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Applicants desiring to enroll at The University of South Dakota are encouraged to apply at least four months but not less than ten days prior to the planned date of attendance. In addition to the admission requirements of the University, applicants will be required to fulfill any special requirements of the school or college in which they plan to enroll. The application is not considered complete until all required materials have been received. All men born after December 31, 1959, who are applying for admission to The University of South Dakota, must comply with selective service registration requirements.
Pre-admission Immunization Requirements
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- All students who reside on campus or who receive instruction at one of the residential campuses (Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota State University, and The University of South Dakota), and students who attend classes at SDPURC in Sioux Falls must document their immune status for measles, mumps, and rubella. Students are not required to document their immune status to attend classes at other locations or through the Internet. Proof of two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine or of the presence of an immune antibody titer against measles, mumps, and rubella shall be required. This documentation may be accomplished by either a State Health Department certificate, or it may be included as part of the institution’s physical exam report. A student who fails to provide satisfactory documentation of his or her immune status shall not be permitted to register for or to attend classes.
- Students who are unable to ascertain their immunization status may obtain, at their own expense, the necessary tests and vaccination from the Student Health Service of their university.
- In the event the South Dakota State Department of Health declares an epidemic of measles or rubella, the institution involved shall provide to the State Department of Health a list of students who have not submitted immunization documentation. Subsequent campus actions shall consider the advice and authority of the South Dakota State Department of Health. Students who have no vaccination or immunity against the required preventable infectious diseases may be dismissed from the campus.
- Vaccination for hepatitis B is required for students before they can be admitted to certain health care programs.
- Immunization for tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, varicella, and meningitis is recommended, as is a tuberculin test. Vaccination for hepatitis B is also recommended.
Application forms may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. All correspondence should be addressed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
A person who is qualified academically may be denied admission to or dismissed from the University if misrepresented or falsified information is submitted during the application process or if the applicant is a potential threat to the property or safety of others. The Director of Admissions may request additional information from a student or may obtain information from public records if there arereasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant has falsified or misrepresented information or is a threat to the property or safety of others. The Director of Admissions will determine whether there is sufficient cause to deny admission on these grounds. The decision of the Director of Admissions may be appealed to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Services.
Admitted Students
Students admitted to any South Dakota regental university will be considered South Dakota regental students and allowed to take courses at any of the six universities. Courses taken at any of the six universities will be reflected on a single transcript, along with transfer work received and recorded from outside the regental system. The university from which the student is seeking the degree is considered the student’s “home institution” and will govern the academic policies related to that student.
Requirements for Admission
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First Year Students
To be admitted to USD, you must have the following credentials:
- Rank in the top 50 percent of your class
Or
- ACT Composite Score:
- Entering Class of 2007 - 19 or above; or an SAT composite score of 910 or higher
- Entering Class of 2008 - 20 or above; or an SAT composite score of 950 or higher
- Entering Class of 2009 - 21 or above; or an SAT composite score of 990 or higher
Or
- High School GPA of 2.60 on a 4.00 scale
And
- *Earn an overall grade point average of “C” or higher in the following required high school courses:
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of Advanced Math (algebra and above)
- 3 years of Social Sciences
- 3 years of Laboratory Science (biology, chemistry, physics, or approved physical science or earth science)
- One year of Fine Arts
* Advanced College Curriculum standards can also be met through ACT subscores and/or AP test scores. Please contact the Office of Admissions for further details.
Applications from students with deficiencies are reviewed on an individual basis. Admission criteria are subject to change.
Nontraditional students (24 years of age or older), who do not meet the above criteria, may be admitted at the institution’s discretion.
Applicants who have not graduated from high school but who have earned a G.E.D. High School Equivalency certificate may be considered for admission based on their G.E.D. scores. They may be required to submit ACT test results and may be required to provide evidence of specific competence in a given curriculum.
Procedure:
High school students may apply for admission anytime after their junior year. Applicants must submit a completed application form plus a $20.00 nonrefundable fee, a complete high school transcript, and an official report of their ACT/SAT scores.
Former Students
A student returning to the University or a student who has attended another South Dakota regental university is considered a former student and is not required to pay the application fee, but must submit to the Enrollment Services Center an application for readmission and other required documents if the attendance has been interrupted for two or more semesters. Former students shall be considered transfer students if they attended a non-regental university during the period of interrupted attendance.
