Department of Graduate Nursing

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Mary Minton, Associate Dean for Graduate Nursing
Department of Graduate Nursing
Wagner Hall 217, Box 2275
605-688-4114

Graduate nursing education is crucial for role preparation in advanced practice, nursing education, nursing administration, nursing leadership, and research. Collectively, these roles meet the growing needs of the healthcare and academic settings. The Department of Graduate Nursing offers a variety of degrees, specializations, and curriculum plans.

Students can earn a Master’s of Science (M.S.) degree in four specializations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Nurse Administrator, and Clinical Nurse Leader.

For students with a previous Master’s degree, four post-graduate certificate options are available: Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Graduate options continue in the doctoral programs. The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree will prepare Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to bring a transformative level of care and leadership to primary care settings in rural and underserved communities. Students can earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) with the specialty area of a Family Nurse Practitioner. Students may enter these programs with either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in nursing. Established in 2005, the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing prepares nurse scientists to assume roles as healthcare researchers, faculty, and healthcare administrators with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention in underserved and rural populations. The Ph.D. program educates nurse scientists in academic, research, practice, and policy roles to address healthcare issues in urban, rural, frontier, and reservation areas.

Graduate Faculty

Alham Abuatiq, Assistant Professor
Robin Arends, Clinical Assistant Professor
Victoria Britson, Assistant Professor
Robin Brown, Assistant Professor
Linda Burdette, Associate Professor
Paula Carson, Associate Professor
Cynthia Elverson, Associate Professor
Kay Foland, Professor Emerita
Nicole Gibson, Clinical Assistant Professor
Margaret Hegge, Distinguished Professor Emerita
Leann Horsley, Assistant Dean for Sioux Falls Nursing and Associate Professor
Lori Hendrickx, Professor
Barbara Hobbs, Associate Professor Emerita
Polly Hulme, Professor
Mary Isaacson, Associate Professor
Mary Anne Krogh, Professor
Cristina Lammers, Associate Professor
Heidi Mennenga, Associate Professor
Mary Minton, Associate Dean for Graduate Nursing and Associate Professor
Mary Kay Nissen, Clinical Associate Professor
Roberta Olson, Dean and Professor Emerita of Nursing
Christina Plemmons, Assistant Professor
Thomas Stenvig, Associate Professor
Mindy Tinkle, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Nursing and Associate Professor
Jo Voss, Associate Professor

Programs

Master’s Degrees

• Nursing (M.S.) - Clinical Nurse Leader Specialization  
• Nursing (M.S.) - Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization  
• Nursing (M.S.) - Nurse Administrator Specialization  
• Nursing (M.S.) - Nurse Educator Specialization  

Doctoral Degrees

• Nursing (Ph.D.)  

Professional Doctoral Degrees

• Nursing (D.N.P.) (Post Master’s to D.N.P. - NP, CRNA, CNS, and CNM)  
• Nursing (D.N.P.) - Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization (Post Master’s to D.N.P.)  
• Nursing (D.N.P.) - Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization (B.S. to D.N.P.)  

Certificates

• Post-Graduate Clinical Nurse Leader Certificate  
• Post-Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate  
• Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate  
• Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate  

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