USC College of Nursing offers the Doctor of
Philosophy in Nursing Science, Doctor of Nursing
Practice, and the Master of Science in Nursing
degrees, awarded through the Graduate School of the
University. Also offered are programs leading to
dual master degrees from the College of Nursing and
the School of Public Health, and a Post-Master's
Certificate of Graduate Study in Advanced Practice
Nursing that includes emphases in Primary Care,
Acute Care, Psychiatric/Mental Health and Women’s
Health. An Interdisciplinary Certificate of Graduate
Study in Gerontology may be earned by completing 18
credit hours beyond the master’s degree
requirements. The purpose of the PhD program is to
prepare professional nurses for careers in research.
The DNP program is designed to prepare nurses as
clinical practitioners/scholars to assume advanced
practice clinical and leadership roles. The master's
and post-master's programs prepare professional
nurses for careers in advanced practice as clinical
nurse specialists and nurse practitioners and for
careers in education and administration.
The PhD program offers a foundation of nine courses
in nursing theory development, research, and
statistics. Program options build on core courses
and provide for development of individualized
programs of study, which conclude with the
preparation and defense of the doctoral
dissertation. Program requirements are distributed
across 28-31 credit hours of core courses, 15-33
credit hours of contributing courses, 3-6 credit
hours of mentored research, and 12 credit hours of
dissertation preparation. A minimum of 61 credit
hours is required. Students in the BSN entry option
will need to complete 18 additional credit hours of
master’s level courses which may be from one of the
existing nursing majors or emphasis areas or in an
individualized program of study. Program
requirements must be completed within eight years.
The DNP program has three entry points: bachelor’s
degree from a discipline other than nursing,
Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, or a master’s
degree in nursing. The DNP curricular plan totals 83
credits. Non-BSN degree prepared students take
additional coursework as prerequisites and
co-requisites with the DNP curriculum. These
students are awarded the BSN degree upon completion
of the additional coursework and the prescribed
credits of DNP coursework required for licensure.
BSN prepared students take only the 83 credits of
the DNP curricular plan. Students with a master’s
degree in nursing may have required courses in the
DNP curricular plan waived upon proper submission of
like course material that was successfully completed
with a minimum grade of B. An approved program of
courses totaling not less than 45 credits of the DNP
curriculum is required by master’s degree in nursing
prepared students.
The master’s program offers foundation courses in
nursing theory, research methodology, health care
issues, and statistics. Full-time and part-time
study in the 43-48 credit-hour master's program is
available. Dual degree requirements include 51-54
credit hours. Post Master’s Certificate of Graduate
Study consists of 24-25 credit hours. Program
requirements must be completed within six years. The
MSN degree has thesis and non-thesis options. The
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits
the master’s degree program. Selected courses are
offered at distant sites through videocassette or
closed circuit television.
Financial Aid
Financial assistance is available in a variety of
forms. The Office of Student Financial Aid and
Scholarships supplies information on fellowships,
scholarships, grants, and loans. Professional Nurse
Traineeships, scholarships, and assistantships are
offered through the College of Nursing. In addition
to direct student aid and graduate assistantships,
employment opportunities are available in nearby
hospitals and health care agencies.
The Nurse Faculty Loan
Program (NFLP) is funded by the Human Resources
Services Administration (HRSA) to support
educational expenses for nurses in graduate programs
seeking a career in nursing education. Eligible
applicants must be admitted to the University of
South Carolina College of Nursing, enrolled in
full-time study for the duration of the loan
program, and teach in a nursing education program
for four consecutive years following graduation.
Applications are submitted through the College of
Nursing Office of Academic Affairs
Cost of Study
For 2005-2006, fees for full-time study are $3869
(resident) per semester; $8378 (non-resident) with
health profession fee of $648.00 (resident) per
semester or $903.00 (non-resident). Part-time
students pay $384 (resident) per semester hour or
$816 (non-resident) per hour, health profession fee
$63.00 (resident) per semester hour or $94.00
(non-resident per hour, and an optional fee to cover
costs of student activities, athletics, and health
center services. All students must pay nominal fees
for the processing of theses and dissertations,
insurance, and graduation (Costs are subject to
change).
Living and
Housing Costs
The Off-Campus Student Services office (803)
777-6680 assists students in locating off-campus
housing.
Students
The University of
South Carolina has a total enrollment of about
27,065. More than 32% of the students are in
graduate programs. Approximately 121 part-time and
full-time graduate students are enrolled in the
College
of
Nursing.
The average age of graduate students in nursing is
37; approximately 5.79% are men, and 19% are members
of ethnic minority groups. The Graduate Student
Association provides opportunities to join graduate
students from other fields in programs and
activities of mutual interest.
Location
The University is in Columbia, the state capital.
