Nursing Leadership PhD

PhDPhDDoctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Overview

An online Nursing Leadership PhD with a Post-Masters track (48 credit hours) and a BSN to PhD track (60 credit hours), available full- or part-time. The residency requirement is met virtually through continuous online enrollment, and 12 hours of dissertation research are required.

Official program name: Nursing Leadership PhD
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — research doctorate
University: University of Southern Mississippi
Administering location: Hattiesburg, MSWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject: Nursing (BSN, MSN)Nursing Leadership
Specializations: Post-Masters track · BSN to Ph.D. track
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Required credits: 48-60 hours (48 Post-Masters, 60 BSN to PhD)
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration: about 4 years, depending on hours enrolled and dissertation completion (pending hours enrolled and dissertation completion)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Research doctorate whose coursework, virtual residency and dissertation are fully online.

Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.

Academic delivery: Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the institution states no required on-site activity for this program.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits: No mandatory campus visits
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Practical placement: Placement requirement: not verified
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Full-time, Part-time
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

In-person and practical requirements as published

Residency Required
Virtual residency met by continuous online enrollment
Online
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Clinical placement Not verified
The page refers to a required clinical experience in a background-check notice without describing it
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Dissertation

12 semester hours of dissertation research (NUR 898)
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Specializations, concentrations and tracks

Post-Masters track
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
BSN to Ph.D. track
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredBaccalaureate or master's nursing degree from an NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Professional license: RequiredCurrent, unencumbered RN license
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum 3.0 GPA for the most recent nursing degree
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredCover letter and personal statement of research interests
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of reference (doctoral-level nursing references preferred)
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Interview: RequiredInterview (online or telephone)
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Background check: RequiredCriminal background check and drug screen
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
In-state — Graduate MS Resident, per hourFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level	$594	per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$28,512 = 48 credits × $594 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Other published fees

Online Delivery Fee: $30 per creditMandatory
Source: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Online Student Scholarship Institutional scholarship
$500 towards the first semester
Eligibility: First-time, fully online students
How to apply: Students must be admitted to Southern Miss to apply.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Out-of-state tuition waiver for fully online programs Tuition discount
Out-of-state tuition waived
Eligibility: Students in fully online programs
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Institution-wide awards are listed because they cover online students at this level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

State authorization

USM is a SARA participating institution (since 3/31/16) and is authorized to offer distance education in NC-SARA states; all states participate except California. Official pageSource: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Professional licensure

The University of Southern Mississippi requires all applicants for admission to indicate that they have read and understand the disclosures related to educational requirements for certain academic programs State-by-state disclosureSource: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Accreditation and state authorization do not establish that a program meets licensure requirements in your state.

International applicants

The online unit provides admission information for fully online international students, including English proficiency requirements.Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.

online.usm.edu/graduate/online-nursing-phd/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
online.usm.edu/pricing/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
online.usm.edu/undergrad/business-administration-bs/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
usm.edu/business-services/general-tuition-fees.php — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 10, 2026
usm.edu/online-learning/sara-1.php — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
usm.edu/professional-licensure-certification-disclosures/index.php — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this university? Claim the profile

Key facts

Online format
Fully online
In-person requirements
No mandatory campus visits
Subject
Nursing (BSN, MSN) · Nursing Leadership
Length
about 4 years, depending on hours enrolled and dissertation completion (pending hours enrolled and dissertation completion) · 48-60 hours (48 Post-Masters, 60 BSN to PhD)
Tuition
$594 per creditIn-state — Graduate MS Resident, per hour, 2026-2027
Next deadline
No upcoming verified date
Administering location
Hattiesburg, MS

Leads to a licensed field: check the licensure disclosure for your state before applying. Details

Official program page How to apply

Also at University of Southern Mississippi

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Same degree level and subject group. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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Online Universities is independent and not affiliated with University of Southern Mississippi. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.