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Apply to Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Information for Applicants

GRE: Not required
TOEFL: Score of 81 Internet-based, OR
IELTS: 6.5 total band
Duolingo: 110

In addition to meeting the Graduate School admission requirements, applicants for graduate study for the Doctor of Nursing Practice must have:

  • Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the United States or its’ territories prior to enrollment in first graduate nursing course.
  • 1500 hours of documented nursing practice experience prior to the first clinical course.
  • Completed and verified application to the Graduate Nursing program via NursingCAS website.
  • Completed an approved statistical methods course within 5 years of enrollment in the designated research course within the DNP program coursework.
  • Online written and verbal assessment completed through KIRA Talent, reviewed and scored by graduate faculty.
  • Completed Compliance requirements: Clear Background check, clear FBI rolled fingerprint, clear drug screen, Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, ACLS certification for FNP specialization, professional liability insurance, influenza vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine and TB test.
  • For Bachelor's to DNP applicants who completed their higher education within the United States:

    • Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited program with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.

  • For Bachelor's to DNP applicants who completed their higher education outside the United States:

    • A degree deemed equivalent (by the World Education Service) to a Bachelor’s degree in nursing (within the United States Education System) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.
  • For Master's to DNP applicants who completed their higher education within the United States:
    • Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited program with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.
    • Master’s degree in nursing (from an ACEN or CCNE accredited program) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.
  • For Master's to DNP applicants who completed their higher education outside the United States:

    • A degree deemed equivalent (by the World Education Service) to a Bachelor’s degree in nursing (within the United States Education System) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.
    • A degree deemed equivalent (by the World Education Service) to a Master’s degree in nursing (within the United States Education System) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point grading system.
  • Master's to DNP option 1 applicants are required to have National certification as a NP, CRNA, CNM or CNS.

Each applicant is required to complete two applications:

  1. Application to the SDSU graduate nursing program
  2. Application to the SDSU Graduate School

View the application instructions for complete details, application dates and deadlines. Following review of the applications, eligible applicants will be invited to participate in an online interview and online written assessment.

Applicants who are offered admission to the program will be required to:

Due to regulations in certain states, South Dakota State University College of Nursing is unable to accept applicants from several identified states as noted on the following link: South Dakota State University - Continuing & Distance Education - state authorization information.

If you are a current resident of a state identified on the above listed webpage, we regret that we are unable to consider your application for admission.

If you do not currently reside in one of the identified states and are offered and accept admission, please note that should you relocate to one of the identified states while in the program, you may not be able to complete the program.

In addition, there may be rules and regulations required by the South Dakota Board of Nursing and/or other state Boards of Nursing that may not provide the opportunity for out-of-state applicants to be admitted to any of the graduate nursing programs.