The Nursing PhD at McMaster University is a thesis-based doctoral program in the Faculty of Health Sciences, designed for registered nurses to become clinical health science investigators. Graduates contribute to the development and evaluation of health care interventions and programs. Research in the program centres on three areas: illness prevention and management, health equity and disparity, and health system integration and innovation. Students have access to the educational, research and clinical resources of the Faculty of Health Sciences, along with the services of the Hamilton-Wentworth health care community. Admission requires a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MScN). The program is completed over four years and follows the standard thesis-based doctoral structure, including supervised research and a dissertation defence, with a typical intake each September. It sits alongside McMaster's MSc-level Nursing programs, which offer thesis, course-based and Nurse Practitioner streams for students earlier in their graduate studies.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MScN). International applicants whose first language is not English must meet McMaster's graduate English proficiency requirement, for example IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 86 overall with a minimum of 20 per component (for tests taken before 21 January 2026).
