INFORMATION FOR NEW INCOMING NURSING PHD STUDENTS
Information on this page is intended for new and transferring Nursing PhD students planning to matriculate and begin their coursework at the UMass Amherst College of Nursing during the Fall 2026 semester.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE INTO THE NURSING PHD PROGRAM AT UMASS AMHERST! WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE UNIVERSITY AND OUR COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS THIS FALL.
Comprehensive information about the Nursing PhD Program can be found in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing's Graduate Handbook (Please note this handbook is currently in the process of being updated for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. An updated copy of the handbook should be accessible at Orientation.)
READ ME FIRST: PhD Program Director's Welcome Letter to Incoming Students
CHECK OUT THE INCOMING PHD STUDENT CHECKLIST, HERE:
Additional resources to help prepare you for PhD study can be found in our Incoming PhD Student Resource Folder, here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions about orientation, how to enroll in fall courses, accessing SPIRE, waiving student health insurance, or other matters related to the Registrar, please contact program staff member Dorian Pariseau (DPariseau@UMass.edu).
For questions about independent studies, career advising/mentoring or your plan of study, please speak to your assigned PhD advisor. This contact information can be found in your admission letter and email.
*Please note university faculty are off-contract until September 8, 2026, and may not be immediately available via email or phone. If you are having difficulty connecting with your assigned advisor, the PhD program Director can provide support while they are out of the office.*
Questions related to the teaching assistant role, approval of mentored research residencies or independent studies, and all other queries, or if you are unable to reach program staff or your advisor, can be directed to PhD Program Director Rae Walker (r.walker@umass.edu). Please note that as of September 2nd, 2026, the new PhD Program Director will be Dr. Carrie-Ellen Briere (CEBriere@umass.edu).
Additional contact information for the PhD Program can be found here.
NEW NURSING PHD STUDENT WELCOME & ORIENTATIONS
A new Nursing PhD student student welcome and orientation will be held in-person in Skinner Hall at 651 North Pleasant Street in Amherst, Massachusetts on:
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 8:30am-4:30pm EDT
Agenda Pending!
Attendance at this event is critical for setting you up for success in this doctoral program.
Please note this orientation event is distinct from the UMass Graduate School New Student welcome and picnic (WUGS) which will be held on Friday, September 4th. New graduate students should plan to attend the WUGS event. More details including an agenda are available on the WUGS website.
New International Students should plan to attend the New International Student orientation, scheduled for Wednesday, September 3rd. More information on this event can be obtained from the UMass International Programs Office.
Please save these dates. For logistical questions such as where to park, etc., please contact program staff member Dorian Pariseau (DPariseau@umass.edu)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PARKING AT UMASS, SEE: https://www.umass.edu/transportation/parking
REGISTERING FOR FALL 2026 COURSES
The following plan of study has been approved by the faculty of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing for all incoming PhD students (effective September 1, 2023):
Nursing PhD MS-PhD FULL-TIME PLAN OF STUDY (***BS-PhD and part-time students may have additional course requirements)
STATISTICS REQUIREMENTS: Please note that a graduate-level course in introductory statistics is a prerequisite for the spring core course Nursing 714 Deductive Reasoning (Intermediate Statistics). If you have not completed such a course within the 3 years prior to your matriculation into the program, please enroll in Nursing 701 Introductory Statistics during your first semester to meet this prerequisite. All incoming students are strongly encouraged to enroll in Nursing 701 Introductory Statistics, whether or not you have already met the prerequisite.
COURSE ENROLLMENT: You should be able to enroll in first semester coursework by visiting the UMass course registration website, known as SPIRE. SPIRE can be accessed here (https://spire.umass.edu), using your UMass NetID and password.
SUPPORT: PhD Program staff person Dorian Pariseau (DPariseau@UMass.edu) can assist with registration for fall classes, if you encounter any difficulties.
If you anticipate the need to alter this plan of study, please reach out to your PhD advisor first to discuss. Time will be set aside at new student orientation to discuss plans of study and address any changes. Nursing PhD courses do not fill up - we will make sure you get a spot in any required core Nursing PhD courses you are required to take during your first semester.
If you’ve already developed an alternate plan of study with your advisor, such as in the case of part-time study and some BSN-to-PhD students, please contact the PhD Program Director (r.walker@umass.edu) for approval of an alternate plan of study.
Please check SPIRE for the most up-to-date information on course meeting times and locations. Most PhD courses meet synchronously on Tuesdays in Skinner Hall, located at 651 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts. Remote attendance is approved on a case-by-case basis by the PhD advisor and Program Director.
INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The UMass Office of International Programs (IPO) provides an array of services and supports to incoming international students, whose presence greatly enriches this community. You can access the UMass International Programs Office (IPO) here.
You can read more about unique funding supports available to international students here on our Funding & Scholarships page.
And additional resources for international PhD students at UMass Amherst, here on our Forms & Resources page and our Writing & Language Arts page.
CORONAVIRUS POLICIES & RESOURCES
UMass and the Nursing PhD Program continue to monitor the evolving pandemic. Resources and links to the most up-to-date information on university policies and precautions related to COVID-19 can be found on our Coronavirus Resource page here.