PhD Program Overview
Application Deadlines
Fall Start – Paused for 2026 Admission
Application Opens: August 15
Priority Deadline: February 1
Final Deadline: May 1
Courses begin August 18, 2025
Applying by the priority deadline ensures that a decision will be awarded to applicants within 2 months.
PhD Program Faculty
Research Assistants
PhD Research Concentrations
Health Equality
Promotion of health equality and reduction of disparate health outcomes are a leading priority of the WSU College of Nursing. Our faculty seek innovative solutions including intervention development and evaluation.
Symptom Management and
Behavioral Health
Symptom management and behavioral health include improving quality of life and health outcomes associated with mental health and chronic conditions. Nursing faculty engage in interdisciplinary research focused on older adults, chronic pain, and substance use. Interventions are tested using digital health and other technologies to relieve symptom burdens and promote adoption of healthy behaviors.
Community Resilience and Health
Weather extremes are a threat to human health that magnify structural injustices. Nursing faculty are seeking solutions through research focused on Indigenous health and sovereignty, and energy resilience. Others are focused on adaptation to heat and wildfire smoke, two concerns of particular importance to the Western region.
Work Science, Education and Policy
Workforce science, education and policy focuses on the health, safety, competencies, and performance of various workers across educational, industry, and practice settings. In the College of Nursing, faculty are conducting research in relation to multiple workforces, including nurses, in education and practice settings.
Experience what makes WSU extraordinary!
The PhD program at WSU College of Nursing has been an incredibly fulfilling journey for me. WSU’s dedicated faculty offered me endless opportunities to explore various research areas, providing personalized mentorship and expert advice. The program’s nurturing environment made all the difference in my educational and research endeavors. My experience at WSU has been nothing short of transformative.
Charles “Dan” Edwards, Ph.D., RN-BC
Admission Requirements
Education Requirements
- Official transcripts from ALL colleges and/or universities attended.
- Please note that if you wish to transfer in any coursework from another institution, your coursework will not be evaluated prior to admission.
- Prospective international applicants must meet language requirements listed on the Graduate School website.
- Bacc-PhD:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited program if you are interested in the Bacc-PhD program. Minimum GPA of 3.5 or higher from that degree. If you have mitigating circumstances that affected your GPA, please contact us at grad.nursing@wsu.edu to discuss.
- PhD:
- A master’s degree from a regionally accredited program. Minimum GPA of 3.5 or higher from that degree. If you have mitigating circumstances that affected your GPA, please contact us at grad.nursing@wsu.edu to discuss.
Practice & Professional
- Curriculum vitae or résumé
- NOTE: We will make special accommodations for international students. Please contact grad.nursing@wsu.edu if you will be an international student.
Additional Items
- Scholarly work and research goal statement.
- 3 professional references.
- Successful completion of an admissions interview via Zoom.
Program Requirements
The PhD program curriculum core courses are designed to be delivered over 7 semesters with additional semesters focused on your dissertation.
The Bacc-PhD program curriculum is designed to be delivered over 9 semesters, with additional time for your dissertation.
These timelines vary by student. Select a plan below based on the program you’re interested in to see an example of how the program might look for you.
Required Courses
Select a plan below based on the program you’re interested in to see an example of how the program might look for you.
| Program | Plan |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s (BSN) to PhD | 4 year sample (PDF) |
| Master of Nursing (MN) to PhD | 4 year sample (PDF) |
The WSU Graduate School allows 10 years for program completion. However, the preliminary examination must be completed by Year 7 in order to have the required maximum of 4 years post-preliminary exam for completion of the study and defense.
Application Requirements
Application Review Process
- You will receive email notification upon submitting your application.
- We begin reviewing completed applications upon submission.
- You will be notified via email if you are accepted, wait-listed, or denied.
- Admission questions? Email nursing.admissions@wsu.edu.
What is the selection process and how soon will I know if I am accepted?
Our PhD Advisory Committee reviews and scores all applications. Applicants receiving an acceptable score are invited for a phone interview with 2 members of the committee. Those members will make a recommendation back to the full committee for a vote. If approved, the applicant will be recommended to the graduate school for acceptance. You will receive an email from the College of Nursing notifying you of the admission decision.
Are Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores required for graduate nursing programs?
No, the GRE is not required.
Are reference letters required?
Yes, you will need to provide names and emails of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include:
- A current or past faculty member from an academic program you attended.
- Two professional references from a work setting.
The reference will be asked to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
Your references will be contacted directly by NursingCAS via email after you have saved their information to your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation online. NursingCAS requires you to add a Due Date for the reference – set that date as 7 days after the day you are submitting your application (i.e. If you submit August 20, set the due date as August 27).
You do not need to provide a paper recommendation. Please contact references prior to applying to ensure they are willing to respond to your recommendation request; ask them to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
Where do I have my transcripts sent?
Have your transcripts sent directly to CAS from your application portal. For more information on ordering transcripts through NursingCAS visit the NursingCAS Applicant Help Center webpage on transcripts.
Program Outcomes
- Demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze data
- Demonstrate the ability to translate nursing science by contributing meaningfully to the research literature
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary scholars in research and transfers evidence-based knowledge into best clinical practices and/or policy influence through dissemination processes
Updated May 2025
Paying for the Program
What does it cost to attend the program?
Visit the WSU Student Financial Services website for information on tuition and expenses at the program and campus level.
How much does it cost to apply?
- Nursing CAS itself will cost approximately $80.
- WSU Graduate School application fee $10.
- Official transcripts from everywhere you have attended will be required as well.
What support can I get with financial aid?
Please see our Financial Aid page for information on scholarships.
What is the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) as it relates to WSU?
