City: Rapid City, SD

Category: Education

Telephone: (605) 394-5390, (888) 819-1725

Address: 1011 11th St.

Description: Nursing students need not attend the main South Dakota State University campus in Brookings to obtain a Bachelor of Science or master of science degree in nursing. This Rapid City department offers all the courses needed. Through a consortium agreement, students take support courses such as biology, anatomy, and microbiology at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. They may elect to take other classes through Black Hills State University, either on the Spearfish campus or at the Ellsworth Air Force Base branch. The remaining classes are offered at the nursing school’s main building downtown. The R.N. Upward Mobility Program allows registered nurses with associate degrees to earn a four-year degree in three semesters. With a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a year of work experience, students may enter the graduate program to study for a master’s degree in any of several tracks: family nurse practitioner, educator, administrator, or clinical nurse specialist. Presently, 200 students are pursuing degrees here. All are on their own for housing and meals, since the school does not have student housing or a cafeteria.