Total Credits: 54
Cognates
Students will select a minimum of two cognate courses (6 credits) to support the dissertation. They individually and collectively enhance the depth of understanding of the student’s chosen area of research.
Cognate courses are taken after the first year of coursework when a student’s chosen research area has become more clearly defined. Cognates are typically in specific content areas (i.e., self-management, biomarkers, biomedical informatics) or in specific methodological or analytical approaches (i.e., research design methodologies or data analytical methods). These courses must be at the graduate level and taught by doctorally prepared faculty either from with the School of Nursing or the University community at large. Students should consult with their faculty advisor regarding possible content and methodological areas that will support the chosen area of research.
Teaching Practicum Requirement
All doctoral students in the PhD in Nursing Program at Stony Brook University must complete at least one semester of practicum in teaching under supervision. Students in the PhD in Nursing Program will register for NUR 698 Seminar Series: Academic Role and Teaching Practicum to enhance their expertise in the role of an academician. The practicum will be individualized according to the student’s prior experiences in the academic role. The practicum will provide students with expertise in course development, teaching pedagogies and strategies for curriculum delivery, test construction and evaluation methodologies for didactic and clinical learning, approaches to teaching diverse learners and difficult student situations, and professional role development among others. The practicum may include making seminar or class presentations, assisting in laboratories, or leading discussion sessions. Grading experience by itself will not be considered sufficient for satisfaction of this requirement. Faculty are responsible for providing informal feedback and formal evaluation. Following (or in some cases, concurrent with) proper training through a teaching practicum and after having fulfilled other requirements for teaching (e.g., demonstration of spoken English proficiency for non-native speakers of English), a graduate student may serve as a teaching assistant (TA) in courses at Stony Brook University, where the instructor of record isa faculty member. An advanced graduate student may act as the instructor of record for an undergraduate course offered at Stony Brook University only if he or she is appointed to an adjunct faculty position as a lecturer. No student shall be appointed to such a position until he or she has been advanced to candidacy (G5 only). It is not required that such students be enrolled in full-time status, although this is recommended. Appointment procedures follow the same process as regular faculty appointments. Graduate students at G4 level or below cannot be designated as the Instructor of Record for any course offered at Stony Brook University. They may be appointed as Teaching Assistants. In addition, there must be a designated faculty supervisor who serves as the Instructor of Record for the course. Each student, with the help of their faculty advisor, will identify the semester during which they will complete the teaching practicum, develop individualized student learning outcomes based on prior experiences in the academic role and identify a faculty preceptor.
The faculty advisor, faculty preceptor and student will develop the structure of the practicum and plan activities to accomplish the student learning outcomes.
Research Practicum Requirement
All doctoral students in the PhD in Nursing Program at Stony Brook University must complete at least one semester of practicum in research under supervision. Students in the PhD in Nursing Program will register for NUR 697 Seminar Series: Investigator Role and Research Practicum to enhance their expertise in the role of an investigator. The practicum will be individualized according to the student’s prior experiences in the investigator role. The practicum will provide students with expertise in selected aspects of the research process, including development of the conceptual/theoretical foundation of the study, study implementation (e.g. start-up activities, consent, intervention, fidelity management), data collection, data management, data analysis, participate in preparation of grant proposal and dissemination of findings. Each student, with the help of their faculty advisor, will identify the semester during which they will complete the research practicum, develop individualized student learning outcomes based on prior experiences in the investigator role and identify a faculty preceptor. The faculty advisor, faculty preceptor and student will develop the structure of the practicum and plan activities to accomplish the student learning outcomes.
Qualifying Examination
The overarching goal of the SON PhD program is to prepare nurse scientists to conduct independent original research to advance nursing science. Successful completion of the Qualifying Examination demonstrates the necessary competencies needed to progress toward independent work in dissertation development and achieve the program outcomes. Students will be eligible to take the Qualifying Examination after completing the first year of the PhD program. The scholarly product of the Qualifying Examination is the PhD student’s independent preparation of a manuscript of publishable quality for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and a separate oral defense of the manuscript. Acceptable scholarly products include an integrative review or concept analysis. The PhD student’s faculty advisor must approve the topic for the qualifying examination. As in any academic evaluative examination, the Qualifying Examination must be an individual scholarly product reflecting the student’s efforts. The PhD student may receive faculty advice on the topic selection, type of scholarly product, and selection of a peer-reviewed journal considered for submission. The student must also consult with a Health Science Librarian and seek support as needed from the Stony Brook University Writing Center.
Students will typically have six months to complete the Qualifying Examination, or as determined by the PhD Program Director and Faculty Advisor in consideration of the student’s PhD program pathway. The grading for the Qualifying Examination will be pass/fail (see below). Students will be assigned two faculty readers. Each reader will assign a grade of “pass” or “not pass” for the manuscript and the oral portion of the exam. Students must pass both written and oral components. If there is a disagreement in grade, a third faculty will be assigned, and the two similar grades will be the official grade.
If a student does not pass the Qualifying Examination, the student will have an opportunity for a second attempt at revision of the manuscript over four weeks, which must be completed before the beginning of the next semester. The evaluation of the second attempt is the same as the first. To remain in the program, students must pass the second attempt.
Grading: Pass with revisions, Pass without revisions, Not Pass
Dissertation Proposal Defense
The purpose of the Dissertation Proposal Defense is to demonstrate an understanding of knowledge in the concentration area that supports the student’s dissertation research. Students may not progress to the proposal defense until all required coursework is complete. Written permission from the program director will be required for students who previously obtained permission to progress on an alternate academic pathway. The proposal defense contains a written and oral component, both requiring a passing grade to advance to dissertation phase. Preparation of the proposal defense occurs under the guidance of the Dissertation Committee, facilitated by the Dissertation Committee Chair.
Dissertation Format and Guidelines
The preparation of the dissertation constitutes the final phase of the PhD program. The dissertation should represent a high level of analytical and research competence and represent an original contribution to the field of nursing science. Students are registered for NUR 699 PhD Dissertation Research during this phase of academic progression. Two dissertation formats are acceptable and are described in the table below. Either format is suitable for quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods formats. Consultation with the Dissertation Committee Chair will guide the format most appropriate for the student’s specific study.
Residence Requirement
At least two consecutive semesters of full-time study at Stony Brook University in the program granting the degree (or three consecutive semesters of a minimum of six credits for part-time students) are required.
Program Time Limit
The time limit for a doctoral degree, including coursework, examinations, practicums, and dissertation is seven (7) years from date of matriculation in the PhD in Nursing Program. In exceptional cases where the program cannot be completed within these periods, students may petition for an extension of the time limit. The Request for Waiver of Graduate Time Limit form can be found by selecting the forms link from the Graduate School website. These petitions require the approval of the student’s faculty advisor and Director of the PhD in Nursing Program. Requests for a time limit extension must be filed before the limit is exceeded and must contain a significant justification. The final decision rests with the Dean of the Graduate School, who may impose additional requirements.
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