Whether you’re seeking to become a nurse practitioner or further your nursing career in academics, advanced practice, clinical research or at the executive level, a doctoral degree in nursing from UCF will prepare you to function at the highest level.
Shape Nursing’s Future with a PhD or DNP from UCF
- Ensure a high-quality education for future generations of nurses by aiding in the national shortage of doctorally prepared nursing faculty,
- Improve access to patient care in their communities by practicing at the highest level,
- Solve some of today’s most challenging healthcare problems and improving patient outcomes through clinical research, and
- Make a greater impact on the health of a global community as decision-making leaders.
Why UCF College of Nursing
- High-quality education grounded in evidence-based practice and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Led by nationally recognized faculty who are experts in their field and actively engaged in innovative research
- Flexible and convenient with fully online or hybrid-online programs, and full- or part-time options
- There are also options for RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and non-degree seeking students
Doctoral Program Objectives
- Critically analyze complex clinical situations and practice systems.
- Assume leadership roles in the development of clinical practice models, health policy and standards of care.
- Develop practice models that support diagnostic reasoning skills and clinical judgment through the use of evidence-based practice.
- Analyze the social, economic, political, epidemiological and other scientific data to improve individual, aggregate and population health.
- Demonstrate information fluency and advanced communication skills to lead quality and safety improvement initiatives to improve patient care and healthcare systems.
- Design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive care models for populations and/or systems and disseminate findings.
- Conduct research to generate a body of knowledge and test theories that advance nursing science.
- Develop a program of scholarship that integrates research, teaching, leadership, and service to the profession.
- Contribute to interdisciplinary solutions that advance healthcare in a global society.
Find a Doctoral Program
What Graduates are Saying
“As a nurse scientist with a passion for technology, UCF provided an opportunity for me to collaborate across disciplines including computer scientists and engineers.”
Martin Schiavenato ’07PhD, RN
Associate Professor, Washington State University (WSU) College of Nursing,
Affiliate Professor, WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,
Founder of the future startup, “Little Foot Innovation”
“There are many DNP programs, but only UCF has a high caliber of faculty and offers distance learning.”
Cathleen Wheatley ’17DNP, RN, CENP
President of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and System Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Wake Forest Baptist Health