High School Students
High school students who have completed their sophomore year and who wish to enroll in limited coursework prior to completion of their high school education may be granted acceptance. It is a temporary status without a degree commitment.
Procedure:
Submit a completed admissions application form, a high school transcript and a recommendation from the student’s high school counselor or principal.
International Students
Students applying to the University who are not United States citizens must meet the following standards:
- Perform satisfactorily on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination with a minimum score of 550 or higher (paper test) or 213 or higher (computer test)
- Have a high school GPA equivalent to 2.7 on a 4.0 scale
- Prove financial ability to pay for the entire program of study
- First time college students may be eligible for University Scholarships but must take and submit the ACT or SAT to be considered.
Procedure:
The following items must be submitted by international students who wish to enroll:
- A completed application plus a $20.00 nonrefundable application fee
- Official Statement of Finances
- Certification of finances
- Official copy of TOEFL scores
- *Official transcripts of all secondary and post-secondary school studies
* For all transcripts and credentials outside of the United States of America, students must complete an application for evaluation of his/her credentials and send it together with photocopies of the official academic credits (translated to English) and $120.00 to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. The application for evaluation can be obtained from www.ece.org. One copy of the evaluation report will be sent to the student, and one copy will be sent to USD. Admission will not be granted and no foreign transfer credits will be accepted until a report is received.
In addition to these requirements, international students who are transferring from other colleges in the United States must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or above. Students who have not maintained a grade point average of 2.00 may be admitted at the discretion of the University.
Transfer Students
Academic courses completed for credit at institutions accredited by a higher education regional accrediting association are generally acceptable for transfer. However, University degree requirements determine if the courses transferred are applicable to the student’s degree program and if they meet the minimum grade criteria.
College credits taken by students while they are still enrolled in high school are subject to regular transfer credit policy. High school courses for which students received college credit will not be entered as transfer credit, or given equivalent credit, unless validated by an Advanced Placement (AP) or CLEP score that meets Board of Regents guidelines for acceptance of credit or the college credit is granted by a university with which the Board has a dual-credit agreement.
Credits from colleges or universities which are not accredited by a regional accrediting association may be accepted in transfer, subject to all other provisions of these guidelines and any conditions for validation which may be prescribed by the dean of the college or school in which the student plans to enroll. The dean may refuse to recognize credits from an institution not regionally accredited or may admit the applicant on a probationary basis and provide a means for the evaluation of some or all of the credits. The validation period may not be less than one semester and will ordinarily be an academic year.
When a course has been repeated for credit, the last grade earned will be used in the evaluation of the acceptance of credit and the calculation of the grade point average.
Transfer credit for work at a junior or community college may not exceed one-half of the total semester hours required for completion of the degree at USD. For a baccalaureate degree, no more than 64 semester hours of such credit is accepted. For students who have completed more than 64 semester hours of junior or community college work, the determination of which credits will be accepted will be made at the time the student applies for graduation at USD. The decision is made at the time of application for graduation in order to make the best use of the coursework that is needed to fulfill requirements for graduation.
Technical Institute courses are designed to prepare students to enter the workforce for careers requiring less than a baccalaureate degree. Acceptance of these courses for credit at the South Dakota public universities is strictly the function of the receiving institution. Students who wish to transfer credits to a South Dakota public university for programs other than the Bachelor of Applied Technical Science degree should contact the Admissions Office for an evaluation of their program objectives and technical institute transcript. An individual evaluation of course credits will be made by the University in accordance with institutional and Board of Regents policy. Transfer credits are accepted with the same grade and credit as was recorded on the transcript from the institution at which the course was completed. Courses accepted in transfer from institutions with a different credit and/or grading system will be equitably converted to the system in effect at USD.
Academic courses meeting the above criteria are transferred as meeting requirements for graduation if the courses parallel requirements for the degree, or if the courses meet electives required for the degree as determined by the school or major department involved. Credit will not be given for duplication of courses.
If a grade of “F” or the equivalent was received in a course otherwise transferable within the policy, the cumulative grade point average shall be calculated incorporating the “F” grade.
Remedial courses, vocational courses, orientation, life experience, and high school-level courses are generally not accepted for transfer credit. Where vocational courses are applicable, credit may be accepted upon the approval of the deans of the colleges or schools in which the student plans to enroll. No transfer credit is granted for General Educational Development Tests.
