Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Doctoral
Pursue your PhD with us
The PhD program in the Faculty of Nursing develops nurse scientists who are expert clinical scholars equipped to provide leadership in nursing practice, research and education.
The degree is designed to educate professionals for excellence in nursing scholarship through original research. Our thesis-based degree offers opportunities to become research-intensive, gain core disciplinary knowledge and develop expertise within a substantive field.
Before applying, candidates are required to seek out members of our award-winning faculty who they believe would be a good “fit” with their research plans.
The University of Calgary is committed to helping new PhD students obtain funding support through awards, faculty research programs, teaching assistantships, and research scholarships.
Nancy Clark, PhD Student Post-Candidacy, UCalgary Nursing
Required Courses
- NURS 783: Winter (1st yr.) - Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
- NURS 726: Spring (1st yr.) - Developing a Scholarly e-Portfolio
- NURS 744: Fall (1st yr.) - Health Policy & Advocacy
- NURS 724: Winter (2nd yr.) - Philosophy, Knowledge and Research in Nursing
- NURS 721: Fall (2nd yr.) - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
For more details on these courses, review the Academic Calendar.
Important Notes on Admission
We encourage those interested in applying to the PhD program to contact the Graduate Programs Office prior to applying to discuss their fit for the program and the application and admission requirements.
Students are responsible for identifying a supervisor prior to applying.
To review potential supervisors please visit our Faculty Research page. Your potential supervisor will need to provide some supporting documents for your application.
Academic Requirements
- A Master’s degree in most cases is required for admission to a doctoral program
- Minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average
- Scholarly work: Examples of applicant’s written work i.e. publications, research reports/proposals, master’s thesis, etc.
- Successful completion of one Master’s level course in each of the following areas:
- Quantitative research methods
- Qualitative research methods
- Statistics (may be tied to a quantitative research course)
Documents for Application Package
Below are links to forms that need to be completed after you have submitted your online application for admission.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Your CV should include: education, professional employment experience including the institution, clinical area, dates of employment and positions held, academic awards, achievements, honors, or distinctions, scholarly presentations or publications with links when available, roles and/or affiliations with academic or professional organizations
Supervisor's Notice of Support
After you have submitted your online application, please ask your proposed supervisor to complete the attached Notice of Support. As well, the proposed supervisor must provide a letter in support of your application for admission to nursgrad@ucalgary.ca. This letter must also include what financial support the supervisor is able to offer.
Referee contact information
You will be asked to provide the contact information for your three referees (your previous master's supervisor, if applicable, and two additional academic references). Your referees will be emailed a unique link to complete the reference form, which will then be automatically added to your application once completed.
Unofficial Transcripts
You will need to provide unofficial transcripts for all prior post-secondary education. These can be uploaded to your Student Centre portal. Official transcripts will only be required for those offered admission.
Application questions
When you submit your application online, you will be asked to provide answers to the following questions:
| Please provide a description of your professional nursing or related experience and how it has informed your interest in pursuing a PhD. |
| Please describe how you envision completing a PhD program in nursing aligns with your career goals. |
| Please describe the questions, problems, or topics you hope to address through your PhD research, why your proposed research is important, and how you envision it contributing to the nursing profession. |
| Please provide an overview of the graduate level research and statistics courses you have taken, including the course name and number, institution, grade received, and date completed. |
| Please indicate if you have applied for financial support for your program in the form of an award, sponsorship, or other including the title of award, the dollar amount, and duration of the support |
| Please share if you plan to work while in the PhD program and approximately how many hours per week. |
| Students are responsible for identifying a supervisor prior to applying. Please identify your proposed supervisor from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary and share why they are a good fit for you and your proposed research. |
Technology Requirements
To successfully engage in learning experiences at the University of Calgary, students taking online, remote and blended courses are required to have reliable access to the following technology:
- A computer with a supported operating system, as well as the latest security, and malware updates.
- A current and updated web browser.
- Webcam (built-in or external).
- Microphone and speaker (built-in or external), or headset with microphone.
- Current antivirus and/or firewall software enabled.
- Broadband internet connection.
Fees & Funding
Achieve funding support through awards, faculty research programs, teaching assistantships, and research scholarships. All graduate students are expected to apply for internal and external awards, fellowships, and studentships for their program.
Still have questions? Contact the Nursing Programs Office