Nursing (PhD)
Our Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) is the culmination of your deep, active knowledge of nursing.
You will both examine and further develop the intersections of research, education, and advanced practice nursing. In this self-directed program, you will develop a strong grounding in philosophical thought, expertise in research methodologies and conduct independent research.
As a graduate of this program, you will be prepared to generate and communicate research findings that will serve and support diverse audiences and stakeholders.
| Expected length | Project or thesis | Course-based |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years | Yes | No |
Quick facts
- Program options:
- Doctorate
- Study options:
- Full-time study
- Program delivery:
- Online
- Dynamic learning:
- Other: Practice experience
Outcomes
Students in this program will:
- develop a broad, critical knowledge of the nursing literature, its historical and contemporary views related to its ontology and epistemology, and how diverse aspects of nursing relate to each other
- learn to discern among research methods and develop expertise in research methodologies consonant with a chosen focus of inquiry
- conduct independent research, including conceptualization and design, analysis and interpretation of data, dissemination of research findings to diverse audiences or stakeholder groups, and contributing to nursing disciplinary knowledge
- gain a general understanding of the centrality of nursing in society, the impact that nursing has in many fields of human health, and the impact that other disciplines have on nursing
- learn preparation and skills to teach and translate knowledge at different levels and in different contexts
- understand and commit to the ethical professional engagement in the discipline of nursing
- gain sense of membership in the community of current and former nursing scholars,and an understanding of the historical roots of this community
- have a commitment to the profession, engaging in professional service, both within their immediate community and within the broader community of nurse scholars
- communicate the generativity and implications of nursing ideas to diverse audiences
- help others learn to combine creativity, imagination, and compassion with rigor, logic and critical thinking
Find a supervisor
PhD students must have a faculty member who serves as their academic supervisor. When you apply:
- you must list a potential supervisor on your application
- this faculty member must agree to be your supervisor and recommend your admission
- include an email from your supervisor with your application
To find a supervisor, review the faculty contacts. When you’ve found a faculty member whose research complements your own, contact them by email.
Anastasia Mallidou
Associate Professor, Acting Associate Director Graduate Education & Graduate Advisor Health services research, organizational context, knowledge translation, leadership, health informatics, health policy, healthy aging
Allie Slemon
Assistant Professor Social justice; health equity; mental health; stigma and discrimination; nursing philosophy; critical theory; qualitative methodologies; social media
Bernadette (Bernie) Pauly
Professor Substance use; harm reduction (Needle and syringe distribution, supervised consumption sites, managed alcohol programs, drug checking, Naloxone distribution, peer to peer support); safer supply, overdose responses, health equity; social determinants of health; vulnerable populations; public health systems and services, nursing ethics; public health ethics; access to health care; homelessness, housing, community engaged research, qualitative research; mixed methods
Brenda Mishak
Associate Professor community, public health, intersectionality, housing security, nursing research
Christina Chakanyuka
Lecturer Indigenous health nursing research, nurse education, community health, human rights, intergenerational mentorship, anti-racism, cultural safety and security, cultural humility
Christine Ou
Assistant Professor Sleep; children; perinatal/maternal mental health; parenting; policy; knowledge translation; mixed methods; relational autonomy
Coby Tschanz
Associate Teaching Professor Hospice palliative nursing practice, human living experiences, nursing theory-guided practice and research, nursing education: rituals in nursing education, inter-professional and interdisciplinary teamwork
Damien Contandriopoulos
Professor Primary care, Nurse practitioners, Health policy, Home Care, Nursing, Physician compensation, Social Network Analysis, Realist evaluation, Knowledge Exchange
Don Versluis
Assistant Teaching Professor Inter-professional care teams, health care quality improvement, education, and leadership, internal medicine
Dzifa Dordunoo
Associate Professor, Acting Director Metal hypersensitivity, Evidence-synthesis, Heart failure, sickle cell and critical care, JBI systematic reviews, racism
Ingrid Handlovsky
