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III. Plans of Study, Coursework, and Registration Policies

At the beginning of their program, all students will develop a plan of study in conjunction with their faculty advisor. Students and their faculty advisor should continue to revise the plan of study as cognates, electives, etc. are chosen. The plan of study will be discussed at the annual review and housed in the student’s progression folder. Template plans of study for “Undergraduate to PhD” and “Master’s to PhD” can be found on here: https://uiowa.instructure.com/courses/153106. Part-time plans of study will be customized to meet the needs of the student.

A. Plans of Study (POS)

1. Undergraduate to PhD POS

The Undergraduate to PhD is designed as an accelerated pathway for outstanding BSN graduates and individuals with an ADN and bachelor’s degree (who have an identified and focused research and scholarship interest) to complete the PhD. For persons who enter with a bachelor’s degree, the program consists of a minimum of 72 semester hours, including two specialization courses. Students should identify their area of specialization and discuss with their advisor courses appropriate for meeting this specialization.

MSN degree (En Passant)

Students who enter the PhD Program in Nursing without a master’s degree can earn an en passant Master of Science in Nursing degree (MSN) after completing 33 semester hours and completing a project. Earning your MSN is available for students completing the PhD program and is not intended to be a terminal degree. Completing the courses as laid out for the first two years of the full-time Plan of Study plus completing a master’s project is required to receive the MSN during the PhD program. The student and their advisor will discuss an appropriate project to complete. Deviation from this plan requires approval by your academic advisor plus the PhD Director and/or the PhD admission and progression committee.

The student will need to follow the graduation guidelines and deadlines specified by the College of Nursing and the Graduate College. Prior to or at the beginning of the semester you plan to complete the requirements for the MSN, consult with the PhD Academic Program Management Specialist regarding forms and deadlines. A student will not need to step out or reapply upon completion of the graduation douments; a seamless transition will be made with the MSN notation added to the transcript at the end of the specified semester.

2. Masters to PhD Plan of Study

Students entering the program with a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 72 semester hours following the bachelor’s degree to obtain a PhD. The master’s transcript(s) will be reviewed to determine which courses could be counted in the PhD plan of study. Contact the PhD Academic Program Management Specialist to confirm the total number of semester hours that will be applied.

B. Coursework

1. Principles of Scholarly Integrity

To meet the University of Iowa’s obligation to provide Responsible Conduct of Research training, a twophase plan has been implemented and is described below. For more information about The University of Iowa’s Responsible Conduct of Research, please visit this URL:
http://research.uiowa.edu/researchers/policies-and-compliance/responsible-conduct-research#Training.

Phase 1:

In your first year of the PhD program, you will need to complete CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative program) training in Certifications in Human Subjects Protections. The training modules are online and can be done over a period of time between now and the end of the fall semester. This is the link to FAQs about Certifications in Human Subjects Protections (CITI): https://hso.research.uiowa.edu/certifications-human-subjects-protections-citi

  • To register for the online training, follow the instructions listed in FAQs (“How do I register or create a new account on the CITI website for the University of Iowa?) at the URL above.
  • Once you have registered, you need to complete the modules listed below. Note that there is overlap between the two lists, but you mustcomplete both modules.

 

For IRB-01 (Biomedical), the required modules include:

    • Introduction
    • History and Ethical Principles
    • Basic Institutional Review Board (IRB) Regulations and Review Process
    • Informed Consent
    • Social and Behavioral Research for Biomedical Researchers
    • Records-Based Research
    • Genetics Research in Human Populations
    • Research with Protected Populations – Vulnerable Subjects: An Overview
    • University of Iowa

For IRB-02 (Social & Behavioral), the required modules include:

    •  Introduction
    • History and Ethical Principles – SBR
    • Defining Research with Human Subjects – SBR
    • The Regulations and the Social and Behavioral Sciences – SBR
    • Assessing Risk in Social and Behavioral Sciences – SBR
    • Informed Consent – SBR
    • Privacy & Confidentiality – SBR
    • University of Iowa

 

  • When you have completed the training, you will be provided with a certificate of completion. Please email that certificate to the PhD Program email at CON-PhDProgram@uiowa.edu to be placed in your file.

Phase 2:

In your second year of the PhD program, you will need to register for the Principles of Scholarly Integrity course. All PhD students must take this class. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Dr. Stephanie White.

2. Research Practicum Courses

All students are required to complete two research practica (see your plan of study). Students should work with their faculty advisor to develop practica experiences that will facilitate students’ dissertation research. Research Practicum I and II Summary documents can be found in Appendix.

Research Practicum I: NURS:7803

Semester Hours: 2 semester hours (minimum of 90 contact hours)
Special Grading: Instructor has the option of using S-U grades for graduate-level students
Repeatable: Yes
Course Description: This is the first of two practica that serve as a system of apprenticeship by which the student is mentored through selected aspects of the scientific processes, methodologies, analysis, and dissemination of results. The investigator may or may not be a nurse, but the project should be relevant to the student’s area of study
Course Objectives: Through participation in discussions and assigned activities, the student will be able to:
  1. Engage in the research process through active participation and immersion.
  2. Collaborate with a researcher and/or a research team.
Class Activities:  The outcome of the practicum will be a product negotiated by the faculty and student. Students will summarize their objectives for the practicum experience with the researcher and their research team and document learning activities experienced during the research practicum for inclusion in their student record.

