LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The University of Louisville School of Nursing has passed through the final step in the approval process to begin a PhD program.

On January 31,2005 the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education granted approval to the University of Louisville School of Nursing PhD in Nursing program. The U of L Board of Trustees approved the program in November 2004.

The new program makes the U of L School of Nursing competitive with other nursing schools in academic health science centers and brings the highest level of nursing education to Louisville.  It is only the second PhD in Nursing program in Kentucky, and fulfills three needs: Addresses a nation-wide nursing faculty shortage, provides the research field with needed nurse scientists, and adds to the comprehensive health education that U of L provides in the Health Sciences Center. 

“The shortage of registered nurses has been getting a lot of attention in recent years,” said Mary Mundt, R.N., Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing. “While nursing student enrollment is up, the current problem is an increasing faculty shortage in the United States, our program will provide doctoral level nurses who will be able to educate future nurses.”

The program will feature two options. The more traditional M.S.N. to Ph.D., and an innovative B.S.N. to Ph.D. option, which allows students to move more quickly toward the doctoral degree.

Applications are being accepted for the first class to begin Fall 2005. The program plans to accept six students per year and both full-time and part-time study will be available.

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