Standard Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The standard program is offered at three sites across the state, Brookings, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. 

Brookings

Brookings is the main South Dakota State University Campus.

Rapid City

In Rapid City, students take coursework and participate in lecture, on-campus labs and clinical rotations in Rapid City and surrounding communities. Classes meet at Black Hills State University (BHSU), Rapid City campus. Simulation skills lab and simulation experiences are held at the Monument Health Sciences building.

Nursing students in Rapid City can take advantage of the West River Health Science Center, a unique partnership between BHSU, SDSU and Monument Health. Through this partnership, students start at BHSU to take their general education and prerequisites, earn their Associate of Applied Health Science degree and then seamlessly transition into the nursing major at SDSU. Through this partnership, all the courses needed to earn a B.S.N. can be taken on-site in Rapid City. An added benefit is that students who start with BHSU and earn the required G.P.A. for admission to the nursing major are guaranteed admission to the nursing program.

Sioux Falls

In Sioux Falls, students take coursework and participate in lecture, on-campus labs and clinical rotations in Sioux Falls and surrounding communities. Classes meet on the campus of Southeast Technical College in the Terrance Sullivan Health Science Center.

Tuition Information

» Estimated cost is based on 2024-2025 BOR tuition/fees.

» Additional costs will be incurred throughout the B.S.N. program, including but not limited to textbooks, background checks, AIT bundle, etc.

Financial Aid

SDSU is committed to helping students find the resources available to help pay for college — our Office of Financial Aid is here for you.

Total Required Credits: 120

The following plan of study is for students entering in fall terms. Other points of entry will follow a similar plan. This plan of study is for students in the 2024-25 and after catalog requirements. Courses in bold must be completed or in progress at the time of application to the nursing program. The academic advising guide sheet promotes student success by guiding all students to timely completion their degree.

Prerequisite Requirements

Freshman Year (Fall)

• *SGR 1: Written Communication (three credits)
• *SGR 5: Mathematics (Math 103 or higher) (three credits)
• CHEM 106/106L Chemistry Survey and Lab or CHEM 112/112L General Chemistry I and Lab (four credits)
• NURS 119 First Year Seminar (two credits)
• PSYC 101 General Psychology (three credits)

Freshman Year (Spring)

• BIOL 221/L Human Anatomy and Lab (four credits)
• NURS 201 Medical Terminology (Optional/Elective one credit)
• NUTR 315 Human Nutrition (three credits)
• *SGR 2: Oral Communication (three credits)
• SOC 100, 150, 240 Intro to Sociology, Social Problem or Rural Sociology OR ANTH 210 Cultural Anthropology (three credits)
• *SGR 4: Arts and Humanities/Diversity (three credits)

Sophomore Year (Fall)

• BIOL 325/L Physiology and Lab (four credits)
• HDFS 210 Lifespan Development (three credits)
• MICR 231/L General Microbiology and Lab (four credits)
• *SGR 1: Written Communication (three credits)
• *SGR 4: Arts and Humanities/Diversity (three credits)

Nursing Major Requirements

Semester 1

• NURS 234 Patient-Centered Care Concepts I (two credits)
• NURS 235 Clinical Application (two)
• NURS 258/L Nursing Principals and Application I: Assessment and Interventions and Lab (four credits)
• NURS 272 Professional Concepts I (two credits)
• NURS 323 Pathophysiology (three credits)

Semester 2

• NURS 322 Pharmacology (three credits)
• NURS 334 Patient-Centered Care Concepts II (five credits)
• NURS 335 Clinical Application II (three credits)
• NURS 358/L Nursing Principles and Application II: Interventions (four credits)

Semester 3

• NURS 344 Patient-Centered Care Concepts III (five credits)
• NURS 345 Clinical Application III (three credits)
• NURS 347 Concept Synthesis I (one credit)
• NURS 360 Research and Evidence Based Practice (three credits)
• NURS 373 Professional Nursing Concepts II (two credits)

Semester 4

• NURS 434 Patient-Centered Care Concepts IV (five credits)
• NURS 435 Clinical Application IV (four credits)
• NURS 437 Concept Synthesis II (one credit)
• Elective (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits)

Semester 5

• NURS 444/L Population-Centered Care Concepts (three credits)
• NURS 472 Professional Nursing Concepts III (three credits)
• NURS 495 Practicum (four credits)
• Elective (three credits)

*System General Education Requirement (SGR): These requirements are common across the entire South Dakota Regental System. The College of Nursing requires specific courses for the following SGRs: 3 and 6.

