unc phd philosophy

Graduate Students

105D Caldwell Hall [email protected]

metaphysics, epistemology, logic, early modern philosophy, philosophy of science

105D Caldwell Hall [email protected]

Ethics and Value Theory, Moral Psychology, History of Philosophy

206C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, normativity, metaethics, logic

107D Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, ethics, philosophy of science

205 Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, metaethics, early modern philosophy, and philosophy of religion

205 Caldwell Hall [email protected]

value theory, epistemology, normativity, history of philosophy

210C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, philosophy of science

205 Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, philosophy and literature, PPE, and political philosophy

206B Caldwell Hall [email protected] Personal Website

epistemology, mind, philosophy of language

105B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

moral psychology, metaethics, and political philosophy

12B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

philosophy of math, language, science, and logic; also metaethics

210C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, epistemology and moral psychology

205 Caldwell Hall [email protected]

Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Action

210B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics and value theory, exploitation, friendship

107B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

metaphysics, philosophy of science, ethics

210A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

Ethics, Practical Reason, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Action

206A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, social and political philosophy

107B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, metaphysics, philosophy of mind

12B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

philosophy of mind, epistemology, practical reason, philosophy of mathematics

206C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

mind, perception, epistemology, metaphysics 

206A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

metaphysics, epistemology, social philosophy, Ancient Greek philosophy

105C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

normative ethics, moral pscychology, social/political philosophy, feminist philosophy, Buddhist philosophy

210C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, metaethics, moral psychology, philosophy of law, philosophy of science

210A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, metaethics, metanormativity

12A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, PPE, philosophy of economics, political philosophy, Ancient Greek philosophy

210D Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of religion

205 Caldwell Hall [email protected]

philosophy of language, epistemology, metaphysics, and metanormativity

107C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

epistemology, moral psychology

107A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

value theory, epistemology

210A Caldwell Hall [email protected]

ethics, history of moral philosophy, Ancient Greek philosophy, political philosophy

206B Caldwell Hall [email protected]

metaphysics, metaethics, philosophy of mind

206C Caldwell Hall [email protected]

metaethics, moral responsibility, Hegel and Marx, philosophy of language, political economy, philosophy of race

107D Caldwell Hall [email protected] Personal Homepage

Early Modern Philosophy, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Moral Theory, and 20th century Continental Philosophy

Ph.D. Program

Curriculum requirements.

Completion of the Ph.D. degree requires fulfillment of the following coursework. Examples of courses that meet these requirements can be found here .

Core Engineering Courses Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) six credit hours (typically two courses) of engineering-centric courses.

Core Bio/Medicine Courses Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) six credit hours to meet the physiology requirement.

• BIOL 451: Comparative Physiology (offered at UNC), or PHY 503: General Physiology I (offered at NC State), or PHY 504: General Physiology II (offered at NC State)
• BMME890/BME790: Biochemistry

Mathematics Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) three credit hours (typically one course) of graduate-level mathematics or applied mathematics.

Statistics Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) three credit hours (typically one course) of a graduate-level statistics course.

Technical Electives Students must satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) nine credit hours (typically three courses) of graduate-level science or engineering. Courses pertinent to the student’s areas of interest are selected with the approval of the research adviser.

BME Graduate Seminar Students are required to enroll every semester in BME 802/BMME 890: BME Graduate Seminar . M.D./Ph.D. students are exempt during the clinical portion of their training. A list of upcoming seminars can be found here .

Ethics Students must pass a course in research ethics. This may be satisfied by completion of one credit hour courses PHI 816: Introduction to Research Ethics (NC State), GRAD 721: Research Ethics (UNC), or the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Good Clinical Practices for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs, Biologics and Devices course module.

Professional Development Seminar Students must enroll in the professional development seminar (BME 802/BMME 890) in the spring of the second year.

Mentored Teaching Experience Students will participate in a required mentored teaching experience in the third year of graduate study.

Ph.D. Timeline

1. pass the written qualifying exams by the end of the first year, 2. select a primary adviser and laboratory by the end of the second semester, 3. develop a plan of work by the end of the first year, 4. form an advisory committee by the end of the second year, 5. write a research proposal and pass the oral preliminary exam by the end of the third year, 6. write doctoral dissertation and pass dissertation defense, how to apply through unc or nc state.

Because our department is truly joint and BME Graduate degrees are from both universities, applications to the doctoral program submitted through UNC and NC State graduate schools are processed identically. All applications, regardless of submission origin, are evaluated equally by the Joint graduate admissions committee and the Joint Department’s graduate faculty . Therefore, students submitting applications to the doctoral program may do so through either campus equivalently.

APPLY NOW NC State APPLY NOW UNC

Applicants must submit the following:

• Transcript(s) documenting an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or a quantitative science.
• GRE scores are not required.  However, if applicants choose to send in their scores, they may do so. Please note that scores from the GRE general exam must be taken within the last five years. UNC institution code: #5816. NC State institution code: #5496 
• Three recommendation letters that discuss your potential for graduate study.
• TOEFL scores (international applicants only).
• A 1–2 page personal statement discussing research interests and relevant background experience. The statement should identify professors within the department with whom you are interested in working.

ADMISSIONS DEADLINE : All materials must be received  by Tuesday, December 12th, 2023 for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.

Director of Graduate Studies Matt Fisher, Ph.D. (919) 515-5242 [email protected]

Graduate Program Coordinator Vilma Berg (919) 445-6051 [email protected]

MS MedTech Program Director David Zaharoff (919) 515-6757 [email protected]

MS MedTech Assistant Program Director Matt Penny (919) 524-4497 [email protected]

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• PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)

Socrates is the quintessential philosopher--a man for all seasons, a foundational figure of the West.

Students will read some of the most important philosophical reflections of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Students will explore a variety of issues that arise when human beings begin to reflect on our own natures and will be introduced to main theories that have been developed. Honors version available.

What is time? Do the past and the future exist, or only the present? Is the "flow of time" an objective feature of reality?

Paradoxes have been a driving force in philosophy since the fourth century BCE. They force us to rethink old ideas and conceptions.

A general philosophical discussion of the value of life, the evil in death, and the wrongness of killing.

The goal of the course is to get a mature and correct understanding of race, racism, and affirmative action.

This course will explore the ethical dimensions of the responses to evil that we have developed over history. Revenge, retribution, reparation; hatred, resentment, forgiveness; punishment, pardon, mercy.

We will examine efforts in the history of philosophy to prove that God exists or that God does not exist. Our aim is to articulate and understand some of the underlying philosophical issues that are raised by these proofs and arguments.

This seminar examines Plato's philosophical and literary masterpiece, The Symposium, and its influence on later artists and writers: we explore the Symposium itself, the ways in which the Symposium influenced later European artists and writers, and the importance of the Platonic view of love and beauty for modern artists and writers. Honors version available.

Novels, memoirs, and aisles of self-help books attest to our desire to transform ourselves. Yet, the idea of self-transformation is puzzling. In this class, we will critically examine the idea of aspiration and transformation.

This seminar is designed to give students a unique, experiential perspective on philosophical inquiry by combining the philosophical study of ethics with virtual service in the community. We will examine philosophical questions about childhood and engage in philosophical interactions with children about a range of philosophical topics, with an emphasis on ethics and human values. Students perform 30 hours of service at a local K-5 school.

What are minds and how are they related to bodies?

