2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog

                                                                                          |  Table of Contents   |   DSU Home   |

Curriculum

Course Delivery and Scheduling 

    At DSU, academic coursework challenges a student beyond listening well, taking good notes, and preparing for examinations. The faculty at DSU uses current technology to communicate information, to share ideas, and to measure a student's learning against the published course expectations. Students have access to faculty outside the classroom via electronic mail, by phone, or in person during office hours.
    Please note that the South Dakota Board of Regents is engaged in a system-wide STUDENT Project, designed to merge the separate institutional student databases into a single database. Most of the changes resulting from this project are reflected in this catalog; however, some changes are still pending approval. Students should consult their advisor and/or dean of their college for the most current policy information.

Graduation Requirements 

Baccalaureate Degrees 
Graduation requirements for baccalaureate degrees are grouped into three categories with identified goals and a list of courses that meet designated goals in each category:

System-wide General Education Requirements  30 credits 
Institutional Graduation Requirements 5 credits
Information Technology Literacy Requirements  9 credits 
Total 44 credits 

All students should check their major before selecting any general education course. Courses selected to meet System-Wide General Education Requirements or Institutional Graduation Requirements may not also be used to meet requirements of majors and minors.

System-wide General Education Requirements 

The system-wide general education curriculum of the university is intended to provide opportunities for the student to develop the breadth and depth of understanding and appreciation which characterizes the educated and responsible adult. Courses which deal with language and symbolic thought, literature and aesthetic values, natural sciences, and the social sciences are an integral dimension of one's personal, community, and professional life. All degree programs of the university include system-wide general education requirements. Students should check major-field requirements before selecting courses to meet the system-wide general education requirements. A course that counts toward a general education requirement at one campus will count towards the same general education requirement at another campus regardless of whether the campus offers the course.

Goals of System-wide General Education Requirements 
Students will: 

1. write effectively and responsibly and understand and interpret the written
expression of others.
2. communicate effectively and responsibly through speaking and listening.
3. understand the structures and possibilities of the human community
through study of the social sciences.
4. understand and appreciate the human experience through arts and
humanities.
5. understand and apply fundamental mathematical processes and reasoning.
6. understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences and apply
scientific methods of inquiry to investigate the natural world.
7. understand and be sensitive to cultural diversity so that they are prepared to
live and work in an international and multicultural environment.

System-wide General Education Requirements (SGE)                                       30 Credits 

GOAL 1: Written Communication  

 6 credits 

Students will write effectively and responsibly and understand and interpret the written expression of others.
Courses meeting this goal will collectively require students to:

  1. write logically and persuasively;
  2. use a variety of rhetorical strategies (e.g. expository, argumentative, descriptive);
  3. read critically the writing of others;
  4. view writing as a process requiring planning, drafting, and revising;
  5. write for a variety of audiences, including academic audiences;
  6. incorporate formal research and documentation into their writing;
  7. use standard English;
  8. use computer technology for basic communication-related tasks such as word processing and research.
  ENGL 101  Composition I
ENGL 201 Composition II

GOAL 2: Oral Communication    3 credits 

Students will communicate effectively and responsibly through speaking and listening.
Courses satisfying this goal will require students to:

  1.  plan and create speeches for a variety of audiences and settings;

  2. develop speaking competencies including choice and use of topic, supporting materials, organizational pattern, language, presentational aids, and delivery as appropriate to topic, audience, occasion, purpose, and communicator;

  3. develop listening competencies including listening with literal and critical comprehension to ideas, perspectives, and emotion in messages.

  SPCM 101 Fundamentals of Speech
or 
  SPCM 215 Public Speaking  
or
  SPCM 222  Argumentation & Debate  
GOAL 3: Social Sciences 

6 credits (in two disciplines) 

Students will understand the structures and possibilities of the human community through study of the social sciences.

Courses in Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology meeting this goal will collectively require students to:

  1. learn and apply the basic concepts, terminology and theories of social sciences;

  2. examine the origin and evolution of human institutions;

  3. examine human behavior in different spatial, temporal, cultural, and/orinstitutional contexts;

  4. examine the allocation of human or natural resources within societies;

  5. apply social science concepts and theories to contemporary issues in a responsible manner.

