Doctorate in Nursing Education, Ed.D.

The Doctorate in Nursing Education program is designed to prepare nurse educators for the 21st century. The Tanner Health System School of Nursing and the College of Education collaborated to develop a joint curriculum taught by both Tanner Health System School of Nursing faculty and College of Education faculty. 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 (2005). 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 mandatory three-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 CCNE accredited institution.
• G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale graduate nursing program.
• 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).
• Current unencumbered RN license in the state in which the student will practice.
• Immunization form (must be submitted every semester).
• Professional curriculum vitae.
• GRE scores.

Provisional Admission to Ed.D Program

Students who do not meet all of the criteria for admission may be considered for provisional admission pending space availability.