PhD Courses and Curriculum

The UNC School of Nursing’s PhD curriculum prepares the next generation of nurse scientists to lead transformative research for the nursing discipline aimed at advancing health for all. Our curriculum is built around a first year of shared core coursework in scientific reasoning, nursing science, and research methods; a second year of methodological specialization aligned with your research interests; and a third year (and beyond) focused on the dissertation. Below you will find our PhD curriculum map and course offerings. 

PhD Curriculum Map

View our PhD Program Curriculum Map to see how required courses, electives, and dissertation credits are sequenced year by year across the program of study. 

Course Offerings

Updated August 2026

Required Courses

NURS 912 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Inquiry       

Students develop competence in analyzing and applying philosophical and theoretical orientations as well as in the conduct and critique of scientific and scholarly work.

NURS 916 Qualitative Approaches to Scientific Inquiry      

This course provides a comprehensive examination of qualitative research methodologies, including qualitative description, grounded theory, ethnography, and narrative inquiry. Students will critically examine the philosophical underpinnings of these approaches and their application to scientific inquiry. Emphasis is placed on designing qualitative studies, with a focus on sampling strategies, data collection techniques, data analysis processes, and the representation of findings. The course also addresses essential considerations for ensuring validity and rigor, ethical research practices, and strategies for managing challenges in qualitative research.

NURS 909 Multilevel Approaches to Health Equity 

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to scientific inquiry using a multilevel approach. Fundamental principles around conceptual, theoretical, study design, and analytic perspectives for why and how multilevel approaches are useful for addressing determinants of health and health equity are at the core of covered content. 

NURS 913 Knowledge Synthesis: Organizing, Evaluating, and Summarizing Evidence

Student develops competence in identifying, organizing, critiquing, and synthesizing the evidence in a focused area. Includes writing a review of the synthesized evidence that serves as a foundation for a publication.

NURS 917 Quantitative Approaches to Scientific Inquiry   

This course offers an in-depth introduction to quantitative research methods. It focuses on designing studies, including descriptive, associational, explanatory, and predictive designs, as well as sampling, measurement, data collection, analysis, and result interpretation. Students will explore the philosophical foundations of these methods and their application in scientific inquiry. The course also covers key aspects of validity, rigor, ethical practices, and strategies for overcoming challenges in quantitative research.

NURS 926 Foundations of Statistical Analysis         

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to statistical analysis for quantitative data, combining theoretical concepts with practical applications through various software programs (e.g., SAS, G*Power, and nQuery). Students will learn core methods such as descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and correlation, along with an introduction to advanced topics like regression, moderation, mediation, sample size calculation, and handling missing data. Emphasis is placed on interpreting statistical results, data visualization, and communicating APA-style results.

NURS 904 Crafting Effective Health Research Grant Proposals       

In this course students will apply their foundational knowledge of scientific theory, methods and analysis to design a research proposal. They will generate ideas and drafts of the Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Methods sections of the proposal. While students are encouraged to search and apply for NIH and non-NIH grants, the course will focus on the NIH research proposal since it is the major funding source for health-related biomedical research.  The final product will include a full draft of the research plan for an NIH F31 grant proposal or equivalent (e.g., foundation grant, K99).

NURS 978 Measurement and Data Quality in Health Research      

This course will examine the links between measurement theory and practice, emphasizing study design, data collection methods, and data quality. Students will critically evaluate concepts underlying measurement reliability and validity and explore the construction of measurement tools and their use in quantitative research. The course will incorporate a combination of theory, methods, and practical skill development, including training in statistical software (e.g., SAS, SPSS, or Stata) for factor analysis and computation of reliability measures. Students will be prepared to critically evaluate methodological issues in quantitative measurement and develop measurement approaches for research proposals.

NURS 918 Intermediate Statistics: Regression Analysis

This course focuses on the use of advanced regression techniques to analyze various types of response variables with multiple predictors, interaction terms, or longitudinal data.

NURS 934 Clinical Scholarship and Professional Communication 

This course provides students with a foundation in professional communication of scholarly and clinical work through a variety of strategies.

NURS 915 Transforming Health Systems: Innovation, Implementation Science, and Policy         

This course introduces students to the principles and concepts of innovation, implementation science, and policy, to transform clinical practice, health systems, and societal health. Students will critically evaluate multi-level contexts, identify strategies to catalyze change, and evaluate impact using relevant theories and frameworks. Applications and skills development will be used to engage students in translating innovations into real-world impact.

