Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
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Program Overview
Emory’s PhD in Nursing program is committed to improving human health, the experience of health, and the provision of health care through the discovery of new knowledge and its translation into practice. The program is designed to prepare researchers who want to revolutionize health care and improve health outcomes for diverse populations.
Program Contacts
For admissions-related questions, please contact emorysonphdprogram@emory.edu.
Nicholas Giordano
Assistant Professor
nicholas.a.giordano@emory.edu
Jean Harrell
aharrel@emory.edu
Curriculum
Choose Your Track
At Emory, we offer a PhD track with a focus on data science in addition to our standard PhD curriculum.
Signature Areas of Focus
Our program is built on the research strengths of our faculty in eight signature areas:
We combine technological and biobehavioral interventions to tackle critical aging and caregiving issues: sleep health, chronic illness, and palliative care, among others. Our research priorities include dementia care, where we study caregiving networks and deliver evidence-based education programs. Through collaboration across disciplines, we turn research into scalable solutions.
By harnessing AI and advanced computational science, we uncover insights hidden in biological, behavioral and environmental data — driving breakthroughs in cancer care, pressure injury prevention, neurocognitive and cardiovascular health, and more.
Our cardiovascular and neuroscience research focuses on turning discoveries into practical solutions. Whether tackling Alzheimer’s, improving sleep, supporting maternal and child health, or addressing diabetes and mental well-being, we look at the whole picture — biology, environment and society.
Chemical exposures, natural disasters, climate impacts, and occupational hazards are just a few of the factors that threaten health every day. We relentlessly investigate these challenges – uncovering insights and evidence-based solutions that lessen their impact.
Our cancer research spans the entire cancer journey — from prevention and early detection to treatment, survivorship, and palliative care. Our work addresses symptom management, biological behavioral omics, and patient-reported outcomes, leveraging technology, psychology and neuroscience to reduce cancer risk, lower mortality rates, and improve quality of life.
Every child deserves a healthy, thriving future, but too often, that promise falls short. Our researchers are tackling the toughest challenges facing children today, including obesity, Type 1 diabetes, sleep deprivation, neurological disorders, HIV, and harmful environmental exposures.
Our research spans a wide spectrum — from preventing violence and trauma to addressing substance use, behavioral health, PTSD, surgical recovery, pain management, and chronic conditions like fibromyalgia. This research leads to real-life improvements: policy and practice changes, better patient outcomes, and community empowerment.
Every child deserves a healthy, thriving future, but too often, that promise falls short. Our researchers are tackling the toughest challenges facing children today, including obesity, Type 1 diabetes, sleep deprivation, neurological disorders, HIV, and harmful environmental exposures.
Other Areas of Focus
Emory nursing faculty are committed to supporting the learning and discovery for our doctoral nursing students. We have faculty who are renowned scholars within a diverse range of expertise in areas such as:
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular Health
- Caregiver Well-Being
- Data Science
- Environmental Health
- Farmworker Health
- Global Health
- Health Informatics
- HIV/AIDS
- Maternal/Child Health
- Mental Health
- Metabolic Disease
- Nurse Workforce and Quality of Patient Care
- Pain, Opioids, and Harm Reduction
- Palliative Care
- Sleep Research
- Symptom Science
- LGBTQIA+/Transgender Health
Admissions
Requirements
Applications are submitted through Emory's Laney Graduate School (LGS). For more about LGS admissions, click here.
For admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) program, Emory University seeks highly qualified applicants with the discipline and motivation to excel in interdisciplinary research centered on advancing nursing science.
Emory University considers applicants who hold a BSN or MSN from a CCNE or NLNAC accredited program in the US or an international equivalent. Applicants who hold a degree in a non-nursing related discipline will be considered on an individual basis.
- Application for admission
- Submission of a Statement of Purpose that describes the applicant’s vision for what they want to study, who they want to study with, and why they want to study at Emory.
