Graduation Requirements and Procedures

	Application for Graduation
	Degree Residency Requirements
	Graduation Honors
	Internships, Practicums and Student Teaching
	Program Requirements

Application for Graduation

Each candidate for graduation, including students completing coursework off-campus, must apply formally to the Registrar by the deadline specified in the academic calendar. Failure to meet the required deadline results in the degree confirmation at a later graduation date. Graduation application forms are available in the Office of Enrollment Services.

Degree Residency Requirements

Philosophy and Rationale

    Dakota State University has residency requirements for baccalaureate majors, minors and associate degrees in order to assess, test, and observe students’ learning and acquisition of academic skills. This is necessary since, in granting a degree, DSU is certifying students’ knowledge and skills to perspective employers, to other universities, and to concerned individuals (see BOR Policy 2:29).

Purpose:

1.     Expose students to the knowledge, competencies, and experience deemed
              essential for degrees conferred by the institution.

2.     Certify that students have met institutional standards.

3.     Provide faculty with the basis to act as a reference for students seeking
              employment.

Definition of Credits in Residence

A credit in Residence within the Board of Regents system is a course offered by any of the degree-granting Regental institutions at any approved site using any approved method of delivery.

An institutional credit is a credit offered by the degree granting institution and includes credits that are part of a formal collaborative agreement between that institution and another Regental institution.

Credit earned for college level courses by validation methods such as Credit by Exam, CLEP, AP, portfolio, etc. within the Regental system will not be considered “credits in residence.”

Institutional  Credit Requirements for Degree-Seeking Students

1. Minimum number of credit hours that must be earned from the institution granting
    the degree:

a. Baccalaureate       32 hours
b. Associate             16 hours

2. Number of the last credit hours earned preceding completion of the degree that must be earned from the institution granting the degree

a. Baccalaureate     16 of the last 32 hours
b. Associate             8 of the last 16 hours

3. Minimum number of credit hours specified in the major requirements that must be completed at the degree granting institution: 50 percent.

4. Degree seeking students may complete requirements for a minor at any Regental university that has been approved to grant that minor. This minor will be      recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree/major at that university or a degree/major at any other Regental university. A minor will only be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree and major.

5. Credits by evaluation of previous learning do not count toward meeting               requirements number 2 and 3 above.

6. Universities may consider extenuating circumstances for students on a case-by-
     case basis, including prior enrollment in regental system institutions.

Graduation Honors

The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation the undergraduate student must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:

Associate Degree

The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its associate-level graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation, an associate-level graduate must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:

With highest honors        equal to or greater than 3.9

With high honor              equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9

With honor                    equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7

An associate-level graduate must have completed a minimum of 32 credit hours at the institution granting the degree. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree. Also refer to BOR policy 2:29.

Internships, Practicums and Student Teaching

Internships

Internships supplement classroom instruction by allowing students to gain real-world experience prior to graduation. The student intern must have completed at least two years of academic credit and be majoring in a field related to the internship project. Internships must be approved by the appropriate college internship coordinator and the dean. Credit hours earned for the internship are based primarily upon the quality of the internship and are determined by the college internship coordinator and the dean.

Practicums

Practicums are field experiences which are arranged on an individual basis to fulfill program and student needs. The credit hours earned in a practicum will be determined by the program requirements. Practicums may also be taken by students for individual exploration. The content of practicums must be negotiated between the student and the faculty member and approved by the college dean.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a field experience requirement in the teacher education program. The student is assigned to either an elementary, middle school or secondary institution. This activity will vary in length, based on program requirements.

Program Requirements

Students who are admitted to Dakota State University are required to declare a major in an academic discipline. Some degree programs require students to seek formal admission to the program prior to the end of the sophomore year. The criteria for program admission varies by program and is included with the program description in this catalog.

Candidates for graduation must successfully fulfill all program requirements. A baccalaureate degree requires completing at least 128 semester hours of credit. An associate degree requires completion of the semester hours specified for that program. (See also residency requirements set by the Board of Regents for all graduates.)

A student must have earned both cumulative and major grade point averages of at least 2.00. Certain degree programs have higher grade point averages. (See program description for details.) Academic Skills (Pre-General Education) courses such as MATH 021, ENGL 031-032-033, and LART 010 do not count toward graduation.

Returning DSU students, who did not graduate from DSU during their previous enrollment and who have interrupted their enrollment for more than one academic year but not more than five years, may complete their last declared major or minor program subject to the review of appropriate college if the major or minor is still being offered. Fore more information, see Returning Student section.