As a graduate of the program, you will have the knowledge to:

• Integrate theories and concepts from liberal education into nursing practice. (Cross-curricular skill: critical and creative thinking)
• Integrate effective leadership skills to improve the quality of health care. (Cross-curricular skill: teamwork; diversity, inclusion and equity)
• Incorporate evidence-based practice. (Cross-curricular skill: inquiry and analysis; critical and creative thinking)
• Demonstrate proficiency in patient care technologies and informatics. (Cross-curricular skill: information literacy)
• Evaluate the implications of health policy and health care delivery systems on the professional nursing practice environment.
• Integrate effective interprofessional communication and collaboration into professional nursing practice. (Cross-curricular skill: teamwork)
• Integrate behaviors that reflect nursing values and professional standards into practice. (Cross-curricular skill: ethical reasoning; diversity, inclusion and equity)
• Provide patient-centered, quality care. (Cross-curricular skill: diversity, inclusion and equity)
• Improve population health through health promotion and disease prevention.

Getting past the rumors and tall tales surrounding admission isn't easy. The SDSU College of Nursing academic advisors have compiled this information to help you arrive at the truth about various aspects of admission. These are the facts about our most recent admissions to our standard four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Spring 2023

The college received 182 qualified applications for 184 seats (Brookings 64, Rapid City 72, Sioux Falls 48). Among the students admitted, the average pre-nursing GPA was 3.57 and the average cumulative GPA was 3.56. Pre-nursing GPAs of admitted students ranged from 2.764 to 4.0. Cumulative GPAs of admitted students ranged from 2.714 to 4.0.

Fall 2022

The college received 152 qualified applications for 136 seats (Brookings 64, Rapid City 72). Among the students admitted, the average pre-nursing GPA was 3.45 and the average cumulative GPA was 3.47. Pre-nursing GPAs of admitted students ranged from 2.760 to 4.0. Cumulative GPAs of admitted students ranged from 2.778 to 4.0.

A primary component of nursing education is the clinical experience. Students participate in supervised learning sessions in real world healthcare environments, which provide them with the opportunity to put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice. One of the many advantages of enrolling in the SDSU nursing program is that students complete over 750 hours of clinicals in the practice setting. These hours include acute hours, community hours and time spent in simulation. Our program combines the unique resources of the SDSU campus with outside healthcare agencies in a manner that enables students to participate fully in all facets of the healthcare delivery system.

On-campus clinical learning

Each College of Nursing site has a Healthcare Simulation Center, a clinical practice laboratory and technology-enhanced classrooms. South Dakota State University College of Nursing Healthcare Simulation Center has provisional accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the areas of teaching and education. The center is one of 146 healthcare simulation programs accredited by the Society and is among the first land-grant institutions to receive this accreditation.

During simulation, students work with a variety of patient simulators (high tech mannequins) of varying ages and backgrounds. The patients present with a variety of health conditions. They can talk, breathe, simulate human heartbeat and more. We lovingly call these patients the “Jackson Family.” Students will get to know each patient in a manner that makes them come alive.

Off-campus clinical learning

Off campus, students participate in increasingly complex clinical experiences at some of the best-known healthcare entities in the region. These experiences take place in a variety of settings across the healthcare continuum and are supervised by preceptors, who are caring and experienced practitioners and educators. Students complete their clinical learning in major hospitals, community clinics and other health facilities in the region. The variety of settings helps to prepare students to interact appropriately and effectively with patients from all walks of life.

