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Academic advisors assist with proper course selection to meet curricular requirements and help to avoid errors in scheduling. However, students have the final responsibility for satisfying the degree requirements for the curriculum chosen and for the university general education requirements.
The South Dakota State University Policy and Procedure Manual is the definitive source for the most current South Dakota State University policies. Policies duplicated on other websites or in print may not be the most current version. All policies documented on the site are official and supersede policies located elsewhere. South Dakota State University is governed by state and federal law, administrative regulations, and policies of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) and the State of South Dakota.
General Degree Requirements
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.1, SDBOR Policy 2.8.1)
- Completion of at least 120 semester credit hours for the baccalaureate degree and 60 semester credit hours for the associate degree. Remedial course credits are not counted as meeting degree requirements.
- A Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.00. The CGPA is based on all credits earned by the student, including transfer credit and Regental system credit. When a course has been repeated for credit, all attempts will be entered on the transcript, but the last grade earned will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.
- Undergraduate degree granting institutional credit requirements:
- An institutional credit is a course offered by SDSU at any of its approved sites using any approved method of delivery.
- The minimum number of total credits that must be earned from the degree-granting institution shall be thirty (30) credits for the baccalaureate degree and fifteen (15) credits for the associate degree.
- The number of the last credits earned preceding completion of the degree that must be earned from the degree-granting institution shall be fifteen (15) of the last thirty (30) credits for the baccalaureate degree and eight (8) of the last fifteen (15) credits for the associate degree. The institution chief academic officer may make exceptions to this requirement in those cases where there are unique factors, such as participation in an approved study abroad program or in other similar authorized experiences.
- The minimum number of credits specified in the major or minor requirements that must be completed from the degree-granting institution shall be fifty (50) percent. However, this requirement may be waived for students enrolled in common courses offered by one of the other Regental universities. In addition, the institution chief academic officer may make exceptions to this requirement for individuals based on the student’s prior learning experiences, or internal Regental system transfer courses that have been approved and equated to the degree granting institution. At no time can the exceptions exceed ten (10) percent of the requirements.
- Credits earned by examination are not counted as resident credit unless an exception has been made because of special program features.
- A student must have twenty (20) upper division level credits, fourteen (14) of which need to be at SDSU.
- Completion of university general education requirements.
- Completion of all college and major field requirements. Students pursuing more than one major must complete all requirements for the majors as set forth by the academic units involved. When the majors are offered within the same college or school and may be completed within the same degree program structure, students complete the requirements for only one degree, and only one degree is awarded. Students wishing to complete two undergraduate majors that are offered in separate colleges or schools, or in the same school or college, but not within the same degree program structure, must complete all requirements for each related degree, and two separate degrees are awarded. Completion of a second degree will not be allowed when both majors may be awarded under the same degree. Students may pursue minors outside the college/school of their major program.
- With prior approval by the Board of an authorizing inter-institutional agreement degree seeking students at one institution may complete requirements for and may have transcripted a major offered at the partner Regental institution. This major will be recorded on the student’s transcript in conjunction with a degree/major at the student’s home university. These majors from a second/host Regental institution will only be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree and major at the student’s home institution.
- Degree seeking students may complete requirements for a minor at any Regental university that has been approved to grant that minor. This minor will be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree/major at that university or a degree/ major at any other Regental university. A minor will only be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree and major. Students may pursue and earn a minor in a term after initial graduation from SDSU. The minor must be currently active, and requirements must be met in the same catalog year as the original major.
Awarding of Academic Degrees
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
The Board approves the awarding of academic degrees after receiving the university president’s recommendation on behalf of the university. In recommending that the Board approve the award of a degree to an individual, the President certifies that the student has satisfied, or is expected to satisfy, the applicable degree requirements in Board Policy or in curricular requests approved by the Board.
- Board approval is contingent upon the student’s completion of all of the degree requirements. A degree may be awarded only after the student has completed the degree requirements.
- Approval of institutional recommendations by the Board shall not be to waive any degree requirement for an individual student.
- Recommendations for awarding degrees shall be submitted to the Board through its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer and shall appear on the agenda of a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
- Universities are authorized to hold commencement exercises prior to Board approval of institutional recommendations.
- The recommendations shall be submitted in a uniform format determined by the Board.
- Recommendations shall be submitted to the Board through its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer according to the following schedule:
- Recommendations for May commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled May meeting.
- Recommendations for August commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled August meeting.
- Recommendations for December commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled December meeting.
