PhD in Education

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.

i have put a great deal of thought into what doctorate program i want to complete over the last six months. my ultimate career goal is to become the dean of a nursing school or possibly president/provost of a university. my msn is as a fnp (finished last fall) and i started teaching full time this spring. let me say that i am relatively young (25) and know that there are not many universities that would even consider me for a leadership position because of my age, so i know i will have to wait a few years for my dreams to come to fruition. >

i have decided to do a phd in education and have been accepted into the phd in education with emphasis in higher education leadership program at northcentral university. i am scared that if i completed a phd in nursing i would not be able to advance into a president/provost position. because of family constraints i am not able to enroll in a "traditional" phd program, as none are available near my home. i understand that typical high level research universities will "look down" on an on-line phd or none nursing phds and not consider my application. i anticipate obtaining a position at a smaller state university.

does this seem like a decent feasible plan? any thoughts/ comments welcome.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Do you have any nursing experience ?

Not to knock advanced education, but as a student I don't think I could gain as much from an instructor (not to mention dean) who not only was substantially younger but also lacked relevant experience. How can you guide and advise nursing students if your entire professional experience was in academia?

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.

yes, i have 5 years of nursing experience (er and pediatric icu) and still work prn. i taught adjunct for one year before i started teaching full time and have had that experience with several students. after the students saw that i cared about their success and was knowledgeable in the needed areas any doubts the students had left.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I wish you much success then. :)

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

A lot of "traditional" programs now have online programs. It just makes sense now. I doubt anyone will care once you get that piece of paper.

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If you have time, try researching some of the credentials of people who are now holding the position you are aiming for. Many deans for nursing schools have their bios on their websites. After reviewing a few, it may give you some direction as to how to accompolish your goal.

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

If you look at a President or Provost's bio, you will find that all of them started off as an assistant or associate professor and went up the ranks until they got full professor. They then usually start taking leadership positions within their department (i.e., Director of Undergraduate Programs, Assistant Dean of Research, etc.) and then eventually become Dean. It is then that they can begin to look at applying for positions of Provost or President.

Also, if you look at most President or Provost's bios, nearly all of them have a Ph.D. in their specialty. Most of them have extensive experience in teaching and impressive lists of published publications.

A Ph.D. in "Higher Education Leadership" will not give you a leg up... what will give you a leg up is many many many years of experience as a professor, hard work, and ensuring you publish a lot of research. President/Provost positions are far and few between and are extremely competitive.

Go to higheredjobs website -- nearly all colleges/universities use this site and take a look at the requirements for president and provost positions.

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