The PhD program is part of the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) which allows students living in a 16-state region to utilize in-state tuition. There are some criteria to be aware of for utilizing the WRGP:
- The College of Nursing credit requirement for the WRGP is 9+ for Spring and Fall semesters and 5+ credits for summer.
- The College of Nursing automatically enrolls qualifying students in WRGP.
| Item | Amount* | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AY 25-26 Tuition | Residents: $887.60 per credit for residents. 10-18 credits per semester costs $8876. | ||||||||
| Non-residents and $1661.20 per credit. 10-18 credits per semester costs $16,612. | |||||||||
| Students in the PhD program take variable credits per semester, depending on their research interest and time to complete all of their requirements. | |||||||||
| Campus & Student Fees | Please note that individual campuses may have additional annual campus or student fees on top of the base tuition amount. Those are:
| ||||||||
| *Please note costs listed on this page are estimates for budgeting purposes only. This is not a bill. For additional budgeting information, refer to the Financial Services figures. Washington State University reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice, upon approval by the State of Washington and Washington State University Board of Regents and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at WSU at the time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition and mandatory fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors. | |||||||||
Scholarships & Loan programs
- College of Nursing Scholarships
- Graduate Fellowship
- Western Regional Graduate Program
- Nurse Faculty Loan Program
- WSU Scholarships
- Financial Aid
AACN Fee Waivers
AACN offers fee waivers to qualifying students applying for nursing programs through NursingCAS. These fee waivers have very specific qualification requirements, some of which include:
- The applicant can only qualify based on either income or service.
- The applicant is only able to apply for one fee waiver per application cycle.
- The waiver counts only for the applicant’s first application, if the applicant completes applications for additional schools and/or programs, they must pay the fees associated with those applications.
- The fee waiver form must be completed before the application is fully submitted.
- The fee waiver form can take up to 10 days to process, so the applicant must keep this timeframe in mind when applying. The application may not be fully submitted until a fee waiver decision has been made. If the decision falls outside the application deadline, the applicant will not be able to submit their application.
- If the waiver is approved, the application must be submitted within 30 days of approval or the waiver will be void.
For more information, including additional qualification requirements and how to apply,
please visit the NursingCAS Applicant Help Center Fees and Fee Waiver page.
Personal budgeting
- Computer Needs
If you do not already have a computer, one option is this agreement between WSU and Dell. WSU Nursing IT recommends a Windows computer to ensure familiarity at clinical sites and general compatibility. Review technical requirements. - Student Organizations
Optional association with student organizations may have small fees or charges attached.
Student Compliance Requirements
PhD students do not automatically need to adhere to the Passport requirements. However, a clinical passport may be needed if they are doing a study in a clinical facility and if they require a passport per the facility research IRB committee. The chair of the student will inform the PhD Program Director, who will then initiate the clinical passport process.
WSU Health Sciences requires specific vaccinations to participate in required clinical learning experiences listed in the WSU Human Health Sciences Immunization Requirements policy. The only exemption to the required vaccinations is for students that have a legitimate medical condition that make vaccination medically contraindicated.
Clinical site placement requirements vary and may include vaccinations or screenings not required by WSU Human Health Sciences and/or its programs. College of Nursing staff will inform you if a site requires additional requirements beyond those of WSU Human Health Sciences and College of Nursing requirements. Clinical training sites may deny students who do not meet their requirements. Failure to comply with clinical site vaccination and health screening requirements may result in an inability to progress in the curriculum.
To request a medical exemption for WSU Human Health Sciences and College of Nursing requirements, please contact nursing.clinicalaffairs@wsu.edu. Even with an approved medical exemption or accommodation from WSU, students may still need to obtain approval from a clinical training site to participate in clinical experiences.
Clinical training sites previously accepting medical exemptions may discontinue this practice or add specific booster requirements. Facilities have the right to change requirements at will at any time.
Licensure
Students with an RN license and collect data in a healthcare agency, will be required to show documentation of your licensure. Documentation requirements may vary by agency.
Required Forms
Student Media Release
- Requirement: Sign and date the Student Media Consent Form (PDF). Students are not required to give permission but are required to complete the form indicating their preference.
- Documentation: Email completed copy to your academic coordinator.
Student Authorization to Release Records Form
- Requirement: Sign the Student Authorization to Release Information to Clinical Agencies (PDF) form. This allows WSU to send student records to clinical agencies to facilitate clinical placement and onboarding.
- Documentation: Email completed copy to your academic coordinator.
Training
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI)
- Requirement: The College of Nursing requires all graduate students to complete two CITI training courses. For information regarding these trainings, please access the HPP/IRB Washington State University CITI training site.
- Please access instructions to register for a CITI account (PDF) through Washington State University. If you already have a CITI account through the university, these instructions will also direct you on how to enroll in the below four courses.
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training course.
- Required by the Washington State University Graduate School upon admission.
- Human Subjects Research (HSR) training course.
- Required by the Washington State University Institutional Review Board
- For both the HSR and RCR trainings, students will select between “Social/Behavioral Research” course or the “Biomedical” course depending on their area of research. Typically MN and DNP students choose Social/Behavioral, while PhD students choose Biomedical. Please contact your advisor if you need assistance determining which course to take.
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training course.
- Documentation: Email the certificate of completion to your academic coordinator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a PhD and DNP Degree?
The DNP degree is a practice-oriented doctoral-level degree that prepares nurses for leadership positions or as advanced practice nurses in a variety of settings. The PhD in nursing prepares nursing scientists to conduct research aimed at enhancing effectiveness of nursing in specific populations and within various healthcare settings. Compare our graduate programs.
Graduate Program Advisors
The Washington State University College of Nursing BSN, MN and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K. Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