- Research interests that match faculty expertise
- Three (3) recommendations
- Satisfactory TOEFL scores (if applicable)
- Credential evaluations from any evaluator affiliated with NACES, The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The most common ones are World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, and Educational Perspectives.
- Transcripts issued by the registrar’s office from each post-secondary institution attended
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Writing Samples: Provide examples that best represent your academic writing ability. Entire Thesis or dissertation is not preferred. Peer reviewed publication preferred if you are the single or lead author.
November 1, 2026
Policies & Guidelines
Emory University undergoes accreditation at the university level and throughout our colleges and schools to ensure our educational programs meet the highest standards. The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is accredited by multiple organizations. View our Accreditations.
Tuition and Awards
Support for PhD Students
All full-time admitted students are granted full tuition waiver and receive an annual stipend over 12 months in exchange for teaching and research services. The stipend is drawn from a combination of faculty advisor grant support, school support and student research grants received during the program. Stipends are renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic and research performance, for a total of four years. Faculty and students work together to identify and apply for National Institutes for Health's National Research Service Award and other fellowships for stipend and research support funding during the doctoral program. Students also receive Professional Development Support Funds from Laney Graduate School to attend conferences and support research-related expenses.
The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing invites applications for full time study in the PhD in Nursing program, and applicants for postdoctoral traineeship funded by the T32 program. T32 pre-and postdoctoral trainees will participate in a tailored research training program, which aims to prepare nurse scientists acquire knowledge and skills to employ data science (DS) and/or emerging health information technologies (HIT) into their research.
Current Students
2025 Cohort
Research Interest: Leadership Structure and Organizational Development in the Ambulatory Setting. (Capella University, MSN, 2019).
Advisors: Dr. Sharon Pappas and Dr. Monique Bouvier
Research interest: Cancer-related symptoms and cancer care. (Emory University, MPH, 2024).
Advisors: Dr. Jinbing Baiand Dr. Tricia King
Research interest: Environmental and social determinants contribute to metabolic syndrome and chronic disease risk among historically marginalized communities. (Emory University, MN, 2025).
Advisor: Dr. Linda McCauley (Former School of Nursing Dean)
Research interest: Maternal cardiometabolic health outcomes among Black women, with a focus on addressing stress-related and structural risk factors. (Emory University, MN, 2025).
Advisors: Dr. Erin Ferranti, Dr. Telisa Spikes, Dr. Kalisha Bonds
Research interest: Social Determinants of health and cultural interpretations of autism spectrum disorder (Georgia Southern University, MSN, 2019).
Advisor: Dr. Susan Brasher
Research interest: 1). Climate Change and Environmental Impact on Cardiometabolic and Cardiothoracic Health. 2) HIV/AIDS, stigma and Culturally Safe Healthcare for Sexual Minority Groups. (University of Saskatchewan, MN, 2023).
Advisor, Dr. Jacob Kariuki.
2024 Cohort
Research Interests is in Injury prevention and promoting the well-being of geriatric individuals
(MSN, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. 2023). Advisor, Dr. Ken Hepburn
Research interests include developing benchmarks to evaluate clinical-based large language models; leveraging generative AI to tailor healthcare resources. (Emory University, MN, 2024). Advisor, Dr. Xiao Hu
Research interest in Dementia, Caregiver's well-being, Transitional care
(Hanyang University, MSN, 2023). Advisor: Drs. Glenna Brewster and Kalisha Bonds
Research interest in the power of data + storytelling to help people understand intangible or difficult-to-measure symptoms like chronic pain. (New York University, MS, 2019). Advisor, Dr. Ike Choi
Area of research is in cancer survivorship. (Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, MSN, 2023). Advisor, Dr. Jessica Wells
Research interest is in symptom management, biological mechanisms, women's health, and data science. (Georgetown University, BSN, 2022). Advisor is Dr. Canhua Xiao.
