About the Program
The RN to B.S.N. program is a fully online, flexible and affordable option designed to help registered nurses who have an associate's degree in nursing move ahead in their nursing career. Each course in the program is offered a minimum of three times per year. Students have the ability to design their own pace of degree completion. Our Faculty and staff are here to help you map your nursing career and reach your professional goals.
Whether you are an associate degree RN wanting to pursue your B.S.N., or you are an associate RN with a goal of working towards a master's or doctorate degree, we have a pathway for you and we want to help you streamline your journey. Graduate level courses can be substituted for courses in the RN to B.S.N. program to help you jump start your application to a graduate nursing program at SDSU. Check out our RN to M.S.N. information page if that's you.
As South Dakota's #1 RN to B.S.N. program, SDSU prepares future nurse leaders with flexibility, innovation and agility.
online degree completion
length of courses
Number of credit hours
Cost per credit hour
Main Information
Applicants for the RN to B.S.N. program must:
Be a registered nurse with an associate degree in nursing and an unencumbered license in the state of practice.
Meet SDSU GPA transfer requirements.
Have achieved "C" grades in all courses.
Have 3 or fewer prerequisite courses to complete.
Conditional admission may be granted to approved students currently enrolled in an associate degree program. For more information on special circumstances, contact the program advisor.
Each session is 7 weeks long.
| Application due date | Session start date | Session end date |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2023 | October 23, 2023 | December 8, 2023 |
| December 1, 2023 | January 8, 2024 | February 23, 2024 |
| February 1, 2024 | March 18, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
| April 1, 2024 | May 13, 2024 | June 28, 2024 |
| June 1, 2024 | July 8, 2024 | August 23, 2024 |
| July 1, 2024 | September 9, 2024 | October 25, 2024 |
| September 1, 2024 | October 28, 2024 | December 13, 2024 |
Tuition Information
| Group | Price per credit | Core curriculum cost |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota Residents | $408 | $9,792 |
South Dakota Advantage | $408 | $9,792 |
| Non-Resident | $525 | $12,600 |
Minnesota Reciprocity | $458 | $10,992 |
» Estimated cost is based on 2023-2024 BOR tuition/fees.
» All courses are worth three credits each and delivered in 7-week format.
» 30 SDSU credits are required for program completion (24 B.S.N core curriculum credits and 6 elective credits).
» Full-time: 12 credits per semester • Completion in 10 months.
» Part-time: 6 credits per semester • Completion in 18 months.
» Additional costs will be incurred throughout the B.S.N. program, including but not limited to textbooks.
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.
Please contact your advisor regarding financial aid if you would like to consider dual enrollment in you associate degree program and RN to BSN program.
Academic Advising Guide Sheet
The academic advising guide sheet promotes student success by guiding all students to timely completion their degree.
RN to B.S.N. core courses (3 credits per course)
NURS 300: Transition to BSN
NURS 461: Vulnerable Populations: Nursing Perspectives
NURS 462: Population Health: Nursing Perspectives
NURS 463: Health Policy and Economics
NURS 464: Genetics and Genomics in Nursing
NURS 465: Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
NURS 466: Healthcare Systems and Informatics
NURS 469: Nursing Leadership Capstone
Recommended SDSU Electives (offered in 7-week format)
NURS 467: Global Health: Nursing Perspectives
NURS 468: Palliative Care Nursing
HSC/HLTH 200: Integrative Holistic Health Care
HSC/HLTH/NURS 402/502: Rural Healthcare Matters
30 credits must be completed with SDSU
24 of these will be the SDSU RN to B.S.N. core courses:
| Details | Credits |
|---|---|
System General Education Requirements (SGRs): | 32-33 |
Pre-Nursing Requirements: | 11 |
Major Requirements: | 70 |
Associate Degree completion: | 46 |
SDSU College of Nursing Courses: | 24 |
Electives: | 6-7 |
Total number of hours required for major: | 70 |
Total number of hours required for B.S.N. degree: | 120 |
Ready to take the next step?
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
As a graduate of the RN to B.S.N. 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.
Let's Talk
Our Nursing Student Services team is ready to help you find a path to meet your nursing goals. Fill out this online form and our staff will get back to you as soon as possible to answer your questions.
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