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• Doctor of Nursing (DN), thesis-based

The Doctor of Nursing program is aimed at developing and preparing nurse leaders and innovators with significant leadership experience for senior roles in healthcare and related organizations.

The Doctor of Nursing program is delivered online allowing students to pursue this degree while continuing to work.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the Faculty of Nursing requires:

a) Applicants to have at least three years of healthcare or related organization experience in a mid-level to senior leadership role.

b) A Master’s Degree in Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing or related fields, or an equivalent from a recognized institution.  A grade point average equivalent to 3.00 or better (on the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ 4.0 system) is required.  See A.1 Qualifications for additional information.

c) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, submit a minimum TOEFL score of 97 (Internet-based test); IELTS score of 7.0; PTE score of 68; or a CAEL overall score of 70 (no less than 70 on reading and writing sections). This requirement can also be met by completing the Academic Communication Certificate with a minimum grade of "A-" in writing courses.

d) A current resume/curriculum vitae with examples of the applicant’s written scholarly work such as publications, research reports, course assignments, etc.

e) Two reference letters, one academic and one professional.

f) A two-page personal statement outlining objectives, intent and commitment to the DN program.

g) An interview with the Graduate Admissions and Review Committee.

h) A letter of commitment from the identified supervisor indicating willingness to provide supervision throughout the program of study.

i) Applicants should have successfully completed graduate-level courses in quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics.

See for additional information.

Deadlines for submission of complete applications are available on the Future Students website:

Applicants must include requests for advanced credit, accompanied by a rationale, when they apply for admission. For courses taken outside the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½, applicants must provide official transcripts and a copy of the course outline detailing the course description, objectives, assignments, readings, etc. See Advanced Credit.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies' requirements, the Faculty of Nursing requires the following:

21 units of courses:

• Nursing 741
• Nursing 742
• Nursing 743
• Nursing 744
• Nursing 745
• Nursing 746
• Nursing 747

Credit will not be given for undergraduate-level courses.

The expected completion time is three years; maximum completion time is six years.

Doctor of Nursing students will be assigned a Faculty of Nursing member to commit to their supervision following admission to the program. In addition, a workplace or related mentor will be identified by the student and/or faculty supervisor/supervisory committee once the student has entered the DN program. This individual will normally hold a senior position within an organization relevant to the student’s planned work-integrated research project. This individual, a knowledge expert, will be considered an Advisory Member of the student’s supervisory committee, as outlined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The Advisory Member will attend committee meetings and examinations but will serve in a non-voting capacity.

The Doctoral candidacy examination has a written and an oral component.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students in line with the University’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity initiatives. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Each student is expected to complete the online seminar Academic Scholarly Writing within the first two weeks of the program.