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My research interests revolve around nursing information and data science, leveraging technology, and data science to address health issues. (MSc, National Cheng Kung University, 2022). Advisor, Dr. Ran Xiao
Research interest is in AI in Dialysis Nursing notes in predicting patients' prognosis Importance of correct data in ICU patients. (Aspen university, BSN, 2020). Advisor, Dr. Vicki Hertzberg
Research area is in health and wellbeing of gender diverse people in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. (University of Pennsylvania, BSN, 2021). Advisor, Dr. Athena Sherman
Research interest is neurodegenerative diseases and improving quality of life for patients. (American University of Beirut, MS, 2022). Advisors: Drs. Whitney Wharton and Brittany Butts
Research interest includes maternal morbidity & mortality, maternal health and outcomes, AI, technology, data science, obstetric anesthesia, perinatal anesthesia. (Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, MS, 2013). Advisor, Dr. Rasheeta Chandler
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Research focused on Cardiology/ Critical care/Dementia/ Cancer care/Artificial Intelligence/ Data science.
(Emory University, BSN, 2023). Advisors are Dr. Xiao Hu and Dr. Telisa Spikes.
2023 Cohort
Research interest is in obstetric violence and the intersectionality of racism, gender-based violence, and the unequal power dynamics present in provider-patient relationships. (MS, Pace University, 1999) Advisor, Dr. Nicole Carlson
Research interest includes maternal health and non-communicable diseases and mobile health intervention. (MPH, University of Tromso, 2018) Advisors: Dr. Erin Ferranti and Dr. Lisa Thompson
Research interest includes LGBTQ+ health; intersectionality; cancer screening and prevention; social determinants of health; health equity; population health science. (BS, Ohio State University, 2023) Advisor, Dr. Jessica Wells
Research interest includes enhancing physical and mental health outcomes of older adults with dementia in community settings - Improving or maintaining cognition and the functional ability that enables well-being in older adults. (MSN, Yonsei University, 2023) Advisor, Dr. Mi-Kyung Song
Research interest includes symptom management using mobile devices in head and neck cancer patients. (MSN, Yonsei University, 2023) Advisor, Dr. Canhua Xiao
Research interest includes black maternal morbidity and mortality, respectful care in birth, the utilization of health information technology to improve health outcomes in black birthing women at the intersection of race, gender, and the social determinants of health. (MPH, Columbia University, 2000) Advisor: Dr. Rasheeta Chandler
2022 Cohort
Research interests include breast cancer survivorship, symptoms/toxicity reporting with chemotherapy, and outcomes post-chemotherapy treatments. (MSN, Emory University 2008) Advisor: Dr. Nicholas Giordano and Dr. Kate Yeager
My research interests include reproductive, sexual, and environmental health equity and justice in the context of historical oppression and trauma. (MSN, University of California, San Francisco, 2003) Advisor: Dr. Lisa Thompson and Dr. Alexis Amore
Research interests include caregiver well-being for patients with chronic diseases. (BSN, Emory University, 2021) Advisor: Dr. Brittany Butts and Dr. Sandra Dunbar
Research interests include Autism participatory research and improving access and engagement with health care for autistic patients and their caregivers. (BSN, UNC Charlotte, 2019) Advisor, Dr. Susan Brasher.
Research interests include the microbiome and the management of treatment-related symptoms in pediatric oncology patients. (MSN, Auburn University, 2021) Advisor, Dr. Jinbing Bai
Research interests include Nurse burnout, nursing workforce issues, and the impact these factors have on patient outcomes (BSN, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2020) Advisor, Dr. Jeannie Cimiotti.
2021 Cohort
Research interests include perinatal health disparities, respectful maternity care, trauma/PTSD, epigenetic/physiologic impacts of stress/trauma on perinatal outcomes, trauma informed care (MSN, Emory University, 2013) Advisor, Dr. Nicole Carlson.
Research interests include the consent process, health literacy, and community-based participatory research in marginalized populations with outcomes of interest such as infection markers related to vaccine-preventable or environmental disease factors. (BSN, Johns Hopkins University, 2012) Advisor, Dean Linda McCauley.
