Students looking for computer science programs will benefit from this listing of accredited computer science degree programs in South Dakota. The two programs listed are computer science bachelors, which lead to careers as computer scientists as opposed to Bachelor of Arts degrees which are for those wanting to teach or incorporate computing into another discipline. The degree requirements are similar, and the main difference is in school size and internship and employment opportunities in the areas.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
This school, founded in 1885, has a comparatively small student body and small classes. It boasts state-of-the-art facilities. Although it is unranked in US News and World Report, the school has been consistently listed as one of the “Best College Buys.” The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science has five faculty members that have received awards for teaching excellence. Students in the department are afforded many opportunities for participation in research projects and competitions. In-state tuition is $8,235 and tuition for non-residents is $11,755.
Computer Science Bachelor of Science
The learning outcome of this accredited computer science degree program in South Dakota is to produce graduates competent in all facets of software including design, development and testing. Those earning the degree will be prepared to assume positions as computer scientists. Most graduates of the program become software engineers. The 120-credit program includes 15 credits in the humanities and social sciences (at least six credits in each) and the general education requirement of the degree must be completed within the first 64 credit hours of the program. Students must take a minimum of four approved computer science electives in computer science courses as well as approved mathematics electives. Because of the large number of courses required for the degree, students often pursue a double major taking classes that meet requisites for both.
Accreditation
- Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET
Contact
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
501 East St. Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
605-394-2471
https://www.sdsmt.edu/Academics/Departments/Computer-Science-and-Engineering/Computer-Science-and-Engineering/
South Dakota State University
Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering
South Dakota State University, with an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, has embarked on an ambitious project called the Impact Plan which aims, by 2018, to graduate 2,660 students a year and boost its retention rate to 80 percent. This is South Dakota’s largest institution of higher education. It is ranked by US News and World report as number 201 of national universities. The college of engineering has six departments including computer sciences. It offers professional outreach programs to the community and a range of internship possibilities. In-state tuition is $7,700.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
The goal of this program is to graduate professionals who can compete in the computer science arena, which is one of the ten highest-paid professions in the country. Students get a foundation in the basics of computing including programming and algorithms, database structures and concepts, computer architecture and organization, programming languages, language compilers, operating systems and software engineering as well as several important courses from closely-related disciplines such a s discrete mathematics. The first year of the 120-credit program is spent in building a foundation in programming, mathematics and communication. The second year students study data structures and object-oriented programming, and investigate the connection between hardware and software. The third and fourth years students build breadth and depth into their educations by taking electives and following a specialization. The degree program also includes a two-semester capstone course in which all students work in teams to design, develop, test and demonstrate a significant computer project.
Accreditation
- Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET
Contact
Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering
South Dakota State University
100 Administration Lane
Brookings, SD 57006
605-688-4526
sdsu.eecs@sdsatate.edu
http://www.sdstate.edu/eecs/cs/index.cfm
Tuition in both of these programs compare well with average undergraduate costs and fees. Both schools boast small class size as a benefit of attendance. Students should use this list of accredited computer science degree programs in South Dakota as a tool to narrow their search for a school and then research their choice in more depth at the school website.
