I. Admission Policies

I.1. General Requirements for Graduate Admissions 
I.2. International Student Admissions
    I.2.a. English Proficiency
    I.2.b. International Transcript Evaluation Requirements
    I.2.c. Visa Requirements
    I.2.d. Medical Insurance

1. General Requirements for Graduate Admissions

The Office of Graduate Education encourages applications from qualified students holding bachelor’s degrees in engineering or science from accredited 4-year colleges and universities.  A student desiring admission should apply online using the application portal available from the Graduate Office web site.  The completed form and a non-refundable application fee of $35 are required for all applicants.  Required supporting documents and requirements for specific graduate programs can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.

All applicants wishing to be considered for admission or funding should submit their completed application package no later than February 1 for the Fall semester or August 1 for the Spring semester.   Note that some departments may have additional or different deadlines that may apply; please refer to the admission requirements page for more information.   Applications submitted after the above dates may be considered by some departments; please contact individual departments for more information.   Applicant files will not be considered for acceptance until all of the required application materials are received.  Applications completed by the above deadlines will, in most cases, receive a decision within one month of the deadline.  If the applicant has not completed an undergraduate program, evidence of graduation must be submitted prior to enrollment.

When an application for admission to a graduate program is received, the faculty of the program in which the applicant expects to major will evaluate the applicant’s academic qualifications.  The department head or program coordinator, on behalf of the faculty, will recommend whether or not the applicant should be accepted into the graduate program and whether the admission should be as an unconditional, conditional, probationary, or non-degree seeking (special) student.  The dean of graduate education will review this recommendation and provide a letter of decision to the applicant.

Admission for study toward a master’s degree does not imply that the student will be accepted to a doctoral program.  A separate application and evaluation of the student’s qualifications are necessary before acceptance into a doctoral program.  Admission to a program for study toward a PhD degree does not constitute admission to candidacy for the PhD degree. Refer to GEP VIII.3., The Comprehensive Examination and Admission to PhD Candidacy , for more information.

A student who is admitted to an academic program but is unable to attend in the semester in which he/she was accepted may request a deferment for up to 2 years.  The request must be made in writing to the Office of Graduate Education and must specify the revised start date. Deferments must be approved by the dean of graduate education.  Students must reapply if the anticipated start date is more than 2 years after the original semester of acceptance.

Students who are denied admission are not eligible to reapply to the same program for one year.

2. International Student Admissions

a. English Proficiency

All international applicants must provide evidence of English proficiency, with the exception of applicants from countries where English is the native language. Applicants who have a prior degree from a college or university in the U.S. may also be exempted.
South Dakota Mines has established minimum scores for admission for TOEFL, IELTS and the Pearson Test of English-Academic, listed below. We recognize a variety of valid English proficiency tests listed below which will be evaluated on an individual basis. English proficiency test results must be sent to the Office of Graduate Education. 

Detailed information regarding the English proficiency requirement is available on our website at https://www.sdsmt.edu/admissions-aid/graduateadmissions/graduate-application.html.

*Additional testing and instruction may be required based on a student’s performance on other placement exams, in the classroom, or on an assistantship.

Applicants who are planning to attend an intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the U.S. prior to attending South Dakota Mines may be eligible for conditional admission. Conditional admission may be granted if the applicant meets admission requirements except the required English score as indicated above. South Dakota Mines also recognizes the difficulty for ESL students in taking standardized exams that are offered only in English, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students in ESL programs may be required to take such tests after they have advanced to a certain level in ESL. Requirements will be specified in a conditional admission letter sent to the student. Once the student has completed the ESL program with satisfactory grades and meets any additional requirements, the student may be eligible for unconditional admission.

b. International Transcript Evaluation Requirements

South Dakota Mines requires a third-party foreign transcript evaluation for transcripts issued by institutions outside the U.S. Exceptions can be granted by the dean of graduate education for exemplary students who are recommended for a waiver by the academic program to which the student is applying. The two primary evaluations accepted by South Dakota Mines are World Education Services (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). The course-by-course evaluation report must be sent by the evaluating institution directly to the Office of Graduate Education.

c. Visa Requirements

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requires that a US college or university issuing form I-20 or DS-2019 establish that the student has financial resources adequate to meet expenses while studying at the school. To qualify for the I-20 to apply for the F-1 visa (or DS-2019 to apply for the J-1 visa), international applicants must be admitted to South Dakota Mines for study toward a specific advanced degree and have sufficient funding to meet their expenses. Full-time status at this university is necessary to comply with F-1 status requirements.

For more information and the most recent requirements, e-mail the Ivanhoe International Center at International@sdsmt.edu or go to https://www.sdsmt.edu/admissions-aid/international-students/index.html.

d. Medical Insurance

Each international student (and any dependents accompanying him/her to the United States) is required to enroll in a major medical hospitalization/surgical insurance plan. Certain, specific exceptions apply. Contact the Ivanhoe International Center for details. Life insurance is also strongly recommended.