Program Overview

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Bachelor's to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner

The Bachelor's to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program is designed to provide advanced practice nursing education to individuals across the lifespan in primary care settings. Graduates of this program will be able to deliver evidence-based, direct patient care and translate evidence-based research and guidelines to transform practice.

Program Overview

The program coursework is delivered online and includes a field-based practicum. Select classes may require on-campus visits. A total of 78 credits are required, along with 1,020 clinical hours.

Required Coursework

The required coursework for this program is as follows:

Year One Coursework

• Fall:
  • NURS 615 Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3 credits)
  • HSC 631 Biostatistics I (3 credits)
  • NURS 772 Health Care Technology and Informatics (3 credits)
• Spring:
  • NURS 760 Advanced Concepts in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
  • NURS 670 Health Policy, Legislation, Economics and Ethics (3 credits)
  • NURS 783 Health Care System Management and Evaluation (3 credits)
• Summer:
  • NURS 860 Health Operations and Financial Management in Nurse Leaders (3 credits)
  • NURS 750 Transformational Leadership in Nursing (3 credits)
  • NURS 789 DNP Capstone I (1 credit)

Year Two Coursework

• Fall:
  • NURS 623 Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan Advanced Practice (4 credits)
  • NURS 850 Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations for Evidence-Based Care (3 credits)
  • NURS 889 DNP Capstone (1 credit)
• Spring:
  • NURS 855 Transitional Research in Health Care (3 credits)
  • NURS 631/Lab Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan (3+1 credits)
  • NURS 880 DNP Project (1 credit)
• Summer:
  • NURS 835 Ethical Issues Influencing Practice and Research (2 credits)
  • PHA 645 Pharmacotherapeutics Across the Lifespan Advanced Practice (4 credits)
  • NURS 880 DNP Project (1 credit)

Year Three Coursework

• Fall:
  • NURS 764 Introduction to FNP (5 credits)
  • NURS 880 Project (1 credit)
• Spring:
  • NURS 765/Lab FNP Integration Practicum I* (4+1 credits)
  • NURS 880 DNP Project (1 credit)
• Summer:
  • NURS 768 FNP Integration Practicum II** (4 credits)
  • NURS 880 Project (1 credit)

Year Four Coursework

• Fall:
  • NURS 771 FNP Integration: Practicum III** (6 credits)
  • NURS 880 DNP Project (1 credit)
• Spring:
  • NURS 776 FNP Integration: Practicum IV** (6 credits)

Certification Options

Graduates of this program are eligible for certification as a family nurse practitioner from either the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Certification Board.

Tuition and Fees

The estimated cost per credit for this program is as follows:

• South Dakota Resident: $640
• Non-South Dakota Resident: $962
• Child of Alumni: $640
• South Dakota Advantage: $640 (offered to qualified students from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Wyoming who have received a degree/credential from a South Dakota Board of Regents institution)

Financial Aid

The university is committed to helping students find resources to pay for college. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is available to assist students. There are also scholarship and loan repayment opportunities available.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Integrate theoretical and scientific underpinnings of nursing and other disciplines to address emerging health care and practice issues.
• Engage in health policy at all levels to influence health care delivery concerns.
• Demonstrate leadership at the organizational and/or systems level to address health outcomes of individuals and populations.
• Utilize advanced nursing knowledge and information systems/technology related to clinical prevention and health promotion.
• Collaborate with the interprofessional team in the translation, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of evidence-based practice.
• Employ evidence-based practice and advanced clinical judgment to comprehensively assess, design, and deliver mental health care for individuals across the lifespan.

Admission Criteria

To be eligible for admission to this program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the United States or its territories prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing course.
• 1,500 hours of documented nursing practice experience prior to the first clinical course.
• Completed and verified application to the graduate nursing program via NursingCAS website.
• Online written and verbal assessment completed through Kira Talent, reviewed and scored by graduate faculty.
• Completed compliance requirements.

Application Process

Each applicant is required to complete two applications:

1. Graduate School application for admission
2. NursingCAS application

Requirements After Admission

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

• Complete the graduate nursing compliance requirements.
• Submit a nonrefundable deposit along with acceptance letter.
• Purchase a laptop computer that meets the computer requirements (unless already owned).

Compliance Requirements

All students are required to submit SDSU College of Nursing compliance documents, which include:

• Criminal background check
• 10-panel drug screen
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification
• Health insurance
• Online training
• Professional liability insurance
• R.N. license
• ACLS certification (for certain programs)
• Required SDSU College of Nursing forms
• Additional compliance requirements/immunizations (e.g., tuberculin testing, hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap, influenza, COVID-19)