The Ph.D. program at USC prepares you for a nursing research career in academic, clinical or health system settings. Generous tuition support and executive-style weekend course delivery create flexibility for you to earn your doctoral degree.
Our Ph.D. graduates are productive nurse scientists, scholars and educators who are involved with transforming the health of patients, families and communities across the globe.
Curriculum includes courses in nursing research roles, theories and methods. Beyond the core curriculum, you will develop an individual course of study, including mentored research experiences and elective courses that lead to the preparation and defense of your dissertation.
Available for BSN, MSN, DNP or master’s-prepared students from another field. All students receive financial support for tuition during the first 36 credit hours of pre-dissertation coursework in the program.
An executive-style program integrating face-to-face monthly campus sessions with interactive on-line learning activities offers you a flexible, yet rigorous, Ph.D. education.
South Carolina’s Ph.D. program is designed to be financially and logistically accessible for you. As a Ph.D. student, you will receive full funding of tuition for the first 36 credit hourse of pre-dissertation coursework, and the executive-style program format offers you flexibility to work while you advance your studies.
South Carolina’s small class sizes create opportunities for you to form deep relationships with faculty mentors and program peers, accelerating your growth as a nursing researcher. Working closely with advisers and faculty who are actively engaged in funded research, you’ll develop an individualized program of study that allows you to pursue your passion, generate your own grant-funded projects and make an impact in healthcare.
By pursuing your Ph.D. at South Carolina, a comprehensive R1 institution, you’ll have access to collaborate with the College of Nursing’s clinical and research faculty as well experts across campus, including faculty at the College of Engineering, Arnold School of Public Health and more.
In addition, you may also earn a Post Masters Graduate Certificate during your Ph.D. studies, further advancing your career and marketability.
The Graduate School coordinates online applications to our master's and doctoral programs. There may be supporting materials that are required along with your online application for graduate admission, so be sure to review the requirements before you apply.
The Ph.D. program accepts students for fall entry.
Admission cycle for fall entry:
You will receive full funding of tuition for the first 36 credit hours of pre-dissertation coursework. The College of Nursing also offers scholarships, assistantships and other financial aid options for Ph.D. students.
Ph.D. program costs depend on several factors. For estimated costs, view:
Graduate Programs Cost Estimates 2023-2024The Office of Financial Aid provides the full breakdown of the estimated cost to attend. For additional tuition and fee information, visit the Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees website.
Jingxi Sheng's long-term research focuses are healthy behaviors and health outcomes among Asian Americans. She is particularly interested in understanding and investigating physical activity determinants with her faculty mentors, Dr. Sue Heiney and Dr. Demerius Abshire.“I chose USC Nursing because it has an excellent reputation and is number one in South Carolina for faculty research productivity. There are several renowned nurse scientists researching my fields of interest.”
Ubong James collaborates with his faculty mentor, Dr. Michael Wirth, as well as Dr. James Hebert and Dr. Christine Blake, both from the USC Arnold School of Public Health. His research intends to provide an understanding of potential associations between food-related consumer behaviors and dietary inflammation. James enjoys the numerous interdisciplinary research opportunities in and around USC and the college’s Ph.D. mentorship program.
Ph.D. student Kayla Everhart worked with her Ph.D. mentor, Dr. Robin Dail on Dail’s five-year $2.7M National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study as a research coordinator. The study included five NICU sites, enrolling 440 infants to examine body temperature and heart rate over the first 30 days of life as a predictor of infection.