School of Nursing (GRAD)
At the graduate level, the School of Nursing offers the master of science in nursing (M.S.N.), the doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.), and the doctor of philosophy in nursing (Ph.D.).
Courses
Numbered 400-999:
Master of Science in Nursing
The master of science in nursing (M.S.N.) program prepares nurses for advanced practice nursing focused on direct patient care or as advanced specialists in health care leadership and administration.
Length of Program
The program of study varies from 33 to 47 credits of academic coursework, including clinical practice, a professional portfolio as a substitute for the oral comprehensive examination, and a master's paper (or in some cases, a thesis). Students may purse the M.S.N. degree on a full-time or part-time basis.
Master's Program Curriculum
The curriculum includes professional, research, clinical core courses and advanced nursing practice courses. The professional (NURS 746, NURS 790I) and research (NURS 740, NURS 992 or NURS 993) courses are required of all students. The clinical core courses and advanced nursing practice courses focus on the student's selected area of specialization and role preparation.
The program options offered reflect a combination of current practice trends as well as available faculty resources. Each student is admitted to a specific advanced nursing practice population or specialty area and assigned a faculty advisor appropriate to the student's educational and career goals. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations appropriate to their advanced area of preparation.
The M.S.N. program prepares nurses as (1) advanced practice registered nurses (i.e., nurse practitioners) focused on direct patient care or (2) as specialists in health care leadership and administration. The current advanced practice nursing population foci include adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner-primary care, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. The M.S.N. program is distance-based and incorporates both synchronous and asynchronous online learning, on-campus immersive experiences, and precepted clinical experiences.
The M.S.N. program also includes advanced practice courses in adult oncology. Master's students may elect to take these offerings as electives or declare an oncology focus in addition to their primary population or specialty area of interest. A graduate certificate in nursing education (additional nine credits) is available for students who desire to develop these skills in teaching and learning along with their advanced nursing preparation.
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
The Ph.D. program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is grounded in our commitment to enhancing the health of individuals, families, and communities; increasing the effectiveness of health care systems; and furthering the translation of research into practice. Graduates of the program are prepared to advance the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of nursing science, engage in interdisciplinary inquiry, and disseminate knowledge. The Ph.D. curriculum reflects the goals of the National Institutes of Health to foster discovery and increase the knowledge base for improving the health of all populations and to reduce health disparities. The program emphasizes the integration of the biological and behavioral sciences; the development and testing of evidence-based, theoretically grounded interventions; and the improvement of health care quality and outcomes. Faculty research addresses five areas of excellence, all grounded in a commitment to reducing disparities and promoting health equity: community engagement, multilevel determinants of health, nursing and health systems, preventing chronic illness and promoting health, and digital innovation. Students work closely with internationally renowned faculty from nursing and other disciplines to develop the skills and expertise needed to launch their program of research and pursue a successful career in academic and health care settings.
Length of Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. program of study is a minimum of 54 credits of academic coursework including a qualifying examination and a dissertation. Students may pursue the Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis only.
Ph.D. Program Curriculum
The Ph.D. curriculum in the School of Nursing includes the following components: coursework, a written qualifying exam, mentored research experience, and the dissertation. The program of study for students incorporates both required and elective courses distributed as follows: core knowledge and competencies (12 credits), core research methods (24 credits), and elective courses in the student's substantive area or courses that support the development of methods or additional research practica (12-15 credits). Six of the elective credits must support the dissertation research from outside the discipline of nursing or be interdisciplinary. A minimum of 6 dissertation credits also are required.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
The doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) program prepares nurses for the highest level of advanced practice nursing focused on direct patient care (i.e., nurse practitioner) or as leaders in health care systems. Graduates receive preparation in such key areas as evidence-based practice, organization and systems leadership, finance, health policy, information technology, population health, quality improvement, patient safety, and translational research with the goal of improving patient and population health outcomes.
Length of Program
The program credits range from 60–75 credit hours for those with baccalaureate preparation and 36 credits hours for those with M.S.N. preparation. The program includes academic coursework, clinical practice, a qualifying examination, and a practice-focused scholarly project. Students may pursue the D.N.P. degree on a full-time or part-time basis.
D.N.P. Program Curriculum
The B.S.N. to D.N.P. program of study builds upon baccalaureate education and expands current M.S.N. education to prepare nurses for the highest level of professional nursing practice. Each student is admitted to a specific advanced practice or specialty area and assigned a faculty advisor appropriate to the student's educational and career goals. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations appropriate to their advanced area of preparation.
The following nurse practitioner population foci are available in the B.S.N. to D.N.P pathway: adult-gerontology primary care, family, pediatric primary care, and psychiatric-mental health. The Health Care Leadership and Administration option prepares nurses as leaders in health care systems.
