General Degree Requirements
These are the degree requirements of The Graduate School. Requirements of specific degree programs may vary. Students should confer with individual departments to determine if the program requires more than the minimum credit hours required by The Graduate School.
Master’s Degree
The University offers several Master’s degrees. Depending upon the program, these Master’s degrees may have alternative plans of study: Plan A requires the writing of a thesis; Plan B does not. Because departmental policies regarding thesis requirements vary, students should confer with department chairpersons or graduate program directors/coordinators to determine which of the following plans is required. Plan A requires no less than 30 semester credit hours: a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work in the major department with an additional 4 to 6 credit hours of thesis. Thesis guidelines are available through The Graduate School. Plan B requires no less than 32 semester credit hours: a minimum of 18 credit hours in the major department. This option may require a Master’s project in lieu of the thesis and/or comprehensive exams.
The University also offers the M.P.A. (Master of Professional Accountancy), the M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) through the Beacom School of Business, the M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) through College of Arts and Sciences, and the M.M. (Master of Music) and M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts) through the College of Fine Arts.
Specialist in Education Degree (Ed.S.)
The Specialist in Education degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond a baccalaureate degree or a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond a Master’s degree. A thesis for the Ed.S. is optional. If a student already has a Master’s degree, their graduate GPA must be a 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for full admission to The University of South Dakota for the Specialist in Education degree.
Doctoral Degrees
There are several Doctoral degrees offered by The University of South Dakota.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is a terminal research degree with a focus on education practice. The Ed.D. requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, or 60 credit hours beyond the Master’s degree, whichever is greater. A dissertation is required. A maximum of 15 credit hours of dissertation may be applied towards the degree.
Clinical Doctorate (e.g. Au.D., D.P.T.) is a practice-focused terminal degree in clinical fields. Depending upon the discipline, the clinical doctorate may require more than 100 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree and an extensive clinical experience. A dissertation is not required.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the terminal degree in many fields, the Ph.D. is a research-focused degree. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 84 credit hours, or 54 credit hours beyond the Master’s. A dissertation based on in-depth original research is required. Fifteen credit hours of dissertation are required by The Graduate School. The degree program may entail more than 15 credit hours of dissertation and/or other specific requirements.
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is the law degree typically awarded by an accredited US law school after successful completion of three years of post-graduate law study. Law students are prepared for careers in leadership in the administration of justice, private practice, public service, business, and several other law-related careers.
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) is the first professional degree awarded in the field of medicine. Medical students complete two years of basic science education in Vermillion followed by two years of clinical science education at one of several sites in South Dakota.
Graduate Degrees Offered
The University of South Dakota offers 55 degrees in 28 programs. Several opportunities exist for students to pursue advanced degrees simultaneously through joint degree programs. The following is a comprehensive list of graduate degrees and the programs in which they are offered.
| Master of Arts |
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Addiction Studies |
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Biology |
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Communication Studies |
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Counseling and Psychology in Education |
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Educational Administration |
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Elementary Education |
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English |
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Health, Physical Education and Recreation |
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History |
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Interdisciplinary Studies |
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Mathematics |
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Political Science |
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Psychology |
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Secondary Education |
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Special Education |
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Speech-Language Pathology |
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Theatre |
| Master of Business Administration |
| Master of Fine Arts |
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Art |
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Theatre |
| Master of Music |
| Master of Natural Science |
| Master of Professional Accountancy |
| Master of Public Administration |
| Master of Science |
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Administrative Studies |
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Basic Biomedical Sciences |
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Biomedical Engineering |
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Biology |
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Chemistry |
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Computer Science |
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Mathematics |
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Occupational Therapy |
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Physician Assistant Studies |
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Physics |
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Technology for Education and Training |
| Master of Social Work |
| Specialist in Education |
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Counseling and Psychology in Education |
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Curriculum and Instruction |
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Educational Administration |
| Doctor of Education |
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Curriculum and Instruction |
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Educational Administration |
| Clinical Doctorate |
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Audiology |
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Physical Therapy |
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Transitional Doctorate in Physical Therapy (tDPT) |
| Doctor of Philosophy |
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Basic Biomedical Sciences |
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Biological Science |
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Biomedical Engineering |
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Computational Science and Statistics |
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Counseling and Psychology in Education |
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English |
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Materials Chemistry |
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Political Science |
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Psychology |
| Juris Doctor |
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Law |
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Joint Law/Master’s Program |
| Doctor of Medicine |
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School of Medicine |
| M.D./Ph.D. |
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School of Medicine |
Graduate Certificates offered at The University of South Dakota include:
Alcohol and Drug Studies
Disaster Mental Health
Long-Term Care Management
Public Health
State Government Leadership (available only to selected State of South Dakota employees)
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