A Comparative Study of Doctoral Nursing Education Programs in Iran and Japan

Background: The quality assurance of doctoral nursing education programs is one of the priorities of educational systems, with significant effects on the development and improvement of educational programs. Therefore, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these programs through comparison can be useful.Objectives: This study aimed to compare the doctoral nursing education programs in Iran and Japan.Methods: In this descriptive and comparative study, which was based on the model proposed by Beredy, the Iranian doctoral program in nursing education was compared with that of Japan in four stages of description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison.Results: The doctoral nursing education program in Japan was older than its Iranian counterpart, based on historical records. The challenges of nursing education in Iran included the student admission system, inflexibility of the program, and emphasis on theoretical education. The strict rules regarding article publication in International Scientific Indexing (ISI) journals and the higher number of credits in the Iranian program, compared to its Japanese counterpart, were among the strengths of Iran’s program, increasing the level of students’ knowledge and preparation for research activities.Conclusion: Comparison of the educational systems of Iran and Japan indicated the need for a more flexible and community-based curriculum in Iran.