Research Practicum II: NURS:7804

Semester Hours: 2 semester hours (minimum of 90 contact hours)
Special Grading: Instructor has the option of using S-U grades for graduate-level students
Repeatable: Yes
Course Description: This is the second of two practica that serve as a system of apprenticeship by which the student is mentored through selected aspects of the scientific processes, methodologies, analysis, and dissemination of results. The investigator may or may not be a nurse, but the project should be relevant to the student’s area of study.
Course Objectives: Through participation in discussions and assigned activities, the student will be able to:
  1. Engage in the research process through active participation and immersion.
  2. Collaborate with a researcher and/or a research team.
Class Activities:  The outcome of the practicum will be a product negotiated by the faculty and student. Students will summarize their objectives for the practicum experience with the researcher and their research team and document learning activities experienced during the research practicum for inclusion in their student record.

3. Independent Study Policy and Procedure

Students may obtain through independent study (NURS:7800 Doctoral Independent Study) those learning experiences which are not provided by established courses and which are related to and relevant to their educational goals. In certain circumstances, it may be used to meet basic degree requirements upon recommendation of the major advisor.

The identification of content, purpose, intent, and plan for implementation must be discussed and approved by the faculty advisor.

The faculty sponsor is responsible for the quality and level of learning experience and for grading the study.

The faculty member should be a full-time assistant, associate, or full professor.

Procedure

  1.  Student will discuss with the major advisor any independent study plans before registration and prior to making arrangements with the faculty sponsor.
  2. Faculty sponsor or co-sponsor will provide periodic conferences with student as needed.
  3. Student must complete PhD Independent Study Form.
  4. Student must register under the appropriate faculty’s name.

4. Auditing and/or Sitting in on a Course

To audit a course, you must first get the approval of the instructor and your advisor. Auditing is permitted only for a student who is currently registered. Audited courses are for zero credit, but you will be required to pay tuition and fees based on the number of hours for which the course is offered. However, if you are already registered as a full-time student, you will not need to pay any additional tuition or fees.

If you are interested in sitting in on a College of Nursing course (similar to auditing a course), you will need to get permission from the instructor and your advisor prior to the start of the course.

5. Transfer of Credit Policy/Equivalency Evaluations for Core Courses

Transfer of credit/equivalency evaluations for PhD core courses PhD students are required to take their PhD core courses through the College of Nursing. However, occasions may arise when students may need to take an equivalent course offsite. Such requests represent extreme situations and should be considered an exception to the rule. To evaluate the equivalency of coursework outside the CON and/or from another institution, the following steps need to be followed:

  1. The Student will initiate the process and work with their Faculty Advisor to identify potential
    courses and:
    • Obtain the course syllabus, including course description, credit hours, course objectives, and required textbooks
    • Gather additional information regarding course assignments, teaching methodology, etc. (if requested)
    • Complete the petition for equivalency and obtain signatures from the Faculty Advisor and the Director of the PhD Program. Transfer of Credit/Equivalency Evaluation Form can be found in the appendix.
  2. The Faculty Advisor will need to:
    • Review the course syllabus for face/content validity to decide whether the course is equivalent
    • Contact current course faculty within the College of Nursing for internal evaluation to identify equivalency or discrepancies needing to be addressed
    • Meet with the Director of the PhD Program
    • Complete the post hoc Course Evaluation with the Student
  3. The Director of the PhD Program:
    • Meets with the Faculty Advisor
    • Assures petition for equivalency is in accordance with current UI Graduate School requirements
    • Grants final approval
    • Assures the petition is in the student’s file and Faculty Advisor completes post hoc evaluation

NOTE: Student, Faculty Advisor, and Director of the PhD Program signatures are required prior to course registration. Alternative coursework within the University is preferred, followed by BTAA partners and NEXus.

C. Registration Policies

1. Residence Requirement

All doctoral programs will contain a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate work. Of those 72 semester hours, at least 39 must be earned while registered in the University of Iowa Graduate College and after formal program admission. The academic registration requirement cannot be fulfilled by coursework comp

2. Continuous Registration Policy

The Continuous Registration after Completion of the Comprehensive Examination Policy is as follows: The student is required to register each semester (not including summer or winter interim) after passing the doctoral comprehensive examination until the degree is awarded. If a student fails to register, they may not be readmitted to doctoral candidacy unless the advisor, the departmental executive, and the Graduate College dean approve the readmission.

All registrations should accurately reflect the amount and type of work undertaken, the use of university facilities, and the amount of consultation with the faculty. To maintain continuous registration, a doctoral student may register (1) for required and/or elective courses, research, and thesis hours to complete the plan of study, or (2) for Doctoral Continuous Registration (GRAD:6002). Doctoral Continuous Registration requires a 1.s.h. tuition and fees payment. If a temporary lapse in a student’s academic program is required due to military service, medical leave, maternity leave, or a personal/family leave, a student may petition the Graduate College to be allowed to register for PhD Post comprehensive Registration (GRAD:6000), which allows for the assessment of a special minimum fee.

If a petition is granted, it is to be understood that a student will not make significant use of university resources or engage in significant consultation with the faculty. Registration in a Guided Independent Study course or in a course for which tuition and fees are not assessed (Cooperative Education Internship, for example) will not satisfy the continuous registration requirement. Registration for the summer or winter sessions is not required when the student makes no use of university resources. The exceptions are when the student is taking a degree at the end of the summer session, or when enrollment is required by the student’s department.

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