MS - NURSING

DESCRIPTION OF DEGREE

The College of Nursing is a leader in nursing education in the Midwest.  Classes are offered on the Brookings campus, in Sioux Falls, in Rapid City and on Internet. 

Students may complete the program in two years of full-time study or may choose to spread the program over three or four years.  The programs in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and the Internet are all four-year programs. 

The Master’s degree program is fully accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

For course descriptions for each specialization, please visit our website at:

/Academics/CollegeOfNursing/MasterofScienceinNursing/Index.cfm

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Admission Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program with an upper division major in nursing, including an approved physical assessment course or physical assessment content integrated into undergraduate course work, and a community health nursing course;
2. Completion of an approved course in statistics (containing both descriptive and inferential statistics) within the six years prior to enrollment in research course.
3. A Junior/Senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale;
4. A minimum of 1500 hrs of nursing practice as a registered nurse in the two years prior to enrollment in the first nursing core course as verified by employer(s) (4000 hrs for FNP specialty);
5. Licensure as an RN prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing course;
6. Coverage by professional RN liability insurance (1 million/3million) prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing course;
7. Demonstration of logical thinking and writing skills in the preparation of a Goal Statement.
8. Computer literacy, including word processing and Internet capability; and
9. ACLS certification is required of all students in the FNP specialization before clinical courses.

SPECIALTY AREAS

Credit Hours                   Course Work Only                       Thesis               Project

Clinical Nurse Leader                                                         34 cr               

Family Nurse Practitioner     49 cr                        54 cr          51 cr

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner  36 cr                         41 cr          38 cr

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner     40 cr                             45 cr           42 cr

Nurse Administrator                                            40 cr          42 cr

Nurse Educator                                                                 41 cr            41 cr

Post-Master’s

Educator’s Certificate    18 cr

FNP Certificate                   32 cr

CAREER POSSIBILITIES

WHAT OUR STUDENTS & GRADUATES SAY

I feel prepared for my future career.