As a college, we recognize that students come from a variety of backgrounds and have different experiences. We welcome the benefits that a diverse student body brings to the college and ultimately, the profession of nursing.

Through our holistic admissions process, we look at each individual applicant as just that — an individual. Use of a holistic approach allows our undergraduate and graduate admissions committees to consider a combination of items including experiences, attributes and metrics (EAMs) to assist us in finding individuals who will be able to face the challenges of today’s healthcare needs and those that will arise in the future.

The number of students accepted to enroll in the program may vary depending upon available clinical facilities, qualified faculty and funds. 

For students entering the university under the 2023-24 undergraduate catalog and later, the following admission criteria will apply:

• A cumulative GPA of 2.700.
• A grade of “C” or higher in all completed courses required for graduation.
• The following courses (both pre-nursing and general education) completed or in progress at the time of application to the program: 
  • Pre-nursing courses
    • NURS 119 Seminar
    • PSYC 101 General Psychology
    • NUTR 315 Human Nutrition
    • BIOL 221/221L Anatomy and lab
    • BIOL 325/325L Physiology and lab
  • System General Education Requirements (SGRs) 
    • SGR 1 Written Communication: any eligible course
    • SGR 2 Oral Communication: any eligible course
    • SGR 3 SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology or SOC 150 Social Problems or SOC 240 Sociology of Rural American or ANTH 210 Cultural Anthropology
    • SGR 3  HDFS 210 Lifespan Development
    • SGR 5 Mathematics: MATH 103 or higher course
    • SGR 6 CHEM 106/106L Chemistry Survey and lab (or CHEM 112/112L Gen Chem I and lab)
    • SGR 6 MICR 231/231L General Microbiology and lab

High school seniors, who meet certain pre-established requirements, may have the option to make their future worry-free by applying for the direct admit program.

Non-Native Speakers of English

Background Checks

Transferring From Another Nursing Program

Technical Standards

The goal of the College of Nursing (CON) programs is to prepare every student to think critically, and practice nursing competently and compassionately in rapidly changing practice environments. All efforts are designed to build nursing knowledge, enhance nursing practice and patient safety, foster professional integrity and ultimately improve the health outcomes of patients, families and communities across the continuum of care. In addition, certain functional abilities are essential for the delivery of safe, effective nursing care during clinical training activities. Therefore, the faculty has determined that certain technical standards are requisite for admission, progression and graduation from the nursing programs.

In addition to classroom learning, clinical learning occurs throughout the program and involves considerations (such as patient safety and clinical facilities) that are not present for classroom accommodations. For this reason, any applicant or student who seeks accommodations should do so prior to enrollment so that there is ample time to evaluate the types of reasonable accommodations needed for the clinical training component of the program.

An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the following technical standards of general abilities and those specifically of:

1. Observation
2. Communication
3. Motor
4. Intellectual, conceptual and quantitative abilities
5. Essential behavioral and social attributes
6. Ability to manage stressful situations.

These requirements pertain to student conduct regardless of the setting (e.g. classroom/didactic, office, on-campus simulation, off-campus clinical, email communications, etc.). Individuals unable to meet these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, will not be able to complete the program and are counseled to pursue alternate careers.

Students interested in applying for admission to the CON should review the Technical Standards to become familiar with the skills, abilities and behavioral characteristics requirement to complete the program. CON students must review the Technical Standards and acknowledge understanding by signing the multi-release form upon acceptance into the program.

General Abilities: Functional use of the senses of vision, touch, hearing and smell is expected of every student so that this sensory information may be integrated, analyzed and synthesized accurately and consistently. A student must also possess the ability to perceive pain, pressure, temperature, position, vibration and movement which are essential to gather information needed to effectively evaluate and care for patients. Each student must be able to promptly respond to urgent situations that may occur during clinical learning experiences and must not obstruct the ability of other members of the health care team to provide prompt treatment and care to patients.

