Jersey City, NJ – Saint Peter’s College has announced the establishment of the first two doctorate programs in the College’s 138 year history, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in educational leadership, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). The post-masters programs will begin in fall 2010.
“Saint Peter’s College is proud to offer the highest level of education to students pursuing expertise in the fields of nursing practice and educational leadership,” noted President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D. “Our mission is to create leaders that will serve these dynamic fields creatively, ethically and successfully by educating our students with the latest, innovative knowledge and techniques.”
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Marylou Yam, Ph.D., pointed out that the development of the Ed.D. and DNP programs is consistent with the College’s core value to prepare students for leadership in response to societal, technological and environmental change, as well as to develop ethical leaders to engage in lifelong learning to best serve their communities and career fields.
The DNP will be offered within the College’s School of Nursing, and will be housed at the Englewood Cliffs campus. The main objective of the DNP is to prepare socially and ethically conscious graduates to provide the most advanced level of nursing care for patients. “The nation’s changing complex health care environment demands the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes,” noted Ann Tritak, Ed.D., dean of nursing.
Coursework for the Ed.D. will be taught by faculty in the School of Education , which is located on Saint Peter’s Jersey City main campus. The Ed.D. is a discipline-based doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical or research positions in education. “It is essential that students in this program are trained to be leaders who can implement strategies for improving teaching and learning,” said Anthony Sciarrillo, Ed.D., J.D., the director of graduate education.
Saint Peter’s currently offers master’s degrees in business administration, accountancy, criminal justice, education and nursing. The College’s curriculum has grown to offer more than 50 undergraduate programs in the arts, sciences, business, nursing and education, among others.
Saint Peter’s College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Saint Peter’s College, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment.