Curricula

Masters Degrees

Master of Arts in Teaching

The graduate degree program is for individuals without teaching credentials but who have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree in a secondary education field of study and wish to become a teacher in an efficient fashion.

Master of Sport Administration

The graduate degree program is for individuals who have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree and wish to pursue a master’s degree to advance their coaching or athletic administration career.

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a graduate degree that will prepare our students with skills to innovate, collaborate, and lead effectively and efficiently. The MBA degree will focus on classes in accounting, finance, ethics, management theory, organizational communication, and marketing, to name a few. This accredited degree will challenge students to become a strategic business leader. 

Masters of Education in Elementary Education

This graduate degree has a dual focus of research and pedagogy. It's not intended as a pathway to teacher licensure, but will move in-service teachers up the salary schedule considerably, while increasing their professional knowledge and pedagogical skills as classroom teachers. It has a cognate devoted to elementary education which will set it apart from others in the United States.

Master of Entrepreneurship

The main purpose of this graduate degree program is to provide graduate-level education to students which will enhance their ability to contribute to our economy and quality of life as either business owners or employees.

Bachelor Degrees

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements Regarding Upper Division Coursework

Baccalaureate degree graduates must have earned a minimum of 32 semester hours of upper division (300-400) course credit, either from Dickinson State University or another regionally accredited institution.

Major/Minor Minimum Credit Requirements

Majors must consist of a minimum of 32 semester hours, 18 hours must be from Dickinson State University.

Minors must consist of a minimum of 21 semester hours, 12 hours must be from Dickinson State University.

A student cannot minor within their major field of study.

Bachelor of Applied Science Degree

The Bachelor of Applied Science Degree is intended to build on an Associate in Applied Science Degree (AAS) but can be pursued independently by completing all 120 semester hours at DSU and meeting the minimum program requirements as listed in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship section.

Bachelor of Arts Degrees

The Bachelor of Arts degree provides a strong liberal arts curricular foundation designed to encourage knowledge of human cultures, to promote proficiency in writing and speaking, and to provide concentrated study in a major and a minor area.

Major and Minor – The student’s major and minor areas must ordinarily be part of the Bachelor of Arts curriculum, but some departments allow the selection of a cognate or an interdisciplinary area in lieu of a minor. A minor is also required for graduation unless the major consists of 56 or more credit hours.

Bachelor of Arts graduates must complete a minimum of eight credit hours of foreign language study. The eight credit hours can be in one language or in multiple languages. American Sign Language credits may also be used to meet this requirement.

Bachelor of Business Administration

Students who seek a Bachelor of Business Administration may choose one or more of four majors from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. These include:

Accounting

Administration

Finance

Human Resource Management

Bachelor of Science Degrees

Students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree may choose a major from departments in the College of Education, Business and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. A minor is also required for graduation unless the major consists of 56 or more credit hours.

Bachelor of Science in Education Degrees

The Bachelor of Science in Education curriculum offers two programs for teaching in elementary (1-8, K-8) and secondary schools (5-12).

Elementary Education

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a major in Elementary Education includes General Education courses and both pre-professional and professional education courses. Early childhood education and reading concentrations are available, as are courses for middle school English, mathematics, social studies, and science. These concentrations and options lead to special state endorsements and/or credentials.

Secondary Education

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a major in an approved secondary teaching subject includes courses in general education, pre-professional and professional education, the major field, and elective areas. In selecting major and minor fields, students should consider both their own interests and the most common combinations in secondary schools.

Major Fields Are:

Biology Education

Business Education

Chemistry Education

English Education

History Education

Mathematics Education

Music Education – Instrumental, Choral, or Composite options

Physical Education

Composite Science Education - Biology or Earth Science tracks

Composite Social Science Education

Technology Education (in cooperation with Valley City State University)

For K-12 licensure in art, physical education, and music, students must take additional work in the major plus a sequence of professional education courses that give them a background in working with elementary students. The specific courses in the major can be found under the appropriate major section in the catalog. Specifics of the professional core are found under the School of Education.

Bachelor of University Studies Degrees

The Bachelor of University Studies (BUS) program affords students the opportunity to plan their own curriculum, and to choose those courses which seem most valuable and interesting to them. Students should note that the BUS degree does not qualify the graduate for teacher certification.

Associate Degrees

Associate in Arts

This general education degree is considered as the primary degree for students who will be pursuing a four-year degree in the future. The following sub-plans are available for the Associate in Arts degree:

• Communication
• Music
• Theatre

Associate in Science

This general education degree is considered as the primary degree for students who will be pursuing a four-year degree in the future. The following sub-plans are available for the Associate in Science degree:

• Agricultural Sales and Service
• Allied Health
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Criminal Justice
• Elementary Education
• Engineering
• Geology
• Secondary Education
• Substance Abuse Counseling

Associate in Applied Science

The AAS degree prepares graduates for the workforce, students completing an Associate in Applied Science degree will not be General Education complete.

• Administration
• Practical Nursing

Certificate Programs

Certificate programs are designed for immediate application to a work environment and require nine or more credit hours.

• Accounting Technician
• Allied Health
• Banking
• Business (Graduate)
• Business Fundamentals
• Computer Programming
• Data Entry Specialist
• Digital Communication
• Digital Marketing
• Entrepreneurship (Graduate)
• Farm and Ranch Management
• Graphic Design
• Horse Production
• Hospitality
• Human Resource Management
• Music
• Office Administration Specialist
• Physical Science
• Reception Services Specialist
• Theatre
• Web Management
• Welding Technology

Certificate of Completion Programs

Dickinson State University offers the following Certificate of Completion Programs in which eight or less semester hours of credit are required.

• CPA Preparation
• Corrective and Therapeutic Exercise
• Entrepreneurship
• Strength and Conditioning
• Wellness