University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Reviews

"Since the very beginning, the faculty has made the effort to get to know me and my story. They customize a plan of action for your education and meet with you frequently along the way. The CRNA program is ranked number four in the country and it is easy to see why. Education is coming from some of the most respected CRNA's in the field, providing first-hand knowledge and experience to teach. Their minimum requirements to graduate one of the highest; 99% of their student have more the double the requirement to sit for the national boards.Read Less"

"The program is very researched focus which is a benefit. However, if you are not under a T32, you are not treated as a valuable student. You are used in other areas that are not research intensive, such as teaching or grad assistance. I love teaching so this was not an issue but my academic career lacked in opportunities for research. This is a problem especially as a PhD student. But if a student is solely researched focus, there is a huge issue in teaching opportunities. The program needs to have students become experienced in both teaching & research.Read Less"

"Pros: PhD students are well supported throughout the program both by faculty and through student mentorship. Courses are taught by seasoned faculty with many years of experience in the area of the course. An excellent education for most students. Cons: Some students who have areas of interest that don't mesh with faculty will have a harder time finding help and support."

"The PhD program in Nursing is excellent as far as funding goes, and houses faculty who are very experienced in grant writing and garnering government funds to promote research. There are many awesome networking opportunities here to be sure. The program has many excellent, highly motivated students who are exceptionally devoted to nursing and making a difference across multiple facets of healthcare. One of the main complaints I have, however, is that I have found that funding does not correlate well with quality of teaching and programming. The Nursing PhD program is far too long (the longest program in the United States) and some of the classes were work-intensive and yet I genuinely feel as though I took away very minimal useful information. My time in some instances would have been much better used learning other things critical to my future career. Furthermore, some of the staff have been very difficult to work with, and I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle even though I am the most committed and hard-working student I know. Again, overall, a great program; be cognizant, however, that a program's reputation and funding dollars do not necessarily translate into the most supportive faculty and great teachers.Read Less"

"Tough program, prepares you well to be a graduate or doctoral level nurse practitioner. The program has a lot of grant funding for research, and the faculty are excellent mentors for student projects. The network of doctorally prepared nurses who have been trained through the University of Pittsburgh makes it easy to find employment anywhere in the country or outside of the country after graduation."

"There are many wonderful teachers at this school, but the faculty are mostly researchers with a few petty tyrants exercising their subjective grading rights. The FNP/DNP program as a whole is disjointed and uncoordinated. Many required courses have nothing to do with nursing practice and/or repeat the same material over and over with more busy work. If you attend, be sure to meet with several faculty to find one who a) knows what is required to successfully complete your graduate course of study and b) wants to work with students. If you do, you will find that the school attracts many wonderful people devoted to making our world a better place. There are phenomenal teachers here. If you find someone you click with, let them teach you, inspire you and guide you into life as an NP.Read Less"