School (school code: 1839) from the TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB no later than the December 1 deadline to be considered for admission. For details, see the Entrance Exams webpage.

Application Fee

$65 for U.S. applicants
$75 for international applicants

The application fee is required for submission of the completed application.

Admission Interview

All qualified applications received by December 1 will be reviewed by the PhD admissions committee in December and early January. Applicants will be notified by February 1 if selected for an admission interview. Admission interviews will occur in February with admission decisions made by April 1.