COMPARATIVE COMPARISON OF IRANIAN NURSING PHD CURRICULUM WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO IN CANADA, UC DAVIS IN CALIFORNIA, AND MANCHESTER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Ensuring the quality of higher education, especially doctoral education, is one of
the concerns and priorities of higher education planners. Adapting, comparing, and analyzing different
dimensions of educational programs with other countries are very effective in addressing this concern.
Therefore, this study tried to comparethe Iranian Nursing PhD program with the University of Toronto
in Canada, UC Davis in California and Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was conducted in 2020. The four-stage
Beredy model of description, interpretation, neighborhood, and comparison was used to compare the
Iranian nursing education system with the Nursing Faculty of Toronto in Canada, UC Davis in California
and Manchester in the United Kingdom. Data were collected by the reputable websites of the
universities. Then, the data were compared according to the aim of the research.
Results: The program of all four universities has mission, vision, and values based on the principles of
strategic planning. In Iran, entering the doctoral program requires an entrance exam. But this is not the
case in other universities. Most face-to-face research methods and seminars are held at UC DAVIS.
University of Iran and UC DAVIS in California provide financial support for students, but at the
University of Manchester, official approval of student financial support and funding must be provided
to the university. The University of Manchester has the most research time, but the other three
universities offer face-to-face and research courses. The University of Manchester also offers part-time
and distance learning courses.
Conclusion: One of the strengths of the doctoral program in Iran is the compatibility of the values and
beliefs of the program based on the system of Islamic values. However, it is not clinically oriented, and
emphasizes only theory and research and requires the student to attend classes in person. Therefore,
based on the experiences of developed countries and the needs of Iranian society, we should correct the
weaknesses and strengthen the strengths