Assistant Professor Health equity, social environments/circumstances and health practices, experiences and outcomes, gender and sexual identity, individuals, groups and populations subject to disadvantage due to structural circumstances (with a focus on discrimination) and nursing practice thereof, mental health, substance use, harm reduction, critical theory, grounded theory
Jae-Yung Kwon
Assistant Professor Patient-reported outcomes; hermeneutics; knowledge translation
Karen Evers-Fahey
Associate Teaching Professor, Co-Associate Director Undergraduate Programs & Partnerships Jungian psychology, mental health issues in acute and chronic medical illness, adaptation, life stage development, relational nursing, post-adolescent brain development and teaching implications
Katherine Bertoni
Associate Teaching Professor Primary care delivery models, nurse practitioners, practice leadership, health promotion, diabetes care and management, palliative approach to care
Kelli Stajduhar
Professor Palliative and end-of-life care; family caregiving; home care; HIV/AIDS; oncology; vulnerable and marginalized populations; gerontology; health services research; qualitative and quantitative research methods; mixed method study design; collaborative, participatory research
Kim Daly
Assistant Teaching Professor, Co-Associate Director Undergraduate Programs & Partnerships
Laurene Sheilds
Professor Community; health promotion; empowerment; community nursing practice; life threatening illness and events; connectedness; people’s experiences of health, illness and healing; narrative inquiry; feminist research; story as a metaphor of healing; spirituality
Leanne Kelly
Assistant Teaching Professor Indigenous community health, public health, community engaged learning, Indigenous methodologies, equity and social justice
Lenora Marcellus
Professor Neonatal nursing; transition of the high risk newborn to the community; creating supportive environments for neonatal development; perinatal substance use; women’s health; leadership; quality improvement
Lisa Bourque Bearskin
Associate Professor Indigenous health nursing knowledge, Indigenous research methodologies, Indigenous health rights, Indigenous-specific racism, cultural safety, cultural security, and cultural humility
Lorelei Newton
Assistant Professor Nursing ethics; professional practice/leadership; rural nursing; advanced practice nursing; nursing education; geriatric oncology; palliative care; knowledge translation; nursing pedagogy; ageism; aging
Mariko Sakamoto
Assistant Professor Aging, Dementia, Gerontological Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Health Care Transitions, Participatory Action Research, Qualitative Methods, Integrated Knowledge Translation
Marilou Gagnon
Professor HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, supervised consumption sites, drug policy, social justice, human rights, whistle-blowing in health care (nursing), advocacy and activism
Maureen Ryan
Teaching Professor (tenured), Associate Dean Academic - Faculty of Human & Social Development Nursing Education Scholarship; Indigenous Health and Well-being; Community Health; Participatory Action Research; Critical Social theory
Nancy Clark
Associate Professor Community-engaged, immigrant & refugee mental health; intersectionality, social justice, equity, ethnography, arts-based methods
Olga Petrovskaya
Associate Professor Technology in health care; eHealth; Electronic Health Records; online patient portals; care practices; Continental philosophy; post-structuralism; socio-material theory; actor-network theory; nursing theory; health services research; qualitative research methods; ethnography; systematic literature reviews; scoping & umbrella reviews
Rebecca Bingley
Assistant Teaching Professor Cardiac nursing; nurse practitioner; global health; vulnerable populations; refugees
Sarah Pirani
Assistant Teaching Professor Curriculum Design, Teaching & Learning Strategies, Simulation, Nurse Practitioner Education, Primary Care, Mental Health & Psychiatry
Susan Duncan
Professor Nursing education leadership; policy analysis and advocacy; participatory research; public health nursing; primary health care
Vera Caine
Professor HIV, Refugees, Indigenous, narrative inquiry, community-based research, participatory action
Wendy Neander
Assistant Teaching Professor Bicultural interactions in Nursing Education and Practice; HIV/AIDS in vulnerable populations; Interdisciplinary Education; healthy aging; global health; health promotion and social justice; Indigenous knowledge and Nursing knowledge, similarities and differences. nursing work force issues, retention; applied nursing science, for clinical practice with vulnerable populations.
Show me program details
Providing you accurate admission requirements, application deadlines, tuition fee estimates and scholarships depends on your situation. Tell us about yourself:
Your program details
Application deadlines
- September entry only. Apply by November 15
- The deadline for all documents is December 31
The PhD program accepts new students every even year (2020, 2022, etc.)
We recommend that you submit your application at least 3 months before the program entry date.