  ECON 201 Princ. of Microeconomics*
ECON 202 Princ. of Macroeconomics*
  GEOG 101 Intro. to Geography*
HIST 151 US History I*
  HIST 152 US History II*
  HIST 256 World History*
POLS 100 American Government  3 
  POLS 210 State and Local Government 3
  PSYC 101  General Psychology
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology* 
  SOC 150 Social Problems* 3
SOC 240 The Sociology of Rural America*  3
SOC 285 The Information Society*
  When choosing courses to meet this goal, it’s also important to consider
 the courses that will be chosen to meet SGE Goals 4 and 7 and IGR Goal 1.
GOAL 4: Arts and Humanities  6 credits (in two disciplines
or in a sequence of foreign language courses)

Students will understand and appreciate the human experience through arts and humanities.

Courses in History, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, non-English languages, Art, Music, and Theater meeting this goal will require students to:

  1. develop knowledge of the range of values, beliefs, and ideas embodied in the human experience;

  2. understand and interpret basic concepts and theories of the humanities and arts;

  3. develop creative sensitivity and aesthetic understanding;
    OR

  4. understand and interpret formal and stylistic elements of the literary or fine arts;
    OR

  5. demonstrate foundational competency in reading, writing, and speaking a non-English language.

  ART 111 Drawing I
ART 121 Visual Design 3
  ARTH 100 Art Appreciation*
ARTH 211 History of World Art I*
  ARTH 212 History of World Art II*   
ARTH 231 Survey of Art, Music, Theatre* 3
  ENGL 210 Intro. to Literature*
ENGL 211  World Literature I*
  ENGL 212  World Literature II*  3 
ENGL 221 British Literature I* 3
  ENGL 222 British Literature II* 
ENGL 241 American Literature I*
  ENGL 242 American Literature II* 3
ENGL 268 Literature*
  FREN 101 Intro to French I* 4

FREN 102

Intro to French II*     4
  HIST 121 Western Civilizations I*  3
HIST 122     Western Civilizations II* 3
  HUM 254 World Civilizations*   3 
LAKL 101 Intro to Lakota I* 4
  LAKL 102 Intro to Lakota II* 4
MUS 100 Music Appreciation* 3
  MUS 110 Basic Music Theory I 4
MUS 111 Basic Music Theory II 4
   MUS 233   Survey of Music History & Lit.*                   3
PHIL 100    Introduction to Philosophy*  3
  PHIL 200 Introduction to Logic  3
SPAN 101 Intro to Spanish I* 4
  SPAN 102 Intro to Spanish II* 4
THEA 100 Introduction to Theatre* 3
  THEA 131 Intro to Acting 3
THEA 200 Theatre History* 3
  When choosing courses to meet this goal, it's also important to consider the courses that will be chosen to meet SGE Goals 3 and 7 and IGR Goal 1. 
GOAL 5: Mathematics   3 credits

Students will understand and apply fundamental mathematical processes and reasoning.

Courses meeting this goal will require students to:

  1. use mathematical symbolism and mathematical structure to model and solve problems;

  2. communicate in mathematical terms;

  3. order and analyze quantitative information to make judgments of real world situations.

  MATH 102 College Algebra 3
or 
  MATH 103 Contemporary Math   
or
  Any math course with MATH 102 as a prerequisite  
GOAL 6: Natural Sciences   6 credits

Students will understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences and apply scientific methods of inquiry to investigate the natural world.  

Courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, and Physical Geography meeting this goal will require students to:

  1. participate in scientific inquiry in a laboratory experience.

  2. gather and critically evaluate data.

  3. demonstrate an understanding of fundamental principles of natural sciences.

  4. explore the development of ideas through time.

  5. understand the implications science has for the modern world.

  BIOL 101 Biology Survey I/Lab#  4 
BIOL 151 General Biology I/Lab #
  BIOL 165  General Zoology/Lab
BIOL 201 General Botany/Lab
  CHEM 112 General Chemistry I/Lab 4
CHEM 114 General Chemistry II/Lab
  PHYS 111  Intro. to Physics I/Lab ##
PHYS 113 Intro. to Physics II/Lab  4 
  PHYS 211 University Physics I/Lab ##  4
PHYS 213 University Physics II/Lab
  # Students may receive credit for only one of these courses.   
## Students may receive credit for only one of these courses.
GOAL 7: Cultural Diversity     

Students will understand and be sensitive to cultural diversity so that they are prepared to live and work in an international and multicultural environment.
Courses meeting this goal require students to:

  1. explore global issues and/or diverse philosophical, ethical, and religious views.

