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www.sdbor.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Wednesday, June 26, 2019

New Academic Programs Approved at SDSU

BROOKINGS, S.D. –  A new graduate degree at South Dakota State University aims to meet the needs of instructors at two- and four-year postsecondary institutions, especially those working at tribal colleges and universities. The master of science in interdisciplinary studies will allow students to design a flexible and individualized graduate program tailored to their needs and interests.

University officials said the new degree requires students to take existing graduate-level courses in at least two, and possibly three, disciplines, with a study plan approved by the student’s advisor and the SDSU Graduate School. The degree will be available in the academic year beginning this fall.

Other academic program requests from SDSU were approved by the South Dakota Board of Regents this week, including:

• A 12 credit-hour undergraduate certificate and an 18-hour minor, both in bioprocessing sciences, and a minor in sustainable local foods. The study of bioprocessing sciences will prepare students to serve large bioprocessing industries in the state and region, with a focus on quality control, operational efficiency, safety, and project management. The local foods minor emphasizes smaller scale food production systems and the ecological, nutritional, and social benefits of locally produced food.
• Requests to offer through online delivery a graduate certificate in management foundations and post-graduate certificates in clinical nurse leader and nurse educator. A post-graduate family nurse practitioner certificate was approved for delivery at off-campus sites in Rapid City and Sioux Falls.
• New specializations for agricultural economics within the B.S. degree in economics, for rangeland ecology and management within the B.S. degree in ecology and environmental science, and for geography within the Ph.D. degree in geospatial science and engineering. Each specialization allows students to focus more directly on a particular area of study within a broader degree field.