General Studies (A.A.)

System General Education Requirements (30 hours)

Composition 6cr
Oral Communication 3cr
Social Sciences (in 2 disciplines) 6cr
Humanities-Fine Arts 6cr
Mathematics 3cr
Natural Sciences 6cr

For a list of courses meeting these requirements, please consult the Graduation Requirements  page of this catalog.

Electives (30 hours)

Students intending to seek a bachelor’s degree after earning an associate’s degree are encouraged to choose electives that will fulfill bachelor’s degree, major, and/or minor requirements.

The South Dakota Board of Regents Proficiency Examination

All students seeking undergraduate degrees must achieve satisfactory performance on the South Dakota Board of Regents Proficiency Examination, the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP). Students pursuing an Associate’s degree must take the examination as soon as they have passed 32 credit hours. This total includes credits which are transferred in as well as those taken at USD. The examination is scheduled once each semester, during the first two weeks in November and the last two weeks of March. The CAAP Exam consists of four test components: writing skills, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. The purpose of the examination is to ensure the standards and quality of the education that students receive and to provide the University with information for improving the general educational curriculum. The examination also provides students with information that allows them to compare their performance to that of other students across the United States. Passing this set of exams is necessary to graduate and complete a degree program.

For additional information see http://catalog.usd.edu/content.php?catoid=5&navoid=157