Graduate Education Policies

I. Admissions Policies	VI. General Degree Requirements
I.1. General Requirements for Graduate Admissions	VI.1. Supervision of Advanced Degree Programs
I.2. International Student Admissions	VI.1.a. Composition of Graduate Committees
I.2.a. English Proficiency	VI.1.b. Changes in Committee Membership
I.2.b. International Transcript Evaluation Requirements	VI.1.c. Emergency Committee Substitutions
I.2.c. Visa Requirements	VI.1.d. Change of Major Professor
I.2.d. Medical Insurance	VI.1.e. Changing the Master’s Program Option
	VI.2. Program of Study
II. Funding Policies	VI.3. Certification of Degree Requirements
II.1. Graduate Assistantships	VI.4. Credit Policies for All Graduate Degrees
II.2. Assistantships with Tuition and/or Fee Support	VI.4.a. Graduate Course Level Requirements
II.3. Graduate Fellowships and Other Resources	VI.4.b. Advanced Degree Grade Requirements
	VI.4.c. Topics, Seminar, Co-op, and Independent Study Credits
III. Registration Policies	VI.4.d. Dual Credit for Multiple Programs
III.1. Graduate Student Registration	VI.4.e. Graduate Credits Earned at SD Mines
III.2. Definition of Full Time and Half Time Registration	VI.4.f. Applying Credits from Outside Institutions
III.3. Continuing Registration Requirements	VI.4.g. Applying Undergraduate Level Credits Toward an Advanced Degree
III.4. Minimum Academic Load	VI.4.h. Applying Graduate Level Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Toward an Advanced Degree
III.5. Maximum Academic Load	VI.4.i. Applying Graduate Level Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Student or Special Graduate Student Toward an Advanced Degree
III.6. Leave of Absence	VI.5. Theis/Dissertation Submission Requirements
III.7. Registration at Other Institutions	VI.6. Thesis/Dissertation Defense Requirements
	VI.7. Time Limitation for Graduate Degrees
IV. Enrollment Policies	VI.8. Participation in Commencement
IV.1. Dual Enrollment in PhD and MS Programs	VI.8.a. Applying to Graduate
IV.2. Accelerated Master’s Programs	VI.8.b. Deadline for Participation in Commencement
IV.3. Change of Program	VI.9. Catalog of Graduation for Graduate Students
IV.4. Adding a PhD Program
IV.5. Non-degree Seeking Graduate Students	VII. Master’s Degree Requirements
IV.6. Probation and Reinstatement Policy	VII.1. Master’s Program Requirements
IV.7. Appeal procedure	VII.2. Thesis Option Requirements
	VII.2.a. Thesis Submission Requirements
V. Grade Policies	VII.2.b. Thesis Defense Requirements
V.1. Graduate Grading System	VII.3. Non-thesis Option Requirements
V.2. Course Retake Policy	VII.4. Accelerated MS Option Requirements
V.3. Pass-Fail Option for Graduate Students	VII.5. Final Examination
V.4. Grade Appeal Procedure
V.5. Calculation of Graduate GPA	VIII. PhD Degree Requirements
	VIII.1. PhD Program Requirements
	VIII.2. The Qualifying Examination
	VIII.3. The Comprehensive Examination and Admission to PhD Candidacy
	VIII.4. Dissertation Submission Requirements
	VIII.5. Dissertation Defense Requirements
	VIII.6. Residence Requirements

Graduate Student General Information

The first master’s degree program was authorized at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in October 1935, and the first degree was granted in 1937. Permission to offer the first PhD program was granted in January 1967 to the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. Ten additional PhD programs have been authorized since that time with the most recent addition being a PhD in Data Science and Engineering in 2022. The Office of Graduate Education was created in the 1950-51 academic year.

The policies of the Office of Graduate Education are formulated by the Council of Graduate Education, which is advisory to the dean of graduate education. The policies are approved by the SD Mines administration, the SD Mines Faculty Senate, and the South Dakota Board of Regents when applicable and are administered by the dean of graduate education. This catalog provides the rules which apply to graduate students.

In the following descriptions the term “program” refers to a department, a division in a department such as the Construction Engineering and Management program within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, or a multi-departmental unit such as Biomedical Engineering, Materials Engineering and Science, or Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. Forms mentioned in the catalog are available at the Office of Graduate Education and on the Office of Graduate Education website.

Nature and Purpose of the Graduate Programs

The non-thesis and professional master’s programs are designed to build a student’s depth and breadth of knowledge and to enhance the student’s preparation for a career in industry. Development of technical and managerial knowledge through course work is the primary focus of these degree programs. Programs typically include a combination of required and elective courses outlined in an individualized program of study supervised by a program coordinator. Some degrees may also encourage or require the completion of an independent project.

The MS thesis and PhD graduate programs are designed to prepare a student for a lifetime of intellectual inquiry that manifests itself in creative scholarship and research, often leading to professional careers in academia, government, business, and industrial organizations. These programs emphasize freedom of inquiry and expression and development of the student’s capacity to make significant contributions to knowledge. An essential element is the development of the ability to understand and evaluate critically the literature of the field and to apply appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation, and understanding of issues and problems at the frontiers of knowledge. These goals are most effectively accomplished in close association with those experienced in research and teaching.

A central purpose of doctoral programs and Master of Science thesis programs is the extension of knowledge, but this cannot be accomplished on all fronts simultaneously. Students must choose an area in which to specialize, a faculty member with whom to work, and a research topic of mutual interest to the student and the faculty advisor. Individualized programs of study are then developed and committee members are selected cooperatively as coursework and research are undertaken. When all coursework has been completed, the research finished, the thesis or dissertation written, and all examinations passed, the student will have acquired the knowledge and skills expected of a scholar and will have expanded the knowledge and research capability in the field.

The Council of Graduate Education

Graduate education and graduate research are among the most important functions of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T). They constitute an important element of the vitality of scholarly inquiry and intellectual achievement in the university. An important responsibility for all matters pertaining to graduate education and graduate research rests with the faculty. To provide for an important mechanism for the faculty to create, foster and maintain graduate education and graduate research programs of high quality and accomplishment the Council of Graduate Education is formed to:

Advise the Graduate Dean on all matters pertaining to graduate education,
Establish and revise policies of graduate education,
Review and approve/disapprove of proposed graduate programs, courses and revisions,
Review student applications for fellowships and scholarships sponsored by the Graduate Office and decide on awards.
Conduct strategic planning for graduate education.

For more information about CGE, please visit the description on the Committees web page.

Graduate Programs

For a list of graduate programs and degree requirements, please visit the Graduate Studies section of this catalog..