Bowie State University Launches 1st Ph.D. In Nursing Education At An HBCU

The public university will welcome its inaugural cohort in fall 2026.

One of the nation’s first doctoral programs in Nursing Education at a historically Black college and university (HBCU) has just launched at Bowie State University. The public university will welcome its inaugural cohort in fall 2026, also making it the state of Maryland’s first Ph.D. in Nursing Education, according to Bowie leaders.

“This marks a pivotal moment for Bowie State University and for nursing education nationwide,” Bowie State University President Dr. Aminta H. Breaux said in a statement. “The curriculum reflects our commitment to innovation, academic excellence and service.”

The Nursing Doctoral Degree Was Launched To Address Faculty Shortage

The news comes at a critical time, when the industry is facing a serious shortage of nurses and nursing faculty. According to a Health Workforce Analysis published by the Health Resources and Services Administration, federal authorities project a shortage of 63,720 full-time registered nurses (RN) in 2030. To train RNs, more skilled nurse educators are needed, of which there’s also a shortage. And that’s where Bowie’s new program comes in.

“By expanding opportunities for advanced nursing scholarship and educator preparation, Bowie State is helping to strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve health outcomes for generations to come,” Dr. Breaux said.

U.S. nursing schools turned away nearly 93,000 qualified applications from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2025 “due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints,” according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, with most nursing schools responding to the survey pointing to “faculty shortages as a top reason for not accepting all qualified applicants into their programs.” Related to this, legislation was introduced in both the House and the Senate earlier this year—the Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026—to provide financial support to new and early-career faculty members, thereby bolstering the number of qualified nurse educators in the field. And Maryland is among a handful of states offering a tax incentive for healthcare workers in shortage areas.

Bowie State’s doctoral degree “prepares experienced nurses for careers in academia, research and leadership through advanced coursework, original research, dissertation study and individualized mentorship,” the university said in a statement. Graduates will be prepared to “educate future nurses, advance nursing scholarship and help address increasingly complex healthcare challenges.”

Bowie State University Has A Stellar Success Rate In Nursing Education

The Ph.D. announcement comes on the heels of other major milestones for Bowie State’s nursing program. The school’s December 2025 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduating class achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), with all 14 graduates passing the exam on their first attempt. These NCLEX-RN results place Bowie State among Maryland’s top-performing nursing programs. Additionally, last month, the university received more than $2.3 million in competitive state grants to expand nursing education capacity, enhance simulation training, support student success, strengthen faculty development and advance nursing education research. The university said these investments will help bolster enrollment, improve student outcomes and strengthen Maryland’s nursing workforce pipeline overall.

“This is truly a transformative achievement,” said Dr. Monique Alston, chair of Bowie State’s Department of Nursing, noting the launch of this program was a vision that took years to come to fruition. “This accomplishment not only elevates our department and university but also positions us to shape nursing education across Maryland and beyond. Preparing the next generation of nursing leaders is both a responsibility and a privilege.”

Applications are being accepted for the inaugural fall 2026 cohort.