This seminar introduces several of the central problems in philosophy through reflection on the nature of mathematics.

This seminar examines theoretical issues, relativism, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics.

This seminar examines ethical issues in sports, including Title IX, gender equity, racism, sexism, cheating, violence, and drug use.

This course will explore the meaning of basic moral concepts as they are understood in philosophy, science, and art. Honors version available.

This course uses insights and techniques from philosophy, politics, and economics to answer questions like: What makes a modern civilization possible? How can our societies continue to improve? What role do property rights, markets, and political action play in creating flourishing civilizations? How do we address environmental degradation, distributive justice, and economic exploitation? Our answers will draw from rational choice theory, utility theory, game theory, public choice economics, etc. Course is limited to PPE minors.

What is evil? Who, if anyone, is responsible for it? How different are evil people from the rest of us? How should we respond to them? The course will explore the nature of evil through philosophy, nonfiction, fiction, and film.

This course will examine whether our belief in freedom of action is compatible with the modern picture of ourselves. Honors version available.

Is man's reason a powerful thing: if one had knowledge or belief about something that should be done, would that be enough to position one to do it?

This course explores both old and new questions regarding death. It will examine the presuppositions and cogency of the classical religious-philosophical conception of death.

In this seminar we will examine a number of constitutions and try to determine what makes a constitution better or worse, and when it makes sense to borrow constitutional principles from other countries. We will also try our hand at designing a constitution.

We will read short stories and social science articles that address social problems such as child-rearing; social mobility; mass incarceration and race; the opiate crisis; tradition versus science. Students will explore the different ways in which literature, the humanities and the social sciences construct issues of social relevance, the opportunities and limits of these constructions, and what might be gained by using each to understand and respond to these issues.

The arguments by which Galileo and his contemporaries defended the Copernican model of the solar system puzzle philosophers even today. Honors version available.

An introduction to the topic of personal identity, focused on epistemological, ethical, and metaphysical themes. The course examines what personal identity over time consists in, whether and how we can know such identity, under what conditions our personal identity is liable to change, and what this implies for our values and projects.

Special Topics Course. Content will vary each semester.

An introduction to philosophy focusing on a few central problems, for example: free will, the basis of morality, the nature and limits of knowledge, and the existence of God. Honors version available.

A course on how to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments by other people and how to construct arguments. Topics include argument reconstruction, informal logic, fallacies, introductory formal logic, probabilistic reasoning.

An introduction to philosophy focusing on several great books from the history of Western philosophy. See course description at the department's website for which books will be covered each semester. Honors version available.

An examination of some of the most influential attempts to understand human beings, their lives, and their moral and political values. Authors may include Plato, Aristotle, and Nietzsche. Honors version available.

A philosophical inquiry into the problems of religious experience and belief, as expressed in philosophic, religious, and literary documents from traditional and contemporary sources. Honors version available.

An examination of questions about knowledge, evidence, and rational belief as they arise in areas of social life such as democratic politics, the law, science, religion, and education. Honors version available.

This course investigates philosophical issues arising from advanced forms of technology, in particular artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and biological augmentation. We will consider questions about the dangers and benefits of AI, survival in non-biological ways, moral constraints on AI, the relationship between human and machine morality, and others. Honors version available.

An examination of the differences between natural human languages and other communication systems. Includes a philosophical inquiry into how languages relate to the world and the mind. Honors version available.

What is distinctive about the kind of knowledge called "science"? What is scientific explanation? How are scientific theories related to empirical evidence? Honors version available.

How do social sciences explain human actions? Are there social facts over and above facts about various individuals? Do values enter into social science?

Introduces the theory of deductive reasoning, using a symbolic language to represent and evaluate patterns of reasoning. Covers sentential logic and first-order predicate logic. Honors version available.

A broader discussion of practical reasoning, including inductive and deductive logic, which provides a good introduction to decision and game theory that is important for the social sciences, especially economics. Honors version available.

Exploration of different philosophical perspectives about right and wrong, personal character, justice, moral reasoning, and moral conflicts. Readings drawn from classic or contemporary sources. Critical discussion emphasized. Honors version available.

Topics may include war, medical ethics, media ethics, sexual ethics, business ethics, racism, sexism, capital punishment, and the environment. Honors version available.

An examination of business ethics and the types of ethical dilemmas people may face in business practices.

An examination of ethical issues in the life sciences and technologies, medicine, public health, and/or human interaction with nonhuman animals or the living environment. Honors version available.

An examination of major issues in political philosophy, e.g., liberty, individual rights, social responsibility, legal authority, civil authority, civil disobedience. Readings include classical and contemporary writings. Honors version available.

A course on philosophical issues related to laughter and humor. Historical and contemporary philosophical theories of humor; connections between traditional issues in aesthetics and humor; moral questions about humor, such as what is involved in a joke being racist/sexist/homophobic; and connections between jokes and various epistemological fallacies.

The nature of art and artworks and their aesthetic appraisal. Honors version available.

The emergence of philosophy in Greece during the sixth century BCE and its development during the classical period. The major figures studied are the Pre-Socratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Honors version available.

This course studies through the examination of several infamous, ignored, or otherwise uncharted Ancient Greek texts the views about gender and race as presented in ancient Greek philosophy, medicine, and science. Our aims are to generate a new understanding of how the male elite used such views to further promote or justify (or perhaps challenge) the existing marginalization and silencing of women, foreigners, and less privileged men.

An examination of some of the philosophical traditions of Asia. Possible topics include Advaita Vedanta, Nyaya-Vaisheshika, Madhyamaka Buddhism, neo-Confucianism, Mohism, and philosophical Taoism.

A survey of medieval philosophy from Augustine through Ockham. Topics: God and the world, faith and reason, knowledge and reality, the problem of universals. Additional main authors: Anselm, Aquinas, Duns Scotus.

A study of some major philosophical works from this period, including works by authors such as Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz, Hume, and/or Kant. Honors version available.

A survey of European philosophers in the phenomenological and existentialist traditions. Philosophers studied may include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus. Honors version available.

An exploration of the distinctively American approaches to philosophy from Jonathan Edwards to the present.

An introductory survey of British and Continental philosophy in the 20th century.

Topics in metaphysics and/or epistemology, such as: Is your mind different from your brain? Is it possible for us to know anything about the external world? Do we have free will? What distinguishes reasonable from unreasonable belief? Honors version available.

This course examines the role that inductive logic plays in scientific reasoning. Questions to be considered include: Are scientific theories distinguished from pseudoscience by being testable against our observations? Can we prove our best scientific theories to be true? Are we justified in making predictions about the future on the basis of past observations? The course examines these and other questions about confirming scientific theories by using the apparatus provided by the probability calculus.

Ethics Bowl provides a unique experiential opportunity for students to apply theory to practical global issues. Students will prepare cases to present locally and at Ethics Bowl competition. Permission of the instructor.

In the near future, our taxis will be driver-less, our wars will be fought by autonomous drones, and our towns will be kept safe by algorithms foreseeing crimes. This course explores the ethical implications of this new technological revolution and invites students to debate the challenges it engenders. We will debate how new technologies ought to be governed and what limits should be imposed on their implementation.

An analysis of the moral significance of sports, the nature of sport and competition, and issues such as racism, gender equity, violence, and performance-enhancing drugs.