Research interests include palliative care for patients with chronic conditions, specifically those with renal disease. (MSN, Duke University, 2019) Advisor, Dr. Mi-Kyung Song.
Research Interests include maternal and child health in underserved populations especially those from underdeveloped countries and migrant populations. (MSc, Aga Khan University, Pakistan, 2009) Advisor, Dr. Lisa Thompson.
Interests include working with community partners to conduct research that explores, addresses, and evaluates programs that reduce health disparities in BIPOC communities, specifically within the field of geriatrics and mental health. (MPH, Emory University, 2021) Co-Advisors: Dr. Kenneth Hepburn and Dr. Fayron Epps.
Research interests include, reducing breast cancer disparities among African American women. (BSN, Emory University, 2021, MPH, Georgia State University, 2009, BS, Xavier University of Louisiana, 2006) Advisor, Dr. Jill Hamilton.
2020 Cohort
Research and practice interests’ center around neuro critical care nursing as it pertains to improving stroke outcomes. (BSN, Emory University 2018) Advisor, Dr. Vicki Hertzberg.
Research interests include oncology nursing, cancer survivorship, and women's health(BSN, Wuhan University (China), 2016; MSN, Sun-Yatsen University (China), 2019), Advisor, Dr. Kate Yeager.
Research interests include the healthcare transition from childhood to adulthood in emerging adults with chronic diseases, particularly childhood cancer survivors. (MSN, Yonsei University, 2017) Advisor, Dr. Canhua Xiao.
Research interests focus on health literacy and symptom management in adult oncology patients from underserved, rural areas. Other interests include financial toxicity and reducing barriers to cancer care in rural populations. (BSN, Emory University, 2017) Advisor, Dr. Kate Yeager.
FAQs
Application Process Questions
$75 US. The fee is non-refundable, and can be paid by credit card as part of the online application.
The application deadline is November 1, 2026. The deadline is midnight, PST.
Yes. Application fee waivers are processed through Laney Graduate School. The application fee waiver page explains our waiver policy.
No. Complete the online application at your earliest convenience. When we receive your scores, they will be matched with your application.
Yes. Admissions committees consider your complete academic record.
Yes. You will need to upload one as part of your online application. If you are offered admission and accept, you will not need to submit an official copy, since we are able to verify the one you uploaded.
If you took some courses at a university as part of an exchange, like a study abroad program, and those course credits (course name, credit hours, and grade) are reflected on the transcript that includes your degree, then you do not need to submit a separate transcript from the university where you studied as part of an exchange. If you list that exchange experience as a separate educational experience on your application, you will need to upload either a separate transcript or a note explaining to us that the credits are included in another transcript.
Scan and upload them through the online application. Unofficial transcripts issued by the Registrar to you (the student) are acceptable.
You are required to submit one transcript from each post-secondary institution attended, present school included. International transcripts must be translated and notarized.
Please do not mail paper transcripts. If you are admitted and decide to attend Emory, then you will need to submit official copies of your transcripts before you can enroll. But for your application, the scanned, unofficial versions are all that's needed.
We encourage the use of the online recommendation system. If a recommender is unable to use this system, contact us.
It is possible to submit letters of recommendation after the application deadline, but it is not advisable. Most programs begin to review applications very soon after the deadline, and an application is not considered complete unless it has three letters of recommendation.
No. Contact our team for advice.
No. Applicants who wish to reapply must submit a new application, application fee, and supporting credentials.
Additional Program Questions
No, but it is strongly encouraged.
No, the program begins in the Fall semester only.
It can be done in three years if you are really focused. But, it will be challenging.
Students pay enrollment, technology, health and wellness, athletic and activity fees. Fall and Spring fees are approximately $442. Summer fees are approximately $351.
T32 application is due one day after the PhD program application.
Laney Graduate School requires WES services review.
No. Students can apply to the program with a BSN.
Any work/employment has to be approved by the program
Students are allowed to work 10 hours a week.