One official transcript (in English or with translation) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree or equivalent degree from an institution with regional accreditation and previous graduate credit and degrees must accompany an application. A transcript verifying receipt of a previous graduate degree may be required for some programs. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the University of South Dakota from the issuing institution(s). An electronic official transcript must be transmitted directly between institutions using the electronic transcript service authorized by the issuing institution. A transcript delivered by the student or issued to the student is not official. For applicants who have received their baccalaureate or graduate degree from USD or from any of the South Dakota Regental institutions, transcripts are available to USD and are nOfficial transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with institutional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained a high school diploma, undergraduate, or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the approved list of English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants with degrees from other countries, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8.5 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 110 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.
Applicants applying to the EdD are required to complete the Educational Leadership Writing Prompt. Applicants for the M.A. and Ed.S. programs are required to complete a statement of purpose.ot required to be requested by the student.
Successful completion of a baccalaureate degree or an equivalent degree from an institution with institutional accreditation for that degree.
A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework.
TOEFL (IBT): 79
TOEFL:550 on the Paper-Based
IELTS Academic: 6.0
PTE: 53
Duolingo:105
TOEFL Essentials: 8.5
Degree awarded from the US
All programs require letters of recommendation, but the number of recommendations may vary. Please see specific graduate program requirements for details. The letters of recommendation are requested in the application and should be submitted by the reference through the application (CAS Evaluator Portal).