2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 18, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

About SDSU



History & Mission: The Land-Grant Heritage

A Brief History

South Dakota State University is the state’s largest, most comprehensive institution of higher education. The land-grant heritage of South Dakota State University, which began with a college founded in 1881, originates from local and national legislation dating back to 1862. The Morrill Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Abraham Lincoln in July of that year, embodied a revolutionary idea in higher education. The legislation created a new type of educational institution, one to give instruction in both liberal and practical arts to people in all parts of the country who needed to work for a living. In 1889, when South Dakota achieved statehood, Congress, acting under the Morrill Act of 1862, granted 160,000 acres of land for the use and support of the “agricultural college.” By accepting this land allocation, the State had to designate the Agricultural College as a land-grant college.

State Agriculture Experiment Stations were formed in 1887 under the Hatch Act of Congress, which provided for establishment of agricultural experiment stations in connection with Land-Grant universities and colleges. The stations were established to conduct research to address relevant agricultural and rural issues for their home states and regions.

The Cooperative Extension Service was established in 1914 to provide useful, current, research based agricultural, home, family, and youth related information to the people of the State. Federal funds are appropriated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which cooperates with state colleges of agriculture and counties in conducting planned programs of extension work.

Historically, the Land-Grant institutions have had the responsibility of training individuals to be U.S. Military officers in the event of war or military emergency, thus, alleviating the need to have a large standing army. During WWII, SDSU as a Land-Grant University served a central role in preparation of students and graduates for military service through ROTC. SDSU continues to have an exemplary ROTC program. Following the war, SDSU and other Land-Grant institutions accepted an international responsibility contributing to economic and agricultural revitalization in war devastated countries. International responsibility has continued to evolve as a part of the Land-Grant mission.

In 1917, the Smith-Hughes Act, provided for the preparation of teachers for secondary-school level instruction in agriculture, industrial arts, and home economics. By 1928 South Dakota State College had been chosen to conduct this program.

As of 1923 South Dakota State College had an instructional program organized under five divisions: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy. Thirty years later, General Science was renamed the Division of Science and Applied Arts. The Nursing Division was created in 1956. The following year all graduate work was organized into the Graduate Division.

Status as a university began when the South Dakota Legislature changed the name of South Dakota State College to South Dakota State University on July 1, 1964. At that time the following colleges were created: Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts and Science, Engineering, Home Economics, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Graduate School.

In 1994 the Federal Government granted 29 tribal college (four in South Dakota) land-grant status. Tribal land-grant college extension programs are conducted in cooperation with the traditional (1862) land-grant institutions; therefore, SDSU has an on-going relationship with the tribal colleges through the land-grant linkage.

Today SDSU consists of the following colleges:

  • College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences
  • College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
  • College of Education & Human Sciences
  • College of Natural Sciences
  • College of Nursing
  • College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions
  • Graduate School
  • Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering
  • Van D. & Barbara B. Fishback Honors College

Mission Statement

(SDBOR Policy 1:10:2)

The legislature established South Dakota State University as the Comprehensive Land-Grant University to meet the needs of the State and region by providing undergraduate and graduate programs of instruction in the liberal arts and sciences and professional education in agriculture, aviation, education, engineering, human sciences, nursing, pharmacy, and other courses or programs as the Board of Regents may determine. (SDCL 13-58-1)

The Board implemented SDCL 13-58-1 by authorizing South Dakota State University to serve students and clients through teaching, research, and extension activities. The University’s primary goal is to provide undergraduate and graduate programs at the freshman through the doctoral levels. The University complements this goal by conducting nationally competitive strategic research and scholarly and creative activities. Furthermore, South Dakota State University facilitates the transference of knowledge through the Cooperative Extension Service with a presence in every county and through other entities, especially to serve the citizens of South Dakota.

South Dakota State University is unique within the South Dakota System of Higher Education because of its comprehensive land grant mission. The mission is implemented through integrated programs of instruction, the Cooperative Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and numerous auxiliary and laboratory services.

Degrees are authorized at the Associate, Baccalaureate, Master, Professional Doctorate, and Doctoral levels.

Curriculum

The following curriculum is approved for South Dakota State University:

  1. Undergraduate Programs
    • Associate degree programs in General Studies and Agricultural Science.
    • Baccalaureate programs in the agricultural sciences, aviation, education, engineering and technology, human sciences, humanities and liberal arts, nursing, performing and visual arts, pharmaceutical sciences, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences.
  2. Graduate Programs
    • Masters degrees in arts and sciences, agricultural and biological sciences, human sciences, education and counseling, engineering and technology, and nursing.
    • Doctorate of Philosophy degrees in agriculture and engineering, and the physical, biological, and social sciences.
    • Professional programs - the Master of Mass Communication (M.M.C.), the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.).

Strategic Plan - Imagine 2023: Aspire. Discover. Achieve.

Mission

South Dakota State University offers a rich academic experience in an environment of inclusion and access through inspired, student-centered education, creative activities and research, innovation and engagement that improve the quality of life in South Dakota, the region, the nation, and the world.