An analysis of ethical issues that arise in peace, war, and defense, e.g., the legitimacy of states, just war theory, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction.

This course will focus on justice and the common good, applying theoretical justifications to contemporary social and economic issues. Readings will include classical and contemporary literature on the nature of justice and rights. Honors version available.

Race, identity, discrimination, multiculturalism, affirmative action, and slave reparations in the writings of Walker, Delany, Douglass, Cooper, DuBois, King, and Malcolm X. Honors version available.

A survey of feminist perspectives on topics such as the meaning of oppression, sexism and racism, sex roles and stereotypes, ideals of female beauty, women in the workplace, pornography, rape. Honors version available.

This course studies how (oftentimes implicit) ideological commitments shape our culture and our social reality. We will explore the Marxist tradition and the Frankfurt School Critical Theory, as well as contemporary applications and critiques of ideology in thinkers such as Jaeggi, Fraser, Shelby, and Haslanger.

Explores issues in legal philosophy such as, What is law? Does it serve justice or undermine it? Can punishment be justified? When is a person responsible? Honors version available.

The philosophy of human rights addresses questions about the existence, content, nature, universality, justification, and legal status of human rights. The strong claims made on behalf of human rights frequently provoke skeptical doubts and countering philosophical defenses. These will be addressed through classical and contemporary history of philosophy.

A critical examination of the moral and philosophical issues in education: What does it mean to be well educated? What is a liberal education? Honors version available.

Permission of the instructor. This course combines on-campus structured learning with substantial on-site field work incorporating philosophy into the primary and/or secondary school curriculum. Philosophy subjects and school partners will vary by semester.

This is a high-impact service-learning course that aims to promote experiential learning in philosophy by combining traditional elements of classroom study with service in the community (HI-SERVICE). Students will have the unique opportunity to teach and learn philosophy alongside older adults in the Triangle area, thereby integrating the academic study of philosophy with community engagement.

An examination of general theories of the nature of reality. What kinds of things exist? What are space, time, and causation? Are abstract entities (such as numbers) real?

What is knowledge and how does it relate to belief, justification, and truth? What makes beliefs reasonable or irrational? Can skepticism be defeated?

The mind-body problem, the nature of thinking, the puzzles of consciousness, and the qualitative character of felt experience.

Survey of major topics in contemporary philosophy of language. Topics may include truth and meaning, speech acts, reference, descriptions, names, and demonstratives.

Topics may include the nature of space and time, the ontological status of fields and energy, or causation and locality in quantum physics. Honors version available.

Philosophical issues raised by biological theories, which may include the logical structure of evolutionary theory, fitness, taxonomy, the notion of a living thing, reductionism, evolutionary explanations, or teleology.

Philosophical questions raised by linguistics, computer science, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. Topics may include the innateness of language, artificial intelligence, and the neural correlates of consciousness. Honors version available.

An interdisciplinary course on the weirdness of quantum mechanics and the problem of interpreting it. Nonlocality, the measurement problem, superpositions, Bohm's theory, collapse theories, and the many-worlds interpretation.

Quantificational logic with identity; basic meta-theory; modal logic.

Current accounts of evidence and observation, the confirmation of scientific theories, the logic of inductive reasoning, and the metaphysics and epistemology of chance.

PHIL 160 recommended. Major developments in the history of moral philosophy, from Plato to Nietzsche. Honors version available.

Using 20th- and 21st-century texts, this course explores some general questions about morality in depth. For example, Is there moral truth? Are any moral rules absolute? Why be moral? Honors version available.

Recommended preparation, at least one course in ethics ( PHIL 160 , 163 , or 170 ) or one course in economics. Issues at the intersection of ethics and economics, including value; the relation between values and preferences; rationality; the relevance to economics of rights, justice, and the value of human life.

The meaning of environmental values and their relation to other values; the ethical status of animals, species, wilderness, and ecosystems; the built environment; environmental justice; ecofeminism; obligations to future generations.

Advanced discussion of competing philosophical approaches to questions of justice, authority, freedom, rights, and the like, including libertarianism, liberalism, communitarianism, Marxism, and feminism.

An examination of how philosophical issues are explored in the medium of film. Honors version available.

One course in economics strongly recommended. This interdisciplinary gateway course provides an introduction to subjects and quantitative techniques used to analyze problems in philosophy, political science, and economics. Honors version available.

Intensive exploration and discussion of selected topics in philosophy. Honors version available.

This is a capstone course in ethics designed for Parr Center Ethics Scholars completing the Mentored Research capstone project. The seminar will provide a collaborative learning space that will facilitate each student's independent research and writing. This course will begin with survey of major themes in practical ethics before transitioning to a thematically focused study of topics based on the research interests of the students in the course.

This is a philosophical research course for anyone with some background in philosophy and an interest in the topic. Special emphasis is placed on giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a research project that leads to an original final research paper.

Permission of the instructor. See the director of undergraduate studies of the department.

This course is designed to approximate the experience of a graduate seminar in philosophy. The course topic is different each year; class meetings are discussion-based and focused on developing professional writing and research skills. Recommended for all majors and minors.

An examination of some representative works of Aristotle, with reference to common emphases and basic problems, together with an analysis of their philosophic content. The aim to provide students with a more thorough understanding of the key texts, doctrines, notions, and ideas in Aristotle's philosophy as a whole and with the capacities and confidence to conduct a short, independent, ancient philosophical research project on Aristotle's philosophy.

An examination of some representative works in the context of contemporary scholarship.

An intensive study of some medieval philosophical author (e.g., Aquinas, Scotus, or Ockham) or topic (e.g., arguments for the existence of God, universals, knowledge of individuals).

An in-depth study of such rationalist philosophers as Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz.

An in-depth study of such empiricist philosophers as Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.

An intensive introduction to Kant's accounts of space, time, concepts, perception, substance, causation, and the thinking self through a careful study of his masterwork, The Critique of Pure Reason.

This course studies closely Kant's practical philosophy, dedicated to understanding and assessing the answers that Kant gives to classic questions of practical philosophy, such as: What does morality demand from us? What is the morally right course of action? Is morality objective? Do moral norms depend on God?

This course examines the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, covering all three conventionally recognized periods of his philosophy in chronological sequence, tracing the historical and philosophical development of his views from the early Birth of Tragedy to the late Twilight of Idols. The main question we will face when studying all these different writings is how Nietzsche tries to solve the problem of nihilism. Completion of one previous PHIL course preferred.

In-depth study of Hegel's systematic philosophy emphasizing its roots in Kant's critical philosophy. Primary focus on Phenomenology of Spirit, supplemented by selections from the Encyclopedia and Philosophy of Right.

An in-depth study of American contributions to philosophy, including for example the transcendentalists, the pragmatists, Quine, Rorty, and others.

Frege, Russell, Moore, and Wittgenstein among others are considered.

Two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 strongly recommended. Recent work in epistemology and metaphysics.

At least two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 , including PHIL 340 , strongly recommended. An examination of dualism, behaviorism, the identity theory, and forms of functionalism with special focus on the problems of mental aboutness and the problems of consciousness.

At least two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 , including PHIL 345 , strongly recommended. A study of important contemporary contributions in philosophy of language. Topics include meaning, reference, and truth.

An in-depth survey of general issues in contemporary philosophy of natural science intended for advanced philosophy students. Topics include confirmation, explanation, theory-choice, realism, reduction.

