Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.)

To be considered for the Ph.D. program, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or are in the process of completing a BSN from a nursing education program accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA). Applicants may apply while a bachelor’s degree is still in progress but must receive the degree prior to the first term of enrollment at the School of Nursing.
• The University of Michigan School of Nursing considers post-baccalaureate and post-master's applicants for admission consideration. A Master of Science in Nursing is not required for admission consideration to the Ph.D. program.  
• Minimum grade point average of a 3.0 on a 4-point scale (or equivalent measures of performance if a graduate of an institution with no grading system) in both undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) nursing programs.   

Prior to their first term of enrollment, all admitted students must have an active and unencumbered RN license from any state within the United States. International PhD students must hold a nursing license from a recognized jurisdiction. International PhD students are not required to hold a valid U.S. RN license but those without a license may not perform as an RN while enrolled in the doctoral program. The decision to obtain a license should be informed by the student’s research focus and dissertation plans.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for admission consideration to any of the University of Michigan School of Nursing’s graduate programs.

Required supporting materials

1. Academic statement of purpose
Provide a comprehensive statement, not to exceed 1000 words, that describes your rationale for pursuing the Ph.D. program. The statement is most effective when it specifies your: professional goals for the future as a Ph.D. prepared nurse and appraisal of research interests.

2. Identification of a possible mentor match 
Use the find a research mentor link to identify a possible mentor match.  Applicants are required to identify at least one possible mentor match but no more than three.  Mentor matches should be someone at the School of Nursing who is doing research similar in scope to your research interests.  

3. Personal statement
Provide a comprehensive answer, not to exceed 500 words, to the following question within the Rackham application under the section 'Personal Statement': How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue the Ph.D. at the University of Michigan? Note that the personal statement should provide evidence that you have researched the Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

4. Recommendations
The University of Michigan requires three recommendations. At least two of the three required recommendations must be from individuals who have a Ph.D. in nursing. The recommendation form is part of the Rackham Graduate School application. We are unable to accept application forms that are not linked to the online application. Detailed recommendation form instructions are available on the Rackham Graduate School website. Recommendations must be completed and submitted no later than the deadline. Recommendation letters should describe the applicant’s potential to become a future researcher/scientist. Each letter should be written on formal letterhead and signed by the recommender.  Do not use digital signatures.

5. Official post-secondary transcripts
All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office to the applicant, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.  Include this information on page 5 of the application. If you completed coursework for your degree at a non-U.S. institution, please see the section below titled Non-U.S. Institution Transcripts for further instructions.

Note: A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.

If you have community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework, indicate this information on page 10 of the application under the “Additional Information” section.  Here, you'll be asked to  add transcripts for any additional education beyond your degree-granting institutions.
For further instructions please refer to the Rackham Graduate School Website. 

After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript sent directly from the registrar’s office must be submitted to Rackham.

6. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Your current resume or CV should be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document within the online Rackham application. 

7. Scholarly Paper
Provide a scholarly paper in support of your application. You should be either the first or sole author of this paper. The scholarly paper does not need to reflect your chosen area of focus within the Ph.D. program. The Admissions Committee will review the paper for writing style and scholarly quality, including the use of citations and references and evidence of critical thinking. Examples are: Master's thesis, published article, scholarly paper, research (data-based) paper. If you are a post-baccalaureate applicant, you may submit a high-quality scholarly paper that you wrote during your undergraduate program.

All required materials, not just the application, need to be submitted by the deadline. 

All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office to the applicant, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. In addition to uploading copies of official transcripts, applicants that attended non-U.S. institutions must calculate a self-reported estimated GPA using Scholaro.

Converting Grades to a US GPA:

Please review Rackham’s website on Credentials from Non U.S. institutions in its entirety on how to submit a Scholaro report in order to complete your application.

Important notes on Scholaro:

• Applicants are required to complete a Scholaro report for each/any bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress for non-U.S. institutions attended.
• A Scholaro report can only be uploaded prior to submission. A Scholaro report should accompany an applicant’s transcripts on page 5 of the application.
• A WES, ECE or reports from other foreign evaluation vendors cannot be accepted in place of a Scholaro report.

Please indicate any non-degree coursework on page 10 of the application, along with any non-degree transcripts. This would include coursework such as a 1- or 2-year general nursing program completed prior to receiving your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You do not need to complete a Scholaro report for a 1- or- 2-year general nursing program or for coursework that did not yield a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Applicants are highly encouraged to submit their applications and Scholaro reports as soon as possible as the Scholaro  process can be time consuming. 

The application and all required materials must be submitted by the deadline for your application to be reviewed. 

After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript sent directly from the registrar’s office must be submitted to Rackham.