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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education

School of Education

Nursing Education specialization

A shortage of nursing faculty is a key reason U.S. nursing schools must turn away tens of thousands of qualified applicants each year. Capella's doctoral Nursing Education specialization is designed to prepare master's-level nurses to meet this growing need and to advance the field of nursing through doctoral research. The National League for Nursing recognizes that this PhD specialization in Nursing Education aligns with the Core Competencies for Nurse Educators©, using competencies that are integral to the Certified Nurse Educator® (CNE) exam. The curriculum includes such topics as advanced nursing theory and concepts, curriculum design and evaluation, teaching strategies, and classroom assessment. People likely to be interested in this specialization include nursing faculty members who want to pursue advanced faculty or leadership positions and nurses currently working in health care delivery who want to share their knowledge of nursing.

Residential colloquia

As a PhD learner, you will attend three five-day residential colloquia at specific stages in your program. Learn about the residential colloquia experience.

Total Program: 120 quarter credits
Up to 48 quarter credits may be transferred into this program
Next Start Date: August 3, 2009
Quarter - Coursework: $4,485
Quarter - Comps/Diss: $3,945

78% of our learners receive aid.

Photo of Capella University online learner Karla Larson, PhD Photo of Capella University online learner Karla Larson, PhD

Core Courses (each course 4 quarter credits unless noted)

  • ED8002 - Foundations of Theory and Practice in Doctoral Studies
  • ED8113 - Advanced Study in Research Methods
  • ED8119 - Advanced Practicum in Research Design*

Specialization Courses (each course 4 quarter credits unless noted)

  • ED7311 - Theory and Methods of Educating Adults
  • ED7313 - Global Issues in Adult Education
  • ED7712 - Classroom Assessment in Education
  • ED7310 - Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Educational Process
  • ED8350 - Advanced Nursing Theory and Concepts
  • ED8355 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation in Nursing Education
  • ED8360 - The Nurse Educator: Faculty Roles and Responsibilities
  • ED8365 - Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education
  • ED8370 - Nursing Leadership and Professional Practice
  • ED9919 - Doctoral Comprehensive Examination*
  • ED9920 - Dissertation Courseroom* - non-credit
  • ED9921 - Dissertation Research 1* - 5 quarter credits
  • ED9922 - Dissertation Research 2* - 5 quarter credits
  • ED9923 - Dissertation Research 3* - 5 quarter credits
  • ED9924 - Dissertation Research 4* - 5 quarter credits

Twelve Elective Courses (each course 4 quarter credits unless noted)

  • Recommended elective courses
  • ED7818 - The Future of Teaching and Learning: Issues for the Educational Leader
  • ED5315 - Adult Development and Learning
  • ED5311 - The Collaborative Nature of Adult Education
  • ED7391 - International Aspects of Adult Education
  • ED5804 - The Delivery of Distance Education
  • ED5806 - Designing Online Instruction
  • ED7212 - Administration and Leadership of Distance Education Programs
  • ED7590 - Critical Thinking in Adult Education
  • ED7700 - Learning Theory and the Educational Process
  • ED7580 - Theory and Development of Multiple Intelligences
  • ED7540 - Leadership in Higher Education
  • ED7547 - Assessment in Higher Education
  • ED7690 - Critical Skills for Facilitating Online Learning
  • ED5312 - Strategies for Building Online Learning Communities
  • ED5313 - Curriculum Development for Online Learning
  • ED7716 - Faculty Leadership
  • ED7800 - Grant Writing for Higher Education
  • ED8117 - Advanced Qualitative Research Methods*
  • ED8444 - Higher Education Curriculum Development and Teaching Strategies
  • ED8600 - Effective Online Course Design, Delivery, Facilitation, and Assessment
  • HS8505 - Ethics and Decision Making in Health Care
  • HS8300 - Diversity in the Workplace
  • OR
  • Choose any graduate courses.
* This course has a prerequisite. Contact an enrollment counselor for more information.
Course Descriptions

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