Topics may include the nature of space and time, the ontological status of fields and energy, or causation and locality in quantum physics.

The logical structure of evolutionary theory, fitness, taxonomy, the notion of a living thing, reductionism, evolutionary explanations, teleology.

Topics may include reasoning, the relationship between language and thought, concepts, moral cognition, and emotions.

The nature of historical explanation, structural and functional explanation, the weighing of historical testimony, the concept of meaning, normative judgments and predictions in the social sciences.

Introduction for graduates and advanced undergraduates.

Presupposes propositional and quantificational logic as a basis of further deductive development with special attention to selected topics: alternative systems, modal and deontic logic, inductive logic, the grammar of formalized languages, paradoxes, and foundations of mathematics.

Natural and real numbers. Infinite cardinal and ordinal numbers. Alternative axiom systems and their consistency problems.

Philosophical problems concerning logic and the foundation of mathematics.

Examination of classic texts of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Butler, Hume, Kant, and Mill. Selections may vary from year to year.

Advanced discussion of moral issues such as fact and value, reason and morality, the nature of morality.

Two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 strongly recommended. A detailed examination of one or more of the following contemporary issues: environmental ethics, animal rights, abortion, euthanasia, pornography, racism, sexism, public versus private morality.

One course in philosophy strongly recommended. Medical students welcome. The course will focus on the question of how scarce health care resources ought to be distributed in order to meet the demands of justice.

One additional course in philosophy strongly recommended. The course examines attitudes toward risk and how they affect our preferences for different public policies in the areas of environmental protection, technology regulation, and workplace and product safety.

Two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 , including PHIL 170 or 370 , strongly recommended. Explores the foundations of justice and authority in the idea of contract or covenant, the nature of law, rights, liberty, and democracy in the work of Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Rousseau.

An examination of central issues in social and political philosophy as they figure in the work of 19th Century Philosophy.

One course in philosophy other than PHIL 155 strongly recommended. The issue of unity and diversity in America is analyzed through the writings of Jefferson, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, Calhoun, MacKinnon, DuBois, and Rawls.

This course traces the emergence and development of central themes of modern political philosophy from the 13th through the 17th century.

Examines in greater depth and complexity one or more of the issues addressed in PHIL 275 , investigating issues of gender, race, and class within the dominant theories of philosophy.

Two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155 , including PHIL 370 , strongly recommended. Investigation of major contemporary contributors (Rawls, Nozick, Dworkin, Cohen, Waldron, Arrow) to philosophical debate concerning justice, equality, liberty, democracy, public reason, or rights versus community.

An exploration of whether and under what conditions the state has the right to control crime by punishment of past crimes and preventive detention to prevent future crimes.

Philosophical readings of literary texts, including novels, plays, and poems.

Competing theories of art and art criticism. The relationship between art and emotional expression, the formal character of art, and standards of taste.

Interdisciplinary course to develop critical thinking capacities through philosophical study of the nature of scientific presuppositions and concepts, including events, causality, and determinism, with specific application to health care issues.

A study of one or two major systematic works by Sartre, Heidegger, or Merleau-Ponty.

Permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Advanced independent work in philosophy.

Ethics explores obligations to act in the interest of others as well as ourselves. Justice explores the ways people should organize and govern themselves. Course addresses such questions as, What principles govern our relationships with other people? What do we owe others and ourselves? How should we treat other people?

Permission of the director of undergraduate studies. See the director of undergraduate studies of the department.

Permission of the department. This capstone course advances PHIL 384 , focusing on such theoretical and philosophical issues as the analysis of rights or distributive justice and the institutional implications of moral forms.

This course provides Philosophy graduate students with the background to teach PPE courses. It covers core ideas in Economics and Political Science, Rationality, the Market, Inequality, Causal Inference, with the aim of analyzing social problems in PPE style.

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Graduate Degree Programs

Below we have listed information about our graduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill, including degrees offered, contact information, and specific admissions application requirements.

Important information about admissions application deadlines

Admissions information - alphabetical

Admissions information - by department/school.

• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Materials Science *
• Art History
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
• Applied Physical Sciences
• Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
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• Chemistry *
• Genetics and Molecular Biology
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• Neuroscience
• Nutrition *
• Oral and Craniofacial Biomedicine *
• Pharmaceutical Sciences *
• Pharmacology
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• Biomedical Engineering
• Business Administration
• Cell Biology and Physiology – Direct Admit MS and PhD
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• Master of Applied Professional Studies (MAPS)
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• Toxicology – Professional Science Masters

**There are two application paths available for certain doctoral programs. Depending on your objectives, you may apply directly to the specific program or you may apply via the Biological and Biomedical Sciences application umbrella. Please visit program websites to determine the best fit for your objectives.

View degrees offered by other schools

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program details.

Minimum Credit Hours 54

Application Cycle Fall

Application Deadline Priority Deadline: December 12, 2023 Final Deadline: January 9, 2024

Prospective Nutrition PhD students should complete an information request to assist with faculty/research matching.

Expected Duration 4-5 Years

Learning Environment Residential

Admissions Information

Who Should Apply Students develop research and teaching skills in nutrition through coursework, doctoral research, practice opportunities, and preliminary doctoral examinations to prepare them for careers in scientific research or teaching at universities, federal or state agencies, industry or private research institutions. Students may minor in other fields, such as Epidemiology.

There are two application paths available for certain doctoral programs. Depending on your objectives, you may apply directly to the Nutrition program or you may apply via the Biological and Biomedical Sciences application umbrella. Please visit program websites to determine the best fit for your objectives.

Prior Degree Required Master’s degree or relevant experience preferred but not required.

Required Prerequisites All prerequisites must be completed by the first day of class if offered admission.

• Anatomy/Physiology
• Organic Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Human Nutrition

Undergraduate G.P.A. An average grade of B (cumulative GPA 3.0) or better is required.

Letters of Recommendation Required 3 (academic and/or professional)

Interviews Not required, but it is imperative to identify a faculty match for admission. This requires contact with faculty members who share your research interests. It is recommended that all prospective nutrition doctoral students complete an information request to assist with matching.

Visit Opportunities Learn about opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and current students virtually and in person.

How To Apply

I. Complete UNC Graduate School application The Graduate School Application is a common application system for UNC Chapel Hill programs.

More Information

1. Application Fee

The UNC Graduate School application fee is $95. Information on UNC Graduate School Fee Waiver Requests

2. Faculty Interest(s)/mentor(s)

You are asked to list faculty with whom you’d like to work; it’s important to reach out to faculty members who share your research interests early in the cycle to establish connections and seek a match. A mutual faculty match is required before admission will take place. It is recommended that all prospective nutrition doctoral students complete an information request to assist with matching.

3. Applicant information,  including North Carolina residency information.

4. Area(s) of interest

Select up to three (3) areas of interest from the dropdown.

5. Educational history

Please upload a copy of your most recent transcript(s), including your current term grades, if applicable. (If grades are not yet available, send them to the UNC Gillings program contact as soon as they become available.) Be sure the transcript reflects the name of the institution and any degrees you received.

We advise that you order two copies of your transcript(s) to be sent to you. If you are admitted and choose to enroll, UNC will require official transcript(s) showing degree(s) awarded.

6. Community standards

You will be asked about honor code, crime, academic sanction, military discharge, etc.