The M.S.N. to D.N.P pathway is for nurses who have completed the M.S.N. degree and are certified or eligible for certification as an advanced practice registered nurse (nurse practitioner) or a health systems leader. The D.N.P. curriculum builds on the M.S.N. degree to achieve the highest level of nursing practice. The B.S.N. to D.N.P pathway is distance-based and incorporates both synchronous and asynchronous online learning, on-campus immersive experiences, and precepted clinical experiences. The M.S.N. to D.N.P pathway is distance-based and incorporates both synchronous and asynchronous online learning and on-campus immersive experiences.
A graduate certificate in nursing education (additional nine credits) is available for D.N.P students who desire to develop these skills in teaching and learning along with their advanced nursing preparation.
Following the faculty member's name is a section number that students should use when registering for independent studies, reading, research, and thesis and dissertation courses with that particular professor.
Tenured/Tenure Track
Distinguished Professors
Jada Brooks
Ashley Leak Bryant
Cheryl Giscombe
Cheryl B. Jones
Saif Khairat
Shawn Kneipp
Jennifer Leeman
Sheila Santacroce
Mark Toles
Professors
Ashley Leak Bryant
Cheryl Giscombe
Cheryl B. Jones
Saif Khairat
Shawn Kneipp
Jennifer Leeman
Sheila Santacroce
Brent Small
Mark Toles
Margaret C. Wilmoth
Associate Professors
Jada Brooks
Leslie Davis
Rachel Hirschey
Eric Hodges
Cathi Propper
Natalia Rodriguez Villegas
Jessica Williams
Jessica Zegre-Hemsey
Assistant Professors
Lorinda Coombs
Matthew LeBlanc
Lisa Mansfield
Isabel Roth
Rebecca Salomon
Karen Sheffield-Abdullah
Grace Wu
Research Associate Professors
Jamie Crandell
Sinhye Kim
Todd Schwartz
Bharathi Zvara
Fixed Term Track
Professors
Jennifer Alderman
Rumay Alexander
Suja Davis
Jean Davison
Rebecca Hill
Valerie Howard
Rhonda Lanning
Carrie Palmer
Theresa Raphael-Grimm
Victoria Soltis-Jarrett
Lisa Woodley
Meg Zomorodi
Associate Professors
Brandi Apple
Maureen Baker
Susana Barroso
Samantha Bernstein
Julie Jacobson-Vann
Maureen Kelly
Rebecca Kitzmiller
Shannon Matthews
Audra Rankin
Leslie Sharpe
JoAn Stanek
Elizabeth Stone
Tracy Vernon-Platt
Megan Williams
Assistant Professors
Elizabeth Baldwin
Candance Beddard
Alzora Benjamin
Kandyce Brennan
Amanda Brinson
Michael Bury
LaTonia Chalmers
Beth Cosgrove
Cathy Crawford
Bethany Davis
Stephanie Fisher
Nicole Forlan
Jean Hammer
Sharon Jackson
Ann Marie Jones
Stephanie Machalicky
Melody McCune
Rachel McInerney
Rebecca Michael
Felicia Mosley-Williams
Leigh Mullen
Katherine Peppers
Paige Randall
Erin Stanley
Nancy Thompson
Jessica White
Sarah White
Instructors
Marlena Brokob
Marco Castro
Ryan Lewis
Megan Ross
Scotty Switzer
Cara Winstead
Nurse Specialists
Cheyenne Hochhalter
Tali Horn
Laura Livingston
Dianna Monroe
Makkada Morrison
Lonna Patel
Samantha Sheets Mapel
Faculty Emeriti
Ruth Anderson
Linda Beeber
Beth Black
Barbara Bunker
Margaret E. Campbell
Linda Cronenwett
Jo Ann Dalton
Jennifer D'Auria
Molly C. Dougherty
Margery Duffey
Carol Durham
Noreen Esposito
Catherine I. Fogel
Beverly Foster
Cynthia M. Freund
Sandra G. Funk
Barbara Germino
Jean Goeppinger
Edward Halloran
Joanne Harrell
Donna Havens
Carol C. Hogue
Margaret F. Hudson
George Knafl
Kathleen Knafl
Betty H. Landsberger
Patricia Lawrence
Vickie Lester
Mary Lynn
Barbara Mark
Deborah Mayer
Laura McQueen
Margaret Miles
Nancy Milio
Helen M. Murphy
Betty Nance-Floyd
Virginia Neelon
Sonda Oppewal
Julie Page
Mary Palmer
Nilda Peragallo Montano
Susan Pierce
Shielda Rogers
Barbara C. Rynerson
Margarete Sandelowski
Mary Schuler
Gwen Sherwood
Anne Skelly
Lixin Song
Ingrid Swenson
Eleanor Taggart
Anita Tesh
Suzanne Thoyre
Debbie Travers
Marcia Van Riper
Julee Waldrop
SeonAe Yeo
School of Nursing