Vision

South Dakota State University will be a premier land-grant university recognized for high value, innovation, and bold impact.

Core Values

  • People-Centered: We recognize leadership is derived from service to others. We are committed to creating a culture where all thrive and are supported on their own personal and professional paths toward lifelong learning, growth, and leadership.
  • Creativity: Creativity is our cornerstone to expand knowledge, develop human understanding, and enrich quality of life. We believe that education and research/scholarship/creative activity reinforce one another and the best academic programs bring innovative teaching and rigorous research together.
  • Integrity: We act with organizational and personal integrity, through honest interactions, professionalism, transparent and accountable decision-making, and respect for others.
  • Diversity: We are committed to diversity of community and ideas. We believe in a supportive, inclusive, collaborative, and cohesive environment with a focus on access. We actively seek collaboration and we respect individuals with differing perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise.
  • Excellence: Excellence is achieved through continuous improvement, assessment, and accountability. We embrace bold action and adapt to an ever-changing environment. Individually, we are experts at what we do. Collectively, our impact is even greater.

Goals & Strategies

  • Achieve Excellence Through Transformative Education
  1. Attain academic excellence.
  2. Affirm student success as a foundational University priority.
  3. Increase recruitment, retention and graduation of professionally prepared global citizens.
  • Cultivate and Strengthen Community Engagement
  1. Enhance the academic and work environments of the University by fostering a culture of service, servant leadership and inclusive excellence among faculty, staff and students.
  2. Grow the University’s external engagement through extension, collaborative service, community outreach, alumni relations and public- private partnerships that enhance the quality of life in South Dakota and beyond.
  • Foster Innovation and Increase Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA)
  1. Strengthen the leadership and personnel infrastructure for innovation, RSCA and economic development to serve the state, region, nation and world.
  2. Increase, optimize and align the physical resources and investments for innovation, RSCA and economic development.
  3. Create an institutional culture of communicating and branding SDSU RSCA and its achievements, outcomes and impacts to the full scope of stakeholder and peer communities.
  • Be a Growing, High-Performing and Healthy University
  1. Infuse core values throughout all levels of the University.
  2. Grow and sustain financial resources aligned with the mission of SDSU.
  3. Allocate the University’s resources to achieve strategic priorities.

Accreditations & Affiliations

The University holds institutional membership in a number of educational associations: the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (1307 New York Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005-4722; Phone: 202-478-6040) promotes the aims expressed in the Morrill Act of 1862, and in the subsequent acts of Congress relating to Land-Grant Colleges.

South Dakota State University Academic Accreditations and Certifications

Accrediting Agency Degree Frequency Last Decision Next Visit
Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET)        
415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; Phone: 410-347-7700        
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering B.S.      
Computer Science B.S.      
Civil Engineering B.S.      
Electrical Engineering B.S.      
Mechanical Engineering B.S.      
Construction Management B.S.      
Operations Management B.S.      
Electronics Engineering Technology B.S.      
         
Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)        
203 S Morris Street, Oxford, MD 21654; Phone: 410-226-5527        
Hospitality Management B.S. 7 years 2016 2023
         
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)        
190 S LaSalle Street, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60603-4810; Phone: 312-664-3575        
Pharmacy Pharm.D. 8 years 2015 2023
         
Accreditation Council for the Education of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)        
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; Phone: 312-899-0040 ext. 5400        
Dietetics B.S. 10 years 2018 2025
Dietetic Internship NA 3 years 2019 2026
         
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (ACEJMC)        
201 Bishop Hall, University, MS 38677-1848; Phone: 662-915-5504        
Advertising B.A./B.S. 6 years 2018 2023
Journalism B.A./B.S. 6 years 2018 2023
Mass Communications M.M.C. 4 years 2018 2023
Public Relations B.S. 6 years 2018 2023
         
American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE)        
2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659; Phone: 269-429-0300        
Agricultural Systems Technology B.S. 6 years 2018 2024
         
American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)        
11200 Rockville Pike, Suite 302, Rockville, MD 20852-3110; Phone: 240-283-6600        
Biochemistry B.S. 7 years 2015 2022
         
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)        
4500 East West Hwy, Bethesda, MD 20814; Phone: 866-279-0681        
Pharmacy - PGY1 Residency Program Certificate 3 years 2018 2021
         
Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI)        
115 S. 8th Street, Suite 102, Opelika, AL 36801; Phone: 334-748-9359        
Aviation with Specialization in Aviation Education B.S. 5 years 2018 2023
         
Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)        
3850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731-3184; Phone: 512-733-9700        
Athletic Training M.S. 10 years 2012 2021-2022
         
Commission on Accreditation of Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology (CAPACS)        
3 Fieldstone Drive, Morris Township, NJ 07960; Phone: 973-290-9334        
Sociology Ph.D. 2 years 2017 2019
         
Commission on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES)        
401 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202; Phone: 317-637-9200 ext. 147        
Exercise Science B.S. 9 years 2017 2026
         
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)        
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, D.C. 20036-1120; Phone: 202-887-6791 ext. 252; Fax: 202-887-8476        
Nursing B.S. 10 years 2011 2021
Nursing M.S. 10 years 2011 2021
Nursing D.N.P. 10 years 2016 2026
Nursing - APRN Post-Graduate Certificate 10 years 2016 2026
         
Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)        
206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4014; Phone: 616-458-0400        
Interior Design B.S. 5 years 2013 2019
         
Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)        
1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 510, Alexandria, VA 22314; Phone: 703-535-5990        
Counseling and Human Resource Development M.S. 7 years 2017 2025
         
Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)        
1699 E. Woodfield Road, Suite 300, Schaumburg, IL 60173; Phone: 847-944-1325        
Counseling and Human Resource Development Specialization in Counseling in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Setting M.S. 8 years 2015 2023
         
National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc (NAAB)        
1735 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20006; Phone: 202-783-2007        
Architecture M.Arch. 8 years 2019 2027
         
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)        
5600 River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119; Phone: 773-714-8880        
Medical and Laboratory Sciences B.S. 10 years 2016 2026
         
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)        
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190-5248; Phone: 703-437-0700        
Music Education B.M.E. 10 years 2010 2019-2020
Music B.A. 10 years 2010 2019-2020
         
National Council for Accrediation of Teacher Education (NCATE)*        
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036; Phone: 202-223-0077        
Teacher Education B.A./B.S. 7 years 2014 2019
Principal M.Ed. 7 years 2014 2019
School Counselor M.S. 7 years 2014 2019
*The accrediting body will change to Council of the Accreditaiton of Educator Preparation (CAEP) during the 2019 evaluation.        
         
Society for Range Management (SRM)        
6901 S Pierce Street, Ste 230, Littleton, CO 80128; Phone: 303-986-3309        
Rangeland Ecology and Management B.S. 10 years 2016 2026
         
Academic Accredited Units        
Accrediting Agency Degree Frequency Last Decision Next Visit
American Association of Museums Accreditation Commission        
1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005; Phone: 202-289-1818        
South Dakota Art Museum NA 10 years 2014 2024
         
American Association of Veterinary Lab Diagnosticians (AAVLD)        
PO Box 6396, Visalia, CA 93290; Phone: 559-781-8900        
Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab NA 5 years 2018 2023
         
National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC)        
1313 L Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005; Phone: 800-424-2460        
Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education NA 5 years 2017 2022
         
Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH)        
2021 L Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036; Phone: 866-730-6127        
Nursing Healthcare Simulation Center   5 years 2018 2023
         
Academic Certified Programs/Units        
Accrediting Agency Degree Frequency Last Decision Next Visit
American Association of Museums Accreditation Commission        
1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005; Phone: 202-289-1818        
South Dakota Art Museum NA 10 years 2014 2024
         
American Association of Veterinary Lab Diagnosticians (AAVLD)        
PO Box 6396, Visalia, CA 93290; Phone: 559-781-8900        
Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab NA 5 years 2018 2023
         
American Chemical Society        
1155 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; Phone: 800-333-9511        
Chemistry B.S. NA 2016 2021
         
Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (formerly American Humanics)        
1801 Main Street, Ste 200, Kansas City, MO 64108; Phone: 816-561-6415        
Leadership and Management of Non-Profit Organizations Minor   2003  
         
National Collegiate Honors Council        
1100 Neihardt Residence Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 540 North 16th Street, Lincoln, NE 68588-0627; Phone: 402-472-9150        
Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College     2018 TBD
         
Department of the Army        
Army ROTC   1 year 2016 2017
         
College Reading and Learning Association        
Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program   5 years 2016 2020
         
University Accreditation        
Accrediting Agency Degree Fequency Last Decision Next Visit
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)        
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604; Phone: 800-621-7440        
Institution NA 10 years 2010 2019

Affiliations 

The University also holds membership in the American Council on Education, the American Council on Education’s Internationalization Collaborative, the American Society for Information Science & Technology, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS), the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA), the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Association of University Women, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American Society for Engineering Education, the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Library Association, Associated Western Universities, Inc., the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, Educause, National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, and several others which are concerned with more limited phases of college work. Through the Board of Regents, the University also participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).

Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities

The University is committed to excellence in research, scholarship and creative activities as a key part of fulfilling the University’s mission. Discovery of new knowledge, ideas, and processes are fundamental to the mission of a Land-Grant University and contribute to the state’s economic development and quality of life. Research and scholarly activities are essential for intellectual growth and interactions among faculty and students.

The University encourages and supports research, scholarship and creative activity in all disciplines. To support these activities, the University and its faculty actively pursue funds through competitive grant proposals and through cooperative agreements with other institutions of higher education as well as state and federal agencies. Student participation in university research is encouraged, especially as a way to begin an exciting career path. Students can often conduct research through mentorship with faculty and publish the results of their work.  Additionally, the University conducts an annual event to highlight undergraduate student involvement in research, scholarship, and creative activities.

South Dakota State University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Doctoral University: High Research Activity and as a national university by most rating organizations. These recognitions are reflect in abundant research opportunities available to students.

For information, contact the Division of Research and Economic Development, South Dakota State University, Box 2201, Brookings, South Dakota 57007-1998, phone: 605-688-5642.