Built so every doctoral nursing program is findable, comparable, and honest about what it offers.
Nurse Doctorate Programs is an independent, free directory of doctoral nursing programs. 183 programs across 41 countries worldwide, compiled from institutions' official program pages.
Why this directory exists
This site exists because Global Cyber Institute watched a prospective doctoral student try to find the right doctoral nursing program — and fail. The student had a laptop open, a coffee, and three browser tabs: one bookmarked from a school counselor, one from a Reddit thread, one from a Google search that returned a paywall and a half-broken PDF. After two hours, they still couldn't tell which programs were accepting applications, what the GRE requirements were, or how to compare funding opportunities across programs.
That moment became the brief: build the thing that should have been there. Free for nurses. Always. Sourced from the same accreditation registries that programs themselves report into. Updated quarterly. Owner-claimable so program director can correct and enrich what we have. No advertising trackers. No paywalls. No data brokers. A public-interest project of a 501(c)(3) non-profit, run on the smallest possible operational footprint so it can outlive any one person's involvement.
The doctoral degree in nursing is the terminal credential that shapes practice, policy, and research. The least we can do is help every motivated RN find the right program.
No paywall stands between a prospective doctoral student and the program that could define their career. That is the promise. It will not break.
Three standards we apply to every listing.
Sourced from the registries
Every listing begins with an authoritative source — the CCNE/ACEN directory, the CCNE/COA cohort, the program's own page on the universities's site, or an NHS Trust preceptorship publication. Generic aggregator content is rejected. We cite our sources.
Verified by the program director
Programs claim their listings through verified domain ownership (DNS or institutional email-domain match — same standards as Google Search Console). When a program director confirms the information, the listing earns a Verified seal that signals to prospective students that the program speaks for itself.
Transparently funded
The directory is funded by Verified and Featured tier subscriptions from programs that opt in. Featured placement is always disclosed. Editorial content (search rankings, write-ups) is never affected by tier — only visibility is.
Where our program records come from.
The right doctoral program opens every door in nursing — practice, policy, research, and leadership.
Get in touch.
Press & partnerships
For media inquiries, partnership questions, and academic research collaboration.
hello@nursedoctorateprograms.com →program director / graduate admissions office
For listing claims, verification questions, and bulk health-system onboarding.
claims@nursedoctorateprograms.com →Nurses & prospective students
Found wrong info on a listing? Want to suggest a missing program?
tips@nursedoctorateprograms.com →