The campus is adjacent to the state government
complex and the downtown business, cultural, and
shopping districts. The Greater Columbia area, with
a population of over 450,000, offers a wide range of
attractions, including the South Carolina State
Museum, Columbia Art Museum, Community Theatres,
Koger Center of the Arts, and Riverbanks Zoological
Park. The city is easily accessible by public
transportation and interstate highways. Its central
location makes it convenient to the mountains of the
state's northwestern region and the beaches of its
Atlantic coast. Nearby Lake Murray is a popular
setting for a variety of aquatic activities. Golf
and tennis may be enjoyed year-round.
The University
The University, founded in 1801, was the first state
college to be supported by annual public
appropriations. Today, the University is the state's
oldest and largest public institution of higher
learning. It is fully accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools. In recent
years, the University has emerged as a leading
educational institution comprising seventeen
academic units.
Admission
Both the
Graduate School and the College must admit students
before they may enroll in courses. Applicants to the
master's programs are expected to supply
documentation that they hold a BSN from a nationally
accredited program, a license to practice nursing,
all college transcripts of previous coursework
including evidence of a BSN degree, two letters of
reference from master’s or doctorally prepared
nurses and evidence of satisfactory scores on the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or
Miller Analogies Test (MAT). A combined score of
1,000 or better on the verbal and quantitative
portions of the GRE General Test or a score of 410
or better on the MAT is required. International
students should have an evaluation by CGFNS and
satisfactory scores on the TOEFL. Applicants to the
PhD program, in addition to the BSN transcript and
nursing license, must have a master's degree from a
nationally accredited program, submit evidence for
potential scholarship in nursing science, and
evidence of a combined score of 1,000 or better on
the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE
General Test. Applicants to the DNP program must
have a 3.0 GPA if they have a bachelor’s degree or a
3.5 GPA if they have a master’s degree, a nursing
license if BSN or master’s prepared, a GRE score of
at least 1,000 for combined verbal and quantitative
component, and evidence of writing competency for an
essay question.
Application Deadlines
Completed applications are received throughout the
year. Application deadlines for the Post Master’s
and DNP programs are May 1 for summer admission,
July 1 for fall admission, and November 15 for
spring admission. The deadline for applications to
the PhD program and to the Master’s program is July
1 for fall admission only.
GRADUATE FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH
Judith W. Alexander, Associate Professor; PhD;
University of South Carolina, 1982. Sociotechnical
systems; nursing organizations; quality of care;
costing nursing service in health-care settings.
Wanda F. Anderson-Loftin, Assistant Professor; PhD;
Medical College of Georgia, 1996. Nursing case
management; rural diabetes nursing.
Beverly Baliko, Assistant Professor, PhD; Virginia
Commonweath University, 2005. Post-traumatic stress,
grief and trauma related to violent death, domestic
violence.
Mary R. Boyd, Associate Professor; PhD; University
of Virginia, 1995. Home intervention with depressed
women; substance abuse in rural women; violence
against women.
Mary Foster Cox, Assistant Professor and Interim
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, PhD: University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2003. Adolescent
sexual behavior, effects of parenting on adolescent
sexual health, parenting communication styles, web
based interventions.
Gwen M. Felton, Distinguished Professor; PhD;
University
of South Carolina, 1984. Variables associated with
health-promoting behavior of adolescents and adults,
nursing ethics.
Sara G. Fuller, Associate Professor and Chair of the
Faculty; PhD; University of Texas Medical Branch,
1986. Mother-infant attachment; adolescent health
care; infant health outcomes.
JoAnne Herman, Associate Professor, Interim
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Graduate
Director; PhD; University of Texas at Austin, 1984.
Psychophysiological interventions; experimental
research; nursing diagnosis, internet interventions.
Marlene C. Mackey, Associate Professor; PhD;
University of Illinois at Chicago, 1984. Preterm
labor experience; perspectives of childbearing
women; evaluation of health status and health care;
international nursing, depression in
African-American women.
DeAnne Messias, Associate Professor; PhD; University
of California at San Francisco, 1997. Women’s work
and health; immigrant women’s health; qualitative
research methods; feminist narrative analyses;
participatory action research, language access.
Mary Ann Parsons, Professor and Dean Emeritus; PhD;
University of Florida, 1976. Variables associated
with health-promoting behaviors; primary care
nursing; school health.
Kathleen Scharer, Assistant Professor; PhD;
University of Illinois at Chicago, 1996,
Nurse-parent relationships in child psychiatric
inpatient settings; provider-family relationships in
health care; mental health promotion in schools;
web-based social support.
Laree Schoolmeesters, Assistant Professor; PhD; Case
Western Reserve University, 2005, Complementary
therapies, Pain Management, Osteoarthritis
For Additional Information Please Contact:
Office of Student Services
College of Nursing
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-7576
(803) 777-0616 (FAX)
E-mail:
inquiry@gwm.sc.edu
The Graduate School
http://www.gradschool.sc.edu
INTERNET:
http://www.sc.edu/nursing/index.html
The University of South Carolina system provides
affirmative action and equal opportunity in
education and employment for all qualified persons
regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, age, disability, or veteran status. 2/1/03,
6/7/06
