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RN to M.S.N.

About the Program

The RN to M.S.N. program is designed to help registered nurses who have an associate's degree in nursing move ahead in their career. The program allows students in the RN to B.S.N. program to substitute up to four graduate level courses (12 credits), upon request, as part of the RN to B.S.N. curriculum to help jump start your application to a master's program at SDSU. Approval to substitute courses does not guarantee admission to the graduate school at SDSU or the graduate nursing program. Formal application to the graduate program is made via nursingCAS.org in the final spring semester of the B.S.N. program.

The RN to B.S.N. is fully online. Each course in the RN to B.S.N. program is offered a minimum of three times per year. Students have the ability to design their own pace of degree completion. Master's coursework can be completed online, allowing you to work while taking classes.

Our Faculty and staff are here to help you map your nursing career and reach your professional goals. Required coursework for all graduate programs can be found on graduate nursing.

Registered nurses who meet the following criteria are eligible:

  • 3.0 cumulative GPA on 4.0 scale
  • Completion of an approved statistics course (containing both descriptive and inferential statistics) within 5 years of enrollment in SDSU Course: Nurse 626 – Research in Nursing & Healthcare

You will also need to meet the compliance requirements for the program.

RN to B.S.N. courses are offered in seven week blocks; M.S.N. courses are offered in traditional semester format (15 weeks fall/spring; 10 weeks summer).

Tuition Information for the RN to B.S.N.

StatePrice per creditEst. Tuition Cost
South Dakota Residents$408$9,792
South Dakota Advantage
(Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming)
$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.

Tuition Information for M.S.N. Programs

In the RN to M.S.N. program, you may substitute up to four graduate level courses (12 credits), upon request.

StatePrice per creditEst. Tuition Cost
South Dakota Residents$613$7,356
Non-Resident$927$11,124
Minnesota Reciprocity$812$9,744

» Estimated cost is based on 2023-2024 BOR tuition/fees.

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.

Select RN to B.S.N. courses can be replaced with graduate courses to accelerate your M.S.N. plan of study. RN to M.S.N. students may substitute up to twelve M.S.N. credits for RN to B.S.N. credits.

RN to B.S.N. core courses (3 credits per course)

NURS 300: Transition to BSN 
NURS 675: Cultural Competence in Healthcare 
NURS 462: Population Health: Nursing Perspectives 
NURS 670: Health Policy, Legislation, Economics 
NURS 464: Genetics and Genomics in Nursing 
NURS 626: Research in Nursing Healthcare 
NURS 466: Healthcare Systems and Informatics 
NURS 615: Foundations of Adva

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

Ready to take the next step?