Department of Graduate Nursing

Student talking with an advisor.

Heidi Mennenga, Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Department of Graduate Nursing
Wagner Hall 255, Box 2275
605-688-6924 or 1-888-216-9806 Ext. 3

Faculty

Professors

Mary Isaacson, Mary Anne Krogh, Heidi Mennenga

Associate Professors

Robin Brown, Sarah Mollman

Assistant Professors

Brittany Brennan, Karin Emery, Michelle Lichtenberg, Danielle Schievelbein

Clinical Associate Professor

Robin Arends, Brandi Pravecek

Clinical Assistant Professors

Dannica Callies, Theresa Garren-Grubbs, Lea Niederbaumer, Christina Plemmons, Nicole Selle

Emeritus

Paula Carson, Gloria Craig, Cynthia Elverson, Kay Foland, Margaret Hegge, Barbara Hobbs, Sharon Hofland, Martha Iken, Coral Joffer, MaryLou Mylant, Roberta Olson, Tom Stenvig, Lois Tschetter, Jo Voss

Overview

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 of Science (M.S.) degree in two specializations: Nurse Educator and Nurse Administrator.

For students with a previous master’s degree, five post-graduate certificate options are available: Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care 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 Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner, or Psychiatric Mental Health 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.

Programs

Master’s Degrees*

Nursing (M.S.) - Nurse Administrator Specialization
Nursing (M.S.) - Nurse Educator Specialization

Doctoral Degrees*

Nursing (Ph.D.)

Professional Doctoral Degrees*

Nursing (D.N.P.)
Nursing (D.N.P.) - Clinical Nurse Leader Specialization
Nursing (D.N.P.) - Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization
Nursing (D.N.P.) - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialization

Certificates*

Post-Graduate Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
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

* Graduate degrees are offered in collaboration with the Graduate School. For details, see the Graduate Catalog.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and APRN certificate programs at South Dakota State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Facilities and Services

The College of Nursing has state of the art Simulation Labs that enables educators to enhance the quality and delivery of rural nursing education. Simulation provides an opportunity for nursing students to practice nursing care with a variety of patients and patient scenarios. The high-technology simulation setting allows students practice in the areas of electronic health records, informatics, and tele-health.