7. Upload your personal statement.

The personal statement should address the following issues (limit to 2-3 pages with no specific formatting).

• A brief statement of what interest you most about the Nutrition doctoral program at UNC-CH.
• Specific aspects of nutrition, or research questions that interest you.
• Previous research or job experience. Please identify specific research skills (computer, laboratory methods, survey development, etc.). Applicants with prior research experience should describe in detail their research projects, including hypotheses tested, methods, results and conclusions. For data collection purposes, please provide the Number of Months of Prior, Full-Time Research Experience. For many individuals, this value will reflect months of summer research experience or full-time research experience following college. Do not include labs associated with a course (e.g. organic chemistry course with lab).
• Career goals upon completion of graduate studies.

8. Upload your resume or CV.

9. Enter names of recommenders. UNC will then send them an email with instructions for submitting a letter on your behalf.

3 Letters of Recommendations are required.

10. Report test scores, if applicable.

GRE scores are neither required nor typically recommended for applicants.

International applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS standardized test scores. Code 5816 routes to UNC. TOEFL/IELTS scores must be no more than two years old.

11. Document submission (check legibility of uploads)

Applicants should preview all documents uploaded into the application system to ensure that all documents are legible for committee review.

12. Track your progress.

You will be able to track status through the Graduate School application. Once a decision is made, you will receive an email instructing login to the Graduate School application portal to see the decision letter.

II. Application Review Process

1. Department reviews application and recommends a decision.

Time-to-decision varies. Departments make recommendations to the UNC Graduate School for admitting and denying applicants. Final decisions are rendered by the UNC Graduate School.

2. UNC Graduate School reviews department recommendation and renders a final decision:

The UNC Graduate School reviews all admissions recommendations made by programs. Once final decisions have been made, the UNC Graduate School will send the applicant an email instructing them to login to their application portal to see the decision letter.

III. Costs and Funding

When estimating costs, please visit the UNC Cashier’s Office and use the Graduate and Professional Program Tuition and Fees link. Please note that the tuition and fees of graduate programs at Gillings vary from other graduate programs at UNC.

Gillings departments and concentrations consider both domestic and international applicants for funding. Please see below for helpful tips and resources:

• Applicants will be reviewed for eligibility for UNC Graduate School scholarships and fellowships. Departments and concentrations will decide which applicants to nominate. No additional application is required.
• Please refer to our School’s Costs and Funding page and/or UNC-Chapel Hill’s Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (OSSA) website.
• Apply for FEDERAL financial aid by March 1 (please verify this date via FAFSA ). If you have been admitted and completed the FAFSA form by their deadline, the UNC Office of Scholarship and Student Aid will create a financial aid package for you.
• Funding offers are extended at the time of admission and typically guarantee at least two years of tuition, student fees, health insurance, and a stipend at the NIH recommended minimum. Most Nutrition doctoral students are funded throughout their program.
• Students positions at Gillings are posted here . The UNC Graduate School also provides resources for funding, including a listserv for incoming and current students, here .

During and After The Program

For more information on our curriculum and graduate school/career outcomes, please see our Student Handbook .

Gillings Admissions [email protected]

U’Ronda Higgs Academic Coordinator [email protected]

Linda Adair and Susan Smith Co-Directors of Graduate Admissions [email protected] and [email protected]

The Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration prepares students to become Registered Dietitians and is one of the first in the country to be an ACEND-accredited Future Education Model program.

Nutrition’s student group focused on building community and fighting food inequity in the Chapel Hill area.

The Practice and Continuing Education (PACE) Division has the mission of bridging education with real-world practice in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

The Department of Nutrition’s continuing education program in the Gillings School of Global Public Health supports dietitians and healthcare practitioners throughout their careers.

Our center is one of 11 centers in the country funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases that is specifically designed to enhance the efficiency, productivity, effectiveness and multidisciplinary nature of nutrition and obesity-related research.

CHAI Core’s behavioral assessment services help investigators use the latest methods for diet and physical activity assessment in their research studies.

Three Gillings students named 2024 Community Engagement Fellows

Information for:.

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• Academic Programs
• Doctor of Philosophy in…

PhD Student Profiles

2022 Cohort

Aly helms, bsn, rn + –.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Motivators and Deterrents for utilization of PrEP in the Southeastern United States

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health and Social Justice, Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ADVISOR | Natalia Villegas Rodriguez , PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, FAAN

Jian (Lily) Chen, MA, CNE, RN + –

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health and Social Justice, Health Disparities, Health Policy, Nursing Education, Nursing Healthcare Leadership/Workforce, Psychiatric/ Mental Health, Public Health and Community, Social Determinants of Health ADVISOR | Cheryl Woods Giscombe , PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Liz Finnessy, BSN, RN + –

Finnessy worked for 2 years as a Labor and Delivery at UNC-Medical Center and as a Research Assistant on the Prenatal Heart Smart project, an NIH funded clinical trial that tests the effectiveness of stretching exercise to prevent hypertension. During this time, Finnessy also was engaging in various quality improvement projects pertaining to pre-eclampsia. She is currently a Research Assistant on the ACHIEVE project, an NHLBI clinical trial that will assess the implementation of an evidence-based intervention (O-HTN Bundle) for pregnant and postpartum people with severe hypertensive disorders. Her research interests include pregnancy, equitable care, and advocacy. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society in Nursing—Alpha Alpha Chapter and NC Perinatal Nursing Association.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Women Health ADVISOR | Jennifer Leeman , DrPH, MPH, MDiV

Diana Hernandez, BSN, RN + –

When Diana is not in the classroom, she loves to explore the outside world, hike, discover new music, and spend quality time with family and friends.

DISSERTATION TOPIC

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health and Social Justice, Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health ADVISOR | Jessica Williams , PhD, MPH, PHNA-BC, FAAN

2021 Cohort

Dorothy addo-mensah, mn, bsn, rn + –.

She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and Ghana Association of University Women. Dorothy Addo-Mensah also volunteered for the Ghana Association of University Women as a Coordinator for International Relations and the Diabetes Youth Care Ghana Central Region branch, and is also an alumni of Inspired Women Lead and Young African Leadership Initiative. Dorothy currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UNC School of Nursing. As part of her PhD Training she has been awarded the Graduate Fellowship in Nursing Fund Scholarship, Virginia J Neelon and Carol Ann Beerstecher Blackwell scholarships. In 2019, she won an Individual Research Support Grant by the Directorate of Research ,Innovation and Consultancy, University of Cape Coast. She has certifications in the Leadership Empowerment Academic Program from the University of Buffalo, Leadership and Management in Health and Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health at the University of Washington. She also completed a leadership and mentoring program from the Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Centre West Africa. As part of her key interest in diabetes, she has completed the Diabetes Educator Course with the International Diabetes Federation. Dorothy Addo-Mensah’s PhD research focuses on exploring the facilitators and barriers to participating in a diabetes risk reduction intervention program among a group of African-Americans diagnosed with prediabetes. Results from her study will contribute significantly to the body of science, contextualizing the basic characteristics to emphasize when dealing with the population level interventions for African-American people.

