| Applying to the Graduate School is easy! Simply follow the steps below. |
 The PDF files on this page can be downloaded, completed, printed, and mailed to the address below. For best results, use Adobe Acrobat Version 7, a free browser plug-in, available at Adobe.
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Mailing address for application materials:
Please send all application materials to the Graduate School, University of South Dakota, 211 McKusick, 414 East Clark, Vermillion, SD 57069.
The application packet should include:
- Completed Application Form: The application must be signed and dated. A $35.00 non-refundable fee should accompany the application form. Checks should be made out to the University of South Dakota. The fee cannot be waived.
Application Form Apply Online
Program Deadlines and Supplemental Applications
- Letters of Recommendations: For most of the programs, three recommendation letters are required of all applicants to a graduate degree program. The person writing the reference must complete the form, seal the form in an envelope, and write his/her name across the flap on the back of the envelope. The sealed envelope is to be returned to the applicant for inclusion in the packet of application materials, which is sent to the Graduate School or, when appropriate, to the School of Education.
Graduate School Recommendation Form
* Please note that the doctorate programs in the Division of Counseling & Psychology require 5 letters of recommendation and the MBA program requires 2 letters.
- Transcripts: Provide one original official transcript from each college or university attended. Transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to the Graduate School. Graduates of The University of South Dakota or any South Dakota Board of Regents university may provide unofficial transcripts.
- Official Test Score Results: If test scores are required by a department or degree program, standardized test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate School from the testing center. The student may wish to include a copy of the test scores in the application packet.
- Personal Statements: Write on a separate sheet and attach it to the application. Your statement should include your purpose in pursuing graduate education, any research you
wish to pursue, and your future career goals.
Once submitted, the Graduate School application, letters of recommendation and transcripts become the property of The Graduate School.Application Review:
When completed, the Graduate School will forward the applications to the appropriate academic department for review. The department will then recommend the admission status of the applicant to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final decision as to admission status. Students may be accepted to The University of South Dakota Graduate School with full admission or provisional admission. The department or division also will recommend if an applicant is to be denied admission to a degree program.
Upon final decision of the Dean of the Graduate School, the Graduate School will notify in writing each applicant as to his/her admission status.
Applicants not wishing to work for an advanced degree need only submit the Special Student - Post Graduate status Application form to take courses.
Special Students:
Special Student - Post Graduate Status Application
A public University has an obligation to make its resources available for a broad range of purposes not confined to the pursuit of specific degrees. Anyone holding an undergraduate regionally accredited baccalaureate or professional degree may register for individual courses at the graduate level without making application to a degree program.
The special student applicant is not required to furnish transcripts or recommendations and there is no minimum grade point requirement. A student in this classification must complete a Special Student - Post Graduate Status Application and meet prerequisite conditions, as determined by the instructor, for admission into specific courses. A student who is designated as a special student at the graduate level has not been admitted to the Graduate School: he/she has only been given permission to enroll in graduate courses. The Graduate School does not maintain files on special students but has access to the records at the Registrar's office for statistical purposes. Should a special student wish to work toward a graduate degree at a later date, he/she will be required to apply for admission into a degree program. Students with special student status are not eligible for financial aid.
Courses taken as a special student will be applicable toward a graduate degree with permission from the admitting department and the graduate Dean. Normally only six graduate credit hours earned while a student is enrolled as a special student may apply toward a degree.
To apply as a special student, a completed application for Special Student - Post-Graduate Status must be presented to the office of the Graduate School, at which time the student may then register for courses.
*Late applicants may be required to register on Special Student - Post Graduate Status.
Use the following links to find applications and/or application guides for the Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies Programs. These applications are to be submitted directly to those departments.
Occupational Therapy Admissions
Physician Assistant Admissions
Applications to the School of Law and the School of Medicine are to be submitted directly to those schools.
Law School Admissions Information
Medical School Application (website format)
Medical School Admissions Information
*If you are a prospective student with a disability and need assistance or accommodations
during the admission/application process, please contact the Director of Disability Services,
119B Service Center North, USD, Vermillion, SD 57069. Phone: 605-677-6389
Fax: 605-677-3172 E-mail: dservice@usd.edu