Graduation Dates
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
- The official date of graduation for the term is the last date of the term. For the Fall and Spring terms, this date is the last date of final examinations. For the Summer term, it is the last date of the full summer term. This date of graduation will be recorded both on the academic transcript and on the diploma.
- Commencement ceremonies may be held prior to the official graduation date or after the official graduation date.
- A student’s official date of graduation shall be the official date of graduation for the term in which the student successfully completes all requirements.
- The final graduation verification date for each term will be two days prior to the Clearinghouse certification date.
- The institution’s Vice President for Academic Affairs may make an exception to the final graduation verification date for student teachers who complete their student teaching experience on a date after the verification deadline.
- The Medical School is exempted from the final graduation verification date.
- Other than the exceptions noted above for student teachers and the Medical School, a student’s date of graduation will not be backdated. If the student does not meet graduation requirements prior to the verification deadline, the student must apply for graduation in a future term.
Catalog of Graduation for Undergraduate Students
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
- The catalog of graduation begins with the summer term and ends with the subsequent spring term.
- Every student is required to have a catalog of graduation. New and transfer students are assigned the catalog in effect at the time of their initial enrollment at the university from which they are seeking a degree. Students may elect a catalog of graduation that is later than their initial catalog but may not elect a catalog of graduation that is earlier than their initial catalog.
- In order to receive a degree, a student must meet the program requirements listed in his/her catalog of graduation.
- Students who discontinue enrollment at any Regental university for more than two consecutive semesters are assigned the catalog in effect at the time of their re-enrollment as their catalog of graduation.
- Students are considered to be in continuous enrollment for purposes of the catalog of graduation so long as any break in enrollment at any Regental university is for two or fewer consecutive semesters (excluding summer) and students maintain their degree seeking status at the same Regental university.
- Students who change their degree seeking status from one Regental university to another Regental university are assigned the catalog of graduation that corresponds to the term they are admitted to their new degree granting university.
- Students who are not currently enrolled and who petition to graduate based on coursework previously completed at a Regental university are assigned the catalog in effect during the term they wish to graduate.
Graduation Policies & Procedures
- Graduation Application - Date Due.
Check the university calendar or the fall, spring, and summer semester calendar for dates.
- Incomplete grades in courses required for graduation.
Graduating Seniors and Graduate Students
- Any graduating senior or graduating graduate student
- who receives an Incomplete or IP grade in the final semester in a course required for graduation will not be permitted to graduate that semester but will be required to apply for graduation for a subsequent semester,
or
- who has not removed an outstanding Incomplete from a previous semester, in a course required for graduation, by the date grades are due for the semester will not be permitted to graduate that semester but will be required to apply for graduation for a subsequent semester.
- Emergency situations require the filing of a petition by the student to the Dean for approval prior to the final grading deadline for the final semester.
- Incomplete grades in courses not required for graduation.
- The student’s record, up to the date of graduation, for that degree, is considered closed when the Registrar records the verified degree on the student’s record (3 weeks after grades are due for the final semester prior to graduation).
- After that date, removals of Incompletes for courses not required for the degree are no longer permitted. This policy also applies to grade changes or any other academic change to the student’s record.
- This policy has always been in effect but is reinforced in this policy statement.
- Graduation List.
Submission by the Deans of the final verified graduation list to the Registrar’s Office.
- Deadline for verification of degrees to the Registrar by the Deans will be three (3) weeks after grades are due for the semester.
- Prior to verification of the degree - all undergraduate transfer work in progress, or completed by the student, up to the date of graduation (whether required for graduation or not) must be evaluated by the Dean and recorded on the student’s academic transcript.
- It is the Dean’s responsibility to ensure all requirements are met prior to approving the student for degree completion.
Honors Designation at Graduation
(SDBOR Policy 2.8.1)
Associate Degree
The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its associate-level graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation, an associate-level graduate must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
- With highest honor equal to or greater than 3.9
- With high honor equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
- With honor equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7
An associate-level graduate must have completed a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours at the institution granting the degree. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree. (Also refer to SDBOR Policy 2.3.7.)
Baccalaureate Degree
The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation the undergraduate student must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
- Summa Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.9
- Magna Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
- Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7
The undergraduate student must have completed a minimum of sixty (60) credit hours at the institution granting the degree. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree. (Also refer to SDBOR Policy 2.3.7.)
Minimum Graduation Standards
(SDBOR Policy 2.8.1)
To be awarded a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree or a certificate a student must at a minimum have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. With Board approval, additional requirements including more specific GPA requirements may be established for some programmatic offerings and these must be met.
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