- September entry only. Apply by November 15
- The deadline for all documents is December 31
The PhD program accepts new students every even year (2020, 2022, etc.)
We recommend that you submit your application at least 3 months before the program entry date.
Admission requirements
- Completion of a baccalaureate and master’s degree in Nursing from an institution recognized by UVic.
- A minimum 7.0 (A-) GPA in your master’s program. If you have less than a 7.0 GPA, we may consider appropriate work experience and additional credentials.
If your first language is not English, you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including allowable exemptions and tests.
Review our general admission requirements for more information.
Program specific requirements
- Completion of an advanced level (500 or higher) university statistics course.
- The equivalent of a minimum of two years’ full-time nursing practice as a registered nurse is strongly recommended.
- The capacity to conduct original research and scholarship and the ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal format at a graduate level.
You must submit a letter of intent that clearly addresses the following in detail:
- Career plans: describe how your academic and professional backgrounds relate to your career plans and, more specifically, to the program. Tell us your vision of how a PhD will enhance or advance your career.
- Research experience: Identify your involvement with, or contributions to, research. For example, list research courses that you have completed (e.g., statistics and research methods at both the graduate and undergraduate level) and/or provide an overview of, your participation in primary research, systematic or integrative reviews, and knowledge translation. Indicate how your experiences with research have shaped your interests in nursing research and/or scholarship.
- Research plans: Indicate the broad areas of nursing you are interested in (e.g., nursing ethics, a clinical population of interest) and why, specifying a focus for your research if possible. For your topic of interest indicate how it is significant for the development of nursing knowledge and/or nursing practice. Tell us how UVic is a good fit for you and your research goals. Describe your research objectives and your interest in research.
- PhD program/supervisory expectations: Name a proposed supervisor and describe how your interests fit with theirs. Describe your expectations of this program and of your supervisor.
- Financial assistance: Indicate whether you will be applying for awards/financial assistance. Let us know your interest in applying for a part-time sessional teaching position.
- Completion of a baccalaureate and master’s degree in Nursing from an institution recognized by UVic.
- A minimum 7.0 (A-) GPA in your master’s program. If you have less than a 7.0 GPA, we may consider appropriate work experience and additional credentials.
If your first language is not English, you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including allowable exemptions and tests.
Review our general admission requirements for more information.
Program specific requirements
- Completion of an advanced level (500 or higher) university statistics course.
- The equivalent of a minimum of two years’ full-time nursing practice as a registered nurse is strongly recommended.
- The capacity to conduct original research and scholarship and the ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal format at a graduate level.
You must submit a letter of intent that clearly addresses the following in detail:
- Career plans: describe how your academic and professional backgrounds relate to your career plans and, more specifically, to the program. Tell us your vision of how a PhD will enhance or advance your career.
- Research experience: Identify your involvement with, or contributions to, research. For example, list research courses that you have completed (e.g., statistics and research methods at both the graduate and undergraduate level) and/or provide an overview of, your participation in primary research, systematic or integrative reviews, and knowledge translation. Indicate how your experiences with research have shaped your interests in nursing research and/or scholarship.
- Research plans: Indicate the broad areas of nursing you are interested in (e.g., nursing ethics, a clinical population of interest) and why, specifying a focus for your research if possible. For your topic of interest indicate how it is significant for the development of nursing knowledge and/or nursing practice. Tell us how UVic is a good fit for you and your research goals. Describe your research objectives and your interest in research.
- PhD program/supervisory expectations: Name a proposed supervisor and describe how your interests fit with theirs. Describe your expectations of this program and of your supervisor.
- Financial assistance: Indicate whether you will be applying for awards/financial assistance. Let us know your interest in applying for a part-time sessional teaching position.
Completion requirements
View the minimum course requirements for this program.
View the minimum course requirements for this program.
Funding & aid
Tuition & fees
Estimated minimum program cost*
* Based on an average program length. For a per term fee breakdown view the tuition fee estimator.
Estimated values determined by the tuition fee estimator shall not be binding to the University of Victoria.
Ready to apply?
You can start your online application to UVic by creating a new profile or using an existing one.
Faculties & departments
Need help?
Contact Russell Hawkins at gradnurs@uvic.ca or 250-721-8994.