Observational Ability: Sufficient capacity to make accurate visual observations and interpret them in the context of laboratory studies, medication administration and patient care activities must be present. The student must consistently be able to document these observations and maintain accurate records.

Communication Ability: The student must effectively communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, to gather information and to translate that information to diverse others. The abilities each student must possess include: reading, writing, comprehending and speaking the English language to facilitate communication with patients, their family members and other health care professionals. Additional essential abilities are: to maintain accurate patient records, to present information professionally and logically manner; and to provide counseling and teaching to effectively care for patients and their families. Verbal and written communication skills that permit effective communication with students and faculty in both the classroom and clinical settings are expected.

Motor Ability: Each student is required possess the motor movements needed to perform gross and fine motor skills with sufficient coordination needed to perform complete physical examinations utilizing the techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation and other diagnostic maneuvers. A student must develop the psychomotor skills reasonably needed to perform or assist with procedures, treatments, administration of medication, management and operation of diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment, and such maneuvers to assist with patient care activities such as lifting, wheel chair guidance and mobility. The student must have sufficient levels of neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination as well as possess the physical and mental stamina to meet the demands associated with extended periods of sitting, standing, moving and physical exertion required for satisfactory and safe performance in the clinical and classroom settings including performing CPR, if necessary. The student must possess the ability of manual dexterity that would be required for certain activities, such as drawing up solutions in a syringe.

Conceptual and Quantitative Intellectual Abilities: Developing and refining problem-solving skills are critical developmental learning abilities for students to become practicing nurses. The abilities to measure, calculate, analyze, reason and synthesize objective and subjective data, and to make informed decisions, frequently in a time-sensitive environment are essential for nursing students. These intellectual abilities must reflect careful and consistent deliberation and sound clinical judgment. Mastery of these skills is expected. The ability to integrate and sensitively respond to new information from peers, faculty and the evidence based literature must be present in order to make sound judgments in all aspects of patient care.

Social and Behavioral Attributes: Students must possess effective interpersonal skills, including the qualities of integrity, compassion, motivation and a genuine concern for others. Students must be comfortable in the role of a student nurse and accept that the role functions under supervision of a clinical instructor or preceptor. Full utilization of the personal intellectual abilities and skills are essential, including sound judgment; timely completion of classroom and clinical responsibilities; and the ability to work with patients and members of the healthcare team effectively and with maturity. Stable, sound judgment must be demonstrated at all times to conduct assessment, intervention and evaluation activities. An ability to sensitively establish rapport and carry out interpersonal relationships with individuals, families and groups from diverse social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds is essential. The student must learn to function cooperatively and efficiently in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice and be able to flexibly adapt to changing environments. A willingness to accept and respond to constructive criticism given in the classroom and clinical settings is critical.

Management of Stressful Situations: Adapting and functioning effectively in the face of stressful situations, including emergencies or situations in the classroom or clinical are necessary. Nursing education inherently includes encounters with multiple stressors, which may include multiple personal, patient care/family, faculty/peer and or program-related factors.

Reasonable Accommodations

SDSU CON is committed to providing educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities to afford such students an opportunity equal to that provided to non-disabled students to achieve a desired educational outcome. A “qualified individual” with a disability is one who, with or without reasonable accommodations, meets SDSU’s academic requirements and Technical Standards. Students with disabilities are not required to disclose their disability to the SDSU CON. However, any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Coordinator of Disability Services (605-688-4504 or Fax, 605-688-4987) to privately to discuss their specific needs. The Office of Disability Services is located in room 271 of the University Student Union in Brookings.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act define a person with a disability as someone who: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; OR (2) has a record of such an impairment; OR (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. Students are encouraged to meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services (605-688-4504 or Fax, 605-688-4987).

