December 21, 2021
The School of Nursing proudly announces the part-time doctoral program, which was approved in December 2021. Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, director of the school, is delighted that the program has been approved by Senate. "UBC has been a leader in doctoral education in nursing for over 30 years," she points out. "Now, we are offering a part-time PhD program in addition to our full-time program."
PhD program coordinator, Dr. Susan Dahinten adds that “We are implementing the part-time program to open up opportunities for those who prefer or need a different time frame for completing their doctoral studies.”
This is an important innovation, Dr. Saewyc notes. "The worldwide shortage of nurses is already a crisis. We need more nurses in the workforce, but we are in particular need of PhD-prepared nurse educators and leaders to address the health challenges of today and tomorrow."
Why a part-time program? Our doctoral program attracts students who are in different stages of life, career, and professional employment. Some are in leadership positions within the healthcare system or are already in faculty positions at another institution. Some applicants would like to continue in their current position or have personal circumstances that make it inconvenient or impossible for them to devote full-time attention to their program of study. The part-time program will allow students a slower, and more flexible pace of studies, and will prepare nurses for leadership roles within academic institutions, practice settings and policy arenas.
What is the difference between full-time and part-time doctoral studies? Part-time doctoral students are expected to complete their core course work over two years instead of one, and there will be an 8-year time limit for completing the program compared to 6 years for full-time students.
The part-time program will be available for students entering the program beginning in September 2022. Therefore, the application deadline for the part-time program (only) will be extended to March (details will be available in January). Check our Graduate Learning pages beginning January 2022.
For further information, contact Dr. Susan Dahinten, PhD Program Coordinator or Mr. Gino Kim, Graduate Programs Officer.
