New Tuition Makes Degree More Affordable, Accessible
In an ongoing commitment to address the nationwide shortage of nurses and nursing faculty, Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing announced a new, lower tuition rate for those pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing. Tuition for the Ph.D. program will be $590 per credit hour, a 40 percent reduction in credit hour tuition for Ph.D. coursework.
Since 2015, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has reported that tens of thousands of qualified baccalaureate and graduate nursing program applicants nationwide are denied entry annually due to a shortage of faculty. With predictions of increased numbers of retiring faculty expected in the next few years, there is a heightened need for new faculty, according to the AACN. Compounding these issues is that higher salaries in clinical and private-sector settings often attract potential nurse educators away from teaching.
Liz Diener, assistant dean and professor at Kramer School of Nursing, stated that the reduction in tuition was motivated by efforts to overcome the financial barriers to earning a terminal degree.
In addition to a traditional post-master’s program, Kramer School of Nursing also offers a B.S.N.-Ph.D. program, which enables nurses who have earned a bachelor’s degree to move directly to a Ph.D. and allows graduates to be competitive for faculty positions nationwide.
Diener stated that “our programs, coupled with the new tuition rate, make earning a doctoral degree more affordable for more people.” She also noted that doctoral alumni can already be found teaching in institutions worldwide, and such portability may be attractive to those considering a career in nursing education.
For more information about Kramer School of Nursing and its programs, visit okcu.edu/nursing or call 405-208-5960.