The Coordinator of Disability Services determines qualified disability status and assists students in obtaining appropriate accommodations and services. The CON provides reasonable accommodations to all students on a nondiscriminatory basis consistent with legal requirements as outlined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to an instruction activity, equipment, facility, program or service that enables a qualified student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to fulfill the requirements necessary for graduation from the nursing program. To be eligible for accommodations, a student must have a documented disability of (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one more major life activities of such individual; (b) a record of such impairment; or (c) be regarded as having such a condition. While the process for requesting reasonable accommodations may be started at any time, reasonable accommodations may not be implemented retroactively. It is important that students allow ample time for their accommodation requests to be processed. While SDSU CON will make every effort to work with students with disabilities to accommodate their disability-related needs, SDSU CON is not required to provide accommodations that fundamentally alter or waive essential program requirements.

Please email or call an academic advisor before applying or registering for classes to make sure courses are completed in the appropriate sequence.

Fall Entry

Spring Entry

Applications from the priority deadline are currently under review.  If you are interested in applying for available seats after the priority application cycle, please reach out to Nursing Student Services.

• Submit the application to the university
  • Prior to applying to the nursing program, students must apply for admission to SDSU (if you are not already a student). The university application can be completed online through the Admissions Office.
  • Students who are currently enrolled at SDSU do not need to complete the university admissions application.
• Submit the nursing application
  • The College of Nursing application is submitted via DocuSign. The application is typically available the first week of August for spring admission or the first week of January for fall admission. It is typically removed after the application deadline.
  • Applicants can start the application and finish later—just be sure to save the email you will receive from DocuSign (and you will receive reminder emails every 12 hours until you complete the process). Do not start a new application from the above link.
  • Applicants can choose "download" in DocuSign to save a copy of the PDF for working offline (and utilize the links in the application) however—you must still fill out the application itself in DocuSign. You cannot upload an application that you filled in offline.
  • Before submitting your application, be sure to review the admission criteria. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Nursing Student Services staff or your assigned academic advisor—if you are a current student.
• Submit all transfer transcripts
  • All courses from other institutions must be transferred and present on the SDSU transcript by the time of application to the major. If this is not possible because of courses in progress at another institution, then attach ALL college transcripts (unofficial transcripts acceptable) to the nursing application.
  • Highlight the prerequisite (or equivalent) courses on the transcripts.
  • If prerequisite courses are in progress at another institution at the time of application to the major, include a current transcript or course schedule which shows these courses.
• Submit TOEFL or IELTS score report (Non-native speakers of English)
  • The College of Nursing requires all students who meet the definition of English as a Second Language to complete the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo exam, regardless of residency status.
  • The minimum TOEFL score required for admission to the nursing program is 79 (iBT), with a minimum speaking score of 26. The required IELTS band score for admission to the professional program is 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each module. The required Duolingo score is 110. These scores are required before the student will be accepted into the major.
• Complete the legal questionnaire
  • The legal questionnaire is a separate DocuSign form linked on application page when you apply. 
  • Students who answered “yes” to legal question(s) must attach and submit the required documentation.
  • Students who answered “yes” to any of the legal questions must submit copies of charges or citations and ALL communications with (to and from) the citing agency AND the court of jurisdiction, including evidence of completion/compliance with court requirements.
  • These documents must be uploaded to the legal questionnaire itself and will go only to the director of nursing student services for compliance and legal requirements. These documents will not be seen by the reviewers of your application. 
• Complete the essay questions
  • The essay questions are provided in the application. 
  • Students are encouraged to draft and refine their essay responses offline and review them several times.
  • When ready to submit, your essay questions will be copy and pasted into an online platform for scoring. The link to that online platform will be provided in the application information for each application cycle.
  • Essay questions are scored independently of each other so your response to one should not include a reference to another response. Essay questions are scored blinded so do not include any identifying information in your essay.

Once admitted, the student must purchase a laptop computer that meets our computer requirement (unless you already have one). The student must also complete the compliance requirements. The student will be given instructions to complete compliance requirements through the online management system.

Standard program compliance requirements are comprised of both university requirements and clinical agency requirements. SDSU College of Nursing does not guarantee clinical placement for students who are not in compliance with clinical agency requirements. Clinical agencies may change their compliance requirements at any point in time and students are expected to be in compliance with any of these changes.

