SDSU Plans for New Majors in Software Engineering and Global Studies

BROOKINGS-The South Dakota Board of Regents, meeting today on the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings, approved SDSU's plan to develop two new degree programs in global studies and software engineering.  

The global studies major will provide a level of global expertise for selected students through advanced examination of physical, social, and cultural environments outside the United States. The existing area studies and topics (such as European studies and Latin American studies) will be incorporated within the new degree requirements. A specialization and emphasis in global studies will allow students to enhance their majors with a broader global knowledge and perspective. Students who want more in-depth study to achieve a global perspective will select the full major.  

"Employers are seeking graduates with more than a college degree. Increasingly, they are seeking students with strengths that extend beyond one's major discipline," said Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry. "Technology training, communication skills, demonstrated teamwork, internship experiences, customer-service skills, and overseas experiences increase students' marketability. For jobs with many multi-national companies, global studies, modern language skills, and overseas experiences are essentials." Some of the South Dakota companies seeking these skills include Gateway, Citibank, Midcom Inc., and a variety of agricultural production and marketing organizations.

Software engineering is the application of engineering concepts, methods, and tools to the development of software systems. This new program is closely aligned with electrical engineering and computer science. Graduates with a software engineering degree will meet South Dakota's growing demand for professionals in advanced technology.   

"These two majors fit well with the land grant mission of SDSU," said SDSU President Peggy Gordon Miller. "Computer software drives virtually all aspects of business, communications, engineering, entertainment, government, industry, and science. It only stands to reason that we would offer a more specialized degree in this area."

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