Doctorate in Nursing Education, Ed.D.

The Doctorate in Nursing Education program is designed to prepare nurse educators for the 21st century. Competencies include the knowledge and skills in theoretical and analytic approaches to the discovery and application of knowledge in nursing education. The core competencies reflect the Core Competencies of Nurse Educators by the National League for Nursing (2012). No such programs exist in Georgia and only a few exist in the nation.

The program is offered 100 percent online and includes a total of 60 semester hours. A two-day, on-site orientation seminar will introduce learners to key components of the doctoral program. Through structured activities and facilitator-guided dialogue, learners will gain an understanding of the doctoral program goals, structure, and culture. Students will develop strategies for successfully engaging in doctoral learning and building an effective doctoral community. Classroom instruction will be delivered primarily through asynchronous communication. Communication between professor and students will be promoted within the university’s course management system.

Ed.D. Program Objectives

1. Demonstrate advanced nurse educator competencies to enact increasingly complex faculty and leadership roles.
2. Facilitate curriculum design, development of courses, and evaluation of program and learner outcomes using evidence-based strategies.
3. Function as a change agent, innovator, and leader with the continuous pursuit of quality improvement in the nurse educator role.
4. Advance the scholarship of nursing education.
5. Conduct, evaluate, and synthesize theoretically guided research to further pedagogical knowledge in nursing education.

Admission Requirements for the Doctorate in Nursing Education

• Earned Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from an accredited institution.
• G.P.A. of 3.0 (4.0 scale) for all graduate nursing courses.
• Official transcript from each college or university attended.
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are knowledgeable of the applicant’s professional and academic abilities.
• Sample of academic writing limited to five pages (An academic paper presented in a previous graduate course that demonstrates knowledge of an area, powers of organization, command of language, and communication skills).
• Evidence of current licensure as a registered nurse (RN) in the United States.
• Professional resume.

Online Degree and Certification Programs may not be available in all states.

If you are an out-of-state student, please contact the University of West Georgia, Director of Distance Education, Janet Gubbins (jgubbins@westga.edu, or central office #678-839-0630), to confirm that our program is available in your state. Once you have confirmed that the EdD program is available in your state, please contact the Tanner Health System School of Nursing Graduate Associate, Embry Ice (eice@westga.edu, or central office #678-839-5115), as the requirement of additional faculty licenses may be necessary to accommodate out of state students.  Currently, only residents with active licenses in Alabama and Compact States (eNLC) are eligible for practicum requirements of the program. Please check the NCSBN Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact (eNLC) Implementation site for individual state status.

A review of applications will begin after February 1st and will continue until the cohort of students for the EdD in Nursing Education program is full.