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News Release
Contacts: Mike Rush, Executive Director and CEO
Janelle Toman, Director of Communications
Telephone: (605) 773-3455
Fax: (605) 773-5320
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Academic Offerings Approved at USD and SDSU
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The South Dakota Board of Regents has approved new academic program requests to meet emerging employment trends across the state. Regents this week authorized new delivery options for a University of South Dakota degree, a new certificate program at USD, and a new specialization at South Dakota State University.
At USD, the bachelor’s degree in criminal justice will be available for online delivery starting next spring. USD is the only public university in South Dakota authorized to deliver a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. It currently offers it in a face-to-face instructional format at the Vermillion campus and at University Center in Sioux Falls.
USD officials point to 281 online-only students taking criminal justice courses last year as evidence of demand for the fully online degree program.
USD also received approval to offer a new undergraduate certificate in healthcare analytics, focused on the systematic use of data to improve quality of healthcare delivery and to reduce costs. The 12 credit-hour certificate is aimed at health sciences majors who want to enhance their credentials with specialized knowledge in analytical methods.
Certificate programs usually require fewer credit hours to complete than a minor. They are developed by packaging a small set of courses that allows students to develop expertise within a focused area of study, addressing identified market and workforce development needs.
At SDSU, a specialization in data science will be available within the university’s bachelor of science degree in mathematics. This draws upon a wide range of data-centered courses in mathematics, statistics, and statistical computation.
In a variety of industries, graduates with data science training are in high demand. The new specialization will also prepare students for graduate studies in the field, according to SDSU officials.