DISSERTATION TOPIC The Facilitators and Barrriers to Participating in a Diabetes Risk Reduction Intervention Program Among A Group of African Americans diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Adult Health Cardiovascular Care Family Care Diabetes Self-Management ADVISOR | Cheryl Woods Giscombe , PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Jingle Xu, MSN, MS + –

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Family Care, Nutrition, Oncology, Social Determinants of Health, Behavioral Science, Dyadic Research, Dyadic Intervention Design ADVISOR | Rachel Hirschey , PhD, RN

Joshua Barrett, MBA, BSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Turnover Intention Differences between Generational Cohorts of Nurses

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health System, Nursing/ Healthcare Leadership/ Workforce ADVISOR | Cheryl Jones , PhD, RN, FAAN

Latesha K. Harris, BSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Police Violence and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among African American Women: A Multi-Method Study

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health and Social Justice, Health Disparities, Health Policy, Public Health and Community, Social Determinants of Health, Women Health, Cardiometabolic Health, Cardiovascular Disease ADVISORS | Yamnia Cortés , PhD, MPH, FNP-BD, FAHA and Cheryl Woods Giscombe , PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Nayeon Lee, MSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Internationally Educated Nurses’ Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health Disparities, Healthcare Leadership/Workforce, Social Determinants of Health, Health Policy, Public and Community Health, Health Social Justice, Health System, Diversity and Inclusion ADVISORS | Marianne Baernholdt, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN and Mark Toles , PhD, RN, FAAN

Randi McArthur, BSN, RN + –

Randi’s research interest is work accommodations for lower wage workers with chronic health conditions. Currently, she’s on Dr. Shawn Kneipp’s team as lead data collector for Dr. Kneipp’s project NC WORKS4HEALTH: Reducing Chronic Disease Risks in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Unemployed Populations. Randi’s work is funded by T32NR007091-27: Interventions for Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness and is a Carrington Nursing Scholar. In her spare time, Randi loves baking and going on mini adventures with her husband and three children.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Adult Health, Social Determinants of Health, Worker Health ADVISOR | Shawn Kneipp , PhD, RN, ANP, APHN-BC, FAANP

Lisa Hart Ranzinger, MSN, RN, CCRC + –

Lisa has worked as a staff nurse in psychiatry and neurology, and was also a therapist for HIV/AIDS patients. She is currently supported by T32NR007091-27: Interventions for Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness and is a Carrington Nursing Scholar.

Lisa’s research interests include living with chronic, serious neuromuscular conditions, such as ALS and Muscular Dystrophy. Lisa plans to focus her dissertation research on the financial burden of serious neuromuscular conditions to patients and their caregivers, and the psychosocial consequences. Her other research interests include palliative care access, rural healthcare challenges, and use of telehealth. Lisa enjoys spending time with other students here at the SON and especially strives to build relationships between the programs of study. She also likes to spend weekends exploring North Carolina with her husband and sons.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | End-of-Life, Health System, Health Disparities, Health Economics and Finance, Health Policy, Public Health and Community, Social Determinants of Health ADVISOR | Sheila Santacroce , PhD, RN, CPNP

Vinisha Flavia Dsouza, MSN, RN + –

Vinisha is passionate about building high-performance teams and has extensive experience setting up and leading nursing education and quality departments in managerial positions as a nurse educator and nurse coordinator for large hospital chains in India. During her leadership, she served as a board member in nursing education institutes and hospitals helping them achieve NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) accreditations. Vinisha is a joint Guinness World record holder and recipient of scholarships from the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA), Kellett Nursing, Speight Nursing, and Nelson Endowed Biobehavioral Nursing. Vinisha recently obtained a prestigious grant for her study from Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society in Nursing- Alpha-Alpha Chapter. Vinisha is an active member of the American Nurses Association, NCNA, and the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses (ISPN) in the U.S and has active memberships in India.

Vinisha started as a clinical nurse in 2003 and later completed her Master of Science in Nursing in 2008 to pursue her desire to be a Mental Health Nurse. Vinisha plans to focus her research on Prolonged Grief Disorder, which will help her highlight grief issues among COVID-19-afflicted populations. She aspires to work as a Nurse scientist and a policy influencer to reduce mental health stigma. In her spare time, Vinisha is an avid photographer and a world cuisine enthusiast.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health Policy Mental Health Patient Reported Outcome Measures/ Experiences Implementation Science ADVISOR | Cheryl Woods Giscombe , PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Wenxin Bian + –

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Genetics,Genomics, Geriatrics, Gerentology ADVISOR | Rose Mary Xavier , PhD, MS, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

2020 Cohort

Sandra l. garcia + –.

Sandra L Garcia was raised in Ash, North Carolina. She completed her Bachelor’s in Science of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of 2019. During her time in the BSN program, she was admitted to the Hillman Scholars Program in Nursing Innovation to pursue her doctoral degree. She took a gap year to gain nursing experience in a new graduate residency program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. She has then returned to the program full time to complete her dissertation. Her research focus is on identifying facilitators of pesticide protective behaviors for Latinx farmworkers through the perspective of growers and Latinx farmworkers in North Carolina. She is a mother of two and enjoys spending time with her family and visiting new places.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Grower and Latinx Farmworker Perspective of Facilitators for Pesticide Protective Behaviors

CURRENT RESEARCH Sandra has completed her dissertation proposal defense. She is completing her scoping review that will serve as manuscript 1 for her dissertation. She also is working with Hillman Scholars in a AERO grant.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health Disparities, Enviromental Health Latinx Health Immigrant Health Agricultural Health ADVISOR | Jada Brooks , PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAN

Victoria Crowder, RN, BSN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Nutrition, Eating, Mealtimes, and Quality of Life for Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Care Partners

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Geriatrics/ Gerontology, Nutrition, Oncology, Quality of Life ADVISOR | Ashley Bryant, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN

2019 Cohort

Chiao-hsin teng, rn, msn + –.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Fatigue Adaptation and Recovery of Physical Function Among Stroke Survivors and Their Carepartners

CURRENT RESEARCH Poststroke Fatigue and Functional Recovery (Dissertation); REHEARSE Study (Dr. Davis’ research: Intervention to improve self- care and symptom management among women with acute coronary syndromes)

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Cardiovascular Care, Quality of Life, Disability ADVISOR | Leslie Davis , Ph.D., RN, ANP-BC, FAANP, FACC, FAHA, FPCNA

Donruedee Kamkhoad, MSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Nutritional Status, Eating Behaviors, and Gastrointestinal Symptom Cluster Among Thai Children During Cancer Chemotherapy

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Children’s Health, Nutrition, Oncology, Quality of Life ADVISOR | Shelia Judge Santacroce , PhD, RN, CPNP

Ratchanok Phonyiam, MSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Self-Management and Breastfeeding in Women with Pre-existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Thailand

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health Disparities, Public Health and Community, Reproductive Health, Social Determinants of Health, Women Health ADVISOR | Marianne Baernholdt, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN

Rebecca Hoover, BSN, RN, MMB + –

CURRENT RESEARCH Rebecca is currently working on understanding predictors of change in physical activity levels in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, and the effects treatment and exercise can have on their long term cardiovascular outcomes.