NURS 994 Dissertation

Dissertation credits. Minimum of 6 credits required; offered every spring and fall semester and both summer sessions; 3 credits.

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Electives

NURS 675 Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation: Integrative Seminar

Prerequisite: Admission to the Hillman Scholars Program in Nursing Innovation. This seminar will cultivate personal and professional skills essential for students’ development and socialization as nurse innovators, leaders, researchers, and scholars. Content is iterative and progressive in depth and scope. Offered every fall and spring semester; 1 credit.

NURS 899 Special Topics

Independent study with an authority in the field. Elective; offered every spring and fall semester and both summer sessions. Offered every fall and spring semesters, and both summer sessions; 1-6 credits.

NURS 985 Research Seminar & Practicum: Guided Individual Research Experience

Directs students to develop research skills related to dissertation and future research. Minimum of 3 credits required; offered every spring and fall semester and both summer sessions; 1-3 credits.

NURS 951 Mentored Teaching Practicum

Prerequisite: NURS 875 or NURS 950 or permission of the instructor. Provides doctoral students with a mentored teaching experience through which educational theory and methods can be applied while engaging in teaching activities with the mentor. The practicum will provide opportunities to analyze course design, implement objectives, evaluate student competencies and practice a variety of teaching methods: Offered every fall and spring semester and both summer sessions; 1-3 credits; may be repeated for up to 3 credits in total.

NURS 957 From Theory to Intervention

Prerequisite: NURS 912 or graduate level theory course. In-depth exploration of selected programmatic research in nursing and related fields on prevention and management of chronic conditions in order to generate and evaluate treatment theory and intervention protocol. Offered every fall semester; 3 credits.

NURS 958 Designing Intervention Studies

Prerequisite: NURS 957 or permission of instructor. Examines methodological, ethical, and practical issues in the design and implementation of theory-based intervention studies. Offered every spring semester; 3 credits.

NURS 968 Writing the Pre-/Post-Doctoral Training Plan for a Research-Intensive Career

This course explores components of and rationale for a pre-/post-doctoral training plan and its relevance for planning a research-intensive career. Students will write a personalized training plan following grant criteria. Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of the instructor; completion of all first semester core courses in PhD program; permission of primary mentor; offered every summer; 2 credits.

NURS 979 Qualitative Analysis

Prerequisite: Foundational doctoral level qualitative methods course. Emphasizes the work of analysis and interpretation. Students apply relevant qualitative techniques to their own data. Offered as needed; 3 credits.

NURS 960 Implementation Science Research Design and Methods   

Through this course, students will gain the skills necessary to develop a proposal for an implementation science research study. The course will help students to develop implementation science research questions, break down research questions into specific aims, identify relevant theories, models, and frameworks, develop implementation strategies, and select research designs, methods, and measures.   

Pre/Co-requisite: To be successful in the course, students should complete an introductory course in implementation science (e.g., NURS 915 or HPM 767) prior to enrollment, Fall semester 

NURS 956 Theoretical Perspectives of Stress and Implications for Research and Policy   

This course explores the theoretical foundations of stress, examining its biological, psychological, and social dimensions through various models, including but not limited to the cognitive appraisal theory, biopsychosocial framework, and psychoneuroimmunology. Students will analyze the strengths, limitations, and applications of these models in research and policy contexts. Emphasis will be placed on the practical implications of stress theory for designing studies, developing interventions, and informing health policy.   

Pre/Co-requisite: Completion of 1st year doctoral coursework or permission of instructor, Spring semester 

NURS 927 Person-Centered Analytic Techniques  

This course provides an overview of person-centered analytic techniques used to identify unobserved homogenous subgroups within a larger heterogenous population in health-related research. Students will gain knowledge on conceptual foundations and applications of analytic techniques including latent class analysis, latent profile analysis, latent transition analysis, and latent class growth analysis. Emphasis will be placed on hands-on training around data management and analysis to gain research experience in applying these advanced analytic techniques and interpreting results in health-related research topics.   

Prerequisite: PhD level statistics course. Access to a dataset is ideal for hands on training. Spring semester 
 

NURS 951 Mentored Teaching Practicum 

Prerequisite: NURS 875 or NURS 950 or permission of the instructor. Provides doctoral students with a mentored teaching experience through which educational theory and methods can be applied while engaging in teaching activities with the mentor. The practicum will provide opportunities to analyze course design, implement objectives, evaluate student competencies and practice a variety of teaching methods: Offered every fall and spring semester and both summer sessions; 1-3 credits; may be repeated for up to 3 credits in total.