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Doctor of Nursing Programme

Doctor of Nursing Programme
Programme Overview
 
The Doctor of Nursing (DNurs) Programme is designed for nurses who aspire to provide leadership in advancing nursing practice, education and research.

DNurs Programme Leaflet

Study mode and duration
 
Part-time (4 years) or
Full-time (3 years)
 

The DNurs Programme offers a part-time study mode and a full-time study mode, which extend over four academic years and three academic years respectively.

Students begin their studies in September each year. The Programme includes four core courses (26 contact hours per course totalling 104 contact hours), three track courses (26 contact hours per course totalling 78 contact hours), a course on Research Ethics (12 contact hours) and a thesis (104 contact hours).

Year of Study

Full-time Mode

Part-time Mode

1st and 2nd Year

  • Completion of all taught courses and assignments
    • 4 Core courses
    • 3 Track courses
    • Research Ethics course
  • Attendance and presentation at thesis seminars
  • Preparation of an up-to-standard research proposal plus initial work on thesis

3rd Year

  • Attendance and presentation at thesis seminars
  • Completion of a thesis of 50,000 to 60,000 words
  • Attendance and presentation at thesis seminars
  • Completion of a thesis of 50,000 to 60,000 words

4th Year

N/A

Core Courses

  • NURS6001 Scientific Progress in Nursing
  • NURS6002 Advanced Quantitative Research Designs and Methods
  • NURS6003 Naturalistic and Interpretive Approaches to Nursing Research
  • NURS6004 Health Policy for Advocacy in Health Care

Track Courses

Educational Leadership Track

Clinical Leadership Track 

  • NURS6005 Introduction to Clinical and Classroom Teaching in Nursing
  • NURS6008 Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Role Acquisition
  • NURS6006 Curriculum Planning and Development
  • NURS6009 Health Behavior and Health Promotion Research
  • NURS6007 Assessment and Evaluation
  • NURS6010 Concepts and Methods in Health Services Research

Research Ethics Course

GRSC6031 Research Ethics for Graduate Students.

Thesis

Students are required to complete a thesis of 50,000 to 60,000 words that represents an original scientific study grounded in practice and contains material worthy of publication; students are also required to participate in thesis seminars which will serve as forums for presenting their work in progress on a regular basis and hone their research skills.

 

Dr Serena Yang Scholarship for DNurs Programme

Two prizes shall be awarded to newly enrolled candidates who hold a bachelor's degree with 1st class honors or equivalent outstanding academic achievement; and whose research proposal (2-3 pages) has demonstrated scientific rigor. The value of each of the prizes shall be HK$30,000.

Scholarship for Doctor of Nursing (Full-time)

Two scholarships, each of the value up to 50% of the tuition fee, shall be awarded each year to non-local students admitted to the Doctor of Nursing Programme on the basis of academic merit and financial need.  Students may be invited to a selection interview if necessary.

International Conference Participation Sponsorship

Opportunities are available for students to have educational exchange in renowned international universities, and financial support will be provided to encourage students to present at international conferences.

To be eligible for admission to the Programme leading to the degree of Doctor of Nursing, applicants must:

  1. comply with the General Regulations;
  2. hold a master’s degree in nursing or equivalent disciplines from this University, or a comparable university accepted for this purpose;
  3. currently hold a Registered Nurse license;
  4. have English proficiency as specified by the University’s admission requirements; and
  5. satisfy the application evaluators with (i) a statement of overall career goals and specific research interests and (ii) an oral justification of their suitability for doctoral education.

For non-local candidates who have obtained a nurse license in their country will also be eligible for application of the Programme. Please refer to the “Admission & Enquiries” tab for requested supporting documents.

Individual consultation session will be arranged on request.

Registration  

A.  Application

Application should be submitted online via https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme/doctor-nursing
 

B.  Supporting documents

Please (i) upload the following supporting documents by logging in https://tpg-admission-addon.its.hku.hk/applicant/login; and
(ii) post the original or certified true copies (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong / sample of notary public in China) of the required documents to the School of Nursing [DNurs Programme Office, 5/F, Academic Building, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong], before the application deadline AND within four weeks from the date of the creation of your online application account.

  1. A 2,000-word statement indicating your research interest 
  1. Certificate of Registration AND valid practising certificate issued by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong or the nursing authority in your own country (certified true copies) (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong / sample of notary public in China)
     
  2. Complete official transcript(s) (original / certified true copies) (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong / sample of notary public in China)
  • Applicants (including HKU graduates) should attach a copy of final transcript with a complete record of courses attended, examination results, overall result and date of award
  • For all current studies which have yet to be completed, applicants should attach a copy of their most up-to-date transcript
  1. Graduation Certificate(s) (certified true copies)  (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong / sample of notary public in China)
  • Applicants who are seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution in Mainland China are required to submit the both Chinese and English version of the following reports, which validity period should be 6 months or the longest available:
  1. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate (教育部學歷證書電子注冊備案表) issued by the CHSI (学信网) / CHESICC (全国高等学校学生信息咨询与就业指导中心)
  2. Degree Certificate in Chinese and English / Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate (中国高等教育学位在线验证报告) issued by the CHSI (学信网) / CHESICC (全国高等学校学生信息咨询与就业指导中心)
  1. TOEFL / IELTS official score report (if applicable)
  • for applicants from universities or comparable institutions outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English.
  1. HKID (for local applicants) / passport (for non-local applicants) (certified true copies)  (sample of declaration form in Hong Kong / sample of notary public in China
  1. Two academic / employment reference reports (via Application System or Download from here)
  • Please note that the School will NOT send invitation to the referees for completing the form.
  1. Other documents which you would like to bring the attention of the University

You should mark your application number and full name on each document. Transcripts, diplomas, certificates and other submitted documents which are not in English should be accompanied by an officially certified translation in English.  Certified translation may be provided by your home institution.

Please note that the University will ONLY ACCEPT originals or copies of the documents that have been duly declared as true copies before a notary public (e.g. a Commissioner for Oaths at a City District Office in Hong Kong or 公证处 for qualifications obtained in Mainland China).  Copies of documents may be certified by the appropriate officials of your home institute if you are an overseas applicant.  No photocopies will be accepted.

Documents once submitted will not be returned. They will be destroyed if the application is unsuccessful.

You are strongly advised to upload your supporting documents right after submitting your application.  Late provision of supporting documents may cause delays in the processing of your application.

Remarks:

  • Please note that all non-local students are required by law to obtain a student visa to study in Hong Kong and the Immigration Department normally issues student visas to students enrolling in a FULL-TIME programme in the University only.
     
  • The processing time of student visa applications is approximately 10-12 weeks.  It is the responsibility of individual students to make appropriate visa arrangement before they come to Hong Kong.  Please click here (for mainland students) / here (for foreign students) for further details.
     

C.  Application deadline(s)

Full-time  
Application Closed  
Part-time  
12:00 noon (GMT +8), June 21, 2024  
 
School of Nursing

5/F, Academic Building
3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam
Hong Kong

 
 
Contact Information

Tel:        3910 2789
Fax:       2872 6079
Email:   dnurs@hku.hk