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Oncology, Cancer Survivorship, Exercise, Behavioral Health, Adolescent and Young Adult ADVISOR | Rachel Hirschey , PhD, RN

Stephanie Betancur, BSN, RN + –

Her primary research interest is in evaluating occupation exposure to antineoplastic drugs among environment services (EVS) workers employed in oncology settings. She is a member of the American Nursing Society, the North Carolina Nurses Association, the Oncology Nursing Society, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the National Hispanic Medical Association, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society in Nursing – Alpha-Alpha Chapter. In 2021, Stephanie become the founder and CEO of Nursemate, a healthcare startup aimed at connecting patients and caregivers to same-day nursing care services. The goal of Nursemate is to make home health services as accessible as ordering and Uber or hiring a freelancer on Upwork. In March of 2022, Stephanie was selected as a recipient of 1789 Student Venture Fund award in support of her new venture.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs Among Environmental Services (EVS) Workers in Oncology Settings

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Oncology, Social Determinants of Health ADVISORS | Ashley Leak Bryant , PH.D., RN, OCN, FAAN AnnMarie Walton, PH.D., MPH, RN, OCN, CHES, FAAN

Youngmin Cho, MSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Understanding Functional Decline in Older Adults: An Exploration of Coping, Trajectories of Daily Functioning, and Family Engagement in Care

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Family Care, Geriatrics/ Gerontology Dementia Care Family Engagement Quality/ Safety Long-term Care/ Community Health Longitudinal Analysis Qualitative/ Quantitative Analysis ADVISOR | Anna Beeber, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA

2018 Cohort

Cassandra dictus, rn, mph + –.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Disparities Related to Symptoms for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia near the End-of-Life

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Dementia Care, Community Engagement, End-of-Life, Geriatrics/Gerontology, Health and Social Justice, Health System, Health Disparities, Health Policy, Nursing/Healthcare Leadership/ Workforce, Public Health and Community, Quality/Safety ADVISOR | Anna Beeber, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA

2017 Cohort

Mary killela, bsn, rn + –.

Throughout her training, Mary has observed the impacts of financial distress on families of children with chronic illnesses. Her dissertation topic examines how families use online crowdfunding sites to offset the costs of childhood cancer and how social support is present in these online settings. She is interested in the social support, both financial and non-financial, that can exist in crowdfunding spaces. Mary has a keen interest in how individuals identify their stressors and the ways in which individuals cope. Mary has also been involved in other research endeavors that examine stress and coping of the nursing workforce. She is dedicated to promoting the well-being of patients and nurses.

DISSERTATION TOPIC Financial Distress Among Childhood Cancer Survivors

CONTACT | [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS | Health Economics, Finance, Pediatrics ADVISOR | Sheila Santacroce , PhD, RN, CPNP

Victoria Petermann, BSN, RN + –

DISSERTATION TOPIC Access to Care for Rural Endometrial Cancer Patients

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Health Disparities, Oncology, Social Determinants of Health Health, Services Research ADVISOR | Jennifer Leeman , DrPH, MPH, MDiV

Post-Doctoral Students

Ayomide okanlawon bankole, phd, rn + –.

Her overall research goals is focused on promoting aging in place among older adults with serious chronic illness by:

• Addressing behavioral, socio-cultural, and health-system factors contributing to poor health outcomes and disparities among older adults with serious illnesses
• Improving quality and accessibility of home and community-based services such as home health care or assisted living.

When not engaged in scholarly work, she is loves to travel and read fiction.

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Adult Health, Geriatrics/ Gerontology, Health System, Health Disparities, Nursing Education, Nursing/Healthcare Leadership/ Workforce, Social Determinants of Health, Quality of Life ADVISOR | Mark Toles , PhD, RN, FAAN

Lauren E. Hicks, PhD, RN + –

Cohort Year: 2022

Lauren E. Hicks is from San Antonio, Texas. From experience as a labor and delivery nurse, Lauren’s broad research goal arose to improve maternal and infant outcomes during pregnancy and postpartum period from a multidisciplinary perspective. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Lauren’s attention turned to maternal mood disorders, as well as communication between patients and providers in the prenatal setting.

Lauren’s passion lies in equal and just care for all pregnant women in the United states, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or cultural beliefs. Understanding how biological and cultural factors influence the quality of prenatal care during pregnancy can better inform clinical practices to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. Lauren also loves to hike, paint, travel, and hang out with her husband and two dogs.

CURRENT RESEARCH

• Qualitative Content Analysis of Patient-Provider Communication in the Prenatal Setting
• Longitudinal Changes of Depressive Symptoms in Sedentary Women Who Exercised during Pregnancy

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Health Disparities, Psychiatric/ Mental Health, Reproductive Health, Women Health, Maternal Mental Health ADVISOR | SeonAe Yeo , RNC, PhD, FAAN

Michelle Graf, PhD, RN, FNP + –

Michelle Graf is a native of Virginia. She received her BSN from the University of Virginia and her MSN from George Mason University to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. As a T32 post-doctoral trainee at UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing, her research focuses on understanding the relationships of parents’ personal, sociodemographic, and psychosocial characteristics with complementary feeding practices (i.e., timing, type, and methods of solid food introduction in infancy). Her long-term goals are to reduce infant risk for chronic diseases, such as childhood obesity and food allergies, which are related to various complementary feeding practices.

In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, long walks outside, gardening, and spending time with her husband, three children, and dog.

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Children’s Health Family Care, Health Policy, Nutrition, Maternal Child Health ADVISOR | Eric Hodges , PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN

Sinhye Kim, PhD, RN + –

Sinhye Kim, RN, PhD is a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Nursing, working under the supervision of Dr. Cheryl Jones. Her primary research interests are health workforce policies, nurse staffing, and patient safety and quality of care. She is also interested in health information technology to improve nursing work environment and patient outcomes. Her current research projects focus on nurse turnover and retention. She is involved in the North Carolina Nurse Turnover and Retention Study, supported by the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), and Chief Nursing Officers (CNO) Turnover and Retention Study, funded by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). She earned her BSN and MSN at Yonsei University in South Korea and her PhD from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing in 2021.

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Health Policy, Nursing/Healthcare, Leadership/ Workforce, Quality/Safety ADVISOR | Cheryl Jones , PhD, RN, FAAN

PUBLICATIONS

• Kim, S., Lynn, M. R., Baernholdt, M., Kitzmiller, R., & Jones, C. B. (2023). How Does Workplace Violence-Reporting Culture Affect Workplace Violence, Nurse Burnout, and Patient Safety? Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 38(1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000641
• Kim, S., Kitzmiller, R., Baernholdt, M., Lynn, M. R., & Jones, C. B. (2022). Patient safety culture: the impact on workplace violence and health worker burnout. Workplace Health & Safety. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799221126364
• Kim, S., Mayer, C., & Jones, C. B. (2021). Relationships between nurses’ experiences of workplace violence, emotional exhaustion and patient safety. Journal of Research in Nursing, 26(1–2), 35– 46. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120960200
• Cho, E., Min, D., Lee, K., Kim, J., Chang, S. J., Kim, H., Kim, S., Min, A. (2019). Development and validation study of an instrument to measure work environment of nurses in nursing homes. Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing, 21(3), 144-154. https://doi.org/10.17079/jkgn.2019.21.3.144
• Cho, E., Lee, N., Kim, E., Kim, S., Lee, K., Park, K.O., & Sung, Y.H. (2016). Nurse staffing level and overtime associated with patient safety, quality of care, and care left undone in hospitals: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 60, 263-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.05.009
• Cho, E., Chin, D. L., Kim, S., & Hong. O. (2016). The relationships of nurse staffing level and work environment with patient adverse events. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(1), 74-82. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12183

Taylor Richardson, PhD, RN + –

Taylor Richardson is a T32 postdoc trainee from Greenville, North Carolina. Taylor is interested in early childhood obesity prevention with a focus on responsive feeding in infancy, as well as a father’s involvement in bottle feeding. Taylor is passionate about the mental health of parents during the postpartum period, and by being a maternal newborn nurse she supports all families in their infant feeding journeys. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and playing golf. Her favorite place is the beach!