Compliance Requirements

Criminal background check: Students must complete a criminal background check through the online management system. An annual background check is required.

10-panel drug screen: Students will complete a drug screen through the online management system. Instructions will be provided at the time of purchase, including approved laboratory locations for completing the drug screen.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certification (CPR): Certification must be Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Provider issued by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.

Health Insurance: Students must provide proof of health insurance coverage.

Online Training: HIPAA and infection control training will be completed through a designated online platform.

Required SDSU College of Nursing Forms:

• Certificate of Health
• Multi-Waiver release form
• Room scan consent form
• Participation and self-transportation agreement

Additional Compliance Requirements/Immunizations:

• Tuberculin (TB) testing
• Hepatitis B
• MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)
• Varicella (Chicken Pox)
• TDaP (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis)
• Influenza
• COVID-19

Immunization exemption requests will be submitted in writing using the SDSU immunization exemption request form which will be available in the online management system. An exemption approved by SDSU College of Nursing does not guarantee the exemption will be granted by clinical agencies.

The College of Nursing provides a state-of-the-art nursing program that prepares graduates for the diversity necessary to practice anywhere in the United States. An emphasis in liberal studies and humanities, as well as in social and natural sciences, provides the foundation for a student's nursing education. The College of Nursing has more hours of clinical instruction than any other program in the state, according to the South Dakota Board of Nursing. Hands-on clinical internships are available at many of the hospitals in our state.

The degree is designed to be completed in eight semesters (four years). Students typically take 14-17 credits per semester and have three semesters of prerequisites. The nursing courses take five semesters to complete.

Before discussing differences, let's look at similarities between the programs:

• Graduates from both programs take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become licensed as registered nurses.
• Students take arts and sciences to support the nursing core requirements.
• Entry-level staff nurse positions appear similar. (However, the baccalaureate-prepared nurse has a broader educational background, thus affording greater career opportunities.)
• Students complete coursework in communication skills, technical skill mastery and clinical care of child-bearing women, psychiatric patients and children and adults with health variations.

Now, the differences. A baccalaureate degree requires 120-130 credits and 620-945 clinical practice hours. Graduates are classified as professional nurses. In addition to basic knowledge, the baccalaureate student completes courses in professional issues, statistics, research, health promotion and maintenance, health assessment, pathophysiology, community health and leadership. We prepare graduates to work in unstructured settings with more complex patients, and they manage and direct themselves and others as well as work in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team.

As a general rule, associate degree programs require 65-91 credits and 585-810 clinical practice hours and can be completed in four to six semesters. Graduates of associate degree programs are classified as technical nurses. They have basic nursing knowledge and are prepared to work in structured settings with less complex patients. They direct themselves and others, and they work as part of a team.

On the Brookings main campus, 64 students will be admitted each fall and spring, at the Rapid City site, 48 students will be admitted each fall and spring, and 48 students will be admitted each spring at the Sioux Falls site.

Admission into the nursing program is competitive, and the College of Nursing usually receives more applications than there are available spaces in the program. If a student is qualified but not admitted, he or she is placed on the waiting list. Students who are not admitted can reapply to the nursing program the following semester. During that semester, students often take electives, general education requirements or nursing major support courses.

Applicants will be notified of acceptance by university email. Acceptance is conditional on meeting additional requirements including drug screening, background checks, evidence of health insurance, current immunization status, CPR certification and purchase of an approved laptop computer.

Typically, many (but not all) of the prerequisite courses students must take will transfer to SDSU from another institution. To ensure you will receive appropriate credit, check the transfer equivalency calculator to see if a course you are considering has previously been evaluated by the Registrar's Office or check with your academic advisor to make sure the course you wish to take will equate to the proper SDSU course.

Transfer students who have begun but not completed a bachelor's in nursing program at another college or university within the last five years must submit a letter to the College of Nursing indicating their reason for transfer. They must also apply for admission to SDSU, as well as to the College of Nursing.