Doctoral Nursing Education in Thailand

Abstract

Doctoral nursing education in Thailand started in 1984 at the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University. However, the degree granted was Doctor of Public Health (Public Health Nursing), not nursing degree itself. Not until 1990, when the first doctoral degree in nursing was established as a collaborative program between four major universities led by the Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University.

The Beginning: A Collaborative Project for Production of Doctoral Graduates (1990-1998)

In recognition of insufficient number of doctoral prepared faculty members to undertake a doctoral program in individual institution, leaders from 4 major universities: Mahidol University (Faculty of Nursing; Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Public Health; Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital), Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, and Prince of Songkla University, proposed a collaborative project for production of doctoral graduates in nursing to the Ministry of University Affairs (MUA, currently is the Commission on Higher Education, Ministry of Education). The project was approved and funded with the objective of increasing the credential of faculty members in nursing schools up to doctoral degree, increase quality of nursing research, education, and increase optimal utilization of existing resources. The degree granted was Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS). The goal was to produce approximately 50 faculty members with doctoral preparation; the cooperating institutions were expected to manage their own program effectively at the end of the project in 1999.