Dakota Wesleyan University announced today that it will launch a new Nursing program in Sioux Falls beginning in August 2025. The expansion was recently approved by the South Dakota Board of Nursing and by the university’s board of trustees.
The Sioux Falls program will be offered for an Associate of Science degree for enrolling students. Offered year-round for 24 months, graduates will earn a two-year RN degree at the end of their program and with a passing score on the required state licensing exam. Students may enter the program at any point in their career, whether they have healthcare experience or not.
DWU President Dan Kittle, Ph.D. is excited about the launch. “There is great demand for nurses throughout our region and Dakota Wesleyan University wants to be an active partner in meeting that need. We have developed this unique program as a response to requests from practitioners from across the state. With their input, and our long history of educating nurses, we have developed a program that will be compelling for students and will prepare them for excellence in their profession.”
DWU Chair of Nursing Penny Tilton, DNP, M.S.N., RN, knows that the program will bring value to the Sioux Falls region. “With DWU’s more than 100 years of experience offering a high-quality nursing education, we know we will be a good fit. Our full-time instructors on site and the excellent relationships we already have with healthcare partners in the region will ensure that our graduates are well prepared to enter the nursing field. Their geographic ties will hopefully mean that a high percentage will choose to stay and work in eastern South Dakota.”
President Kittle concluded, “We are eager to continue serving the Sioux Falls community. We know there is a great need for nurses, and we believe it is a strong market for students. We have a deep tradition of educating nurses and we are eager to do that work with this distinctive two-year option.”
The program launch was announced at a Monday morning news conference held at the DWU instructional site located at 112 S. Main Street in downtown Sioux Falls.