Credit earned for college-level courses by examination, extension, correspondence, etc., will be evaluated and accepted for transfer, if equivalent courses at USD exist and are consistent with USD policies.
In order to be admitted in good standing, transfer applicants are expected to have maintained a “C” average (2.00 based on an “A” being 4.00) for all college work previously attempted and not be under suspension from the last college attended. Transfer students who have not maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 may appeal for admission. If admitted, such students are on academic probation.
Transfer applicants under academic suspension from the last college attended shall not be considered for admission during the period of suspension or, if suspended for an indefinite period, until one semester has passed since the last date of attendance. When eligible, the applicants will be considered as stipulated in the previous paragraphs. Transfer applicants under disciplinary suspension will not be considered for admission until a clearance and a statement of the reason for suspension from the previous college are filed. When considering applications from students under suspension, the University will take into account the suspension.
Procedure:
Applicants should submit a completed application plus a $20.00 nonrefundable application fee; a current complete official transcript received directly from each college, school or institution attended since high school; and an official high school transcript. The application fee is not charged to students who transfer from other South Dakota regental universities.
Applicants who are 21 years of age or younger must submit Enhanced ACT (or SAT-I) results. Applicants who are over 21 need to submit their scores if they have taken the test within the last five years.
After all items are on record, the student is informed of acceptance by receiving a notice of final acceptance and a summary of transfer credit. This summary lists all transfer credit hours that have been accepted by the University and the transfer grade point average of the student. If the student is not granted acceptance, a letter explaining the reasons for the non-acceptance will be sent.
All transfer applicants under 21 years of age who were graduated from high school after spring of 1987 and are transferring with fewer than 24 credit hours may be required to fulfill the high school course requirements as outlined in the preceding First-Year Students section.
Non-Degree-Seeking Students
Unclassified admission is reserved for applicants who wish to enroll for a limited number of credit hours but do not wish to commit themselves to working toward a degree from the University. The University is under no obligation to grant a degree to unclassified students until those students change acceptance status from unclassified to regular admission. Students who apply as unclassified will not be eligible to receive financial aid. If regular admission is desired, unclassified students must fulfill the admission requirements as they exist at the time of their applications for regular admission. After regular admission has been granted, credits earned while enrolled as unclassified students may be used to meet the requirements for a degree with the approval of the dean of the school or college concerned.
Procedure:
Non-degree-seeking students are required to submit a completed admissions application form.
All unmarried students enrolled for six credit hours or more who are not more than two years beyond their normal high school graduation date are required to live on campus, unless special permission to live elsewhere is received from University Housing. Permission ordinarily shall be granted to students with dependent children or to students who reside full-time at the permanent residence of their parent or legal guardian.
Family Housing-Cypress Court
The University operates 38 one-bedroom, unfurnished apartments that are available to married students and their families or single students with dependent children. Applications may be obtained from University Housing. Assignment will be made by date of application.
Residence Halls
The University offers housing accommodations for 2,000 students in ten residence halls. Each residence hall is under the supervisionof a hall director (who is a graduate assistant) and a staff of student community advisors whose primary duty is to provide a community environment conducive to academic success and personal growth of students.
Room Applications
Applicants must be accepted to the University and have submitted their $100 University commitment deposit before they may apply for housing on campus. Room assignments are based on receipt of applications; applicants with the earliest return dates will be assigned first. Fifty percent of the deposit is refundable if the application is cancelled before the dates specified in the residence hall contract.
Special lifestyle options are available to students who request them. Specific room and lifestyle assignments are arranged by date of application. Some of the special lifestyle options include coed and single-sex floors, quiet floors, upper-class/graduate floors, and first year experience floors focused around academic themes. All residence halls are smoke-free. Students with specific medical needs should alert University Housing; accommodations can be made. All undergraduate students living in the residence halls are required to subscribe to a University meal plan, with the exception of students living in McFadden Hall.
The residence halls provide students with computer labs, desk services, laundry and recreation room facilities, free copies of USA Today and the Argus Leader newspapers. In student rooms, cable TV, local telephone, and computer data ports are available. Opportunities for employment are also available in the residence halls. Each complex and floor has a governing structure, and programmatic and policy recommendations are made by the Residence Hall Government Association, comprised of students from every residence hall floor.
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