CONTACT  |  [email protected] RESEARCH AREAS  | Children’s Health, Family Care, Health Disparities Nutrition, Mental Health ADVISOR | Eric Hodges , PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN

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Doctor of Philosophy Supplemental Information

Table of contents, teaching as a doctoral student & comp 915, composition of dissertation committee.

Teaching is not required for students pursuing a doctoral degree, but some students may want to have a teaching experience as a way of exploring a future in academia, and some advisors may require it of their students.

Like most truly valuable experiences, teaching a course involves a substantial commitment of time and effort. A semester of teaching may extend the time it takes to earn a degree by a semester. Student-taught course sections are typically limited to 40 undergraduate students, and summer courses typically only have around 15. No teaching assistants are provided for student-taught sections, meaning that the student instructor is responsible for all lecturing and grading.

Students interested in teaching must meet the following requirements:

• The student must complete the PRP and gain admission to the doctoral program
• The student must complete COMP 915
• The student must get the approval of his or her Ph.D. advisor

If you are interested in teaching and have fulfilled the requirements, please fill out this interest form .

Semester course offerings and schedules must be determined months in advance of the semester. Consult the table below for a general timeline and recommended deadlines for submitting your interest form.

Availability

Student teaching assignments are determined by trying to match the interests and experiences of the student with the needs of the department.

During the summer, the department typically has three openings for five-week courses: COMP 110 (Intro to Programming), COMP 116 (Intro to Scientific Programming w/ MATLAB or Python), and COMP 283 (Discrete Structures). These courses meet every weekday, meaning a student lecturer will be responsible for teaching and planning lectures five days each week. Summer courses can be finished more quickly, but students contemplating a future in academia will get a more representative experience by teaching a fall or spring course.

Fall and spring openings are dependent on funding availability, faculty leave, and other factors. COMP 524 (Programming Language Concepts) is typically available as a student teaching assignment and has been taught by many generations of graduate students. Prior expertise in programming languages is not necessary to teach the course effectively. Graduate students have also taught sections of COMP 550 (Algorithms and Analysis) and COMP 690 (Special Topics) to meet specific needs or opportunities during the semester offered.

Student instructors are not restricted to the courses listed above. If you want to teach a particular course or topic, please indicate that in the interest form.

Supervision

Student teaching will be supervised by the student’s doctoral dissertation advisor. This will involve the advisor visiting a few lectures, approving the syllabus, and soliciting feedback from the students in the class. The associate chair for academic affairs will be available to help with any issues that may arise.

Instructor Information

Once you have submitted the form above and are approved to teach, you may want to visit our Graduate Instructor Information page .

COMP 915 Overview

Course objectives.

Introduce principles and techniques for teaching speaking and writing on computer science topics.

Prerequisites

Graduate major in computer science or permission of instructor.

Based on assignments, class teaching performances, and discussion participation. Broad curve. Two free late assignments; any more late ones are half credit.

Typical Text

Highet,  The Art of Teaching  (Vintage) McKeachie,  Teaching Tips,  8th Edition (D.C. Heath) Strunk and White,  The Elements of Style  (MacMillan)

Course Outline

Course typically includes classes which focus on topics such as Public Speaking, Teaching Research, an Overview of Technical Writing, Preparing for Oral Examinations, etc.

Final Oral Examination (Doctoral Dissertation)

Scope and purpose.

The Final Oral Examination normally consists of a public presentation and defense of the student’s dissertation research. Its purpose is to subject the research and claims to scrutiny by the community of scholars as a final evaluation before awarding the degree.

Preparing for the Defense

Before the defense can take place, the adviser and at least two other members of the student’s committee must agree that the dissertation is in substantially completed form. The defense should be announced at least two weeks in advance.

The student must be registered during the semester in which the Ph.D. Defense is held.

Defense Presentation Policy

The department strongly encourages all faculty and graduate students to attend the dissertation defenses of department PhD students.

To facilitate the above, we recommend that each defending PhD student schedule his/her dissertation defense presentation at a time/date that can help maximize attendance by the rest of the department. Please make sure to schedule well in advance to allow such a flexibility.

Administration

The dissertation advisor is the host and Master of Ceremonies at the defense.

A typical agenda for a Ph.D. defense is as follows:

• Welcome; Introduction of the Candidate by the Advisor
• Presentation by the Candidate (about 50 minutes) emphasizing the original contributions claimed by the candidate.
• Questions from the audience
• Public questions from the Guidance Committee
• Committee meets privately with Candidate
• Committee excuses Candidate to make and record its final decision
• Committee invites Candidate to return to discuss the final decision and discuss what actions should come next.

Evaluation of Results

The guidance committee determines whether the student has passed the Final Oral Exam and usually makes specific comments on the dissertation document, especially what additions or changes will be required before it will be accepted.

The Final Oral exam is rarely failed, but when it is failed, the failure is most often due to a presentation that does not boldly present the results and claims of the research. The presentation cannot simply explain the background and significance of the research, it must present results and make claims. How the student handles questions for the audience and the committee are also important factors in determining the overall performance on this exam.

Consequences

If the student passes this exam, the department will notify the Graduate School. The only remaining hurdle before the student may apply for award of the degree is the submission of the final signed copies of the dissertation to the Graduate School.

If the student does not pass this exam, another presentation may be scheduled at a later date.

The student’s doctoral guidance committee consists of at least five persons, a majority whom must be full members of the Graduate Faculty. Other committee members may be faculty from other institutions, scholars from industry, or others whose expertise is relevant to the dissertation. Such individuals must obtain Special Appointments to the Graduate Faculty (next paragraph) At least one committee member must hold the rank of Associate Professor or higher.

The student names the committee by submitting Part I of the Graduate School form  Report of Doctoral Committee Composition . Proposed committee members who are not already members of the Graduate Faculty must be appointed as Special members of the Graduate Faculty for the purpose of serving on this guidance committee.* The dissertation adviser serves as committee chair, unless the adviser is not a Computer Science faculty member, in which event a Computer Science faculty member serves as chair.

As a rule, all regular and research faculty in Computer Science are full members of the graduate faculty. The other categories of membership are Limited and Special; these are used when non-faculty persons are enlisted for service on guidance committees. More information regarding Graduate Faculty Designations can be found here . However, please check with the department’s Administrative Manager  on the status of a faculty member if there is any doubt about the status of potential committee members.

The Ph.D. guidance committee must include five members, but since a 2/3 vote is required to pass the student on the oral exam and on the defense, some students add a sixth member to the committee to allow two dissenting votes and still pass exams. With only five members, two dissenters result in a failure. On the other hand, meetings of larger committees are more difficult to schedule, and additional committee members are additional people who must approve the dissertation document.

*In order to appoint a non Graduate Faculty committee member, a curriculum vitae must be submitted to the Student Services Manager, who will then submit that and a form to the Graduate School for an appointment recommendation.