The authors compare/contrast the quality indicators for doctoral programs in three countries, the United States, Brazil and Venezuela, indicating differences and similarities, and identifying issues that can globally affect education in doctoral programs in nursing. Such an analysis is based on three documents: that of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing - AACN (1993); Higher Education Personnel Training Commission- CAPES (1998), and National Consultative Council of Graduate Studies of Venezuela - CCNEPG (1987). The authors utilize as a framework the concepts of formal quality and political quality (Demo, 1994) and the sociopolitical, technical and subjective dimensions proposed by López e Calderon (1996). The indicators are distributed among the following components: faculty, program of studies, resources, research and students. Finally, the authors discuss indicators concerning a plan for evaluation of the quality of doctoral programs in nursing.
doctoral education; quality assurance; nursing education