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Many DSU Graduates Have Landed Careers Before Graduation

Madison -- With graduation less than a month away, several Dakota State University students have already accepted positions in their field of study. Although exact figures cannot be projected this early, most graduates in degree programs such as Computer Science and Information Systems have had several job offers and are going to be accepting their diploma already knowing that they have a career waiting.

"Dakota State students continue to be in high demand by employers because of the technical skills and quality education they have acquired at DSU. As in past years, we expect 100% placement in areas such as Computer Science, Information Systems, and Respiratory Care," said Marie Lohsandt, Director of Career Services and Placement at DSU.

Some of the companies that May graduates have accepted positions with are Martin & Associates of Mitchell, West Publishing of Minneapolis, Motorola of Chicago, Mutual of Omaha and Matrix Marketing in Omaha, and Citibank of Sioux Falls. On an average, the starting salaries for Information Systems and Computer Science graduates range between $30,000 to $32,000 a year. DSU’s unique degree programs in Computer Science and Information Systems have given students the opportunity to be selective in their career path choices because many have had several offers to choose from.

Naomi Killeen, who majored in Computer Information Systems and will graduate in May, attributes her post-high school education in helping her land a position with West Publishing in Minneapolis. "I started looking for a position shortly after Christmas. After receiving a list of Minneapolis contact people from the DSU Placement Office, I spent my Spring break contacting businesses and individuals about possibilities," said Killeen. "It has taken a lot of pressure off of me knowing that I already have a career starting in May. This allows me to concentrate on finals and preparing to move to Minnesota."

To reach our graduates early, many companies are coming to campus to interview students. Twenty-two companies have visited campus since September. Some of those include Gateway Computers, Norwest Financial, Citibank, Midland National Life, and Dialbank, all of South Dakota and Schwan’s, Sathers, and Federated Insurance, all of Minnesota.

Graduation at Dakota State University is set for Saturday, May 10^th at 10:30 a.m. in the Fieldhouse.

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