  2. explore social and aesthetic values of different cultures;

  3. examine the contributions of different cultures from a historical perspective.

Students are required to complete two courses (6 credit hours) that provide a global and/or cultural diversity perspective.  This requirement can be completed using courses that satisfy the social science and humanities/arts requirements listed above (SGE Goals 3 and 4) if the courses substantially address cultural diversity and/or global issues.  Courses in the social sciences and humanities/arts that will meet this cultural diversity requirement are indicated by an asterisk. When choosing courses to meet this goal, it’s also important to consider the courses that will be chosen to meet SGE Goals 3 and 4 and IGR Goal 1.

Institutional Graduation Requirements 
Institutional graduation requirements are intended to provide opportunities for students to develop additional skills in academic areas related to the institution's mission. At DSU, the institutional graduation requirements emphasize written communication skills and personal wellness.

Goals of Institutional Graduation Requirements 
Students will:

  1. find, evaluate, and use information effectively in written communication in social sciences.

  2. understand the importance and holistic nature of personal wellness and fitness.

Courses in the social sciences that have been identified as writing-intensive will require students to:

  1. identify and retrieve information needed for writing in the context of social science;
  2. use the information gathered to accomplish specific goals (make a personal decision, solve a problem, form an argument) and to communicate those goals in writing to others;
  3. evaluate information within historical, political, or social perspectives;
  4. in order to address social issues, work comfortably with a variety of information media and formats.
  5. Understand how to use this information ethically.
  6. Use technology as a tool for communication.

Institutional Graduation Requirements (IGR)                                                  5 Credits 

GOAL 1: Written communication in social sciences 3 credits 
  HIST 151  US History I*
HIST 152 US History II*
  HIST 256 World History* 3
POLS 100 American Government  3 
  PSYC 101 General Psychology
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology* 3
  SOC 150 Social Problems* 3
SOC 285 The Information Society*
       
Select disciplines and courses different from those chosen for SGE Goal 3.
When choosing courses to meet this goal, it's also important to consider
the courses that will be chosen to meet SGE Goals 3, 4, and 7. 
GOAL 2: Personal wellness and fitness 2 credits 
A course in personal wellness and fitness will require students to:
  1. Understand the principles of wellness and the health-related components;
  2. Apply these health-related components to fitness/wellness labs.
  WEL 100  Wellness for Life 
    (include concurrent enrollment in a lab)  

Information Technology Literacy Requirements 
Information technology literacy requirements are intended to provide opportunities for students to develop additional skills in academic areas related to computer-based technologies. At DSU, the information technology literacy requirements emphasize software applications and programming.

Goals of Information Technology Literacy Requirements 
Students will: 

  1. be knowledgeable and competent users of computer-technology.

  2. use technology appropriately to understand processes and concepts in math and science and to solve problems in those disciplines.

Information Technology Literacy Requirements (ITL)                                      9 Credits 

GOAL 1: Comp. technology: software & programming 

6 credits 

Courses in computer technology will require students to:

  1. Demonstrate competence in the use of computer application software;

  2. Demonstrate competence in programming concepts;

  3. Demonstrate knowledge of computer technology.

  CSC 105 Introduction to Computers
CSC 150 Computer Science I     3
or 
CIS 130 Visual Basic Programming  
GOAL 2: Computer technology relevant to science and math:
data graphing and interpretation 
3 credits 

Courses in science & math will mandate that students:

  1. identify, retrieve, evaluate, and apply mathematical and scientific information to complement class material;

  2. create tables, graphs, and/or equations that will describe or analyze data and interpret information from those sources to solve problems and make decisions

MATH 112 Quantitative Methods 1
and
2 hours in a natural science
When students complete SGE Goal 6, they accumulate the 2 hours in science toward completion of this goal. 

Pre-General Education Courses (see Assessment)

Based on an entering student’s Enhanced ACT score or their ACT COMPASS examination, students may be required to take pre-general education courses. Pre-general education courses include English 031, English 032, English 033, Math 021 and Math 101.

Students placed in pre-general education courses must enroll in and complete the courses within the first 30 credit hours attempted. More information can be found in the Assessment section of this catalog

Back to Curriculum