In almost every major, the progression of degrees goes straight from BS/BA to the Ph.D. That means a kid graduates from college in 05 and has his final degree by 09 (if all goes well.)
Maybe things have changed, but last time I checked, nurses had to get their MSN before they could enroll in the PhD program, THEN completing the PhD took another 4 years minimum.
Is this not foolish (and costly in time and money)? It seems to me that a Masters graduate should have done sufficient classroom study to "master" a subject of interest and should then be able to begin the research portion of a PhD program, completing and defending a dissertation in two years.
Our state does not have a PhD in nursing program, so I haven't kept up on how it's being done nationally. How is it done where you live? Would you be more inclined to sign up for the PhD program if you could complete it in two years?
Another difference between nursing and other majors: I got my PhD in one of the hard sciences. My major professor supported my tuition and gave me a stipend. The degree didn't cost me any money. If more faculty had more research funding, there should be support for predoctoral students. If you could have tuition and a stipend, would this influence your decision to do a doctoral program?
Just curious about barriers (if any) that keep the number of potential faculty members from meeting the current demand.
