Twenty years ago this fall, 13 nurses gathered as a cohort to develop a doctoral degree in nursing.
Today, South Dakota State University remains the only institution in the state to offer the research-focused Doctor of Philosophy in nursing.
“SDSU provides a personalized educational opportunity for the working nurse as they pursue a Ph.D. in nursing. Our online Ph.D. program is flexible with faculty who are interested in student success as they grow as nurse scientists,” according to College of Nursing Dean Mary Anne Krogh '85/DNP '11.
Since then, 51 students have earned their doctorates, with 21 students currently in the program.
In 2005, the program was built around an executive weekend format. Once a month, the cohort would gather in Sioux Falls for classes and discussion. Students worked independently the other weeks.
The program went fully online in 2023-24, allowing people from outside the region to join. Another change has been “involving students in research from the day we start,” former program director Tom Stenvig MSN '91 said. The final product is three publishable papers, and students assemble a portfolio with concrete, self-development projects that support their journey as a scholar, he said.
Stenvig stands behind SDSU’s program for “the mentoring we provide for students. We begin advising from day one, and the portfolio that I mentioned. That results in very tangible experiences that they would not get at another program.”
Written by University Marketing & Communications
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